Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the British Broadcasting Corporation regarding the investigation into allegations of sexist behaviour on MasterChef; and what was the (1) content, and (2) outcome, of those discussions.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State has spoken with the BBC leadership on this matter and wider workplace culture issues, to seek assurances that there are robust processes in place to deal with complaints.
The Secretary of State set out her view at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on the 10th December that we are seeing too many of these cultures of silence and issues being swept under the rug across the sector.
In relation to the complaints against Gregg Wallace it is essential that staff and the wider public have confidence that the BBC takes these issues seriously, and it’s right that a thorough investigation has been launched by Baniijay, the production company behind MasterChef.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government. The BBC is currently undertaking a workplace culture review, which must deliver clear and timely recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (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 work of the Local Democracy Reporting Service; and whether they plan to enhance its effectiveness in supporting local journalism and democratic accountability.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) plays an important role in supporting local journalism. LDRS reporters have been able to uncover stories that publishers may have otherwise been unable to discover due to increasing constraints on their resources. This is an area of reporting that is often significantly under provided but is essential to journalism’s role of holding those in authority to account.
The Secretary of State has recently announced her plans to develop a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We are working across Government and with the sector and other stakeholders as we develop this strategy, and recognise the continued importance of the LDRS.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid working policy of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Our department’s hybrid working policy expects the majority of our staff to spend at least 60% of their time in our offices or meeting key stakeholders.
To monitor the effectiveness of this policy, all Government departments publish HQ Office Occupancy data on a quarterly basis which shows the monthly average number of staff working in Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) buildings.
In September, which is the most recent monthly average published on gov.uk, our department had a 65% attendance at our London Headquarters.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the remarks by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at the RTS London Convention in September that media organisations telling the truth is not just a right but a duty, what steps they intend to take to ensure that broadcasters and newspapers uphold this standard, and what sanctions are being considered in cases where they fail to do so.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to a free and independent media. Having a free and fair press that is completely independent of the Government, is important to ensure the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. We are clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, which the media must take seriously. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards, and offers individuals a means of redress where these are not met. These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. IPSO can also order critical adjudications and Impress can levy fines.
Ofcom is the UK’s regulator for broadcasting and by law carries out its duties independently of the Government. Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code contains rules to ensure that broadcast news is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to determine whether there has been a breach of their rules and whether to apply sanctions.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the correspondence between the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the National Citizen Service Trust, regarding their decision to remove funding for the service; and if not, what are their reasons for withholding such information.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State met with the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the National Citizen Service Trust to communicate the decision verbally prior to the announcement to the House.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve communications between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and external stakeholders.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DCMS recognises the importance of building and maintaining external relationships for the public benefit and is always looking at ways to improve its communications. DCMS works hard to ensure it has strong and varied relationships in all areas of the country and across all relevant sectors. This includes the delivery of regular regional stakeholder events, receptions and roundtables to present the government's plans for change and to engage stakeholders in policy design and delivery and also has regular communications with stakeholders virtually.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the efficiency and productivity of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In this Parliament, DCMS will continue to prioritise operational efficiency and productivity, with plans to onboard the government’s shared corporate services model in 2026 and investing in new technology to improve interoperability with other government departments.
DCMS will continue to identify other ways to increase efficiency and productivity, reviewing the opportunity to use technology and digital solutions to streamline internal processes.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what definition they use for a football fan.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government does not see itself as the arbitrator of who counts as a football fan and instead it is something that fans and clubs themselves are in the best position to discern. The makeup of a fan base will differ from club to club and this diversity is what makes football so special. This is why the Government has designed the legislation so that it allows for a bespoke approach to fan engagement, shaped by the Regulator’s guidance and oversight.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with member states of the International Criminal Court about balancing the UK’s obligations under the Rome Statute, with its diplomatic relationships with non-signatory states including Israel.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. The Government regularly engages with other States Parties to the Rome Statute on our obligations to the Court. It is for all ICC States Parties to consider how to meet their obligations under the Rome Statute.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government on which dates since July ministers from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have met with representatives from (1) Fédération Internationale de Football Association, (2) Union of European Football Associations, (3) Premier League, (4) English Football League, and (5) National League North and South.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers and officials have meetings with a variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. Ministers have met with all these bodies and details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis.