Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) small and (b) independent artists in securing adequate levels of payments from music streaming services.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the vital importance of ensuring that all music creators, including independent artists, are appropriately compensated for their work. Many have raised legitimate concerns about remuneration from streaming platforms and we take these issues seriously. Through a dedicated working group, we are facilitating industry-led action on music streaming remuneration, with the aim of making meaningful progress.
We recognise that positive steps are being taken by parts of the industry, such as the decision by some, but not all, labels to disregard unrecouped advances in legacy contracts on a rolling basis. These are welcome moves that reflect an increasing recognition across the sector of the need for more equitable outcomes. However, there is still a clear need for further progress. Too many musicians and song writers are expected to work for a pittance. We remain committed to pursuing practical, effective solutions that empower our world-class industry and its creators to thrive.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department has provided for tennis facilities Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency in each of the past three years; and whether she plans to provide further funding.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government provides the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
In 2022/23, £5,950.00 was invested in Harpenden and Berkhamsted with 3 tennis courts at Rothamsted Park renovated directly as a result of investment from the Park Tennis Court Programme.
Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme funding is delivered through the Football Foundation in England and further detail on funded projects will be published on gov.uk in due course. Tennis/padel projects are not currently funded through the programme but at least 40% of funded projects will support non-football sports where similar pitch types/playing surfaces can be shared (such as rugby, cricket and basketball), ensuring more people can participate and get active across a variety of sports.
Future funding for grassroots facilities beyond 2025/26 is subject to the ongoing Spending Review.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide funding for (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis facilities in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government provides the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
In 2022/23, £5,950.00 was invested in Harpenden and Berkhamsted with 3 tennis courts at Rothamsted Park renovated directly as a result of investment from the Park Tennis Court Programme.
Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme funding is delivered through the Football Foundation in England and further detail on funded projects will be published on gov.uk in due course. Tennis/padel projects are not currently funded through the programme but at least 40% of funded projects will support non-football sports where similar pitch types/playing surfaces can be shared (such as rugby, cricket and basketball), ensuring more people can participate and get active across a variety of sports.
Future funding for grassroots facilities beyond 2025/26 is subject to the ongoing Spending Review.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme funding will go to (a) tennis and (b) padel facilities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government provides the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
In 2022/23, £5,950.00 was invested in Harpenden and Berkhamsted with 3 tennis courts at Rothamsted Park renovated directly as a result of investment from the Park Tennis Court Programme.
Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme funding is delivered through the Football Foundation in England and further detail on funded projects will be published on gov.uk in due course. Tennis/padel projects are not currently funded through the programme but at least 40% of funded projects will support non-football sports where similar pitch types/playing surfaces can be shared (such as rugby, cricket and basketball), ensuring more people can participate and get active across a variety of sports.
Future funding for grassroots facilities beyond 2025/26 is subject to the ongoing Spending Review.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the sale of local authority leisure facilities on public access to sports and recreation services.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises that leisure facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to high quality facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.
The ongoing responsibility for public leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level. Local Authorities work in partnership with operators who manage leisure services. The Government and Sport England continue to work closely with Local Authorities to monitor pressures in the sector.
Sport England’s Moving Communities service provides insight which informs local authorities in making strategic decisions about the most effective investments to benefit local communities.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to reform online gambling to tackle gambling addictions; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of limiting the practice of offering free bets to attract new players.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is considering the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil its manifesto commitment to reducing gambling-related harm.
The Gambling Commission has recently implemented a number of regulatory reforms aimed at reducing harm, such as introducing new regulations to make online games safer and financial vulnerability checks aimed at reducing cases of unaffordable losses. The Commission has also consulted on measures to ensure that incentives such as free bets are constructed in a socially responsible manner and will respond to this consultation in due course.
We will provide further updates to the House soon.