Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the dates of meetings the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has had since 5 July with her counterparts in the Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport met with Angus Robertson MSP on 31 July and 20 August 2024. She has not yet met with her counterparts in Senedd Cymru and the Northern Ireland Assembly since 5 July.
The Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth met with Maree Todd MSP on 9 September 2024; with Neil Gray MSP on 9 September and 16 September 2024; with Kate Forbes MSP on 19 November 2024; with Jack Sargeant MS on 16 September and 20 September 2024; and met with Gordon Lyons MLA on 8 October 2024. The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism met with Minister Gordon Lyons MLA on 3 September 2024.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the dates and times of meetings that ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have held with representatives of UK newspapers since 5 July.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have had since 5 July regarding the protection of victims of illegal press intrusion.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the dates and locations of all ministerial visits made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport since her appointment.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since her appointment, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has made a range of ministerial visits across the UK, supporting treasured national and local assets across DCMS sectors, and meeting the people with skin in the game and a stake in the outcome in their own communities, to understand what they need and how the Government can support them. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has to visit (a) Belfast, (b) Cardiff, and (c) Edinburgh.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport visited Edinburgh in August 2024 and looks forward to visiting both Cardiff and Belfast in early 2025, subject to parliamentary business.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote poetry in public institutions and cultural programmes.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
After 14 years of indifference and cultural vandalism, this government is committed to making sure that arts and cultural activities will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few.
The Department for Culture and Media and Sport, via its Arms Length body, Arts Council England (ACE) plays an important role in promoting poetry, primarily through its grants and support for arts institutions, festivals, and individual practitioners.
For example, ACE supports the Poetry Society who promote poetry through innovative education and commissioning programmes, performances, readings and competitions for all ages across the country. The Ledbury Poetry festival, also supported by ACE, brings together world leading poets to read, debate and share their work during its main programme over two weeks in the summer, and continues throughout the year with projects that involve local schools and hundreds of local people through its community projects.
Additionally, as the national development agency for libraries in England, ACE also supports public libraries through funding, advocacy and collaboration. Public libraries promote poetry by encouraging reader development and helping to inspire, educate, support and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the eighth annual report of the Press Recognition Panel, and what steps they plan to take in response to the three main recommendations contained therein.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government has no plans to take forward the three main recommendations made in the Press Recognition Panel’s eighth annual report on the recognition system.
The Government committed in its manifesto to the repeal of Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which we will do through the Media Bill, and has consistently supported the independent self-regulation of the press.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department's review into the decision to award public funding to Hacker House will include how many UK-based employees her Department assessed Hacker House to have during the application process for grant funding under the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
I have written to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to set out the findings of the independent review conducted by the Government Internal Audit Agency and I attach a copy of the letter for reference.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department's review of the decision to award public funding to Hacker House will include a random audit of that company to determine how the public money granted under the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund has been spent.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
I have written to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to set out the findings of the independent review conducted by the Government Internal Audit Agency and I attach a copy of the letter for reference.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2019 to Question 2799, what proportion of gigabit broadband connections will be delivered by (a) fibre to the premise and (b) other technologies.
Answered by Matt Warman
As set out in the answer of 24 October 2019, the Government is determined to secure nationwide coverage of gigabit capable broadband as soon as possible through the deployment of full fibre broadband, upgraded gigabit networks and, potentially, other technologies such as 5G fixed wireless access. The Government has not set targets for the proportion, or number of premises to be covered by these different technologies, as we are focussed on the outcome of better broadband connectivity for consumers, and we wish to encourage innovation and increased network competition in this market.