Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Live Comedy Association on (a) the level of funding required to protect the 77 per cent of live comedy venues that are reported to be at risk of closure in the next 12 months and (b) ensuring the needs of live comedy performances are reflected in plans the Government is developing to support the arts sector reopen after the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
a) The Live Comedy Association attends the regular ministerially-chaired roundtables that ensure we are assisting all our Creative Industries sectors as effectively as possible. In addition, officials are in regular contact with the Live Comedy Association, ensuring that the needs of the comedy industry are fully understood. We will continue to work with the Live Comedy Association to understand the difficulties the comedy industry faces and help it access support through these challenging times and through recovery.
On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. Live comedy is a much loved part of the British cultural landscape. Comedy venues and organisations will be eligible to apply for support through the package, just like other performing art forms. Detailed eligibility criteria will be set out as soon as possible in July.
b) The Live Comedy Association is a member of the ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group, that is focused on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the entertainment sector.
We have worked closely with the industry on a clear roadmap for the return of the performing arts and live entertainment sectors providing detailed guidance. We are pleased that, subject to the success of pilots, which include a number of comedy events, from August indoor performances with socially distanced audiences will be able to take place.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the scientific evidence he has received in support of the Government’s decision not to allow the reopening of outdoor and open air theatres yet; and whether he has made an assessment of the risks of covid-19 transmission at outdoor and open air theatres enforcing 2m social distancing compared with those at theme parks, open air gyms and outdoor markets.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We are committed to getting the performing arts sector fully back up and running as soon as it is safe to do so. It is a priority of my department to work with the arts and cultural sectors to address the challenges of reopening.
The Secretary of State recently revealed a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the performing arts sectors back up and running as soon as possible:
Stage One - Rehearsal and training (no audiences)
Stage Two - Performances for broadcast and recording purposes
Stage Three - Performances outdoors with an audience and pilots for indoor performances with a limited socially-distanced audience
Stage Four - Performances allowed indoors and outdoors (but with a limited socially-distanced audience indoors)
Stage Five - Performances allowed indoors / outdoors (with a fuller audience indoors)
On the 11th July, we moved to Stage Three. This means that performances outdoors can take place in line with this guidance. DCMS will work with sector representative bodies to select a number of pilots for indoor performances with a socially distanced audience, as we look to move into Stage Four.
Capacity will be based on a risk management approach, and decided on by event organisations in consultation with local authorities. It will be limited to ensure social distancing guidelines can be adhered to. Venues should ensure that the government guidance on social distancing is followed at outdoor performances, including the limits on social mixing.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with representatives from (i) the News Media Association, (ii) the Independent Community News Network and (iii) the Public Interest News Foundation since 23 March 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Ministers at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have held a number of roundtables and bilateral meetings with representatives from across the Press sector, including the News Media Association (NMA), the Independent Community News Network (ICNN) and the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis.
Officials at the DCMS have also been in regular contact with representatives from all three organisations, as well as with stakeholders from the wider sector, as part of the government’s increased engagement to best understand the impacts of Covid-19 on the sector, and ensure interventions are as effective as possible.
The Minister for Media and Data met with the Independent Community News Network and the Public Interest News Foundation on 6 May to discuss government support to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 for the independent news publishing sector in particular. This meeting included a discussion about the Government's national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about Covid-19 and how the independent sector may be used to reach underserved audiences.
Since the week commencing 23 March, the Minister for Media and Data has also held fortnightly roundtable meetings with representatives from across the sector, including the NMA and the ICNN.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) officials in his Department and (b) representatives of the Charity Commission have had discussions with (i) funding organisations and (ii) institutional donors regarding the use of restricted project funds by (A) charities and (B) civil society organisations to cover core running costs during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Whittingdale
DCMS and the Charity Commission are proactively engaging across the sector, to maintain a complete picture of the impact of coronavirus, and working to identify the additional support charities require through this time of financial instability. As such, the Commission is publishing regular updates to its COVID-19 guidance for the charity sector on its website.
As the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, the Charity Commission’s approach to regulation during this period is to be as flexible and pragmatic as possible, while helping trustees to be aware of and think about the wider or longer impact of their decisions on their charity.
