Carla Lockhart Portrait

Carla Lockhart

Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann

First elected: 12th December 2019


British Sign Language Bill
9th Feb 2022 - 23rd Feb 2022
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill
5th Jan 2022 - 12th Jan 2022


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Carla Lockhart has voted in 441 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Carla Lockhart voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Democratic Unionist Party Aye votes vs 3 Democratic Unionist Party No votes
Tally: Ayes - 441 Noes - 41
View All Carla Lockhart Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party)
Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights)
(26 debate interactions)
Brandon Lewis (Conservative)
(14 debate interactions)
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(13 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Northern Ireland Office
(78 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(25 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(25 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Carla Lockhart's debates

Upper Bann Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

As Parliament considers the Bill of Rights, the Government must reconsider including abortion rights in this Bill. Rights to abortion must be specifically protected in this legislation, especially as the Government has refused to rule out leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.

We want the Government to commit to not rolling out any e-vaccination status/immunity passport to the British public. Such passports could be used to restrict the rights of people who have refused a Covid-19 vaccine, which would be unacceptable.

12 kids in the UK are diagnosed with cancer daily. 1 in 5 will die within 5 years, often of the deadliest types like DIPG (brainstem cancer) - fatal on diagnosis & other cancers on relapse. Yet there has been little, or no, funding for research into these cancers and little, or no, progress.


Latest EDMs signed by Carla Lockhart

5th February 2024
Carla Lockhart signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 6th February 2024

Apprenticeships

Tabled by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
That this House notes the importance of apprenticeships throughout the UK in helping young people achieve their full potential through employment; highlights that in the 2021 calendar year apprenticeship uptakes were sitting at 1,640,300 and in the most recent financial year increased to 1,719,600 across the UK; further notes that …
8 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Feb 2024)
Signatures by party:
Democratic Unionist Party: 4
Independent: 1
Conservative: 1
Labour: 1
Alliance: 1
5th February 2024
Carla Lockhart signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 6th February 2024

2,000th edition of Sound Around Ards

Tabled by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
That this House notes the important milestone for Sound Around Ards, a talking newspaper service for the Ards peninsula in Strangford constituency, which last week recorded its 2,000th edition since its launch in 1980; highlights that each week, volunteers record 40 minutes of the highlights from local newspapers onto CDs, …
4 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Feb 2024)
Signatures by party:
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Scottish National Party: 1
View All Carla Lockhart's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Carla Lockhart, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


1 Urgent Question tabled by Carla Lockhart

2 Adjournment Debates led by Carla Lockhart

Tuesday 12th September 2023
Thursday 10th December 2020

Carla Lockhart has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department has provided for events held in Northern Ireland, in each of the last three years.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funded the £120 million UK-wide festival, UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. This comprised 10 major creative projects across the United Kingdom which delivered physical events at 107 locations as well as digital, broadcast and learning activities. Funding was allocated to the devolved administrations, including the Northern Ireland Executive, via the Barnett formula. While this funding was awarded as a block grant via the Barnett formula, the National Audit Office reported that the Northern Ireland Executive allocated £3.5 million to its strategic delivery body, which, in turn, commissioned the project.

One of the 10 UNBOXED projects, ‘Our Place In Space’, was commissioned by Belfast City Council on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive, with stagings in Londonderry and Belfast. In addition to the Barnett allocation, ‘Our Place In Space’ received £120,000 (including VAT) for research and development during the 2020/21 financial year and a further £351,000 for R&D in the 2021/22 financial year. Additional investment by the UNBOXED Company enabled the popular sculpture trail to be mounted in Cambridge and Liverpool: ~£391,000 in the 2021/22 financial year and ~£1.72 million in the 2022/23 financial year.

Four additional UK-wide UNBOXED projects took place in Northern Ireland throughout 2022, although the Department does not hold a breakdown of how much it cost to stage those commissions in each location.

During the 2021/22 financial year, DCMS also provided £40,000 to Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council to support the development of its UK City of Culture 2025 bid, alongside seven other places across the UK longlisted for the competition.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which football clubs have benefited from the Multi-Sports Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund from the Irish Football Association and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), and how much each successful applicant has secured.

In 2021/22, the Irish Football Association invested £700,000 of DCMS funding via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. This went towards 26 projects across Northern Ireland, selected for their ability to drive increased participation, with a particular focus on improved facilities in deprived areas, supporting multi-sport use and facilitating use by currently under-represented groups. These are shown in the following table, as published on gov.uk on 25 March 2022.

Recipient

Local authority

Funding granted

Ballyvea Football Club Ltd

Newry, Mourne and Down

£30,000.00

Dungiven Celtic Youth Football Club

Derry City and Strabane

£28,554.00

Newcastle Football Club

Newry, Mourne and Down

£30,000.00

Greenisland Football Club

Mid and East Antrim

£30,000.00

Abbey Villa Football Club

Ards and North Down

£25,000.00

Comber Rec FC

Ards and North Down

£29,978.00

NFC Kesh

Fermanagh and Omagh

£29,904.00

Belfast Celtic CIC

Belfast City

£25,936.00

Fivemiletown United Football Club

Mid Ulster

£27,950.00

Craigavon City Football Club

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon

£21,840.00

Shorts Football Club

Belfast City

£29,250.00

Enniskillen Rangers Football Club

Fermanagh and Omagh

£20,486.28

Beragh Swifts Community Group

Fermanagh and Omagh

£28,296.00

Crewe United FC

Lisburn and Castlereagh

£30,000.00

Dromore Amateurs Football Club

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon

£30,000.00

Lisburn Rangers Football Club

Lisburn and Castlereagh

£29,375.00

Dromara Village Football Club

Lisburn and Castlereagh

£19,270.00

Rathfriland Football Club

Newry, Mourne and Down

£30,000.00

Caledon Rovers Football Club

Mid Ulster

£17,527.00

Oxford Sunnyside FC

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon

£30,000.00

Mountjoy United Football Club

Fermanagh and Omagh

£25,016.53

Crumlin United Football Club

Antrim and Newtownabbey

£24,150.00

Kilmore Rec. FC

Newry, Mourne and Down

£29,595.00

Saintfield United Football Club

Newry, Mourne and Down

£30,000.00

Orangefield Old Boys Football Club

Belfast City

£29,768.00

Ardstraw Football Club

Derry City and Strabane

£18,100.00

Projects receiving funding in 2022/23 under the programme will be confirmed in due course.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
24th May 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the total sum accrued by the Exchequer in fuel duty in each of the last 4 years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 24 May is attached.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what advice the Government has published on non-freight trade travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the transition period.

The Government has published a broad range of guidance for businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021. This includes arrangements for non-freight trade. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trading-and-moving-goods-in-and-out-of-northern-ireland-from-1-january-2021

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
21st Oct 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure there is a co-ordinated response to the covid-19 outbreak across the UK.

The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations.This includes their recent attendance at COBR to coordinate our response to Covid-19 across the UK.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster holds regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and ministers from the devolved administrations are invited to attend the Covid-Operations Committee on a weekly basis to consider those issues that require a coordinated response. This supplements wider joint working by ministers and officials. The purpose is to share best practice and data, coordinate action and work together as set out in the Joint Statement of 25 September, to achieve alignment in approach wherever it is appropriate and possible to do so.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government is making on plans to make voting more accessible for people with sight loss.

It is right that provisions should be in place to ensure accessible, fair and secure elections so everyone who is eligible to vote can do so with confidence.The Government has been working with the Accessibility of Elections Working Group, and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to identify solutions to improve the accessibility of voting for people with sight loss.

This has included recent testing, in partnership with the RNIB, of potential solutions. Initial testing has been positive and we are looking to carry out further testing in due course.

29th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to host a further investment summit in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit was approved by our current Prime Minister when he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Currently there are no plans for another Summit, but we are working to ensure a strong legacy from it, including linked activity such as the No. 10 hosted Venture Capital Roundtable, aimed at encouraging venture capital investment into Northern Ireland.

We also offered support for Joe Kennedy III’s incoming mission to Northern Ireland in October 2023 (US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland).

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with Royal Mail on the impact on consumers of the rise of the cost of postal services.

The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial decisions, including the prices of stamps and other services.

