Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent children participating in gambling via online video games.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Protecting children and young people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core priority for the Government and a Gambling Commission objective. Under the Gambling Act 2005, gambling is defined as playing a game of chance for a prize of money or money's worth. Gambling-like features in video games, such as loot boxes, do not meet this legal definition of gambling.
We are aware that there are instances where third party websites allow players to gamble using prizes that can be transferred in and out of some video games. Where these instances of illegal gambling are identified, the Gambling Commission takes swift action to disrupt these websites and protect players. The Government and the Gambling Commission continue to pay close attention to novel and emergent forms of gambling and gambling-like products, including within video games, to ensure that appropriate regulation is in place.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the suitability of the NHS Health Survey in assessing problem gambling rates in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to reviewing all official statistics assessing gambling harm in the United Kingdom to help to build our picture of gambling harm. This includes the NHS Health Survey, and we will continue to engage with relevant officials in the Department for Health and Social Care about the NHS Health Survey and the evidence it provides on gambling harm.
We are aware that the harms that can ensue from harmful gambling are many and diverse and we will use all available evidence to better understand the impact that harmful gambling can have on people. Considering the NHS Health Survey alongside the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain provides us with a wider understanding of the potential consequences that can arise from gambling and ensures that we have more frequent statistics on gambling harm rates. Policy and regulatory change is not based on single statistics or evidence sources, and we will continue to use evidence from a range of sources to assess harmful gambling in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
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 implications for her policies of the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to revoke no objection certificates for English county cricket players.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Policies on when to issue “no objection certificates” for English county cricket players, which permit them to play in overseas tournaments, are a matter for the England and Wales Cricket Board in their stewardship of the game.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
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 impact of measures announced in the Autumn Budget on the horseracing industry.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government took difficult decisions at the Autumn Budget. Major tax measures were accompanied by Tax Information and Impact Notes in the usual way.
The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British rural economy. In addition to the above measures, we recognise the unique position of horseracing and that the Horserace Betting Levy is vital for financial sustainability of the sport. The Minister for Gambling recently met representatives from the horseracing and betting industries and has written to both encouraging a voluntary deal that fairly reflects the relationship between racing and betting.
Within the budget, the Government also announced its intention to publish a consultation next year on proposals to bring remote gambling (meaning gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV, and radio) under a single tax, rather than taxing it through a three-tax structure. This consultation will consider the impacts of reforming gambling duties, and subsequently set out any expected impacts of any potential changes.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote participation in American football.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to improving access to sports and physical activity for everybody, wherever they live. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.
Sport England provides investment to British American Football, the National Governing Body for American Football in Britain, which received up to £250,000 to invest in the growth and participation of American football.
UK Sport recently awarded British American Football £500,000 in funding. The funding will specifically support the development of the elite Great Britain Flag Football Olympic programme over the next three and a half years – in the run up to the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games in 2028.
I have also met with the National Football League to discuss their plans for the sport in the UK.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote greyhound racing.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government acknowledges the importance of greyhound racing to the nation’s culture and economy, for example employing over 5,400 people across the country.
The Department continues to engage with the Greyhound Board for Great Britain (GBGB) on developments in the industry.
The GBGB receives funds through the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF) in the form of voluntary contributions from bookmakers on betting turnover on licensed greyhound racing, which sit alongside commercial deals between the betting and racing industries. The Department is also engaging with bookmakers to underline the importance of the voluntary levy to support the growth and sustainability of the sport.
Crucial to that sustainability is implementation of GBGB’s welfare strategy “ A Good Life for Every Greyhound”.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in cricket amongst (a) women and girls and (b) young people in schools.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including cricket, and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have the opportunity to access sport and physical activity.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the National Governing Body for cricket and has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket.
We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) receive £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote participation in Rugby Union amongst (a) girls and (b) young women.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.
Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.
We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.
The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in rugby (a) union and (b) league amongst school children.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.
Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.
We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.
The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason it is her policy to exclude accessible taxi vehicles from the VAT exemption for disability-adapted motor vehicles.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) are subject to a zero rate of VAT when purchased by a disabled person for their personal use, or by a charity that will make the vehicle available to disabled people.
Although taxis provide transportation services to disabled customers, they are not charities and not all their customers are wheelchair users. Therefore, this VAT relief does to extend to taxis that are WAVs.
However, if a taxi driver is VAT registered, they are eligible to reclaim the VAT paid on their vehicle.