Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of sports pitch provision in Darlington; and whether her Department plans to provide further funding for high-quality sports pitches for communities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to delivering world class sports facilities across the country, so that everyone can take part in sport and physical activity. As part of this commitment, the Government is delivering an historic level of direct investment to build or upgrade thousands of grassroots facilities across the UK.
Over £363 million has been invested through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme since 2019 to provide new and improved football and multi-sport grassroots facilities across the whole of the UK. Funding is delivered via The Football Foundation’s partnership with the English FA and Premier League.
So far, Darlington has received investment of £1,036,819 across four Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities projects, including a new artificial grass pitch and changing pavilion at Eastbourne Sports Complex. All projects can be viewed here on gov.uk.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Heritage Railway Association on the (a) availability and (b) affordability of coal.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We acknowledge the difficult circumstances facing the heritage steam sector in light of the high cost of coal on international commodity markets due in part to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, met the Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Association along with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail in July 2023, to discuss a range of issues, including the availability and affordability of coal. In November 2023, Lord Parkinson attended the Heritage Railway Association Annual General Meeting in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they discussed the matter further. The Department is continuing to keep an ongoing dialogue with the heritage steam sector to understand the opportunities and challenges it faces.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Lucy Frazer's speech to the Royal Television Society, published on 20 September 2023, if she will publish the terms of reference of her Department’s review on the future of TV distribution.
Answered by John Whittingdale
As outlined by the Secretary of State in her speech to the Royal Television Society convention in September, the Department has commenced a programme of research and engagement on the future of TV distribution. This work will look at a range of themes, including changing audience viewing habits and developments in technology which are changing the way content is brought to our screens.
The project will take a long-term view of the trajectory of the UK’s broadcasting landscape over the next decade and beyond. It is therefore important that we ensure the full range of considerations are taken into account. We expect to set out further detail in due course.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Get Active: a strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding deaf athletes at the elite level.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government’s “Get Active” strategy commits to making talent pathways accessible and inclusive, so our most talented athletes have a chance to be successful regardless of background.
Sport England has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to UK Deaf Sport to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level and build wider participation. Beyond this, they have also agreed to explore a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore support around elite competitions and suggest potential solutions.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
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 help ensure the continuity of terrestrial television coverage.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government remains committed to the future of digital terrestrial television, which we expect will continue to be an important way of watching for years to come.
That is why we have already legislated domestically to ensure terrestrial television broadcasting can continue until at least 2034, and will continue to make the case in international fora too.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
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 support heritage rail.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is a true pioneer in the history of railway development, nurturing and benefitting from the talents of Brunel and Stephenson among others. We are rightly proud of this legacy and must ensure that the next generation is endowed with both the skills and the passion to protect this legacy for the future.
The heritage railway sector is not only a fundamental component of our national heritage, it is an important aspect of our visitor economy with heritage railways attracting around 13 million visitors and bringing an estimated £250 million to the economy annually. It is because of this cultural and economic significance that the Government has supported the heritage rail network over the past year through its unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, which has awarded approximately £15.7 million to railway related organisations across the country.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the hon. Member for City of Chester, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Ministerial Correction of 9 December 2020 to the Answer to Question 124870, what the status is of the Metropolitan police investigation into the former chief executive of the Liberal Democrats following a request by the Electoral Commission for a prosecution.
Answered by Christian Matheson
The Commission is responsible for regulating political finance in the UK. In performing this role it may ask other law enforcement bodies, like the police, to consider investigating matters that sit outside the Commission's remit or enforcement powers. Whether the law enforcement body investigates, and what it concludes, are not matters for the Commission.
The Commission was notified in March 2019 by the Metropolitan Police that it had concluded its investigation in respect of a former campaigns officer of the Liberal Democrats, and that no further action would be taken.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to support amateur boxing during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government recognises the many benefits that boxing can bring, such as relieving stress, stimulating endorphins, and building physical strength and self-confidence. Boxing clubs are also based in the heart of many communities and are therefore in a unique position to be able to engage people who may feel disconnected. We welcome the work done by organisations such as England Boxing to bring communities together through projects that tackle issues such as knife and gun crime, extremism and holiday hunger; whilst also engaging people with mental health issues, long term health conditions and those from lower socio-economic groups and BAME backgrounds.
Following the end of national restrictions, on Wednesday 2 December, gyms and indoor sport facilities reopened across all tiers. As part of this, the government has published guidance to support the phased return of Contact Combat Sports including boxing in as safe a way as possible.
Contact combat sports can now take place provided they follow the COVID-secure guidance set out in the contact combat sport framework and adhere to wider restrictions including legal gathering limits. Contact combat sports need to have their National Governing Bodies action plans approved in order to resume activity above Phase 0 of the Framework. The Framework sets out the Phases which are allowed in each tier of restrictions.