In setting its prices, Royal Mail must observe the regulatory framework set by Ofcom which imposes prices controls, ‘safeguard caps’, on certain second-class products to ensure a basic universal service is available to all at affordable prices.

Ofcom will conduct a public consultation in 2023-24 to inform a review of the safeguard caps that should apply from April 2024.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
16th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on the issuing of energy support payments to people in mobile homes.

Mobile homes on permanent sites were eligible to receive support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding which closed to new applications on 31 May 2023. After extensive research and stakeholder engagement, the Government have been unable to establish a robust method for mobile homes not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much households in Northern Ireland will receive under the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

All households in Northern Ireland are receiving a single, one-off £600 payment to help with their energy bills. Payments started on 16 January and are made up of £400 under the Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland (EBSS NI), and £200 under the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) scheme, which goes to all households in Northern Ireland irrespective of how they heat their home. Households without a direct relationship with an electricity supplier will also receive £600. Details will be announced as soon as possible.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government is planning to provide support to post offices towards the cost of energy bills beyond March 2023.

The Government will introduce the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme from April 2023. All eligible businesses, charities and the public sector will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. The scheme will provide a discount on high energy costs to give businesses certainty while limiting taxpayers’ exposure to volatile energy markets.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether authorisation was sought from the European Union for the delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme in Northern Ireland in the context of Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and state aid rules.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuel Payment does not engage Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, as the schemes will help households with their energy costs this winter.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
12th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether legislation regulates the (a) manufacture, (b) sale and (c) possession of 3D printing technology.

In placing a 3D printer on the market the manufacturer will need to comply with the relevant product safety legislation such as the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 and other relevant regulations that may apply to the 3D printer product. There are currently no additional requirements in product safety legislation specifically concerning the possession of 3D manufacturing technology by consumers.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
12th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment the Government has made of the impact of market fluctuations in the price of diesel and home heating oil on household budgets; and what steps the Government is taking to help ensure security of supply of those fuels.

The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and fuel prices are an important component of UK households’ expenditure. The Government has set out a £37 billion package of support including the biggest ever cut to fuel duty rates – worth £5 billion. This also includes financial support for heating oil customers in the form of a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment.

In light of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Government has taken steps to end all imports of Russian fossil fuels. The UK has no issues with oil supply and is not dependent on Russian energy imports.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he expects households in Northern Ireland to receive Energy Bill Support Scheme payments.

Households in Northern Ireland will receive a £400 discount on their energy bills through the Northern Ireland Energy Bills Support Scheme (NI EBSS) this winter.

This will offer the same level of support as households in Great Britain are receiving under the Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS). The Government is working at pace to deliver a solution which accounts for the Northern Ireland market and to provide the support as soon as possible.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many licences have been issued by OFGEM in Northern Ireland for hydrogen fuelling stations for transport.

Ofgem is the gas and electricity regulator for Great Britain. It does not have powers to issue licences for hydrogen fuelling stations in Northern Ireland.

Licensing of hydrogen fuel stations could be a matter for the Northern Ireland Utilities Regulatior or the Transport Regulation Unit of the Department for Infrastructure.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies that availed of bounce back loans have (a) filed for bankruptcy and (b) indicated that they will not be in a position to repay their loans.

Data on the number of companies with a Bounce Back Loan that have entered formal insolvency procedures will be collected in due course.

It is too early to provide figures relating to repayments given many businesses have yet to begin repaying their Bounce Back Loan. Further information related to loan repayments for the Government’s Covid-19 loan schemes will feature in the BEIS 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts, scheduled for publication later this year.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much has been lent to firms in Northern Ireland under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS); and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the repayment terms of CBILS borrowings.

As of 10th January 2021, businesses in Northern Ireland have been offered 1,501 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities, with a value of £496,806,683.

Lenders are able to extend the repayment period for CBILS facilities beyond 6 years (up to a maximum of 10 years) where this is needed in connection with the provision of forbearance. CBILS term extensions are offered at the discretion of lenders.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many firms who received a Bounce Back Loan since the introduction of that scheme, have filed for insolvency.

The Department does not currently hold this data. Borrowers under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme are not required to make repayments for the first 12 months of their loan term.

