Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposals to reform the alcohol licensing system to remove a requirement to advertise new premises licences or variations to existing licences on the ability of local news outlets to keep residents informed about these matters.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Following the Licensing taskforce report, the Government published a Call for Evidence on reforming the licensing system on 7 October, which closed on 6 November. The Call for Evidence invited views on the impact of licensing reforms, including in relation to Recommendation 4 of the taskforce on ending the requirement for printed statutory notices in local newspapers for alcohol licences. The reforms collectively aim to create a modern, proportionate, and enabling system that supports economic growth, revitalises high streets and fosters vibrant communities.
More broadly, the Government is concerned about the sustainability of local journalism and DCMS is developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We also recognise that local press continues to play a central role in informing local communities, and that statutory notices can be an important way of keeping residents informed about decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property.
Additionally, the sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, taking advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We also welcome the Portal's current expansion to include archive and consultation functions to help public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively.
DCMS is monitoring the progress of the Portal, and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices. This type of industry innovation and collaboration is integral to securing the sector’s future. It will be taken into account in our planned review of statutory notices as part of the Local Media Strategy, which will more broadly consider the merits of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices in print local newspapers, including the impact this has on keeping residents informed of important matters. The review will also take forward final decisions on the future of alcohol licence notices. More will be announced on the Strategy and the review in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with Tottenham Hotspur on allegations that its shirt sponsorship AIA has supported Chinese authorities to imprison Hong Kongers.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sports bodies operate independently of the Government. The shirt sponsorship contract with AIA is a commercial matter for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
China's imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong has seen opposition stifled and dissent criminalised. The UK has called for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. This Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of authorising the Gambling Commission to offer redress for losses following the collapse of a gambling operator.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government strongly sympathises with all customers who are impacted by the collapse of a gambling operator and appreciates the difficulties caused where significant sums of money are lost in such a scenario. However, there is no compensation scheme for losses caused by a gambling firm ceasing to operate and the Government does not think it would be appropriate to use public funds for these purposes. Money staked with a gambling business is not protected by the Gambling Commission or the Government in the same way as money in personal bank accounts.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to support new FM licences for radio stations in (a) Rutland, (b) Mid-Wales and (c) other rural areas.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The growth and development of digital radio and changes in listener behaviour have resulted in a clear shift away from analogue listening – digital listening now accounts for 74% of all radio listening (RAJAR Q3 2024). Although AM/FM platforms remain important for smaller commercial and community stations, significant numbers of listeners are migrating to digital platforms.
The licensing of AM/FM radio services is a matter for Ofcom, and in October Ofcom set out its current approach to licensing in a progress report on the rollout of small-scale DAB (SSDAB) technology. This report set out Ofcom’s current view that SSDAB offers audiences a wider range of services and makes a more efficient use of spectrum than FM, and committed to at least two further rounds of SSDAB licensing before considering the possibility of any further analogue licensing in the future.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether St John Ambulance volunteers will be awarded the Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
To qualify for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal recipients must be in an eligible public sector role in a frontline emergency service accessed via a call to the 999 emergency telephone number, or equivalent, and this does not include St John Ambulance volunteers.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to utilise data sovereignty to gain a competitive advantage over hostile states.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government’s approach to data policy is set out in the National Data Strategy. The strategy is ambitious and pro-growth, placing the availability of data and confidence in its use at its heart, and positioning the UK as a global data champion.
Data sovereignty, including improving data use and access in the UK and controlling our own data laws and regulations, presents a major opportunity for economic growth, strategic innovation as well as boosting our national security and defence capabilities. We have published priority areas for where the government will take action on increasing data access and availability in the National Data Strategy Mission 1 Policy Framework. The Government has also recently consulted on an ambitious package of data reforms to create a new pro-growth and innovation-friendly data protection regime that underpins the trustworthy use of data. We will be setting out next steps shortly.
The UK will also continue to champion the international flow of data and support open data and improved data quality and data standards, while working with like-minded international partners to ensure that global data governance supports better outcomes for us all.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her timetable is for commencing the rollout of gigabit broadband in Rutland and Melton constituency.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Commercial delivery of gigabit broadband is extending rapidly and according to the independent website www.thinkbroadband.com over 35% of premises in the Rutland and Melton constituency now have access to gigabit broadband. Approximately 95% have access to superfast broadband with speeds of at least 30 Mbps.
Alongside further commercial roll-out of gigabit broadband, premises in Rutland and Melton which are not within the scope of commercial coverage will be eligible for support through the £210 million Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) or through Project Gigabit procurements.
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme provides a micro-grant of up to £1,500 for residents and up to £3,500 for businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband. It enables households and businesses to club together to increase the total subsidy of a project to cover most, or all, of the costs for installation to eligible areas. Further information on the scheme is available on the GBVS website.
Premises within the constituency of Rutland and Melton are covered by three separate Project Gigabit procurement processes:
Most of the constituency falls within Lot 11 which covers Leicestershire and Warwickshire, with some further premises in Lot 10 which focuses on Nottinghamshire and the West of Lincolnshire. These areas are both anticipated to commence procurement between November 2022 and January 2023, before an estimated contract start date of between October 2023 and December 2023.
Most of the remaining premises are covered by Lot 5 which covers Cambridgeshire and adjacent areas. This area is currently in procurement with an estimated contract start date of between November and December this year.
A small number of premises are included within Lot 23 which is focused on Lincolnshire and East Riding. This procurement is targeted to commence between May and July 2023, before an estimated contract start date of between April and June 2024.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support food tourism in (a) the UK and (b) Rutland and Melton constituency.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The £45m Discover England Fund supports the development of internationally marketed tourism products, including food tourism experiences. The Gourmet Garden Trails project, for example, promotes a range of regional culinary-themed itineraries.
VisitBritain has created a number of Food and Drink Tourism Hubs to showcase food and drink experiences available across the UK. VisitBritain also includes the Melton Mowbray pork pie in its guide to English food and drink in the East Midlands.