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 his Department will assess the potential effect of the loss of the 35 theatres on the Theatres Trust at-risk register on (a) the local night-time economy (b) local employment and (c) the regeneration of local areas; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
We recognise that the arts and culture can bring huge benefits to local communities, and this is why Arts Council England is investing over £100 million of public money into 190 theatres and touring companies over four years. Investment such as this has a positive impact on the lives of participants, it stimulates growth in the creative industries and attracts visitors.
Our historic £200 billion four year local authority funding settlement has also provided councils with the certainty to plan ahead and provide the services that their residents want. It is for Local Authorities to decide how they invest but we are clear that investing in arts and culture is one of the best decisions local authorities can make, and, despite difficult decisions that have had to be made, many local authorities have continued to invest in arts and culture, developing innovative partnerships to support these sectors.
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 non-UK EU nationals started employment in her Department since 23 June 2016.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We do not record the number of non-UK EU nationals who started employment in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, since 23 June 2016.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department made of the charity, Life's safeguarding policies and procedures before awarding it a grant from the Tampon Tax Fund.
Answered by Rob Wilson
We will shortly agree the specifics of each of the 70 projects that successfully applied to the Tampon Tax Fund this year, to ensure that taxpayers' money is put to the best use. We will only make grants where we are 100% certain that they align with the aims of the fund.
All applications into the fund were assessed by officials against three criteria: evidence for the need of the project: the organisation’s ability to deliver; and the sustainability/impact of the project, and were then vetted by officials before they were signed off.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department made of the charity, Life's patient information literature before awarding it a grant from the Tampon Tax Fund.
Answered by Rob Wilson
We will shortly agree the specifics of each of the 70 projects that successfully applied to the Tampon Tax Fund this year, to ensure that taxpayers' money is put to the best use. We will only make grants where we are 100% certain that they align with the aims of the fund.
All applications into the fund were assessed by officials against three criteria: evidence for the need of the project: the organisation’s ability to deliver; and the sustainability/impact of the project, and were then vetted by officials before they were signed off.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding Sport England provided for the development of shooting huts within the North York Moors National Park Authority in each year since 2010-11.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Sport England has provided no funding for the development of shooting huts within the North York Moors National Park Authority.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme on businesses planning to make an application ahead of the original closure date of March 2016; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing the funding required to re-open and extend that scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Broadband ConnectVoucherSchemewas hugelysuccessful, and has benefitted 55,000 small and medium businesses across the UK. BDUK issued regular updates to encourage firms to act quickly given the increasingly high demand for vouchers. All broadband connectionsvouchersissued to SMEs before theschemeclosed on 12 October that comply with thescheme’s terms and conditions will be funded. All further funding is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Britain is GREAT campaign is taking to (a) promote visitor accommodation services and (b) increase the affordability of holidays in the UK.
Answered by Helen Grant
The GREAT Britain campaign is a marketing campaign designed to show the world that Britain is a great place to visit, study in, invest in and do business with. It forms part of a wider, international tactical campaign to attract visitors to Britain, and, as such, it has not taken any direct steps to promote visitor accommodation services or increase the affordability of holidays in the UK.
It is not the role of government to promote visitor accommodation services because by doing so we would be in breach of EU State Aid regulations. The cost of holidays at different times of the year is also something for the commercial judgement of the industry.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the delay in debating the draft Council Regulation on the European Citizens Programme on funding for civil society organisations in UK planning (a) events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and (b) other events; what the timescale for implementation and release of monies under the Programme is; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
No formal assessment has been undertaken. Following completion of the Parliamentary scrutiny process the UK voted in support of the programme, which is now ready for implementation. The timing of the release of monies under the programme is a matter for the EU Commission, and it is expected that details will be made available in due course on the Commission web-site, which is: http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/about-the-europe-for-citizens-programme/future-programme-2014-2020/index_en.htm
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which research studies used by his Department in formulating policy on fixed odds betting terminals (a) have and (b) have not received industry funding or support; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Grant
The Government considers a wide range of available research when formulating gambling policy. The Government is mindful of the provenance of research, and its funding source, when interpreting findings.