When repayments begin, we will be able to monitor the rates of business failure among borrowers through assessing the number of claims by lenders under the guarantee agreement.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much was lent to borrowers in Northern Ireland under the Bounce Back Loan scheme in 2020.

A breakdown on the number of loans provided through the Bounce Back Loan scheme as of 4 January 2021 is in the table below.

Region

Value of Loans Offered (£)

Number of Loans Offered

Northern Ireland

1,166,015,199

37,947

24th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the devolved regions on reducing levels of (a) carbon dioxide, (b) nitrous oxide and (c) methane in the atmosphere across the UK.

There are regular discussions between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and counterparts in the Devolved Administrations at official and ministerial level on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and these discussions will continue.

21st Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a scheme to provide financial support to small independent retailers to increase their online sales platform to help tackle a drop in footfall as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s small independent retailers make better use of technology and trading online, expanding their customer base from the local high street to a national and international marketplace.

Retailers are able to access an unprecedented package of support including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme and Bounce Back Loans Scheme. Additionally, businesses in Northern Ireland can access https://www.enterpriseni.com/ for further support.

The Start Up Loans Company, a subsidiary of the British Business Bank, delivers the Government’s Start Up Loans programme providing finance and support for businesses who struggle to access other forms of finance.

Tech Nation, which receives grant funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, provides a range of resources to support the growth of digital businesses in the UK. This includes a Digital Business Academy that provides free online courses on starting and growing a digital business.

21st Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that postal services are maintained in rural areas after the covid-19 outbreak.

The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011 and ensures a six-day a week, one price goes anywhere, service for the delivery and collection of letters (and five days a week for parcels) throughout the United Kingdom. Ofcom, as the UK’s designated independent regulator of postal services, monitors the delivery of the universal postal service standards.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, postal operators have continued to provide a valuable service to this country, including in rural communities.

The Government’s objective in relation to postal services continues to be to secure a sustainable service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timescale is for the accreditation of banks in Northern Ireland to enable those banks to provide Bounce Back loans to small businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.

Accrediting new lenders for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) is a priority for the British Business Bank. The Bank is working at pace to accredit more lenders, including lenders operating in Northern Ireland, to further extend the Scheme’s reach and provide more choice for businesses.

The Bank has put substantial additional resources in place to create a streamlined process within the Bank to help onboard new lenders seeking accreditation as quickly as possible. For example, existing lenders accredited under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) may have an expedited accreditation process for the BBLS.

There are currently 16 accredited lenders for the BBLS, with three operating specifically in Northern Ireland.

29th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses have (a) applied to and (b) been approved for funding from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to ensure banks are showing flexibility to applicants in need of support.

As of 6 May, in total over £5.5 billion worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to 33,812 businesses.

Lenders have received 62,674 completed applications.

We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and the lenders on regular and transparent data publication going forward and to ensure that companies receive the full benefits from the support being provided.

The Business Secretary continues to work with banks and other finance providers to help SMEs access the finance they need and has discussed with these organisations the alternative forms of support for businesses that they are offering. The Government welcomed the statement by UK Finance on behalf of the financial sector which announced that banks, building societies and credit card providers are committed to supporting their business customers in continuing to trade.

The Government has responded to feedback to ensure that companies feel the full benefits of available support through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) by:

  • Extending the scheme so that all viable small businesses affected by Covid-19;
  • Removing previous restrictions on the following groups to enable them to access the CBILS, subject to other eligibility criteria being met: Employer, professional, religious or political membership organisations and trade unions;
  • Removing the ability for lenders to ask for personal guarantees for loans under £250,000, and reducing the personal guarantee for loans over £250,000 to 20% of the outstanding balance after recoveries;
  • Introducing technical changes to ensure that applications will be processed faster;
  • Removing the forward-looking viability test; and
  • Removing the per lender portfolio cap.
6th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the number of underage people that use (a) gambling apps and (b) online gambling.

The Gambling Commission’s ‘Young People and Gambling’ report has measured gambling behaviour in children since 2014. The latest edition for 2023 can be found here.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding from the Tampon Tax Fund has been allocated to (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.

In 2020/21 and 2021/22, the Tampon Tax Fund was allocated between each administration using the Barnett formula.

