Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (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 Football Association's aim to achieve equal access to football for girls in 90 per cent of schools by 2028; and what steps they will take to support this.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government agrees that every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Our mission-led Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity inside and outside of school, especially those who are less likely to be active.
It is ultimately for individual sports’ national governing bodies to decide on their specific aims and to evaluate progress against these.
The Government is committed to protecting time for physical education in schools. The upcoming expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. The Department of Education also works closely with the FA to support schools to increase activity levels.
This Government recognises that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country and is acting to support more people to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (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 concerns regarding gambling behaviour associated with investment apps.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Investment apps typically fall under the framework of financial services regulation, rather than gambling regulation, and would not typically be considered as offering a form of gambling. Within the framework of financial services regulation, HM Treasury is responsible for setting the overall legal framework and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. One of the FCA’s primary operational objectives is to secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers.
The FCA is empowered by legislation to make rules as it considers necessary or expedient to advance its objectives and in 2022, it published research raising concerns about design features in trading apps, including those with game-like elements, and warned stock trading app operators to review their design features. The research noted that some customers appeared to exhibit behaviours similar to harmful gambling. Under the FCA’s Consumer Duty trading apps are explicitly required to pay attention to the needs of customers who may be vulnerable. The Duty also contains an expectation that firms avoid designing features which exploit the behavioural biases of consumers and requires product manufacturers to undertake appropriate testing of their products. In June 2024, the FCA noted that it was keeping trading apps under review over concerns about gamification.
Within the framework of gambling regulation, we are aware of an increase in the number of novel products which blur the line between gambling and other markets such as financial investment. The Gambling Commission has enhanced its licensing approach to novel products and in 2021 strengthened its Memorandum of Understanding with the FCA to ensure effective cooperation. The Gambling Commission has made clear that it will not normally grant a licence to products that use language usually associated with investments or financial products.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (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 risk that the Football Governance Bill could prevent England from participating in international football tournaments.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Regulator will be independent from the Government, tightly focused on the financial sustainability of the game. This is consistent with UEFA's governing principles.
The FA gave evidence to the bill committee in the previous Parliament that a tightly focused bill on football governance “is not likely to present huge or significant problems” to UEFA. We have clarified the independence of the regime, by removing a clause from the previous bill requiring the Regulator to have regard to the Government’s foreign policy and trade considerations to be considered when approving takeovers.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they taking to support the music industry following a slowing rate of growth.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Growth is the number one mission of the government. Our new Industrial Strategy is central to that Growth Mission, developing a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors. The creative industries, including music, are one of our priority growth sectors, and we are committed to celebrating our nation's wealth of talent and driving economic growth in communities across the country.
To support this growth, we are considering investment, innovation, infrastructure and international impact alongside skills, and a quality creative education to nurture the next generation of musical talent. We have already launched an independent review of the curriculum and assessment to ensure it champions creative subjects.
The Government recognises the importance of the grassroots music sector in fostering the next generation of talent, which will support the growth of the music industry. We will respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on grassroots music venues in the coming weeks.
We will launch a consultation on new protections for ticket resales this autumn. We want to support fans, and ensure that ticket revenues go to the music sector and not to touts.
In order for the music industry to grow, it is crucial that we find the right balance between fostering innovation and ensuring protection for creators, which requires thoughtful engagement within the creative industries and with companies driving AI development. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders and will set out next steps on AI as soon as possible.
Artists and creators should be appropriately remunerated, as this is what allows them to invest their time, effort, and money into creating music. That is why this Government is enabling fresh and meaningful conversations with stakeholders to explore concerns around creator remuneration from streaming, in the form of a working group.
And it is also our priority to ensure that UK artists continue to thrive and grow on the global stage. The Government will explore how best to help touring artists operating in the EU without a return to free movement, and we are working collaboratively across departments and with industry representatives on this issue.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to re-introduce the Football Governance Bill.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Football Governance Bill was announced as part of the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024. We will introduce this legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers from highly inflated ticket prices resulting from the use of dynamic pricing software.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This government recognises that fans should be kept at the heart of live events, and we are concerned to see vastly inflated prices excluding many ordinary fans from having the opportunity to enjoy their favourite musicians.
That is why we have committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, and we will launch a consultation in the autumn to seek views on potential options.
Following recent events, we will also examine issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing as part of our upcoming consultation this autumn. We welcome the Competition and Markets Authority’s announcement that it is also urgently reviewing recent developments in the ticketing market, including the use of dynamic pricing.
Dynamic pricing as a practice is not prohibited under consumer protection law. However, businesses using dynamic pricing are required to be fair and transparent in their dealings with consumers, and ensure they provide timely, clear and accurate information about their pricing practices. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a breach of consumer law and could be followed by enforcement action.
We recognise that this is a complex area, and will work with artists, industry and fans to create a fairer system.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following concerns raised by the head of the British Olympic Association, what steps they are taking to increase investment in sports infrastructure.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises that grassroots sports clubs are at the beating heart of communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and by backing these clubs, the Government will support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live.
To mark the achievements of our senior men’s and women’s football teams, and inspire the next generation as we look ahead to hosting UEFA EURO 2028 across the UK and Ireland, we have set out plans to strengthen our support for grassroots clubs. This includes continuing the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme this year, and a commitment to work with the sector to develop a funding package that will support these plans.
We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Government money. Sport England’s newly established Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to update copyright and intellectual property regulations to better protect the rights of professional creatives and ensure fair compensation, given the challenges posed by artificial intelligence technologies.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is engaging with people across the relevant sectors to develop an approach on artificial intelligence and copyright which allows this technology and the creative industries to grow in partnership. We want to work closely with right holders and AI developers to deliver this, and engage closely with our international counterparts.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Intellectual Property Office are working collaboratively to build on the progress made through the IPO’s working group process, which has now concluded. As set out in the AI White Paper Consultation Response of 6 February, HM Government will continue to engage with the creative industries, the media sector, and AI businesses to understand their views and develop an approach that supports these sectors to thrive.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (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 impact of the Football Governance Bill and independent football regulator on the governance structures and processes in football clubs and leagues.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Football Governance Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 19 March, will establish an Independent Football Regulator. In consultation with interested parties and experts, the new regulator will publish a ‘Football Club Corporate Governance Code’. Clubs will be required to report on corporate governance, setting out how they apply the Code in their individual circumstances. This approach has been designed to be proportionate, and to increase transparency, scrutiny and accountability with regard to how football clubs are run.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence in the gambling industry, particularly (1) problem gambling, (2) addiction, and (3) mental health issues.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission, Great Britain’s statutory regulator, continues to monitor industry developments in artificial intelligence, informed by the expertise of its Digital Advisory Panel. This includes the exploration and consideration of the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning by gambling operators, and engagement with the industry better to understand their uses of AI. The Gambling Commission will continue to increase its capacity and capability to deploy data science in its regulation through the formation of a new Data Innovation Hub.
All gambling operators which provide gambling services to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission, and must comply with its codes of practice. The social responsibility code requires them to have and to put into effect policies and procedures to promote socially responsible gambling. These should reduce the risk of, and seek to identify those struggling with, problem gambling. The Gambling Commission has the power to remove an operating licence where a gambling business is deploying AI in a manner that undermines the statutory licensing objectives and duties.