Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to introduce legislation on advertising restrictions for foods that are high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Implementing restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink products on television and online is a commitment for the Government. This includes a 9:00pm watershed on television and a 24-hour restriction on paid-for advertising of these products online.
On 3 December 2024, we brought forward secondary legislation to confirm the products, businesses, and services in scope of the restrictions, and published guidance on the affected food and drink products. We are working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and regulators to support businesses as they prepare for the regulations to come into force United Kingdom-wide from 1 October 2025.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have been held by ministers and officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 specifically addressing artificial intelligence and copyright issues; what was the distribution of these meetings between representatives of (1) creative industries, (2) artificial intelligence technology companies, and (3) meetings with both sectors represented, with a breakdown of these figures by month; and whether minutes of these meetings are publicly available.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to hearing a broad range of views to help inform its approach to copyright and AI.
Ministerial meetings are published according to normal transparency requirements.
The current best estimate of the number of meetings involving officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (including the Intellectual Property Office) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between July 2024 and February 2025 is in the table below.
Month | Creative Industries | AI technology companies | Meetings with both sectors represented |
July ‘24 | 3 | 1 |
|
August ‘24 | 2 | 2 |
|
September ‘24 | 6 | 2 |
|
October ‘24 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
November ‘24 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
December ‘24 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
January ‘25 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
February ‘25 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
This includes meetings where officials from both departments attended.
The minutes of official level meetings are not routinely published
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The number of settlement agreements issued by the department in the last five years are listed below:
2020 - 0
2021 - 0
2022 - 0
2023 - 0
2024 - fewer than 5
Due to the low number of settlement agreements issued by the department we cannot disclose the total value to ensure individuals are not identifiable.
Feb. 07 2025
Source Page: Dame Sue Owen reappointed as Non-Executive Chair of the UK Debt Management Office Advisory BoardFound: a civil servant for 30 years, including serving as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Culture
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of community radio in providing local news and emergency broadcasting.
Answered by Robertson, Angus - Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable role of community radio in delivering local news and important information to our communities right across Scotland. We believe that it is vital that there is a network of radio operations to expand and enhance the service provision for Scottish listeners and we will continue to champion a stronger broadcasting sector in Scotland to ensure a diversity of voices in communities across Scotland.
Radio, including community radio, has proven its value to our communities at times when the distribution of important information has been particularly vital, such as during the pandemic. We recognise the importance of a strong broadcasting sector with a mixed range of media sources to provide a diversity of voices, local and independent thinking and to empower communities.
We continue to make the case to the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for support to radio stations, as we did during the pandemic when we pressed for support for radio and subsequently welcomed the emergency funding for community radio through grants for community radio stations across Scotland and the rest of the UK. Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DCMS to ensure that representation from Scotland is made and DCMS understand the challenges that continue to impact the radio sector in Scotland.
Found: It is sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. 2.
Found: This Private Members’ Bill by Mel Stride MP, and sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conversations they have had with heritage and faith communities about zero-rating VAT on repairs to listed buildings; and what assessment they have made of potential implications for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Taxation is a vital source of revenue that helps to fund vital public services.
Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. In some cases, reliefs do not represent good value for money, as there is no guarantee that savings will be passed on to consumers.
To preserve heritage, restorative work carried out on listed buildings previously benefited from a zero rate of VAT. However, this relief was abolished in 2012, as it was primarily used to carry out extension work unnecessary for heritage purposes. Withdrawing this relief simplified VAT rules and also removed the scope for error when categorising construction work as either alteration or repair.
Over £350 million has been returned to churches, synagogues, mosques and temples through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This has helped protect listed places of worship and enabled them to continue their work as centres of worship and community assets.
Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. The outcome of individual programmes, such as the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, will now be assessed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport as they finalise their financial allocation for 2025/26.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.
Found: The rationale for use of the affirmative procedure provided by the Department for Digital, Culture,