2020/21

2021/22

England

£11,995,000 (inc £150k administration costs )

£9,000,000 (inc £150k administration costs )

Wales

£905,000

£675,000

Scotland

£1,570,000

£1,181,250

Northern Ireland

£530,000

£393,750

Total

£15,000,000

£11,250,000

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications from groups and organisations in Northern Ireland for funding from the Tampon Tax Fund have been received in each of the last two years; and how many and what proportion of those applications were successful.

The 2021/22 round of the Tampon Tax Fund (TTF) received six applications from organisations delivering solely in Northern Ireland. Of these, two did not meet eligibility criteria. Of the remaining four, one bid was successful in being awarded funding.

There were no applications to the 2020/21 round of Tampon Tax funding from organisations delivering solely in Northern Ireland.

The minimum application threshold was also reduced for the 2021/22 round of TTF to £350,000 specifically to enable more bids from organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on bringing forward a Media Bill.

The Media Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech in May 2022. The Government will introduce this legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
31st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether instructions on how to take your own life will be considered illegal content that assists suicide in the new online safety regime.

Encouraging or assisting suicide is illegal. Any website publishing illegal suicide content is already breaking the law.

Under the Online Safety Bill, all platforms in scope will need to tackle and remove illegal material online.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
23rd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and promote participation in sport by children and young people with autism.

As set out in the government’s recent autism strategy (“The National Strategy for Autistic Children, Young People and Adults: 2021 to 2026”), the government is working to enable more people, including autistic children and young people, to be physically active.

Sport England, the government arm’s length body for community sport, launched its new strategy, “Uniting the Movement”, in January 2021. In line with this, they are working to tackle the inequalities and barriers that exist within sport and physical activity, and to unlock the benefits of being active for everyone, regardless of background or ability. As part of this effort, Sport England will be working with key partners to engage autistic people at all levels and in all forms of sport and physical activity, including across volunteering and coaching.

The Department for Education also recently announced funding for “Inclusion 2024”, being led by the Youth Sport Trust, which will improve physical education and school sport for young people with special educational needs and disabilities in thousands of schools across England.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
12th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations her Department has made to TikTok, the social networking service, in relation to videos posted on that platform that target teachers with abuse; and what steps she plans to take in the Online Safety Bill to help tackle that issue.

Online abuse is unacceptable and the government is liaising with TikTok on how it is protecting its users in this matter.

Under the draft Online Safety Bill, companies in scope will need to minimise and remove illegal content including criminal online abuse targeted at teachers.

Major platforms will also need to address legal but harmful content for adults.These companies will have to set out clearly what legal content is acceptable on their platforms and enforce their terms and conditions consistently and transparently.

If platforms fail in their duties under the Bill, they will face tough enforcement action including fines of up to 10% of global annual qualifying turnover.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
15th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to strengthen child protection measures in the draft Online Safety Bill.

The strongest protections in the draft Online Safety Bill are for children. Services in scope will need to prove children are not accessing their service, or they will need to conduct a child safety risk assessment and provide safety measures for child users. Those safety measures will protect children from inappropriate and harmful content.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
20th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with representatives of any of the English football clubs who signed up to the European Super League since the announcement of the formation of that league on 19 April 2021.

Neither DCMS Ministers nor officials have had discussions with representatives of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City or Manchester United football clubs since the European Super League (ESL) announcement.

After the announcement, I spoke briefly with a representative of Tottenham Hotspur and discussed the possibility of a meeting with the 6 clubs to allow them to express their position on the ESL. That meeting did not take place though and I have had no further contact with the clubs on this matter.

The full list of Ministerial meetings can be found on gov.uk.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
22nd Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to introduce user advocacy arrangements to represent children to the regulator to help tackle online harms, funded by an industry levy; and if he will make a statement.

Protecting children is at the heart of our plans to transform the online experience for people in the UK and the strongest protections in the online harms framework will be for children. Under these new laws, Ofcom will have a duty to establish ongoing mechanisms for user advocacy. This is to ensure Ofcom understands the experiences of users, including children, and is able to detect and address issues early on.

