Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to hold discussions with British motorsport organisations on their commitments to women’s rights in advance of the 2021 Saudi Arabian grand prix.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Participation in international sports events is a matter for the relevant international sports federations, and the national representatives to these federations.
Our sport strategy “Sporting Future” sets out our commitment to increasing the participation of women in all aspects of sport and physical activity, whether taking part, working or volunteering. Sport England provides support to organisations, including the National Governing Bodies, on how to increase the participation of women.
The UK has consistently called for women in Saudi Arabia to be able to participate fully in society. We welcome positive developments, including reforms to the guardianship system. The World Bank's "Women, Business, and the Law 2020" report recognises Saudi Arabia's efforts to advance women's economic participation within the Kingdom. However, women's rights still fall short of international standards. We will continue to raise the issue with Saudi Arabia, and work to promote and support further progress.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will encourage UK motorsport organisations to make their participation in the Saudi Arabian grand prix contingent on the release of (a) Loujain al-Hathloul and other women human rights defenders and (b) Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Turki bin Abdullah and other political detainees.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Participation in international sports events is a matter for the relevant international sports federations, and the national representatives to these federations. These bodies operate independently of government, and enshrine this political freedom in their rules and regulations.
The UK and Saudi Arabia have a longstanding bilateral relationship, based on a number of pillars including trade; investment; defence; security; energy; and shared concerns about regional issues. No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We have expressed significant concerns about reports of continuing arrests and arbitrary detentions in Saudi Arabia. The UK signed a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September, which noted our human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia and called for the release of all political detainees, including the women’s rights defenders. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, most recently raised the women's rights defenders' cases with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 16 November. We continue to raise concerns and are monitoring the situation closely.
Asked by: Karl McCartney (Conservative - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, what recent meetings he has had with representatives of motorsport; and what the outcomes of those meetings were.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I am having regular discussions with sector and industry bodies to understand the full impact of COVID-19 on sport and how the government can best provide support. This includes a fortnightly meeting with sporting organisations, at which motorsport is represented.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to promote women’s participation in motorsport.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is determined to get more girls and women taking part in sport in a way that suits them, something we set out in our sport strategy, Sporting Future. Motor sports and motor cycling clubs and associations are eligible to apply to Sport England for funding and I would encourage them to consider this as an option to help increase participation.
I also welcome the recently launched W Series, including a race in the UK. The W Series will showcase women's motorsport to an international audience and provide new routes into the sport for women. I applaud the decision of Channel 4 to broadcast the W Series in the UK, celebrating female racing talent and hopefully inspiring a new generation of fans.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential change in the level of motor insurance premiums as a result of the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2014, Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13, on insurance for motorised vehicles used off-road.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department is currently holding a public consultation on the implications of the Vnuk judgment. The Consultation impact assessment assesses the likely costs and benefits arising from two policy options for extending the scope of compulsory motor insurance.
The Government engaged extensively with stakeholders, including those from the motorsport industry, during the preparation of the consultation and impact assessment. I met with a range of representatives from the motorsport industry last month to listen to their concerns about the Vnuk judgment.
The consultation seeks stakeholders’ view about the policy options as well as requesting further information about the potential cost and benefits, including the impact on premiums. This will be used to assess the overall economic impacts of the policy options.
We oppose any measures which impose an unreasonable burden on the public. We will use the consultation responses to get the best result for the country.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2014, Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13 on insurance for motorised vehicles used off-road, if he will make an assessment of ways in which the effect of the scope of the Motor Insurance Directive (2009/13/EC) could be limited to the use of vehicles in the context of traffic as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1998.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department is currently holding a public consultation on the implications of the Vnuk judgment. The Consultation impact assessment assesses the likely costs and benefits arising from two policy options for extending the scope of compulsory motor insurance.
The Government engaged extensively with stakeholders, including those from the motorsport industry, during the preparation of the consultation and impact assessment. I met with a range of representatives from the motorsport industry last month to listen to their concerns about the Vnuk judgment.
The consultation seeks stakeholders’ view about the policy options as well as requesting further information about the potential cost and benefits, including the impact on premiums. This will be used to assess the overall economic impacts of the policy options.
We oppose any measures which impose an unreasonable burden on the public. We will use the consultation responses to get the best result for the country.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations has he received from the motorsport industry on the scope of the Motor Insurance Directive (2009/13/EC) since the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2014, Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13, on insurance for motorised vehicles used off-road.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department is currently holding a public consultation on the implications of the Vnuk judgment. The Consultation impact assessment assesses the likely costs and benefits arising from two policy options for extending the scope of compulsory motor insurance.
The Government engaged extensively with stakeholders, including those from the motorsport industry, during the preparation of the consultation and impact assessment. I met with a range of representatives from the motorsport industry last month to listen to their concerns about the Vnuk judgment.
The consultation seeks stakeholders’ view about the policy options as well as requesting further information about the potential cost and benefits, including the impact on premiums. This will be used to assess the overall economic impacts of the policy options.
We oppose any measures which impose an unreasonable burden on the public. We will use the consultation responses to get the best result for the country.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect on the motorsport industry of the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2014, Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav C-162/13, that introduced the requirement for all motorised vehicles used off-road to be insured.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department is currently holding a public consultation on the implications of the Vnuk judgment. The Consultation impact assessment assesses the likely costs and benefits arising from the policy options.
The consultation also asks whether stakeholders agree with that assessment and requests further information about the potential cost and benefits that will be used to assess the overall economic impacts of the policy options.
We oppose any measures which impose an unreasonable burden on the public. We will use the consultation responses to get the best result for the country.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers in the UK motorsport industries hold a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence.
Answered by James Brokenshire
There are four employers regulated by the Motor Sport Governing Body who hold a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence.