Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to encourage (a) private companies and (b) the public sector to train and hire staff in (i) robotics (ii) data science and (iii) cybersecurity.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The National Data Strategy has a number of proposals to encourage and support the training of data scientists in both the public and private sector. In June 2020, DCMS and the Office for AI announced provision of £13m to the Office for Students to support degree conversion courses in data science and AI . At least 2,500 graduate places will be created through the programme with over 600 students starting courses this Autumn with more starting in early 2021. Industry partners and universities provided an additional £11m to support the programme.
In relation to cyber skills we are keen to make careers in cyber security easily accessible for all individuals, across the UK, with an interest in this area. As a result, we have funded the creation of the new UK Cyber Security Council to help carry out this ambition. The Council will look to make it easier for individuals to enter and develop a career in cyber security through creating a comprehensive career pathways framework, as well as supporting employers to identify and recruit the appropriate talent to ensure their organisational resilience.
In 2019, the Government convened a new robotics leadership group, the Robotics Growth Partnership, working with sector leaders across academia and industry to help realise the significant potential of smart robotics for our economy and society. This includes giving consideration to the role of Government as well as the private sector in areas such as skills measures.
My department is currently delivering The Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a £3 million programme within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire LEP areas to boost digital skills training. The Fund will encourage employers and training providers to form partnerships to co-design and co-deliver short, bespoke skills courses that match employers needs, and is supporting skills such as cyber security, data science, software development and digital marketing.
My Department has also established the Digital Skills Partnership to bring together organisations from the public, private and third sector to improve digital skills across the skills spectrum. In addition, Local Digital Skills Partnerships have been established in seven regions across England.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure social media companies tackle the spread of misinformation on the covid-19 vaccine on their platforms.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government takes the issue of misinformation and disinformation very seriously. That is why we stood up the Counter Disinformation Unit up on 5 March to bring together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities.
We are working closely with social media platforms to help them identify and remove incorrect claims about the virus, particularly around the vaccine, and to promote authoritative information. Vaccine misinformation is harmful and it is everyone's responsibility to access information from authoritative sources and not share false or misleading information.
In a meeting with the Digital Secretary and Health Secretary last month, social media companies agreed to continue to work with public health bodies to ensure that authoritative messages about vaccine safety reach as many people as possible; to commit to swifter responses to flagged content; and to commit to the principle that no user or company should directly profit from COVID-19 vaccine mis/disinformation.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure AI used in public services operates on the same principles of responsibility, transparency, and security as other local government activities.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Local Government’s use of AI and Algorithms is currently not that widespread; in the few cases where the technology is used, it is used to aid decision making and not make decisions.
We are aware of the emerging importance of AI and algorithms, and we encourage local government to use the government guidance document ‘A guide to using artificial intelligence in the public sector’, when utilising this technology.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to launch AI registers that track how algorithms are being used locally.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Local Government’s use of AI and Algorithms is currently not that widespread; in the few cases where the technology is used, it is used to aid decision making and not make decisions.
We are aware of the emerging importance of AI and algorithms, and we encourage local government to use the government guidance document ‘A guide to using artificial intelligence in the public sector’, when utilising this technology.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has put in place to ensure that all households in the UK are digitally enabled in response to a potential second wave of covid-19.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government is continuing to assess what needs to be done in preparation for a potential second wave of Covid-19.
In March, the government agreed a set of voluntary commitments with telecommunications providers to support and protect vulnerable consumers and those who might become vulnerable as a result of Covid-19. Some of the offers made by providers, including those on landline and mobile, are still in place.
My Department has been promoting the DevicesDotNow campaign, which is working with community organisations to distribute devices to vulnerable adults and help them get online. The aim is to enable elderly and vulnerable people, particularly those to who are shielding, to communicate with the outside world and get access to vital services.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that pensioners do not suffer (a) social isolation or (b) loneliness as a result of the withdrawal of free TV licences from the over 75s.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government recognises the importance of television to people of all ages, particularly for older people who value television as a source of entertainment, companionship and a way to stay connected with the world. We are urging the BBC to do more for older people affected by its decision to restrict the over 75 concession.
It is also worth noting that my colleague Baroness Barron, the Minister for Loneliness, launched a National Awareness campaign for loneliness this summer, as part of the government loneliness strategy backed by £20 million of government funding.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential health effects on pensioners who are unable to pay the TV license fee; and what steps the Government is taking to tackle potential social isolation among those pensioners.
Answered by Margot James
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on a range of matters. The Government is taking steps to address potential loneliness, including appointing a minister to lead work on tackling loneliness and publishing the world’s first government strategy on loneliness, as well as securing £20million of new grant-funding for projects run by charities and community groups to bring people together.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to commemorate the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The National Museums Liverpool, an Arms Length Body (ALB) of DCMS, through our International Slavery Museum, has run events and activities on this date since 1999. These include the annual Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Lecture, given in 2018 by Gina Belafonte, civil rights activist and daughter of Harry Belafonte. Additionally the Museums hold an annual walk of remembrance and libation ceremony and a range of educational activities in the International Slavery Museum and around the Royal Albert Dock.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the Football Association to discourage football clubs from accepting betting companies as their shirt sponsor.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
As with gambling advertising, gambling sponsorship arrangements must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children. The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising requires that gambling logos must not appear on any merchandising designed for children, including replica shirts in children’s sizes. Sports themselves also have a responsibility to ensure their audiences are protected and we encourage all organisations who benefit from gambling advertising or sponsorship, including football clubs, to look at how they can contribute to raising awareness of the potential risks associated with gambling.
Gambling adverts are already banned on under-18 team shirts and last year the Football Association voluntarily decided to end its sponsorship partnerships with betting companies to avoid conflict with its role in enforcing rules on betting.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps were taken by his Department to mark World Poetry Day on 21 March 2018.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is committed to making sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience and participate in all forms of arts and culture including poetry. We continue to support organisations such as the Poetry School and the Poetry Society who aim to promote the recognition and appreciation of poetry. The Poetry Society will have received over £1 million in funding between 2015 and 2018, to help it continue to represent British poetry both nationally and internationally.
A range of events were held across the country to celebrate World Poetry Day on 21 March. For example, Redbridge Library held an open mic session; Brighton & Hove City Libraries tweeted its staff’s favourite poems on the day and Brighton Dome hosted the Emergency Poet and the Poetry Ambulance in Jubilee Square. To provide ongoing support to poetry, Arts Council England has recently given a substantial grant to The Poetry Business to support poets at every stage of their development. This includes a partnership with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who has selected leading emerging poets for promotion under the ‘Laureates Choice’ banner.