Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 merits of requiring public service broadcasters to make all regional programming widely available live on their designated internet programme services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Media Act 2024 introduces a new prominence regime that, once commenced, will require particular online major TV platforms to carry and give appropriate prominence to designated public service broadcaster apps (referred to in the legislation as designated internet programme services).
Ofcom will designate which internet programme services this new regime will apply to according to clear criteria, which includes stipulating that any designated service must make a significant contribution towards their public service remit and that remit content within the designated service must be readily discoverable.
We expect an important outcome of the way we have designated the new regime will achieve appropriate prominence for public remit content, which includes provision of content that reflects the lives and concerns of different communities and regions across the UK.
Ofcom is also required to issue a statement on their proposed methodology they will apply when making their designation decisions for internet programme services, which they have consulted on. Ofcom issued their final Statement on their methodology on 22 July 2025.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the availability on designated internet programme services of public service broadcasters’ live regional programming.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Media Act 2024 introduces a new prominence regime that, once commenced, will require particular online major TV platforms to carry and give appropriate prominence to designated public service broadcaster apps (referred to in the legislation as designated internet programme services).
Ofcom will designate which internet programme services this new regime will apply to according to clear criteria, which includes stipulating that any designated service must make a significant contribution towards their public service remit and that remit content within the designated service must be readily discoverable.
We expect an important outcome of the way we have designated the new regime will achieve appropriate prominence for public remit content, which includes provision of content that reflects the lives and concerns of different communities and regions across the UK.
Ofcom is also required to issue a statement on their proposed methodology they will apply when making their designation decisions for internet programme services, which they have consulted on. Ofcom issued their final Statement on their methodology on 22 July 2025.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has taken recent steps to support Armenian cybersecurity.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 8 December to question 96636.