The costs incurred by Ofcom in carrying out its functions under the Online Safety Bill, will be met by proportionate fees charged to industry.

The Online Safety Bill, which will give effect to the regulatory framework outlined in the Online Harms White Paper full government response, will be ready this year.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of different content ratings systems on different streaming platforms which are not aligned with standards for cinema or DVD releases nor based on research into the expectations of UK audiences.

As the designated body for age classification of film content, the government has great trust in the British Board of Film Classification’s best practice age ratings. While adoption of the BBFC’s age ratings by online platforms is currently voluntary, we welcome their usage by Video on Demand platforms.

This includes Netflix who on December 1st announced that they have become the first platform to achieve complete coverage of their content under the BBFC’s ratings.

According to recent BBFC research, nearly nine in ten parents find BBFC age ratings on Netflix useful in helping them to choose content well for their family. To build on this success, we will continue to engage with industry to encourage other platforms to adopt the same ratings, and will keep the evidence for legislation in this area under review.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to use British Board of Film Classification age verification guidance in setting standards to restrict the most harmful content from access by children under legislative proposals on online harms.

It is vital that children are protected from accessing age-inappropriate, harmful content online. The government’s Online Harms legislation will establish in law a new ‘duty of care’ on companies towards their users. The ‘duty of care’ will ensure companies have robust systems and processes in place to keep their users safe and will deliver a higher level of protection for children than for the typical adult user. Details of how the online harms legislation will protect children from harmful content will be published later this year in the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to include in legislative proposals on online harms provisions that (a) protect children from online pornography and (b) apply to all pornographic sites accessible from the UK regardless of where they are based and whether their content is user-generated.

Our Online Harms proposals will deliver a higher level of protection for children than for the typical adult user. We expect companies to use a proportionate range of tools, including age assurance and age verification technologies, to prevent children accessing age-inappropriate content, such as online pornography, and to protect them from other harms. The new regulatory framework will cover social media companies, where many children access pornography, and all sites on which there is user-generated functionality, including pornography sites, regardless of where they are based. Further details of how the online harms legislation will protect children from harmful content, including online pornography, will be published later this year in the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation.

14th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress the Government has made on its plans to review the Gambling Act 2005.

The government has committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

Operators are required both by law and by the conditions of their licence from the Gambling Commission to prevent underage gambling. In May 2019 the Commission strengthened requirements for age verification so that operators must verify a customer’s age before they are able to deposit money, place a bet, or access free-to-play games. According to the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Survey 2019, 7% of 11-16 year olds said they had ever gambled online (a category including both National Lottery games and commercial sites), 5% had used a parent’s account with the parent’s permission and 2% had used a parent’s account without permission, showing that parents also have an important role to play in controlling children’s access to gambling. For further detail, the full survey report can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Young-People-Gambling-Report-2019.pdf

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has assessed the effectiveness of safeguards in place to prevent underage gambling via smartphone apps.

The government has committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

Operators are required both by law and by the conditions of their licence from the Gambling Commission to prevent underage gambling. In May 2019 the Commission strengthened requirements for age verification so that operators must verify a customer’s age before they are able to deposit money, place a bet, or access free-to-play games. According to the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Survey 2019, 7% of 11-16 year olds said they had ever gambled online (a category including both National Lottery games and commercial sites), 5% had used a parent’s account with the parent’s permission and 2% had used a parent’s account without permission, showing that parents also have an important role to play in controlling children’s access to gambling. For further detail, the full survey report can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Young-People-Gambling-Report-2019.pdf

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress he has made in discussions with Ofcom on the regulation of online harms.

In February this year, the government announced that it was minded to give Ofcom the role of the online harms regulator. We are committed to working closely with Ofcom as we continue to develop the regulatory framework.

The government will set out the final details of the policy in a full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation.

29th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of subsidising newspapers to provide online copy to people self-isolating on medical grounds during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the vital role of newspapers in supporting communities and isolated individuals by ensuring the provision of reliable, high-quality information throughout the current pandemic. Safeguarding the UK’s news media at this time of financial instability is a key priority for Government and we are in constant dialogue with publishers to ensure that our response to the challenges they are facing is as effective as it can be.

