Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of a "Smart Fund" for the arts given its impact in 45 countries world-wide.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has made no recent assessment of the impact of a private copy levy scheme.
The 3rd Trade Specialised Committee on Intellectual Property under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement discussed Private Copying Levies on 23 October 2023 and the Minutes were published on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/specialised-committee-on-intellectual-property
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on ensuring financial redistribution between the leagues and clubs in English football.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Despite the global success of English football, the game has fundamental governance problems that have led to excessive and reckless risk-taking at too many clubs. Ineffective regulation poses very real dangers to our national game, threatening the stability of the football pyramid, impacting fans across the country. The King’s Speech set out our plans to address this with legislation to establish an independent football regulator.
We will introduce this legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current structures to protect the long-term financial sustainability of football clubs in England.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Despite the global success of English football, the game has fundamental governance problems that have led to excessive and reckless risk-taking at too many clubs. Ineffective regulation poses very real dangers to our national game, threatening the stability of the football pyramid, impacting fans across the country. The King’s Speech set out our plans to address this with legislation to establish an independent football regulator.
We will introduce this legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay published on 28 March (HL6443), when the next review of the Governing Body Endorsement will take place; how long the review will run for; what criteria will be deployed as part of the assessment; and what consultation will take place with interested parties, and in particular Premier League clubs.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The reviews of each sport’s Governing Body Endorsement criteria are led by the Home Office. Regular reviews are a common and integral part of this work.
The Government is currently carrying out a supplementary rapid review of the competitiveness of English football in attracting the best global talent while maintaining strong support to enable young domestic players to develop from the grassroots level. The scope of the review includes the Governing Body Endorsement criteria for English football. The Football Association, the Premier League, the English Football League, and the Professional Footballers’ Association have been asked for written contributions to the review.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they have given to using funds derived from dormant assets in England to combat loneliness; and whether using funds for this purpose will be included as an option in the first public consultation under section 18A of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Until the Dormant Assets Act which has just received Royal Assent, dormant assets funding in England had to be spent on youth, financial inclusion, and social investment. Given this restriction, which was set in primary legislation, the Government was not able to consider other causes such as loneliness.
We have now expanded the Scheme, and new primary legislation enables greater flexibility to consider evolving social and environmental needs in England. In line with the Dormant Assets Act [2022], the first consultation launched for the expanded Scheme will include youth, financial inclusion, social investment wholesalers, and community wealth funds as options. As part of the consultation, which will be launched as soon as this Summer, respondents will be able suggest formally alternative causes for which the English portion could be used, including loneliness.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce measures to assist young musicians wishing to tour in the EU; and whether any such plans will be introduced before the end of July.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises that there are new requirements for creative workers to work and tour in the EU, including for young musicians. The Government has sought to clarify these new arrangements, which are in many cases more workable than has at times been reported. For example, the vast majority of EU Member States have confirmed that they offer visa and work permit-free routes for touring professionals, including most recently Bulgaria and Croatia. Portable musical instruments, carried or in a vehicle, can be transported cost-free and should not require ATA Carnets. We have also confirmed that splitter vans are not subject to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement requirements on haulage, which is particularly important for emerging artists.
The Government supports our young and emerging artists across the UK through a range of export support programmes, including the Music Export Growth Scheme and the International Showcase Fund, which help musicians to break into international markets. The Government has also established a new Export Support Service from which UK artists can get answers to practical questions about working in Europe.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the Summer Reading Challenge in 2022 to ensure that children have access to reading materials over the summer holidays; and, in particular, how they will support children in areas where reading is uncommon.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the vital part reading and public libraries play in the lives of so many people, and the pleasure they bring to people of all ages. The Reading Agency, with funding from the Government via Arts Council England, will deliver the Summer Reading Challenge, in 2022, in partnership with public libraries. The theme this year celebrates science and innovation, as well as the key role of the imagination in both reading and the sciences.
Almost all library authorities in the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies will take part in the Summer Reading Challenge in 2022. This includes 27 authorities who will adopt an extended cross-authority approach to delivering the Summer Reading Challenge this year (an increase from 11 in the first year). This involves local authorities working with strategic partners in education, children’s services, and public health to widen reach and engagement for children living in areas of disadvantage through schools, early years provision, and other community settings.
The Reading Agency anticipates the Challenge in 2022 has the potential to reach one million children. This will include those in urban locations, particularly in the Midlands and North of England, large counties with fairly large rural communities, as well as coastal communities and the first pilot authorities in Scotland.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commit further funding to address loneliness during winter this year.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
In 2018, HM Government launched the world’s first tackling loneliness strategy. Since 2018 we have invested almost £50 million in tackling loneliness. This includes over £34 million in reducing loneliness for response to COVID-19 as part of the £750 million voluntary and community sector funding package.
In September 2021 we launched the Loneliness Engagement Fund, which provided small grants between £15,000 and £50,000 to organisations which could engage with target groups at high risk of loneliness. Nine organisations received grants through the fund, including charities supporting disabled people and young people.
The Government also plays a role in tackling loneliness by setting national direction and supporting other organisations across society to play their part. The tackling loneliness strategy sets out three objectives for the Government's work to tackle loneliness:
reducing the stigma associated with feeling lonely, by building a national conversation through our communications campaigns;
driving a lasting shift so loneliness is considered in policy-making and delivery by organisations across sectors; and
building the evidence base, making a compelling case for action across society.
The Government is continuing to take action to tackle loneliness this winter, including through a new communications campaign launched in January which encourages young people to take small actions to “lift someone out of loneliness”. We continue to support organisations to take action on loneliness through our Tackling Loneliness Network. We are supporting Network members to connect and share resources through our digital platform.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many responses they received to the Consultation on a change of ownership of Channel 4 Television Corporation; how many of those responses were in favour of a change of ownership; how many were opposed to change in ownership; and how they intend to weight responses.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets We must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 in the years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering all the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will produce a comprehensive assessment of the impact of Channel 4 privatisation on (1) businesses and jobs in the UK media production sector, (2) the balance in the creative economy between London and the rest of the UK, and (3) UK viewers’ access to original and distinctive UK content.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Channel 4 has played an important role in supporting independent production in the UK. The government has been clear that we want Channel 4 to remain a public service broadcaster (PSB), with obligations and benefits similar to those all PSBs have including those that are currently privately-owned if there is a change of ownership.
We are clear that Channel 4’s public service remit, and its strengths both in working with independent producers across the country and in showing original, distinctive content, are precisely the attributes we would expect to be attractive to a buyer, and that we would expect any buyer to be likely to nurture and develop through new investment.
Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets, but we must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s final decision.
Once we have answered the questions set out in the consultation, we will know what specific impacts to assess and will therefore be in a position to carry out an impact assessment.