Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the review of the BBC Royal Charter will consider (1) the number of radio stations, (2) the number of television channels, (3) restrictions on BBC online and digital local services, (4) the scope of the BBC's public service obligation, (5) replacing the licence fee with a subscription or other system, (6) decriminalising failure to pay licence fees, (7) the role of the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee in scrutinising the BBC, and (8) freedom of information obligations.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is currently considering a range of options for reviewing the BBC's Royal Charter and will make an announcement in due course.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the impact that the sale of Channel 4 might have on the reduction of the United Kingdom deficit.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
There are currently no estimates of what impact the sale of Channel 4 might have on the deficit, or any plans for a sale. Any decision about a sale of Channel 4 would need to balance the broadcaster’s public service obligations against its potential commercial value.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to bring forward legislation to remove the public-service conditions imposed on Channel 4 or to privatise it; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
There are no plans currently to remove the public-service conditions imposed on Channel 4 or to privatise it. The Government is awaiting the outcome of Ofcom’s third review of Public Service Broadcasting before considering whether any changes are needed to the public service broadcasting system as a whole.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 26 September (HL1920), how they reconcile the proposed "hard-hitting national action on obesity" described in the NHS Five Year Forward View with the Government Equalities Office body image programme which promotes positive representation of a diversity of body types.
Answered by Baroness Garden of Frognal
The Government recognises that obesity and poor body confidence are both part of a wider public health issue. This is the relationship that people have to their bodies, and how they integrate physical and emotional wellbeing. There is a strong relationship between poor body image, disordered eating and weight problems. Research shows that people with low levels of body satisfaction are more likely to gain weight over time (regardless of starting BMI); whereas those who have higher levels of body satisfaction are less likely to gain weight.
This is partly because people with low body image are less likely to be physically active and more likely to use unhealthy weight control behaviours. Poor body image is also linked with depression and low self-esteem. People who do not feel good about their bodies are less likely to look after them, so supporting people to value themselves and take care of their bodies is crucial in tackling obesity.
The Government is committed to tackling obesity and tackling the causes of poor body image. The Public Health England Change4Life campaign has been widely acclaimed for its positive approach and for not using “fat shaming” imagery. Instead, it focuses on motivating healthy behaviour change rather than achievement of a particular body type.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make it compulsory for internet service providers to publish, as prominently as "up to" broadband speeds, a guaranteed minimum speed for their services.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has no plans to regulate the way in which broadband speeds are advertised. Ofcom, the independent regulator, has already carried out a significant amount of work to improve the performance of Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The Voluntary Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds was introduced by Ofcom in 2008 and which the majority of ISPs have now signed up to. The Code requires ISPs to make clear and accurate information on the broadband services available to consumers at the point of sale, including speed, so that they can make an informed decision before purchasing. Since the Code was strengthened in 2010, ISPs have been required to give consumers broadband speeds estimates in the form of a range rather than as a midpoint estimate where there was large variation in achievable speeds. Consumers must also be allowed to leave a contract without penalty if they receive speeds significantly below the estimate.
Under the Code ISPs are expected to manage customers’ problems when they report that they are not receiving the speeds that they had expected to receive when they purchased the broadband service. This includes the ISP investigating any technical problems and in certain circumstances offering a different broadband package without charging the customer the cost of migrating to the new package.
Ofcom is currently discussing with industry and consumer groups its proposals to revise the Code to reflect significant changes in the broadband market since the Code’s introduction, with the increased take up of superfast packages. An updated Code is due to be published in December.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sarah E. Jackson et al. published by University College London <i>Perceived Weight Discrimination and Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference, and Weight Status</i>, which referred to negative attitudes towards obese individuals as a form of discrimination.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government welcomes the report by Sarah Jackson and colleagues as a contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this important area. Obese people often face negative and discriminatory attitudes. While obesity is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, if obesity results in long term physical or mental impairment (as set out in Section 6 of the 2010 Act) then the person with the impairment will be protected from unlawful discrimination under this Act. The Government Equalities Office runs a body image programme, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of body image, promote the positive representation of a healthy diversity of body types, and support young people’s resilience and media literacy. Obesity is a considerable problem for public health, and the Government is committed to tackling this through its national obesity strategy. Public Health England also works to promote good body image along with healthy lifestyles.
Many of those who react negatively to obese individuals justify doing so by alluding to rising rates of obesity. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that good body image is an important motivator in achieving and sustaining a healthy weight – and, conversely, that low body confidence is associated with continued weight gain. The Government’s Change4Life campaign does not engage in fat shaming or denigration of obese people; it encourages all of us to take steps to improve our health and wellbeing and adopt a healthier diet, starting from wherever we are.
In 2013 the Government Equalities Office hosted a multidisciplinary academic seminar that explored these issues, and the body image programme continues to contribute to the Department of Health’s important work on obesity.