Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of measures of productivity for the UK creative sector.
Answered by Margot James
The Office for National Statistics produces estimates of productivity for high-level industry groups, but not to the level of detail of the creative industries sector. DCMS has not carried out an assessment of any alternative measures of productivity of the UK creative sector.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
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 the digital and tech sector of the UK leaving the EU without a data adequacy arrangement in place.
Answered by Margot James
In a globalised digital economy, data flows envelop all trade in goods and services as well as other business and personal relations. They are critical for both sides in a modern trading relationship.
We want to secure an agreement with the EU that provides stability and confidence for EU and UK business, public bodies and individuals to achieve our aims in maintaining and developing the UK’s strong trading, economic and security links with the EU. That is why we are seeking to build on the standard adequacy model and want to see ongoing regulatory cooperation and joined up enforcement action between UK and EU data protection authorities.
A responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached on data protection. The government will continue to engage with businesses, including in the digital and tech sectors, to help them understand how they would need to operate under a range of outcomes on data protection.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
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 17 July 2018 to Question 163522 on Electronic Commerce: EU Law, what the expiry date will be for the implementation period.
Answered by Margot James
The UK and EU negotiating teams have reached agreement on the terms of an implementation period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish proposals to modernise the eCommerce directive.
Answered by Margot James
The eCommerce Directive is EU legislation. As detailed in the Withdrawal Agreement, EU law will remain in place until the end of the Implementation Period. There are no plans to publish proposals to modernise the eCommerce Directive.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish proposals to monitor the eCommerce directive.
Answered by Margot James
Government does not plan to publish proposals to monitor the eCommerce Directive.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of the German Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz law when formulating his own policy on the regulation of social media; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
We are aware of the measures brought in by the German Government. We will watch the outcomes of the implementation of this legislation closely, ahead of publication of a White Paper outlining Government's plans to bring in legislation covering the full range of online harms.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department will be making a response to the request made by the Government of the United States’ National Telecommunications and Information Administration for comments on its international internet priorities.
Answered by Margot James
My Department does not plan to respond to this public consultation by the US Government.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings Ministers of her Department have had with representatives of the Legatum Institute in the last 12 months.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on gov.uk.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with social media companies on spending through Russian-linked accounts designed to influence the (a) 2016 EU referendum and (b) 2017 General Election.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Ministers have regular discussions with representatives from the major social media companies which cover a wide range of issues
Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.
The DCMS Select Committee investigation into fake news is also a vital part of our response to fake news and disinformation. The findings and recommendations of this enquiry will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to evaluate the impact, effectiveness and sustainability of the anti-bullying training that Facebook is planning to fund.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We warmly welcome Facebook’s digital safety ambassador scheme, in partnership with the Diana award and Childnet International which aims to provide anti-bullying training for one young person in each UK school. This scheme is a private initiative. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will not be making any evaluation or producing any sponsorship material for the scheme.