Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional support they have provided to (1) local authority, and (2) private sector, swimming pools to help them manage energy bills.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools. It is the responsibility of local authorities to manage provision of swimming pools in their areas, taking into account the facilities which may be provided by private operators.
We understand that the rise in utility costs is having an impact on organisations of all sizes, including swimming pools. In September, the Government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users are offered support. The scheme is currently under review to ensure support can be provided to the most vulnerable sectors.
The Government provided £100 million to the National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority leisure centres and facilities throughout the country after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to prevent closures of swimming pools, given that 60 that have closed over the past three years.
Answered by Lord Kamall
We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools and that swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.
We recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on organisations of all sizes, including on providers of indoor leisure facilities. In September the government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including leisure centres and swimming pools) will be offered support.
After an initial 6 months of the scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months' time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.
Sport England has invested £9,619,264 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the energy crisis on public swimming facilities.
Answered by Lord Kamall
We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools and that swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.
We recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on organisations of all sizes, including on providers of indoor leisure facilities. In September the government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including leisure centres and swimming pools) will be offered support.
After an initial 6 months of the scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months' time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.
Sport England has invested £9,619,264 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment of the sale of Channel 4.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Her Majesty’s Government consulted extensively on a change of ownership of Channel 4, and the views and evidence gathered from a wide range of interested parties – including from Channel 4 itself – has informed the Government’s assessment and wider policy-making.
Following this consultation, the Secretary of State has come to a decision that, although Channel 4 as a business is currently performing well, public ownership is holding it back in the face of a rapidly-changing and competitive media landscape. The Secretary of State is now consulting with Cabinet colleagues on that decision.
Her Majesty’s Government will set out its plan for Channel 4 in a White Paper shortly. The Government will also publish a rationale for its decision regarding Channel 4’s ownership model.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the effect of rising inflation on the funding settlement for the BBC.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The licence fee settlement will provide the BBC with £3.7 billion in annual public funding, allowing it to deliver its mission and public purposes and to continue doing what it does best.
Every organisation around the world is facing the challenge of inflation, and these pressures were considered as part of the Government’s discussions with the BBC.
We believe this is a fair settlement that strikes the right balance between protecting household budgets and allowing the BBC and S4C to deliver their vital public responsibilities, while encouraging them to make further savings and efficiencies.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of hackers to hack into UK terrestrial broadcasters' news output.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to making the UK the safest place to live and work online.
It is vital that organisations take action to ensure they are resilient to cyber threats. The National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of GCHQ, continues to support the BBC, commercial broadcasters, and terrestrial television and radio network operators by providing them with detailed advice and guidance on protective measures they can take to strengthen their cyber security resilience and reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools achieved an Artsmark in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Artsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England which celebrates schools' commitment to the arts. It provides a benchmark for arts provision in schools and encourages them to assess the opportunities and experiences available to children and young people in dance, drama, music, art, and design.
The number of schools that have achieved an Artsmark in each of the last five years is set out in the table below. These figures include the Artsmark levels Silver, Gold, Platinum and RSC Platinum. A further 46 awards have been made since the beginning of this calendar year (2022).
The reduction in the number of schools that achieved an Artsmark award in 2020 and 2021 can be attributed to the impact of Covid-19 and the scheme was revised accordingly.
2017 | 358 |
2018 | 585 |
2019 | 683 |
2020 | 321 |
2021 | 232 |
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost to the BBC of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Local Democracy Reporting Service is independently run by the BBC and funded through the licence fee. This information is therefore held by the BBC and not by the Department.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Liverpool losing its UNESCO World Heritage Status; and the reasons of UNESCO's decision.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The removal of Liverpool from the UNESCO World Heritage List is a matter of regret to Her Majesty’s Government. My predecessor worked closely with the Mayor of Liverpool and the City Council to defend its status. However, it was clear that, following the development within the site since it was placed on the UNESCO danger list in 2012, some members of the Committee were persuaded that the Outstanding Universal Value of the site had been diminished to the extent that they voted in favour of its removal from the list. The full stated reasons given for the decision of the World Heritage Committee are set out in the record of the meeting on UNESCO’s website.
Despite the loss of Liverpool's World Heritage status, it remains a UNESCO City of Music, a beacon to the world for its culture and heritage, and a tourism destination for visitors from around the world.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value to the economy of the creative arts industry.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The creative industries contributed approximately £116 billion to the economy in 2019, accounting for 5.9% of the UK’s GVA. They also employed 2.1 million people across the UK which accounts for 6.3% of the UK’s workforce. The music, performing and visual arts sub-sector of the creative industries contributed almost £11 billion in GVA and 315,000 jobs in 2019.
The creative sector’s value was recognised in the Government’s Plan for Growth, which highlighted the creative industries as key to the economic recovery and powering future growth, levelling up and exports. The Government has again recognised the importance of the creative industries to the economy at the Spending Review, with a further investment of £42 million to support growth across the country.