Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal is available to people who had served a combined total of five years in the Armed Forces and frontline NHS services on 6 February 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To qualify for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal recipients must be in an eligible role in the public sector on 6 February 2022 and have completed five years’ service.
There are some circumstances where prior service in a previous eligible role might be taken into account and aggregated with current service by a Department in deciding on medal eligibility.
Individual Departments, the Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies are responsible for applying the eligibility criteria and making eligibility decisions regarding the award of the Medal to their staff and other organisations that fall under their sponsorship.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the National Disability Strategy published on 28 July 2021, which of her Department’s commitments in that strategy that have not been paused as a result of legal action have (a) been fully, (b) been partially and (c) not been implemented.
Answered by John Whittingdale
In January 2022, the High Court declared the National Disability Strategy (NDS) was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport had four policies included in the National Disability Strategy. These were to: introduce a new free arts access card to make it easier for disabled people to enjoy the arts and cultural venues across the UK; make the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe; work with Sport England to address the inequalities faced by disabled people in sport and physical activity; and explore how to improve the accessibility of private sector websites.
Firstly, we are continuing to develop the Arts Access Card Scheme, which will make it easier for disabled people to enjoy arts and cultural venues across the UK. The pilot of the scheme is scheduled to launch in spring 2024.
Secondly, we are progressing our ambition for the UK to be the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by engaging with stakeholders, including VisitEngland, VisitBritain and the Tourism Industry Council Working Group, and we are also aiming to host a series of ministerial roundtables to discuss the barriers disabled people face as tourists.
Thirdly, we are continuing to address the inequalities faced by disabled people in sport and physical activity. As such, Sport England has provided £1 million of specialist disability investment as part of its ongoing ‘recover and reinvent’ work, 47 grants through the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund to projects benefiting autistic people and £40 million in the 2 financial years to March 2023 through the Tackling Inequalities Fund and Together Fund (reaching 1,900 projects directly supporting disabled people).
The action in the NDS for DCMS to explore how to improve the accessibility of private sector websites now falls under the auspices of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
We remain fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society. To support this, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be providing further details of our recent achievements to improve disabled people’s lives in the forthcoming Disability Action Plan consultation due for publication in the summer.
Ahead of this, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work will write providing a list of these achievements and will place a copy in the House Library.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of tourism from India on the economy of (a) Greater Manchester and (b) United Kingdom in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the expenditure of visitors to the UK from India was steadily increasing. In 2019, the total expenditure of visitors from India was £752.46 million and the average spend per visit was £1,088 - in Greater Manchester the total expenditure was £51.96 million and the average spend was £1,299 per visit. In 2019, there were 692,660 visits from India to the UK; 39,990 of these were to Greater Manchester.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a 53% reduction in seat capacity from India to the UK in 2020 and in 2021 was 54% behind pre-COVID levels.
The Government is committed to assisting and accelerating the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19 which is why we published the Tourism Recovery Plan (TRP) in June 2021.
The TRP sets out ambitious and stretching targets to recover inbound visitor numbers and spend to 2019 levels by the end of 2023 and recover domestic overnight trip volume and spend by the end of 2022 - at least a year faster than independent forecasts predict.
We are now showing the rest of the world that the UK is open, and ready to welcome visitors from around the world for a blockbuster year of events which began with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last weekend. India has been one of VisitBritain’s key campaign markets for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games taking place this summer. As well as the Commonwealth Games, we will also be showcasing the breadth of the UK’s culture, creativity and innovation through Unboxed, ‘Creativity in the UK’.
Asked by: Lord Crathorne (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Transport for London about whether the Elizabeth Line will be open before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations; and what was the outcome of those discussions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Delivery of the Elizabeth line comes under the remit of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL).
TfL has stated that Elizabeth line remains on schedule to open the central section tunnel between Abbey Wood and Paddington in the first half of 2022. Specific opening dates will only be communicated once the railway is safe and reliable to open to passengers.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the tourism industry throughout the UK.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our Tourism Recovery Plan (TRP) sets out an ambition to recover domestic tourism to pre pandemic levels of 99m overnight trips and spend of £19 billion by the end of 2022. We have been committed to supporting the sector to remain resilient and have already provided £37 billion to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.
The TRP also announced plans for a new rail pass, which we hope to launch this year, to help make it easier and more sustainable for domestic tourists to get around Scotland, England, and Wales.
The National Lottery Days Out Campaign is still running until 31 March, it offers people the chance to redeem a lottery ticket for a £25 voucher to be used in a variety of attractions around the UK, to support domestic tourism.
