Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of Greater Manchester on promoting Greater Manchester's technology sector.
Answered by Margot James
The Secretary of State, in his previous role as Minister for Digital, wrote to Mayor Andy Burnham on 22nd December 2017, responding to the Mayor’s request for more information on the government’s investment of £21m in Tech Nation. This funding involves setting up 10 new regional hubs, including in Manchester (which will serve as the base for the North West) to support and promote the needs of the local tech communities. The Secretary of State clarified that Tech nation will work with local partners to connect with and build on the networks and ecosystems that already exist. The Mayor has been introduced to senior Tech Nation staff who are assessing the unique needs of each region.
This letter also offered further discussion with DCMS on how government policy can help to deliver the Greater Manchester Digital Strategy. I also committed to meeting Mr Burnham following our appearance on Question Time on 18th January 2018.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work UK Sport is undertaking to help attract major sporting events to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Helen Grant - Shadow Solicitor General
With its successful hosting of the start of this year's Giro d'Italia, Northern Ireland has demonstrated its ability to stage major sporting events. UK Sport recently met with the Northern Ireland Tourism Board (NITB) to explain its support to Major Events and has committed to meet with the NITB every 6 months. UK Sport is finalising dates for an additional meeting with Sport NI and the NITB to discuss this area further. UK Sport has established a Major Events Agency Co-ordination Group, including Northern Ireland, which met for the first time this month. UK Sport works with National Governing Bodies to identify the UK's major event hosting targets and this is regularly shared with Northern Ireland colleagues.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether mobile data services will be expanded in Northern Ireland as part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Yes.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of how many households in Northern Ireland will benefit from each phase of the Mobile Infrastructure Project; and what the current expected date of completion is for each phase of that project in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
DCMS officials and our delivery partner Arqiva are continually reviewing potential locations for masts with the intention of providing coverage to as many premises as possible. Various challenges will have an impact on the number of premises we can reach and completion dates for individual masts, such as finding a suitable and sensitive location for a mast, obtaining planning permission, and ensuring masts can connect back into the existing network.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what level of funding has been allocated by his Department to projects in Northern Ireland under the Mobile Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
We are investing up to £150m to provide coverage across the UK through the Mobile Infrastructure Project. Funding is not allocated by country or area. Funding is provided for potential sites on a case by case basis, with sites selected according to the number of homes and businesses for which signal could be provided balanced against the cost to build and run each individual site.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on increasing coverage of life in Northern Ireland across the BBC national television and radio network.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
No such discussions have recently taken place. Under the terms of the BBC's Charter and Agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the Corporation's day-to-day operations, including programme content.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of BBC (a) television and (b) radio programming was made in Northern Ireland in each year since 2010.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The proportions of the BBC's TV programming and radio output in Northern Ireland are published in the BBC's Annual Accounts which are available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/publication_scheme/classes/what_how_priorities/annual_reports_accounts.shtml
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what input officials in his Department sought from their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive in preparation for the UK's attendance at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 May 2014.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
DCMS officials seek to keep their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive informed of relevant EU developments on an ongoing basis. There was no specific contact prior to the meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council on 20 and 21 May.