Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 reduce the prevalence of gambling among children and young people in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk of gambling related harm, particularly children and young people. While gambling is a devolved matter for Northern Ireland and regulation is thus a consideration for the Northern Ireland Executive, the department has noted the findings on prevalence and consequences of gambling from the Department for Communities' 2024 Northern Ireland Gambling Prevalence Survey.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of times the guidance set out in the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice on (a) fee transparency on charging commission on Gift Aid and (b) giving equal prominence to a zero fee or tip option has been breached in each of the last three years.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Many charities ask online fundraising platforms to claim Gift Aid on donations made on their platform for the charity, and pay a fee for this service to be provided because it is cost effective and efficient to do so. No estimate has been made at this time on the potential impact of banning the charging commission on Gift Aid on revenues to charities.
Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.
DCMS does not hold information centrally about breaches of the Code of Fundraising Practice. The below information was provided by the Fundraising Regulator.
The Fundraising Regulator issued guidance for fundraising platforms on 17 February 2023.To date since the guidance was published, the Regulator has closed a total of 20 cases where there were complaints about a "tip" being taken by a platform. None involved a breach of the Code because information about fees, including the tip, was provided even if it could have been clearer or made easier for donors to choose not to tip. In the same period, there were seven complaints relating to Gift Aid but none were about commissions, fees or tips on fundraising platforms so there was no breach of the Code.
DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure compliance with the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice on the transparency of fees on fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Many charities ask online fundraising platforms to claim Gift Aid on donations made on their platform for the charity, and pay a fee for this service to be provided because it is cost effective and efficient to do so. No estimate has been made at this time on the potential impact of banning the charging commission on Gift Aid on revenues to charities.
Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.
DCMS does not hold information centrally about breaches of the Code of Fundraising Practice. The below information was provided by the Fundraising Regulator.
The Fundraising Regulator issued guidance for fundraising platforms on 17 February 2023.To date since the guidance was published, the Regulator has closed a total of 20 cases where there were complaints about a "tip" being taken by a platform. None involved a breach of the Code because information about fees, including the tip, was provided even if it could have been clearer or made easier for donors to choose not to tip. In the same period, there were seven complaints relating to Gift Aid but none were about commissions, fees or tips on fundraising platforms so there was no breach of the Code.
DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 estimate of the potential impact of banning the charging commission on Gift Aid on revenues to charities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Many charities ask online fundraising platforms to claim Gift Aid on donations made on their platform for the charity, and pay a fee for this service to be provided because it is cost effective and efficient to do so. No estimate has been made at this time on the potential impact of banning the charging commission on Gift Aid on revenues to charities.
Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.
DCMS does not hold information centrally about breaches of the Code of Fundraising Practice. The below information was provided by the Fundraising Regulator.
The Fundraising Regulator issued guidance for fundraising platforms on 17 February 2023.To date since the guidance was published, the Regulator has closed a total of 20 cases where there were complaints about a "tip" being taken by a platform. None involved a breach of the Code because information about fees, including the tip, was provided even if it could have been clearer or made easier for donors to choose not to tip. In the same period, there were seven complaints relating to Gift Aid but none were about commissions, fees or tips on fundraising platforms so there was no breach of the Code.
DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues and will continue working with them as well as charities and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Fundraising Regulator on the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues and will continue working with them as well as charities and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Gambling Commission report entitled Young People and Gambling 2024: Official statistics, published on 7 November 2024, what steps her Department is taking to reduce rates of gambling harms on children and young people.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To improve and expand the services available to understand, tackle and treat gambling-related harm, the Government has introduced a statutory levy on gambling operators to fund research, prevention and treatment. This will include dedicated investment to raise awareness of the risks associated with gambling and facilitating a cultural shift to break down barriers to help-seeking behaviour such as stigma. 30% of the new statutory gambling levy funding will be allocated to prevention activity, including education and early intervention, to help raise awareness of harmful gambling. Furthermore, since 2020, children and young people have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England. Education is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We continue to monitor the best available evidence to inform how we reduce gambling harm amongst children and young people.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
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 reduce the stigmatisation of gambling harms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To improve and expand the services available to understand, tackle and treat gambling-related harm, the Government has introduced a statutory levy on gambling operators to fund research, prevention and treatment. This will include dedicated investment to raise awareness of the risks associated with gambling and facilitating a cultural shift to break down barriers to help-seeking behaviour such as stigma. 30% of the new statutory gambling levy funding will be allocated to prevention activity, including education and early intervention, to help raise awareness of harmful gambling. Furthermore, since 2020, children and young people have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England. Education is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We continue to monitor the best available evidence to inform how we reduce gambling harm amongst children and young people.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of US tariffs on film production in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We continue to engage with industry, including representatives from all nations and regions, to ensure our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
We will continue to take a calm and steady approach to this fluid situation.
Trade is a reserved matter.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 43757 on Aquariums and Zoos: Tourism, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to GREAT programme funding on Visit Britain’s work to promote (a) safari parks, (b) zoos and (c) aquariums.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign remains an effective tool in driving economic growth and we will continue to work closely with partners to optimise the campaign’s resources to deliver growth right across the UK. DCMS recognises the importance of the GREAT programme funding in supporting the UK’s international tourism promotion, including the work of VisitBritain to showcase the diverse range of visitor experiences available across the UK. VisitBritain’s latest annual attractions survey for 2023 showed that visits to wildlife parks and zoos increased by 6% from the previous year and will continue to monitor the impact of any changes.