Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to put the Editorial Code on a statutory basis.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to independent self-regulation of the press, and does not intervene in or oversee the work of the press regulators.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has established strong regulatory standards and codes for its members, and offers individuals a means of redress where these standards are not met.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2022 on Gambling, on what date the Gambling Act White Paper will be published.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Gambling Act Review is wide-ranging and aims to ensure gambling regulation is fit for the digital age. We will publish a White Paper setting out our conclusions and next steps in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure the urgent repatriation of human remains held by the Natural History Museum.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Decisions relating to museum collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum, who operate independently of the government. This includes the institutions’ responses to requests for repatriation of human remains. The Natural History Museum will consider any request for the return of human remains, and we understand they are working with Zimbabwe on this matter.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to work with social media companies to eliminate automated fake profiles on social media platforms.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government continues to put pressure on companies to respond quickly and effectively to the threat posed by misinformation and disinformation.
Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with major social media companies to understand what is happening on their platforms and the steps that they are taking to address misinformation and disinformation, including where it is spread by fake accounts.
We have seen positive steps by platforms to curtail the spread of harmful and misleading narratives, particularly in relation to COVID-19, although there is clearly more to do. We will continue to engage platforms regarding measures that could be put in place to respond to this evolving challenge, and we will put pressure on these companies to ensure that their policies and enforcement are fit for purpose, whilst still respecting freedom of expression.
The draft Online Safety Bill sets out proposals to impose a new duty of care on tech companies to tackle illegal and harmful content on their services. To fulfil their duty of care, the largest social media companies will need to set out what harmful content is and is not acceptable in their terms of service. They will need to enforce these terms of service consistently, including policies that may relate to fake user accounts. Ofcom will have the power to hold companies to account if what is appearing on their platforms doesn’t match up with the promises made to users.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to prevent companies and organisations using automated social media accounts to (a) increase follower numbers on social media platforms and (b) spread disinformation online.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government continues to put pressure on companies to respond quickly and effectively to the threat posed by misinformation and disinformation.
Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with major social media companies to understand what is happening on their platforms and the steps that they are taking to address misinformation and disinformation, including where it is spread by fake accounts.
We have seen positive steps by platforms to curtail the spread of harmful and misleading narratives, particularly in relation to COVID-19, although there is clearly more to do. We will continue to engage platforms regarding measures that could be put in place to respond to this evolving challenge, and we will put pressure on these companies to ensure that their policies and enforcement are fit for purpose, whilst still respecting freedom of expression.
The draft Online Safety Bill sets out proposals to impose a new duty of care on tech companies to tackle illegal and harmful content on their services. To fulfil their duty of care, the largest social media companies will need to set out what harmful content is and is not acceptable in their terms of service. They will need to enforce these terms of service consistently, including policies that may relate to fake user accounts. Ofcom will have the power to hold companies to account if what is appearing on their platforms doesn’t match up with the promises made to users.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
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 an impact assessment ahead of the consultation on the privatisation of Channel 4; and what the evidential basis is that the privatisation will lead to more content investment and more jobs.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government has recently consulted on whether an alternative ownership model for Channel 4 (but one where it retains a public service remit) may be better for the broadcaster, and better for the country.
We want Channel 4 to continue to be a public service broadcaster, and we want it to continue to contribute socially, economically and culturally to life across the UK. But there is a wealth of evidence - including Ofcom’s recent report - on the future challenges facing our traditional linear TV broadcasters. Linear TV viewing is down almost 60% amongst 16-25 year olds since 2010, whilst 16-34 year olds now spend almost twice as much time on YouTube and subscription VoD services than they do with broadcast content. There are now 315 channels, compared to 5 in 1982 when Channel 4 was established. Linear TV advertising revenues - which constituted 74% of Channel 4’s revenue in 2020 - have declined across the sector at a compound annual rate of 2.5% since 2015.
Channel 4 is uniquely constrained in its ability to meet these challenges while it remains under public ownership - particularly because its access to capital and ability to pursue strategic partnership opportunities is limited.
Moving Channel 4 into private ownership could allow it to access new capital, take advantage of international opportunities, and create strategic partnerships only available through the private sector. A thriving, sustainable Channel 4 could offer the best prospects for long-term job creation and support to the wider creative economy.
Consulting on the broadcaster’s future is therefore about ensuring that Channel 4 can continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting for years to come, and how we ensure its ownership model best supports this aim.
The consultation opened on 6 July, running for 10 weeks, before closing on 14 September. We are currently analysing responses to our consultation, and evidence received through it, to inform our policy-making decisions. Once we have answered the questions set out in the consultation, we will know what specific impacts to assess and will therefore be in a position to carry out an impact assessment.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to allow outdoor group running activities to return safely during the covid-19 outbreak; and what guidance his Department has published for the organisations involved in running such activities.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The importance of sport and physical activity for the nation’s physical and mental health has never been more apparent. They are powerful defences against Covid-19, and as we prepare to return to our normal lives, we will need to do all we can to improve people’s fitness and wellbeing.
The government has prioritised the safe return of sport, including team sports, contact combat sports and organised sports participation events. Organised outdoor sport is exempt from legal gathering limits and can take place with any number of participants, as long as undertaken in line with published Covid-secure guidance. This includes organised sport participation events which includes outdoor running group activities. These events were allowed from 29 March as part of step 1 of the roadmap.
Guidance on Organised Sports Participation Events is available here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-grassroots-sports-guidance-for-safe-provision-including-team-sport-contact-combat-sport-and-organised-sport-events
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to launch an investigation into (a) the collapse of Football Index and (b) the Gambling Commission's regulation of Football Index.
Answered by John Whittingdale
DCMS will appoint an independent expert to conduct a review of the regulation of the Football Index gambling product and to make recommendations to government and the regulators. The review will take an objective look at the decisions and actions of the Gambling Commission and any other relevant regulatory bodies to provide a clear account of how the activities of its operator, BetIndex Ltd, were regulated, identify if there are potential areas for improvement, and inform our Review of the Gambling Act 2005. More information can be found in a Written Ministerial Statement on Regulation of Football Index, available at:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-04-20/hcws929
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government is providing to local authorities to help ensure libraries are accessible for (a) click and collect services and (b) information technology services for the most vulnerable and digitally excluded communities.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The COVID regulations allow public libraries in England during the current national restrictions to continue to provide physical library services including an “order and collect” provision, as well as access to public PCs for people to use essential services.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has worked closely with Libraries Connected to develop their toolkit which provides practical guidelines for heads of service and library staff to support the delivery of library services. The toolkit has helped the library sector navigate this difficult period and has been updated to reflect national and local restrictions.
The government exemptions enable public libraries to provide certain services, but do not compel them to do so. Whether library services can or will be provided in each area is for each local council to determine after undertaking appropriate risk assessments, involving staff and unions, looking at the safety of both users and people working in libraries.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which 5 countries did not air the restart of the Premier League this month.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We understand from the Premier League that broadcast rights to their matches have been sold around the world, with only five countries not covered as of 17 June - Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, the Philippines and Turkmenistan.