Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Ofcom’s proposals to remove the prohibitions on (a) matching rights and (b) bundling.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As we set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government wants a healthy and mixed TV ecology. This includes public service broadcasters providing an engine room of creativity whilst our independent production sector continues to create more intellectual property and British content that can be exported globally.
Ofcom, as the independent media regulator, is responsible for the guidance to public service broadcasters on commissioning codes of practice and has consulted on their proposals and will be carefully considering all of the responses they have received.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Israeli government on the prevention of aid entering Gaza from the sea.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of Israel has halted the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza for over four months. We have repeatedly called on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza.
We are clear, the only way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale is via full use of overland routes. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his recent calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that funding derived from Extended Producer Responsibility fees will be ringfenced to support local authorities to improve their recycling provision.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have instructed PackUK to exercise its existing powers within the pEPR regulations to ensure local authorities in England only receive pEPR funds that are spent on household packaging, waste management, and recycling. When local authority payments are confirmed in July, PackUK will write directly to all English local authority chief executives setting this out. If a local authority does not spend the funds as specified, PackUK will use its regulatory powers to deduct funds accordingly for the following year’s payment.