This guidance provides advice to charities on the use of reserves and restricted funds: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector#using-reserves-and-restricted-funds.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Independent Community News Network on (a) the viability of and (b) Government support for independent local media during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The need for independent, verifiable news and information is more important than ever, given the current crisis caused by the outbreak of Covid-19. The news publishing sector’s sustainability and the continued provision of reliable, high-quality information is therefore a priority for the Government. Ministers in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are actively engaging with stakeholders across the media industry, including local and independent news publishing outlets, to understand the challenges posed by the current crisis and to establish the most effective means of supporting the whole of the industry.
Several measures have already been put in place as part of an unprecedented package of support. The Business Interruption Loan, designed for small and medium enterprises, could be helpful to local news publishers. Additionally, the Government is supporting business through the Job Retention Scheme, VAT and tax deferrals, and through covering the cost of statutory sick pay. We are committed to ensuring that firms whose business models were viable before this crisis remain viable once it is over.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral statement of her predecessor of 12 February 2019, Official Report, column 773, for what reasons the terms of reference of the review of how online advertising is regulated have not yet been published; when she plans to publish details of that review; whether that review will include consideration of the effect of online advertising on young people’s wellbeing and the planet’s natural resources; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Since the previous Secretary of State announced the DCMS review into how online advertising is regulated in the UK, my department has established a team to take this work forward, including further evidence gathering and stakeholder engagement.
This review will identify and address the systemic social and economic challenges that arise from online advertising. It will consider a range of options to ensure the UK's approach to regulating online advertising is fit for purpose, including measures to ensure users are sufficiently protected from harm.
The review will complement and build on other relevant work underway across government and in external organisations, which are due to report in the winter. This includes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into online platforms and digital advertising, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report on online targeting and the Information Commissioner’s Office’s work on adtech.
Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the decision by Germany to block Facebook from merging data collected from its social platforms and third-party websites without voluntary user consent; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
No assessment has been made on the specific decision by Germany to block Facebook from merging data collected from its social platforms and third-party websites without voluntary user consent.
It is essential that people are confident their personal data will be protected and used in an appropriate way. The Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR is in place to ensure that companies who collect and use data do so appropriately with an appropriate legal basis.
In August 2016, the Information Commissioner investigated whether WhatsApp could legally share users’ data with Facebook. WhatsApp signed a public commitment not to share personal data with Facebook until the data protection concerns raised by the ICO were addressed. This agreement is available on the ICO's website.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to support increased access for canoeists to rivers and waterways in England.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, encourages and promotes outdoor recreation. Use of our waterways by all can be a creative and fun way to engage with the natural world and to stay healthy.
Sport England is actively engaged with British Canoeing and the Canal and River Trust to get more people from all backgrounds active. In addition Sport England is providing £6.85m to British Canoeing for the period between 2017 to 2021.
The ‘public rights of navigation’ issue around access to waterways is dealt with by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and they are currently working with British Canoeing to consider solutions to access disputes.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of his Department paying the £65 application fee for settled or pre-settled status for EU nationals (a) employed by and (b) working as an outsourced worker in his Department; what estimate he has made of the total cost to his Department of paying those fees; and what assessment he has made of the risks that the EU Settlement Scheme poses to the retention of EU nationals (i) employed by or (ii) working as an outsourced worker in his Department.
Answered by Margot James
The UK Government currently does not plan to pay the Settled Status Fee for its non-UK EU citizen employees. The fee is set at an affordable rate (£65), less than the cost of an UK passport.
Outsourced workers are not employees of the Department and therefore this would be a decision for their employers.
DCMS staff declare their national identity voluntarily so this may not be a true representation of the workforce as a whole. Therefore it wouldn’t be appropriate to use this information to determine the cost to the department of paying these fees.
We value the significant contribution made by EU citizens working in the DCMS and we want these colleagues to continue to play a full role in the work of the department. We are committed to supporting our EU citizen employees across the department.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which statutes govern the use by hon. Members of the personal data of their constituents.
Answered by Margot James
The Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply to the processing of personal data undertaken by elected representatives and political parties. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations are also relevant because they regulate the use of telephone calls, emails and texts for direct marketing purposes, including political campaigning.
The Information Commissioner's Office has published guidance for political parties and elected representatives on the steps they should take to comply with the law, this can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/political/