Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support freelance venue technicians and producers unable to access Government support.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We recognise the crucial role that individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading.
Arts Council England (ACE) has already distributed £104m through its Emergency Response Package to ensure the immediate resilience of this vital sector. The package included £80.7 million of support for cultural organisations, and £23.1 million of financial support for individuals, including freelancers. More than 9000 organisations and individuals were successful in applying for this emergency funding.
To complement Government Funding, ACE have made over £115m of funding available for individuals, including freelancers, to apply for. This includes:
£17.1m through the Emergency Response Fund for individuals;
£18m through their Developing Your Creative Practice fund;
£75m through National Lottery Project Grants (available to both individuals and orgs); and
£6m distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on the self-employed.
The Secretary of State announced an unprecedented £1.57 billion support package for the cultural sector which will benefit the live events sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating. £333 million was awarded to 1973 arts organisations which had applied for grants less than £1 million from Arts Council England. Funded organisations included venues, festivals, theatres, museums and cultural organisations. Over the coming weeks further Culture Recovery Fund awards will be announced - including grants over £1 million, and the Capital Kickstart and Repayable Finance programmes.
The Chancellor has announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme come to end. We are also offering businesses who face a drop in demand for their services and possible cash flow issues generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans.
We continue to engage with the sector to discuss the on-going challenges facing the industry.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
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 Chancellor of the Exchequer on further support for the live events sector during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We continue to engage with the live events sector and HM Treasury to discuss the on-going challenges facing the industry. We will analyse the impact of the funds we have already announced.
The Secretary of State announced an unprecedented £1.57 billion support package for the cultural sector which will benefit the live events sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating. £333 million was awarded to 1973 arts organisations which had applied for grants less than £1 million from Arts Council England. Funded organisations included venues, festivals, theatres, museums and cultural organisations. Over the coming weeks further Culture Recovery Fund awards will be announced - including grants over £1 million, and the Capital Kickstart and Repayable Finance programmes.
The Chancellor has announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme come to end. We are also offering businesses who face a drop in demand for their services and possible cash flow issues generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans.
We are continuing to meet with live events stakeholders to provide support and guidance for venues to re-open and stage live events.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
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 implications for his guidance on holding live events and festivals of the ability of venues to accommodate people on the basis of the rule of six.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government recognises that the pandemic presents a significant challenge to the live entertainment industry.
As part of the Government’s roadmap to get the performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running, venues and organisations are able to put on live performances in front of a socially-distanced audience in line with the latest Covid secure guidance.
Venues and events such as theatres, concert halls and other entertainment venues that are already able to host more than six people, and are COVID-secure in line with the relevant guidance, will continue to be able to do so. Groups within an event must follow restrictions set out in Local Covid Alert levels. In line with the Performing Arts guidance, there cannot be any interaction between separate and distinct groups of no more than 6 (In Medium areas and outdoors) or individual households (in High and Very High areas) at any time (depending on Local Covid Alert Level restrictions).
In Medium Local Covid Alert Level areas it is against the law to gather in groups of more than six people within a venue or event, unless everyone is from the same household or support bubble. In High and Very High areas, it is against the law to gather indoors in groups which do not consist only of the same household and support bubble.
Venues and events located in very high alert level areas should check the specific rules for their areas.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of when superfast broadband coverage in Wealden constituency will reach (a) 90 and (b) 95 per cent.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Third party analysis by Think Broadband puts current superfast coverage in the constituency at 89.3%. Coverage is likely to increase further both as a result of the current Go eSussex project (http://www.goesussex.co.uk/) and a potential future project, for which an Invitation to Tender is expected to be issued shortly.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many premises in Wealden constituency have access to superfast broadband through the Broadband Delivery UK scheme.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Over 16,000 premises within the constituency have received access to superfast broadband because of government intervention. A further 24,600 are able to connect as a result of commercially funded rollout.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the progress update to the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Anti-Semitism Inquiry into the rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents following the Gaza conflict in 2014, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in December 2016, what the evidential basis is for the statement that there are clear ways to register complaints regarding media content.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The press self-regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS) each have a clear process for making complaints regarding the publications they regulate. Information about IPSO's complaints process is available here: https://www.ipso.co.uk/make-a-complaint/. Information about IMPRESS's complaints process is available here: http://www.impress.press/complaints/.
Ofcom's process for complaints covers content on television, radio and on demand programme services. The Broadcasting code includes rules designed to protect viewers and listeners from harm and offence – such as what can be screened on TV before the 9pm watershed. Other areas of the Broadcasting Code address issues such as impartiality and accuracy, sponsorship and commercial references as well as fairness and privacy. Information about Ofcom's complaints process is available here https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/how-to-report-a-complaint
In addition, Government expects social media providers to have robust process in place and act promptly when abuse is reported. The UK has strict laws governing such content, which apply equally online and offline.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing licences for the establishment and operation of social media companies.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We have made no assessment of licensing for social media platforms.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department supports projects in football to tackle anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
There is no place for discrimination of any kind in sport, at any level. I receive regular updates on English football’s Inclusion & Anti-Discrimination Action Plan, which details the work undertaken by the football authorities, clubs, County Football Associations and campaign groups to tackle all forms of discrimination and ensure the game is open and welcoming to everyone at all levels.
We are fully appreciative of the efforts football and other sports have made over a number of years to tackle discrimination. For example football and rugby union bodies, including the Premier League, the Football Association, the English Football League, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union, all supported Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign to show support for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGB&T) players and fans, as part of which players and officials wore rainbow-coloured laces and armbands.
My Department is also supportive of the Home Office's recent work in partnership with Kick It Out to develop guidance on tackling anti-Muslim hatred and also on initiatives related to LGB&T hate crime. This was outlined in ‘Action Against Hate', the government’s plan for tackling hate crime, published in July 2016. It builds on Kick It Out's previous work with the Community Security Trust and Maccabi GB on reporting anti-Semitism in football through guidance to all professional clubs and managers of stadia.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Home Affairs on proposals for a ministerial seminar on hate on the internet.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
DCMS officials will attend the cross-government hate crime delivery group meeting on 30 January. The development of the Ministerial seminar on hate crime on the internet will be one of the actions this group will take forward.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the provision of local sporting facilities for (a) women and (b) general use.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Having safe and better sporting facilities can make a significant difference in getting more women active. Sport England invests to improve the quality and features of all types of facilities, from small local clubs to major projects. Between 2013 and 2017 its total investment in facilities will be over £300 million.
Sport England’s experience has shown that the quality of changing facilities has a significant impact on women and girls’ inclination to play sport. In the last round of its Inspired Facilities fund (Round 7) Sport England invested £2.7 million to help local sports clubs upgrade and improve their changing facilities.
Sport England has a statutory planning role which means it has to be consulted on all planning applications that affect playing fields.
In 2012/13, 94 per cent of the applications resulted in the places where people play sport being improved or safeguarded. (Published in December 2014, these are the most recent figures available, due to the length of time individual planning processes can take to complete.)