Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Terms of Reference for the BBC Funding Review Panel allow the Panel to consider all the funding options contained in the 6th report of the DCMS Select Committee of session 2019-21, and in the annex to that report.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Terms of Reference for the BBC Funding Model Review set out that the Government wants the BBC to continue to succeed as a Public Service Broadcaster long into the future, providing high quality public service content on a universal basis.
As the Terms of Reference make clear, the review will be looking at a range of models for funding the BBC to ensure it is fair to licence fee payers, sustainable for the long term and supports the BBC’s vital role in growing the creative industries. This will include looking at options to reform the licence fee, and how the BBC can increase its commercial revenues. Given pressure on household incomes, the Secretary of State has explicitly ruled out this review looking at creating any new taxes.
The findings of the review will support the Government’s views on the future funding of the BBC. Any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken at Charter Review.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to help ensure that almshouse charities are regulated on a basis appropriate to small charities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Opposition Chief Whip (Commons)
Both the Charity Commission and the Regulator of Social Housing have regulatory roles in relation to almshouse charities that are also registered providers of social housing.
Under charity law, the regulatory requirements that apply to charities are proportionate, with smaller charities subject to fewer or less detailed regulatory and transparency requirements. This includes almshouse charities.
Registration with the Regulator of Social Housing is voluntary for almshouse charities, and a number of almshouses do choose to register. Where almshouses are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, they are required to meet the Regulator’s standards.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the BBC Mid-Term Review, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the way Ofcom evaluates the market impact of changes to the BBC’s public services.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In May 2022, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched the Mid-Term Review to assess how effectively the governance and regulation arrangements of the BBC are performing and whether any reforms are necessary. The Terms of Reference, published in May 2022, stated that the Review will look at competition and market impact, and will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to commercial radio and local news sectors and other content makers and distributors.
DCMS is working through feedback from a wide range of stakeholders to help us develop our conclusions. We are consulting the BBC, Ofcom and the Devolved Administrations on our findings, as required by the Review’s Terms of Reference. The Government is seeking to conclude the review at pace, and to report on its findings by 2024.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what role she expects 5G connectivity to play in levelling up.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the role of 5G connectivity to play in Levelling Up.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to (a) support demand and (b) create markets for 5G in the UK in order to encourage private sector investment.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the attractiveness of investments in 5G networks.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase private sector investment in (a) hybrid and (b) standalone 5G.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for the completion of the rollout of standalone 5G in (a) Ashford and (b) the UK.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of the rollout of standalone 5G in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Autumn Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.
The Mobile Network Operators are currently trialling standalone 5G, where all network architecture (base stations, core networks and backhaul) is dedicated solely to 5G. We expect standalone 5G deployments to begin in 2023, and for this to help unlock greater potential of 5G and support uses in industrial and other settings, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlined our mission for what we want nationwide broadband and mobile coverage to look like by 2030.
The Government has made reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. Furthermore, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will allow operators to enter into additional agreements with site providers, enabling apparatus to be upgraded to 5G. In addition, the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme is dedicated to accelerating the roll-out of 5G through the use of public sector assets.
We are developing a Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to establish a new ambition for 5G, and set out how the UK can realise the full benefits of advanced wireless connectivity. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.