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Written Question
Public Statues: City of Westminster
Wednesday 17th June 2020

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a public consultation on removing the statue of Robert Clive on King Charles Street in Westminster.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

There are no plans for a public consultation on removing the statue of Robert Clive on King Charles Street in Westminster.

The Government does not propose to remove statues or memorials on its property. We believe it is always legitimate to examine and debate Britain’s history, but removing statues is not the right approach.

The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations, who had different perspectives and different understandings of right and wrong. But those statues play an important role in teaching us about our past, with all its faults.

The Government therefore believes that we should use heritage to educate people about all aspects of Britain’s complex past, good and bad, rather than airbrushing history.

Historic England, as the Government’s adviser on the historic environment, have set out why they believe removing difficult and contentious parts of the historic environment risks harming our understanding of our collective past. They and other heritage funding bodies invest significantly in improving public access to historical objects, providing contemporary interpretation of them and supporting diverse heritage projects around the country.


Written Question
Gambling: Children and Young People
Wednesday 10th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken of the extent and nature of gambling among children and young people; and where any such analysis is published.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core objective of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, and a priority for the government.

Operators offering gambling services to people in Great Britain must have a licence from the Gambling Commission and must have effective policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling. Where there is a failure to prevent underage gambling, the Gambling Commission has a range of powers to act, including regulatory and/or criminal action.

The Government's Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May 2018, set out measures to increase existing protections around gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. These included new guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice on protecting children and young people, and stricter age verification controls for online gambling operators. The response can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

The Gambling Commission carries out an annual survey of gambling behaviour among 11-16 year olds in Great Britain, which gives an estimate of rates of participation in gambling activities and problem gambling. The most recent report was published in November 2018. This can be found here: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/survey-data/young-people-and-gambling-2018-report.pdf

A report from the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB, now called Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, ABSG), expert advisers to the Gambling Commission, and the Gambling Commission’s response can also be found here: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/RGSB-Gambling-and-children-and-young-people-2018.pdf

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Gambling-and-children-and-young-people-response-2018.pdf


Written Question
Gambling: Advertising
Wednesday 10th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to banning advertising for gambling.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

The Government considered the evidence on gambling advertising as part of the Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. The response was published in May 2018, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

Strict rules already ensure gambling adverts are not targeted at, or appeal to, children, or exploit vulnerable people. These apply across all media, including online. The Review set out a package of measures to strengthen existing protections further, including tough new guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) on protecting vulnerable people and children, and a multi-million pound safer gambling advertising campaign. This launched in February and is aimed at reducing risky and impulsive gambling.

The gambling industry also recently announced that it will introduce a whistle-to-whistle ban on adverts during daytime (pre-9pm) sporting events in response to public concerns. This will come into force on 1 August. We will continue to monitor issues around gambling advertising and consider any new evidence carefully.


Written Question
Gambling
Wednesday 10th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken of gambling addiction; and where any such analysis is published.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

The most recent large-scale report into gambling behaviour was published by the Gambling Commission in 2018, using data from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland 2016 and Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2016. This estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the population. The surveys also identified people who are at risk of problems related to their gambling behaviour but who are not classified as problem gamblers. Both headline rates of problem gambling and at-risk rates have been relatively stable for many years.

The government published the Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures in May 2018. This set out action to protect those vulnerable to harm, including cutting the maximum stake on B2 machine from £100 to £2, along with measures to strengthen protections around online gambling and gambling advertising. The Gambling Commission has tightened identity and age verification controls online and introduced tougher sanctions for breaches of advertising codes. A multi-million pound safer gambling advertising campaign, Bet Regret, was launched in February this year, aimed at reducing risky and impulsive gambling.

The Review also set out action on treatment and support for those who experience harm, including initiatives to improve the evidence on treatment needs and effectiveness, expand access to existing services and strengthen the voluntary system for funding support. Following positive engagement with Government, five major operators recently committed to a tenfold increase in their contributions to support, including spending £100m on treatment over the next four years.


Written Question
Gambling
Wednesday 10th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce gambling addiction.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

The most recent large-scale report into gambling behaviour was published by the Gambling Commission in 2018, using data from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland 2016 and Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2016. This estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the population. The surveys also identified people who are at risk of problems related to their gambling behaviour but who are not classified as problem gamblers. Both headline rates of problem gambling and at-risk rates have been relatively stable for many years.

The government published the Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures in May 2018. This set out action to protect those vulnerable to harm, including cutting the maximum stake on B2 machine from £100 to £2, along with measures to strengthen protections around online gambling and gambling advertising. The Gambling Commission has tightened identity and age verification controls online and introduced tougher sanctions for breaches of advertising codes. A multi-million pound safer gambling advertising campaign, Bet Regret, was launched in February this year, aimed at reducing risky and impulsive gambling.

The Review also set out action on treatment and support for those who experience harm, including initiatives to improve the evidence on treatment needs and effectiveness, expand access to existing services and strengthen the voluntary system for funding support. Following positive engagement with Government, five major operators recently committed to a tenfold increase in their contributions to support, including spending £100m on treatment over the next four years.


Written Question
Ofcom: Conflict of Interests
Friday 4th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is any conflict of interest between the duties of the chair and deputy chair of Ofcom as impartial regulators of the BBC and their parliamentary duties including their voting record on Brexit.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

All candidates for public appointments go through a fair and open process as set out in the governance code for public appointments. Candidates must disclose any conflicts of interest upon applying and are questioned on these at interview. ​​Successful candidates must then comply with the code of conduct for board members of public bodies. Both Lord Burns and Baroness Noakes complied with the requirements as set out in these codes. Members of the Ofcom Board are required to maintain a register of members' disclosable interests which is published on the Ofcom website.


Written Question
Ofcom: Conflict of Interests
Friday 4th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether minutes of meetings of the Ofcom board record any declarations of conflicts of interest on the part of the chair and deputy chair; and if so, what are the dates of those meetings and the nature of the conflicts declared.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

All candidates for public appointments go through a fair and open process as set out in the governance code for public appointments. Candidates must disclose any conflicts of interest upon applying and are questioned on these at interview. ​​Successful candidates must then comply with the code of conduct for board members of public bodies. Both Lord Burns and Baroness Noakes complied with the requirements as set out in these codes. Members of the Ofcom Board are required to maintain a register of members' disclosable interests which is published on the Ofcom website.


Written Question
Ofcom: Conflict of Interests
Friday 4th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the board of Ofcom has been notified of any conflicts of interest on the part of the chair and deputy chair of Ofcom; and if so, what are those conflicts of interest.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

All candidates for public appointments go through a fair and open process as set out in the governance code for public appointments. Candidates must disclose any conflicts of interest upon applying and are questioned on these at interview. ​​Successful candidates must then comply with the code of conduct for board members of public bodies. Both Lord Burns and Baroness Noakes complied with the requirements as set out in these codes. Members of the Ofcom Board are required to maintain a register of members' disclosable interests which is published on the Ofcom website.


Written Question
Ofcom: Conflict of Interests
Friday 4th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Adonis (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what policies are in place to avoid conflicts of interest between the role of the chair and deputy chair of Ofcom and their participation in the House of Lords.

Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde

All candidates for public appointments go through a fair and open process as set out in the governance code for public appointments. Candidates must disclose any conflicts of interest upon applying and are questioned on these at interview. ​​Successful candidates must then comply with the code of conduct for board members of public bodies. Both Lord Burns and Baroness Noakes complied with the requirements as set out in these codes. Members of the Ofcom Board are required to maintain a register of members' disclosable interests which is published on the Ofcom website.