Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
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 the BBC on maintaining a sustainable production department in Scotland.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The public service remit for television requires that public service broadcasters like the BBC make an appropriate range and amount of their programmes across the UK. This includes specific obligations to production in Scotland, where the BBC is required to make 8% of its network spend and network programme hours. The independent regulator Ofcom holds the BBC to account in meeting these obligations.
The Government is committed to working with the sector to ensure the right framework, conditions and support are in place for all broadcasters - including the BBC - to be more ambitious in growing our world-leading TV sector outside of London and the South East, and to commission content in every part of the country. Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have regular discussions with the BBC, and during the upcoming Charter Review will consider the work of the BBC across the whole UK, including in Scotland.
Asked by: Blair McDougall (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative changes to enable the viewing of films in communal spaces in sheltered accommodation without a licence.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This is a devolved area of competence in Scotland. Decisions about introducing legislative changes would be for the Scottish Government.
In England and Wales, the exhibition of films in communal spaces is regulated through the Licensing Act 2003. Local authorities act as the ‘licensing authority’ when determining what activity requires a licence.
The Licensing Act 2003 contains an exemption for entertainment activity that is provided on or behalf of a local authority, healthcare provider or school provider (see para. 16.16 of the Revised Guidance issued under s.182 of the Licensing Act 2003). The exemption applies to activity that takes place on defined premises between 08.00 - 23.00. This exemption may apply to sheltered accommodation, and we would encourage those interested in exhibiting films in communal spaces in sheltered accommodation to consider on a case by case basis whether they would fall under this exemption.
The government is not planning any legislative changes in this area.