Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government who is the chair of the Mid-Term Review of the BBC, announced by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 26 May; and what are the names of the departmental officials who comprise the review body.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in the Terms of Reference published on 26 May, the BBC Mid-Term Review is being conducted by officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The officials are based in the Media and Creative Industries Directorate, led by Robert Specterman-Green as Director, which is part of the Digital & Media Group led by Susannah Storey as Director-General. Officials working on the Mid-Term Review report to the Secretary of State.
Further information on the officials working on the Mid-Term Review is not disclosable. Disclosing personal information such as employee names would, amongst other things, contravene one of the data protection principles in schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act and also the principles outlined in our Department’s privacy notice.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a new body, with a majority of non-BBC members, to ensure that the BBC is compliant with its charter requirements on impartiality and accuracy.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The current Royal Charter for the BBC, introduced in January 2017, established Ofcom as the BBC’s regulator to ensure that the corporation is robustly, and independently, held to account as the nation's broadcaster.
His Majesty’s Government is clear that the BBC has to provide high-quality, distinctive content and services. It is ultimately a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator on how to enforce these obligations through regulation.
Ofcom is responsible for editorial standards, and can consider complaints about BBC content, including accuracy and impartiality.
The Government is looking at the governance and regulation of the BBC as part of the Mid-Term Review of the Charter. The Terms of Reference for that review can be found here. The Mid-Term Review will consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively and whether any reforms are necessary.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of Ofcom's systems of investigating and reporting on complaints about BBC bias.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The current Royal Charter for the BBC, introduced in January 2017, established Ofcom as the BBC’s regulator to ensure that the corporation is robustly, and independently, held to account as the nation's broadcaster.
His Majesty’s Government is clear that the BBC has to provide high-quality, distinctive content and services. It is ultimately a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator on how to enforce these obligations through regulation.
Ofcom is responsible for editorial standards, and can consider complaints about BBC content, including accuracy and impartiality.
The Government is looking at the governance and regulation of the BBC as part of the Mid-Term Review of the Charter. The Terms of Reference for that review can be found here. The Mid-Term Review will consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively and whether any reforms are necessary.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 20 July (HL1533), whether the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 requires the provision of landlines to all (1) homes, (2) businesses, and (3) public sector organisations, in the UK.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 requires at least one designated universal service provider to meet all reasonable requests by end-users for connection at a fixed location to the public electronic communications network and for access to publicly available telephone services over that communications network. The connection must be capable of allowing end-users to make and receive local, national and international telephone calls and facsimile.
These connections are available to residential premises, businesses and public sector organisations where a reasonable request is made.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 20 July (HL1533), whether existing landline connections will remain available to all those that wish to retain them.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The requirements set out in the Schedule to the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 mean certain providers (currently BT and KCOM) must continue to meet reasonable requests to provide a connection capable of allowing end-users to make and receive local, national and international telephone calls and facsimile.
Accordingly, landline-only connections will remain available for customers who wish to retain them.
Increasingly, telecommunications providers are moving customers away from the traditional telephone network to a digital alternative, which means it is likely these customers will increasingly be provided with their landline services over a fixed voice-over-IP connection.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of mobile internet systems in the UK to hostile actions; and what steps they plan to take to ensure that all homes and businesses have access to landline connections.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to understand and identify vulnerabilities. The NCSC has performed extensive and detailed analysis of the security of the telecommunications sector. This analysis informed the UK Telecommunications Supply Chain Review, and subsequently informed the development of the Telecommunications (Security) Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2021.
The Act introduces a new telecommunications security framework in the UK which places duties on public telecommunications providers to protect their networks and services against security compromises. It also introduces new national security powers which are designed to manage the risks posed by high-risk vendors, both now and in the future.
The universal service obligations set in the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 require designated providers to offer telephony services throughout the UK. BT and KCOM are therefore required to maintain access to a range of telephony services (including landlines), as well as provide a series of special measures designed for users who have a disability.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to support a contest in the United Kingdom between artists depicting the prophet Mohammed, and if so, whether they will provide security protection for such an event.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is not aware of any plans. The safety and security of an event is an issue for the event organisers in consultation with the police.