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Written Question
National Lottery: Licensing
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission takes into account potential national security implications when awarding National Lottery licences.

Answered by Damian Collins

The process of awarding the licence to run the National Lottery is governed by the National Lottery etc. Act (1993)​​. Under the Act, the Gambling Commission has a duty to ensure that any person who either runs or benefits from the running of the National Lottery is fit and proper and that the Licensee’s operation meets high standards of propriety. The award of the licence is distinct from an acquisition - at no point is the operator appointed to run the lottery the owner of the National Lottery as an asset. The 4th National Lottery licence is due to begin in 2024.

During the competition to run the 4th National Lottery licence, the Commission carried out fit and proper tests on all 4 final stage applicants. Fit and proper checks examine the identity, integrity, criminality and financial standing of those who run, or benefit from running, the National Lottery, or are applying to do so. As part of its duties under the Act, the Commission cannot award the licence unless it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is fit and proper. The Commission is also required to revoke a licence if it becomes satisfied that the licensee is no longer, or indeed never was, fit and proper.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Gambling Commission, as a responsible regulator, sought assurances that none of the final stage applicants were impacted by sanctions against the Russian regime. The Commission was satisfied that this was the case.

In addition, following the announcement of Allwyn as the preferred applicant in March 2022, standard vetting checks (Baseline Personnel Security Standard or BPSS level) are being carried out as planned, on behalf of the Commission, by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person who holds at least 5% interest in the licensee. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.


Written Question
Internet: Business
Friday 8th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Online Safety Bill on business-to-business services.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Online Safety Bill has been designed to be targeted and proportionate. Companies providing services to other companies on a business-to-business basis are not in scope of the regulatory framework.


Written Question
Internet: Business
Friday 8th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with business representatives on the potential effect of the Online Safety Bill on business-to-business services; and if she will take steps to ensure that relevant business stakeholders are supported in understanding the effects of those legislative proposals on those services.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Business to business services are not in scope of the regulatory framework set out in the Online Safety Bill.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders on a variety of issues, including business to business services. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.


Written Question
Internet: Innovation
Thursday 7th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of provisions in the Online Safety Bill on innovation of internet services.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

An assessment of the potential impacts of the provisions set out on the Online Safety Bill on both competition between in-scope internet services and on innovation of in-scope services has been undertaken and was published in the Online Safety Bill impact assessment on 17 March 2022.

DCMS will also publish draft legislation to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill. The new pro- competition regime will address the underlying causes of substantial market power, creating a more competitive and vibrant digital economy.


Written Question
Internet: Competition
Thursday 7th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of provisions in the Online Safety Bill on competition between internet services.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

An assessment of the potential impacts of the provisions set out on the Online Safety Bill on both competition between in-scope internet services and on innovation of in-scope services has been undertaken and was published in the Online Safety Bill impact assessment on 17 March 2022.

DCMS will also publish draft legislation to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill. The new pro- competition regime will address the underlying causes of substantial market power, creating a more competitive and vibrant digital economy.


Written Question
Internet: Proof of Identity
Wednesday 6th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of provisions in the Online Safety Bill relating to user ID verification requirements on legitimate uses of online anonymity.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The user identity verification duty in the Online Safety Bill will give users more control over who they interact with online. It only applies to high risk, high reach services. Users who do not want to verify themselves will not have to do so. This ensures that legitimate uses of anonymity are not restricted.

Ofcom will issue guidance to assist providers in complying with the user verification duty. Ofcom will be required to consult individuals who represent the interests of vulnerable adult users in the development of its guidance.


Written Question
Nuisance Calls
Monday 4th July 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

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 combat unsolicited and nuisance calls.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is fully aware that unsolicited direct marketing calls, known as nuisance calls, can cause anxiety and distress, particularly for the most vulnerable people in our society.

Companies that send direct marketing communications are regulated by both the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the data protection legislation (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018). The PECR was designed to complement the data protection legislation and impose strict obligations on organisations that make direct marketing calls to individuals in the UK. The legislation is regulated and enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The Government’s response to the consultation Data: A New Direction which proposed reforms to improve the UK’s data protection regime, including potential changes to the PECR, was published on the 17th June 2022.

The Government plans to introduce new legislation to allow the ICO to take enforcement action against organisations on the basis of the number of communications (calls, texts and emails) that they generate rather than just on the number that are connected. It will also require public communications service and network providers to inform the ICO of suspicious traffic transiting their networks when they have reasonable suspicion; and increase fines for direct marketing companies that continue to break the rules. In the future, this will mean that ICO could levy fines of up to £17.5m or 4% of a businesses’ global turnover for serious infringements of the Regulations, rather than the current maximum which is set at £500,000.

These measures will upgrade the PECR enforcement regime to make it more effective, proportionate and dissuasive.


Written Question
Telephone Systems
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to work with Ofcom to ensure that people who still use landlines after the PSTN switchover process is completed in 2025 are able to access landline payment plans (a) without broadband internet connection included and (b) that only charge them for their phone usage time instead of operating as a set monthly payment plan.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

PSTN’s replacement, VoIP technology, requires a minimum stable connection speed of just 0.5Mbps, and, for current landline-only customers on BT and KCOM (the universal service providers), it will be possible to order a VoIP landline without purchasing a general internet connection.

Pricing in the telecoms market is ultimately a commercial decision and is a matter for the independent telecoms regulator Ofcom. That being said, the government is clear that the PSTN migration should not be used as an opportunity for providers to exploit consumers with disproportionate costs for the necessary upgrades.


Written Question
National Lottery: Licensing
Monday 17th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to ensure that the National Lottery License Competition is conducted in accordance with the National Lottery Act 1993 and without political interference.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Gambling Commission is responsible for running the competition for and awarding the next licence to run the National Lottery. DCMS has worked with the Commission on the design of the licence, but is not involved with the competition process or selection of the winning bidder.

Under the National Lottery etc Act 1993, the government shares three statutory duties with the Gambling Commission, to ensure the National Lottery is run with all due propriety, that the interests of every participant are protected, and - subject to those duties - that returns to good causes are maximised. The competition is being run in accordance with these duties.


Written Question
Events Industry: Coronavirus
Friday 22nd October 2021

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the findings of Phase II and Phase III of the Events Research Programme.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The analysis for the final phase of events, which finished at the end of July, is underway. DCMS continues to work closely with other government departments and expects to be able to publish the final Events Research Programme findings shortly.