Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding has been allocated to (a) FareShare and (b) other food redistribution organisations from (i) the Dormant Assets Scheme and (b) other sources.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Dormant assets funding in England can currently only be distributed to youth, financial inclusion, or social investment wholesalers. Given these restrictions, no funding has been directly allocated to food redistribution organisations such as FareShare.
However, the independent organisations that currently receive dormant assets funding are free to determine the most impactful initiatives in their sectors. We understand that some of their work has indeed benefitted food redistribution organisations. For example, through the Access Foundation, social investment has been provided by the Key Fund to FoodWorks Sheffield, which works to divert food waste and use it to provide affordable food in various neighbourhoods across the city. FoodWorks has grown to save over 500 tonnes of food waste per year, work with hundreds of volunteers, and feed thousands of people each month.
In terms of other sources: since 2018, a series of grant awards have been taken forward by the Food Waste Prevention team in the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to make sure more surplus food is diverted from animal feed and disposal for human consumption. Around £13 million has supported both large and small redistribution organisations across the country to increase their capability and capacity, with FareShare benefitting with around £3 million of grant awards.
During the COVID-19 response, Defra also provided two separate streams of funding to the food distributor FareShare totalling £26.5 million to support food charities with the purchasing and distribution of food to the vulnerable.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she take steps to (a) reopen and (b) reconsider submissions made to her Department's consultation on a potential change of ownership of Channel 4 Television Corporation.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Channel 4 is a great UK success story and, in a rapidly changing media landscape, the government wants it to thrive in the long-term while maintaining its distinctiveness.
As set out in our recent white paper, Up Next - the Government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, Channel 4 - along with all broadcasters - is facing challenges to its future success and sustainability. This is due to the rapidly evolving media landscape, including unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent from overseas as well as new, rapidly growing, streaming platforms.
As the Prime Minister has said, it is right that we look at the business case for a sale of Channel 4, and the Secretary of State has confirmed she is doing that. We will set out further detail in due course.
The Government consulted extensively on the future of Channel 4 last year and has no plans to reconsult at this time.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish a new consultation on the future ownership of Channel 4 Television Corporation.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Channel 4 is a great UK success story and, in a rapidly changing media landscape, the government wants it to thrive in the long-term while maintaining its distinctiveness.
As set out in our recent white paper, Up Next - the Government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, Channel 4 - along with all broadcasters - is facing challenges to its future success and sustainability. This is due to the rapidly evolving media landscape, including unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent from overseas as well as new, rapidly growing, streaming platforms.
As the Prime Minister has said, it is right that we look at the business case for a sale of Channel 4, and the Secretary of State has confirmed she is doing that. We will set out further detail in due course.
The Government consulted extensively on the future of Channel 4 last year and has no plans to reconsult at this time.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what role the Welsh Government will have in the determination of future funding arrangements of S4C and BBC Radio Cymru, in the context of her statement of 16 January 2022 that the most recent licence fee announcement will be the last.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has committed to maintain the current licence fee funding model for the duration of this eleven year Charter period, until 2027.
We will be reviewing the licence fee funding model well in advance of the next Charter period.
The UK Government has a strong record of demonstrating its commitment to minority language broadcasting to ensure that our broadcasting sector services all audiences of the UK nations and regions.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of connectivity and broadband speeds in (a) Cynon Valley constituency, (b) Rhondda Cynon Taf and (c) Wales.
Answered by Matt Warman
Current superfast broadband coverage in Cynon Valley constituency is 98% of premises and in Rhondda Cynon Taf it is 98.5%. Coverage in Wales is 95.2%. Further detail on broadband availability is set out in the table below.
The government is now working with the Welsh Government on ensuring progress as quickly as possible to provide access to gigabit-capable connectivity. The government expects that the private sector will provide gigabit connectivity to 80% of the country by 2025 and to support this, the government will continue to work to remove barriers to deployment. The government will also undertake procurement projects under Project Gigabit with public funding to add to this coverage. We are targeting a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage by 2025 but will seek to accelerate rollout further to get as close to 100% as possible.