On 9 February, VisitBritain launched its £10 million international GREAT Britain marketing campaign ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’. The aim is to put Britain’s cities in the spotlight who have suffered most from the lack of international visitors during the pandemic. It will also capture the major events this year including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and ‘Unboxed,’ the UK-wide celebration of creativity. VisitBritain is also working with partners including British Airways in the USA and TripAdvisor in Europe to extend the campaign’s reach and drive bookings.
Related to the domestic campaign, in February the second round of the Escape the Everyday DMO Recovery Marketing Fund was launched. It provides the opportunity for English DMOs to apply for grant funding to deliver local marketing activities aligned to, and following on from, this national campaign.
In early March, VisitBritain welcomed 50 international travel trade buyers for a series of educational visits across Britain. Buyers from the UK’s three largest inbound tourism markets, the USA, France and Germany.
VisitBritain’s flagship global travel trade event ExploreGB is currently running virtually (21-25 March). ExploreGB Virtual is bringing together more than 330 global buyers to connect online and do business with 370 tourism industry suppliers and destinations from across the UK. More than 10,000 pre-scheduled one-to-one virtual business meetings will take place during the event.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to honour the veterans during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government is totally committed to championing our veterans, and ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in civilian life. We recently launched a new Veterans' Strategy Action Plan, which sets out our commitments to the veteran community.
To mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s accession, a commemorative medal, the Platinum Jubilee Medal, will be awarded to those serving in the Armed Forces and certain other public services on 6th February 2022, and who have completed the required five years’ service. This approach is consistent with that taken for the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to make funding available to local authorities to arrange civic celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee in 2022.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government has written to local authorities in the United Kingdom, highlighting the many opportunities for their communities to get involved in Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) set out a cross-Whitehall vision through the High Streets Strategy which includes the Government’s commitment to support celebrations and the involvement of local communities.
In addition, those local authorities who have signed up to take part in the Government’s Welcome Back Fund may choose to use their allocation to undertake preparations for the Platinum Jubilee, before the fund ends on 31 March 2022.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken with local communities to organise celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
On 6 January 2022, the Secretary of State wrote to all local authority leaders and chief executives in the United Kingdom to outline how councils may wish to support their communities in celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The letter specifically referenced Street Parties, the Big Jubilee Lunch, Beacon Lighting, events in local authority owned amenities, the use of the Platinum Jubilee Emblem, The Queen’s Green Canopy, the City Status Competition, local pageants, and broadcasting in public spaces of the television feed of the celebrations. The letter provided councils with links to further information and guidance in support of any plans which they may wish to make.
The letter also encouraged councils to promote the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's Platinum Jubilee website. This website features an interactive events map, to which people and organisations can add their own Jubilee themed events, thereby making it easier to identify and promote events running locally.
On 4 October 2021 the Department updated its guidance on organising street parties; in his letter of 6 January the Secretary of State recommended that street parties be encouraged and suggested that relaxing road closure rules would be important to make it as easy as possible for street parties to take place.
The Department issues a daily Local Government Bulletin to council leaders, chief executives and senior officials. This has regularly included items on Jubilee events and guidance and will continue to do so in the coming months.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the trade of saplings oak trees between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in preparation for Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 that invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
The QGC is encouraging schools and communities to get involved in planting Jubilee trees. In Northern Ireland, free tree packs for schools and communities are available through the Conservation Volunteers.
Under the current implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, oak trees are among a number of native British tree species that are currently prohibited from moving to Northern Ireland. The Government is in intensive negotiations with the EU to find solutions to the impacts of the Protocol and to sort out these very real issues impacting Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support (a) high streets and (b) local businesses in their celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Her Majesty's Government is delighted to be supporting the celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and there are many ways that we are helping high streets and local businesses to join in and benefit from this national moment.
The Government has written to Local Authorities in England, highlighting the many opportunities for their communities to get involved in the celebrations. The Home Office are currently consulting on extending the licensing hours over the bank holiday weekend. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) set out a cross-Whitehall vision through the High Streets Strategy and government’s commitment to support celebrations and involvement of communities.
Those local authorities who have signed up to take part in the Government’s Welcome Back Fund may choose to use their allocation to undertake preparations for the Platinum Jubilee, before the Fund ends on 31 March 2022.
The Platinum Jubilee Emblem is available, free of charge, to all communities and businesses.
The Government’s dedicated Platinum Jubilee website contains information on sources of funding, including £22m of Lottery funding. The website also contains an online map onto which event organisers can add their events and Jubilee celebrations.