Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the last meeting was of the inter-ministerial group on tackling digital exclusion; and who was in attendance.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has been clear that ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age is a key priority and continues to take steps to offer the support needed.
Digital inclusion is a cross-cutting issue that spans social engagement, education, employment, access to services and many more elements of everyday life. Responsibility for relevant policies, activities and budgets sit across government. For example, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is exploring options for funding research to improve the Government’s evidence base on digital exclusion.
The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government.
The most recent ministerial group meeting took place in March 2024, chaired by the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Cabinet Office, Department for Work and Pensions, and His Majesty's Treasury were also in attendance.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the annual budget is of the inter-ministerial group on tackling digital exclusion.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has been clear that ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age is a key priority and continues to take steps to offer the support needed.
Digital inclusion is a cross-cutting issue that spans social engagement, education, employment, access to services and many more elements of everyday life. Responsibility for relevant policies, activities and budgets sit across government. For example, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is exploring options for funding research to improve the Government’s evidence base on digital exclusion.
The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government.
The most recent ministerial group meeting took place in March 2024, chaired by the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Cabinet Office, Department for Work and Pensions, and His Majesty's Treasury were also in attendance.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to protect the UK's network infrastructure, in the context of the adequacy of whereabouts compliance measures.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Openreach has commercial contracts with broadband contractors who access its ducts and poles. These contracts include detailed requirements on how Openreach should be notified of where and when companies will be building fibre. It is ultimately a commercial decision for Openreach to decide how it enforces these contracts.
DSIT has engaged with Ofcom, Openreach, and the Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator (OTA) to understand the implications of whereabouts compliance for telecoms network resilience. Improving compliance may help to attribute the cause of accidental damage to fibre infrastructure but would not completely prevent accidental damage or stop those intending to cause malicious damage.
DSIT has been informed by Openreach and the OTA that they have worked with communication providers to agree a new approach to improving whereabouts compliance. DSIT is content that no further action is required at this time but will continue to work with Ofcom to monitor the situation in case risks to security and resilience arise in future.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2024 to Question 10114 on UK Tradeshow Programme, how many SMEs were provided with grants to participate in tradeshows overseas through the (a) UK Tradeshow Programme in financial year 2022-23 and (b) Tradeshow Access Programme in financial year 2019-20; and how many of those grants in each year were given to SMEs operating in the (i) fashion and (ii) fashion retail sectors.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Tradeshow Programme in the financial year 2022-23 awarded 93 grants, seven of those grants were for businesses in the fashion industry.
The Tradeshow Access Programme in the financial year 2019-20 awarded 2531 grants, approximately 442 of those grants were for businesses in the fashion industry.
No further information is held to distinguish between businesses in the fashion or fashion retail sector.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department held discussions with (a) industry stakeholders, (b) local government and (c) third sector advocacy organisations before establishing an inter-ministerial group on tackling digital exclusion.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for coordinating HMG digital inclusion policy as part of its commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.
Digital inclusion is a cross-cutting issue that spans social engagement, education, employment, access to services and many more elements of everyday life. Responsibility for relevant policies, activities and budgets sit across government. For example, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is exploring options for funding research to improve the Government’s evidence base on digital exclusion.
We have and will continue to work with key stakeholders across Government on digital exclusion issues. Each department leads and owns relationships with stakeholders in their policy areas.
The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government, setting clear objectives, monitoring delivery, and engaging with relevant sector experts to seek input and advice.
The first ministerial group meeting took place in September 2023, chaired by the then Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully. Ministers attended from the Cabinet Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, and His Majesty's Treasury. We expect these departments to make up the core membership of the group, which will meet again in March 2024.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the (a) membership and (b) annual budget is of the inter-ministerial group on tackling digital exclusion.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for coordinating HMG digital inclusion policy as part of its commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.
Digital inclusion is a cross-cutting issue that spans social engagement, education, employment, access to services and many more elements of everyday life. Responsibility for relevant policies, activities and budgets sit across government. For example, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is exploring options for funding research to improve the Government’s evidence base on digital exclusion.