With schools closed and the nation confined to their homes during lockdown, millions have been relying on e-publications to help home school their children, keep up to date with the latest news and to pass the time. To support this, the Chancellor has brought forward the zero rating on e-publications. The zero rate of VAT will now apply to all e-publications from the 1st May - seven months ahead of schedule. The Government expects the tax relief to be passed on to consumers in the form of reduced prices for online copies.

The Government will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining high-quality news journalism. Never have the activities of journalists been more popular and critical; providing quality news to all, including those self-isolating, and binding communities together, a fundamental function of our modern day democracy.

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) primary and (b) post-primary school pupil in England have been expelled in each of the last three years.

The Department publishes figures from the school census on permanent exclusions and suspensions from state-funded schools in England. The latest full academic year figures are for the 2020/21 academic year and are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england/2020-21.

A table from this publication showing rates of permanent exclusions in primary, secondary, and special schools in England in the 2018/19 to 2020/21 academic years is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5141203d-8691-4288-2cd5-08dafaf734a0.

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle antisemitism in UK universities.

This report that shows that the National Union of Students (NUS) has, over a number of years, systematically failed to represent the interests of Jewish students, and failed to tackle antisemitic practices within its own organisation. This is not acceptable. The NUS should be an organisation where Jewish students not only feel safe to be themselves, but where their full and equal participation is actively welcomed.

Higher education (HE), more broadly, should do all it can to root out antisemitism. The recent Community Security Trust (CST) report showing a 22% increase in antisemitic incidents on campus over the last two years is deeply concerning.

The department has encouraged HE providers to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, to have absolute clarity of what constitutes antisemitic behaviour. 245 providers in England have adopted the IHRA definition, including the vast majority of universities. We would urge those providers that have not yet adopted to the definition to do so, and for those that have, to ensure that they are fully complying with the definition.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the affordability of childcare for low income families.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. Devolved administrations have their own specific offers. Information on funding can be found here: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/applying-funded-pre-school-place-202223.

The department recognises that the cost of childcare is a key concern for parents, which is why the government has made an unprecedented investment in childcare over the past decade, with over £3.5 billion spent in each of the past three years on our early education entitlements.

We have also introduced Tax-Free Childcare, which is available for working parents of children aged 0-11 (or up to 16 if their child is disabled). This scheme can save parents up to £2,000 per year (or up to £4,000 for children with disabilities) from their childcare costs.

Working parents on a low income, including those returning from maternity leave, may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for two or more children aged 0-16.

The government’s range of childcare offers includes 15 hours free early education for all three and four year olds, regardless of parental income or working status. This helps children to develop social skills and prepare them for school, regardless of their background.

Working parents of three and four-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare, known as 30 hours free childcare. To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, a lone parent must earn from just over £7,400 a year, and a couple, where both parents are working, from just over £14,800 per year, to access 30 hours.

24th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many knife possession orders have been issued in relation to (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) higher educational establishments in the last five years.

The Department does not hold data on the number of children found in possession of a knife at school. However, the School Snapshot Survey from winter 2019 showed that 29% of schools were actively dealing with knife crime as a safeguarding issue: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-snapshot-survey-winter-2019. Secondary schools were 4 times more likely to be actively dealing with knife crime than primary schools.

Schools and colleges have a duty and responsibility to protect pupils and staff. We support them with a range of guidance to help them fulfil their responsibilities, including advice on health and safety and school and college security. The school and college security guidance includes a suite of resources to assist schools and colleges with the development of policies and culture to help address a wide range of security related issues.

Relationships, Sex and Health Education is now compulsory, and schools can build on the core content to address local issues such as gang activity and recognising and avoiding exploitative relationships. In serious violence hotspot areas, schools, alternative provision settings and colleges are working with police and health through Violence Reduction Units to run interventions to tackle serious youth violence.

5th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he is having with Education Ministers in each of the devolved Administrations to manage the effects of covid-19 on (a) GCSE and (b) A-Level exams to be sat in 2021.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has met the Education Ministers from all devolved administrations to discuss arrangements for 2021 GCSE, AS and A level examinations. Ministers and departmental officials will continue to engage regularly with their counterparts from the devolved administrations in preparing for next summer’s examination series.