Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timeframe is for the reopening of soft play centres as the covid-19 outbreak restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 13 August, the Government announced that indoor play and indoor soft play venues can open from 15 August. We have also been working with BALPPA, the trade body that represents the industry to develop guidance that lays out detailed measures that should be taken by indoor play and indoor soft play operators to make venues COVID-secure. These include closing ball pits and sensory areas, reducing capacity of venues and soft play frames, regular deep cleaning, pre-bookable timed sessions, increased sanitation, and a rigorous process to support track and trace. Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so. Since 4 July other indoor facilities, including some indoor games, recreation and entertainment venues have reopened.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to COVID-19, we continue to be guided by public health considerations to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
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 protect (a) the Premier League and (b) other sports bodies following the denial by the Saudi Arabian Government of access by the Premier League to legal representation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
My officials are working closely with their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Trade to ensure the international interests of the Premier League and other UK sports bodies are protected and promoted around the world. We know that the Premier League is a great soft power asset for the UK, and we will continue to encourage relevant national governments to ensure it receives parity of treatment in all international markets.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
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 encourage more people to visit museums.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The world-class collections in our museums help people understand and participate in our culture and heritage, improve wellbeing, and provide learning, education and research. Museums are supported by public funding worth over £800 million annually to support this access. The UK Government remains committed to free entry to the permanent collections of our 15 DCMS- sponsored national museums ,which in total received around 47 million visits in 2017/18 .Additional projects, through Arts Council England (ACE), aim to improve cultural participation for everyone, regardless of their background. For example, ACE funds Creative People and Places which supports participation in places with traditionally lower engagement with culture. The scheme has just announced 79 new places will be eligible to apply for £24 million of funding in 2019 and 2020, to fund projects until 2023/4.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the gross value added by the design sector in each region of the UK.
Answered by Margot James
The information requested can be found on pages 64-67 of the Design Council’s report The Design Economy 2018 which can be found here:
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/Design_Economy_2018.pdf
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on grassroots funding for the arts of the widespread theft of the UK creative industries intellectual property rights by the pirate network beoutQ.
Answered by Margot James
We are committed to protecting the IP of our world leading Creative Industries, which is why are continuing to support The "Get It Right" campaign with £2M investment over 3 years. This campaign is part of The Government's Sector Deal which helps educate consumers on the dangers of copyright infringement and directs them towards legitimate sources of creative content online. The HM Ambassador in Riyadh has raised this matter on a number of occasions with Ministers in the Saudi Arabian Government.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote cultural diplomacy.
Answered by Michael Ellis
We are taking a number of steps to promote cultural diplomacy, working very closely with FCO, the British Council and DIT to ensure that culture is fully integrated into the UK’s diplomatic activities, both at home and in our embassies around the world.
This includes the GREAT campaign, annual Seasons of Culture, formal cultural agreements with other governments, the Cultural Protection Fund and UNESCO cultural conventions. Ministers also undertake regular international visits and hold frequent dialogues with foreign counterparts to strengthen our cultural diplomacy with key partner countries.
DCMS is a leading contributor to the government’s forthcoming Soft Power Strategy, of which culture will be a core part.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote UK arts and culture overseas.
Answered by Michael Ellis
We are taking a number of steps to promote UK arts and culture overseas, including through the GREAT campaign, annual Seasons of Culture, formal cultural agreements with other governments and through our membership of UNESCO. Ministers also undertake regular international visits to champion British arts organisations working in other countries and hold frequent dialogues with counterparts from key partner countries.
The department works in close partnership with FCO, the British Council and DIT to ensure the UK culture sector is well supported and promoted by our embassies in countries around the world. DCMS is also a leading contributor to the government’s forthcoming Soft Power Strategy, which is due to be published later this year.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote UK arts and culture.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The arts help individuals and communities by bringing people together, encouraging creativity and removing social barriers. This government is committed to supporting and promoting our world class arts and culture to ensure that everyone can engage and participate in them, make places better for people to live,work and visit, and boost the economy.
Government support for arts and culture is primarily provided via the Arts Council England. Government also promotes art and culture through direct support such as the recently launched £20 million Cultural Development Fund, which aims to support towns and cities to grow their local economy through investment in arts, heritage and the creative industries; and the Great Exhibition of the North, a three month event that will will celebrate the great art, culture and design of the North of England, which government has invested over £6 million in.