We have and will continue to work with key stakeholders across Government on digital exclusion issues. Each department leads and owns relationships with stakeholders in their policy areas.
The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government, setting clear objectives, monitoring delivery, and engaging with relevant sector experts to seek input and advice.
The first ministerial group meeting took place in September 2023, chaired by the then Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully. Ministers attended from the Cabinet Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, and His Majesty's Treasury. We expect these departments to make up the core membership of the group, which will meet again in March 2024.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average wage of teachers in music education hubs was in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Music Hubs cover every area of England and are made up of partnerships that support, deliver and enable children and young people to access music education within a local area. These partnerships are co-ordinated by a Hub Lead Organisation (HLOs) which is responsible for the funding and governance of the Hub. As the fundholder and accountable body for the Hub programme, Arts Council England (ACE) oversees the management of Music Hubs including payments, monitoring the risk to investment and monitoring the performance of Hubs. The department provides the funding for the grant award to HLOs each year.
The terms and conditions of staff is the responsibility of either the HLO or any other music service or equivalent organisation working in partnership with the HLO and for whom they hold grant funding. HLOs also need to apply ACE standard grant terms and conditions, including in relation to the workforce.
ACE collects and publishes workforce information on an annual basis and this is published on the ACE Hub Data Dashboard which is available on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
The workforce dashboard for 2021/22 shows that the number of permanent staff (full-time or part-time) across all areas of England is 6,588. The number of staff employed on a contractual basis is 1,665 and the number of self-employed or freelance staff is 3,104. ACE does not collect information on the type of contract or average wage or income of staff, including teachers.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers working in Music Education Hubs are on zero-hour contracts.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Music Hubs cover every area of England and are made up of partnerships that support, deliver and enable children and young people to access music education within a local area. These partnerships are co-ordinated by a Hub Lead Organisation (HLOs) which is responsible for the funding and governance of the Hub. As the fundholder and accountable body for the Hub programme, Arts Council England (ACE) oversees the management of Music Hubs including payments, monitoring the risk to investment and monitoring the performance of Hubs. The department provides the funding for the grant award to HLOs each year.
The terms and conditions of staff is the responsibility of either the HLO or any other music service or equivalent organisation working in partnership with the HLO and for whom they hold grant funding. HLOs also need to apply ACE standard grant terms and conditions, including in relation to the workforce.
ACE collects and publishes workforce information on an annual basis and this is published on the ACE Hub Data Dashboard which is available on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
The workforce dashboard for 2021/22 shows that the number of permanent staff (full-time or part-time) across all areas of England is 6,588. The number of staff employed on a contractual basis is 1,665 and the number of self-employed or freelance staff is 3,104. ACE does not collect information on the type of contract or average wage or income of staff, including teachers.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people are employed in Music Education Hubs in England.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Music Hubs cover every area of England and are made up of partnerships that support, deliver and enable children and young people to access music education within a local area. These partnerships are co-ordinated by a Hub Lead Organisation (HLOs) which is responsible for the funding and governance of the Hub. As the fundholder and accountable body for the Hub programme, Arts Council England (ACE) oversees the management of Music Hubs including payments, monitoring the risk to investment and monitoring the performance of Hubs. The department provides the funding for the grant award to HLOs each year.
The terms and conditions of staff is the responsibility of either the HLO or any other music service or equivalent organisation working in partnership with the HLO and for whom they hold grant funding. HLOs also need to apply ACE standard grant terms and conditions, including in relation to the workforce.
ACE collects and publishes workforce information on an annual basis and this is published on the ACE Hub Data Dashboard which is available on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
The workforce dashboard for 2021/22 shows that the number of permanent staff (full-time or part-time) across all areas of England is 6,588. The number of staff employed on a contractual basis is 1,665 and the number of self-employed or freelance staff is 3,104. ACE does not collect information on the type of contract or average wage or income of staff, including teachers.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the level of business rates for film and TV studios on investment in that sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of the film and TV sector to the UK and is committed to maintaining a competitive offer for studios. The Valuation Office Agency is working closely with the film studio sector and its representatives to review valuation evidence through a Group Pre-Challenge Review (GPCR).