Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the environment of placing restrictions on advertisements for high-carbon products or services.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The regulation of advertising content and placement in the UK is administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and operates independently of the Government. The ASA have issued guidance to advertisers regarding environmental claims and the guidance was updated earlier this year, and it is for the ASA to consider how to address environmental claims made in adverts.
The Government continues to work towards Net Zero and transition away from fossil fuels. The Government also supports the efforts of the advertising industry to eliminate the negative environmental impacts of advertising production. This includes the ambition, set out in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, to maximise the positive impact of the creative industries, including advertising, on the environment and the UK’s global standing.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle greenwashing in advertising.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The regulation of advertising content and placement in the UK is administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and operates independently of the Government. The ASA have issued guidance to advertisers regarding environmental claims and the guidance was updated earlier this year, and it is for the ASA to consider how to address environmental claims made in adverts.
The Government continues to work towards Net Zero and transition away from fossil fuels. The Government also supports the efforts of the advertising industry to eliminate the negative environmental impacts of advertising production. This includes the ambition, set out in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, to maximise the positive impact of the creative industries, including advertising, on the environment and the UK’s global standing.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether capital adequacy testing was undertaken on IX Wireless before it was awarded government contracts.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not awarded any government contracts to IX Wireless.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to allow Ministry of Defence service personnel records to be accessioned as official records to The National Archives.
Answered by Matt Warman
The MOD has selected service personnel records with a discharge date prior to 1963 as official records for permanent preservation at The National Archives.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of effect of including certain forms of advertisements for non-surgical cosmetic procedures as content under Section 54 of the Online Safety Bill.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Online Safety Bill has been designed to tackle user generated content. Some advertising which takes the form of organic, user generated content is in scope of the Bill. Companies in scope will have to prevent the proliferation of illegal content and ensure that children who use their services are not exposed to harmful or inappropriate content.
The Online Advertising Programme recently closed its consultation and will look at the entire advertising ecosystem in relation to harms caused by paid-for online advertising.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Advertising Standards Authority on when they plan to publish an interim report on the Intermediary and Platform Principles pilot.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Advertising Standards Authority’s Intermediary and Platform Principles pilot will run for 12 months from June 2022 – May 2023. From recent discussions, we understand that the ASA intends to publish an interim report, covering the first six months (June 2022 – November 2022) of the pilot before the end of 2022.
The ASA advises that the interim report will provide an independent, aggregated account of how the participating companies are performing against the Principles, highlighting examples of best practice and identifying areas for improvement. The ASA plans to publish a final report in the third quarter of 2023.
The ASA is the main regulator for advertising content and placement standards in the UK. As an independent, self-regulatory body, it is funded by a voluntary levy on advertising spend.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what sanctions the Ofcom can impose on advertisers referred to them by the Advertising Standards Agency for consistently breaking advertising standards.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for writing and enforcing standards for advertisers through the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) and the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). In certain areas of these codes the ASA can refer cases to a number of different backstop regulators who have additional enforcement powers. The regulators that can be involved depend on the media in which advertising is published or the type of breach in question.
The ASA’s responsibility for the day-to-day regulation of broadcast advertising content is established under a co-regulatory arrangement with Ofcom. Ofcom can take enforcement action, such as sanctions, against broadcasters who do not comply with ASA decisions and/or where breaches are sufficiently serious.
For non-broadcast advertising, including newspapers, magazines, out of home and the majority of online advertising, the self-regulatory framework primarily applies to advertisers. Where further powers of enforcement have been deemed necessary, the ASA is able to refer certain cases to relevant statutory backstop regulators, such as to the Gambling Commission in the case of gambling advertising, the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to competition in digital markets, and to Trading Standards Services for misleading advertising. Those organisations are able to apply sanctions in line with their respective legislative powers.
Separately, as a result of the Health and Care Act, from 1 January 2024, Ofcom will have the power to sanction broadcasters and online advertisers that breach restrictions surrounding the advertising of products high in fat, sugar or salt on TV or via paid-for advertising online. Ofcom will have statutory responsibility for enforcing restrictions including powers to designate functions to a frontline regulator who will be responsible for the day to day enforcement of the policy. Ofcom will be able to take enforcement action, including the imposition of financial penalties on broadcasters and online advertisers.
The Government consultation on the Online Advertising Programme launched earlier this year and closed on 8 June. The Online Advertising Programme is examining the regulatory model for online advertising to ensure it protects consumers and minimises harm. This work includes looking at the role of platforms and intermediaries, as well as advertisers, to ensure the overarching system is coherent, supporting a sustainable, transparent and accountable online advertising market. We will be publishing a Government response to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, and Media what steps her Department takes to ensure that people teaching swimming lessons in swimming baths in the UK have adequate qualifications to do so.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools. Swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy as well as being a crucial life skill in terms of water safety.
Sport England continues to invest in access to swimming, awarding £7,111,146 in grassroots swimming and diving, including £3,099,500 directly to Swim England, since the start of 2020. This supports Swim England’s work to develop the swimming workforce, including the Institute of Swimming which delivers training for swimming teachers.
Regulation of the wider sport and physical activity workforce is a key role of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA). Sport England have invested £5 million into CIMSPA who are leading on the ‘Retrain to Retain’ programme which provides training to members of the sport workforce. This is currently being targeted at swimming teachers and potential swimming teachers to get them to return to work or join the industry.
On the Level 2 qualification, Sport England is funding CIMSPA to work with all governing bodies of sport to modernise their training for coaches and improve access to coaching qualifications, especially for people from underrepresented groups.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will support local authorities to ensure that only level two qualified teachers teach swimming lessons to children and adults.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools. Swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy as well as being a crucial life skill in terms of water safety.
Sport England continues to invest in access to swimming, awarding £7,111,146 in grassroots swimming and diving, including £3,099,500 directly to Swim England, since the start of 2020. This supports Swim England’s work to develop the swimming workforce, including the Institute of Swimming which delivers training for swimming teachers.
Regulation of the wider sport and physical activity workforce is a key role of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA). Sport England have invested £5 million into CIMSPA who are leading on the ‘Retrain to Retain’ programme which provides training to members of the sport workforce. This is currently being targeted at swimming teachers and potential swimming teachers to get them to return to work or join the industry.
On the Level 2 qualification, Sport England is funding CIMSPA to work with all governing bodies of sport to modernise their training for coaches and improve access to coaching qualifications, especially for people from underrepresented groups.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has she made of the UK's current ability to protect undersea cables.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the lead department for telecommunications policy, including the security and resilience of telecommunications subsea cables. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is the lead department for the energy sector, including subsea energy cables.
Cable operators have arrangements in place to ensure a prompt response to damage or disruption. These arrangements draw upon national and international cable laying and repair companies. The Government works with cable operators, energy infrastructure operators, regulators and others to provide advice and guidance, assess risks and ensure that the appropriate mitigation measures, including the provision of specialist capabilities, are in place to enable an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents.