Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Mayor of London concerning the location of the memorial for victims of the transatlantic slave trade.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government has had no discussions with the Mayor of London concerning this matter. At the recent Budget, HM Government provided £10 million to National Museums Liverpool, to help in part with its planned expansion of the International Slavery Museum.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons the planned construction of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens has not resulted in the gardens and the Buxton Memorial being placed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register; and whether they will request that they be so placed.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Heritage assets may be added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register for a variety of reasons, such as poor condition, disuse, and, in some cases, the quantifiable risks of development. Historic England has not made an assessment of the potential risks to Victoria Tower Gardens since the Holocaust Memorial Bill is still under consideration. It will continue to monitor the situation and keep its position under regular review.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what changes they are planning in the future funding of Royal Parks to reflect the use of part of Victoria Tower Gardens for a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre will be managed and funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, which will also take responsibility for the management of the relevant parts of Victoria Tower Gardens needed for the duration of the construction period. It is not therefore proposed to make any changes to the funding provided by HM Government to The Royal Parks.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department or other organisation will have responsibility for the maintenance of the Buxton Memorial following the planned construction of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Royal Parks will continue to have responsibility for the maintenance of the Buxton Memorial Fountain in Victoria Tower Gardens, which commemorates the Parliamentary campaign to abolish the slave trade, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will continue to have Departmental responsibility for it.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the draft recommendation of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Report Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, published on 4 July, which recommends reconsideration of their proposal to build a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We take our responsibilities under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention seriously and look forward to discussing the report at the World Heritage Committee meeting in September.
My Department will continue to work with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities and The Royal Parks to ensure that the open space and heritage of Victoria Tower Gardens are preserved for future generations, and that the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre maintains the Outstanding Universal Value of the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church World Heritage Site.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 21 June (HL Deb col 55GC), what steps they will take to ensure that all sports and clubs fulfil their legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to make "reasonable adjustments" to accommodate disabled spectators.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Her Majesty’s Government wants everyone to be able to access and enjoy live sport. We are clear that all sports grounds should be inclusive and accessible to all spectators.
We will continue to work closely with our arm’s length bodies, Sport England,UK Sport and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), to make sport and facilities more accessible. We expect all sports and all clubs to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that people with disabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing sports venues.
With the support of Level Playing Field, the SGSA developed the Accessible Stadia document and supplementary guidance as a benchmark of good practice for new and existing sports grounds. It offers practical, clear solutions that will help deliver high-quality grounds with facilities and services that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with OFCOM regarding guidance for (1) the BBC, and (2) other media organisations, concerning the (a) accuracy, and (b) sensitivity, of reporting of issues relating to hate crime.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom has long-standing broadcasting rules through its Broadcasting Code, protecting against hate speech and prohibiting material likely to incite crime or lead to disorder, which apply to all broadcasters, including the BBC. Ofcom rules ensure that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Ofcom rules allow broadcasters to include hate speech in their output as long as it is justified by the context. Ofcom guidance also requires that broadcasters take into account sensitivity across the public and/or within communities.
Separate rules for video-on-demand services prohibit incitement to hatred. In November 2021 Ofcom updated its guidance further to protect users from harmful material. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation to level the playing field between traditional broadcasters and video-on-demand streaming services, in order to provide a fair competitive framework and ensure that viewers in the UK receive equivalent standards. We are now considering our response to that consultation and will publish next steps in due course.
Ofcom’s Video Sharing Platform rules require providers to take appropriate measures to protect against harmful material, including incitement to violence or hatred against particular groups of people.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their commitment (1) to protecting, and (2) to accessing, green spaces includes the preservation of Victoria Tower Gardens as a fully open park.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government’s commitment to protecting access to all green spaces includes Victoria Tower Gardens. There will occasionally be work or programmed maintenance that will require the temporary closure or the limiting of access to these green spaces, but the Government is committed to ensuring this is kept to a minimum.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy concerning permission for new buildings, not connected with open spaces' or leisure purposes, to be built in Royal Parks.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Any decisions concerning permission for new buildings, not connected with open spaces or leisure purposes to be built in the Royal Parks will be made in line with relevant planning legislation and will be the subject of the usual consent procedures.
The Royal Parks are Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Regent’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will maintain current levels of grant-in-aid to the Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition after the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
As an Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Imperial War Museums receives annual Grant-in-Aid funding to carry out a number of objectives, including securing free access to their permanent collections, of which the Holocaust Gallery forms a part. Museums themselves determine how best to allocate Grant-in-Aid across their organisations in addition to self-generated funding. The Government has committed funding in the current Spending Review period. Future funding decisions will be made at the next comprehensive spending review.