Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of journalists, particularly women journalists, in Sudan and South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
In April 2023, the UK led the mandate renewal for the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS) at the UN Human Rights Council. The Commission reported that journalists in South Sudan experience severe harassment, including arbitrary detention and death threats, with some going into hiding or fleeing the country. In South Sudan, the UK consistently raises the importance of media freedom with the Government of South Sudan and funded a project with the Female Journalists Network to enhance media literacy skills among civil society women leaders and improve the technical ability of female journalists.
In Sudan, the UK condemns the restrictions placed on media freedom since the coup on 25 October 2021 and the outbreak of hostilities on 15 April. The UK's work on protecting media freedom has focused on demonstrating public support for freedom of expression and building resilience in the Sudanese media. We have publicly supported a number of journalists who have faced harassment and attended UNESCO's event for the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists in 2022.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for her policies of the debate on Youth and the Media, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28 April 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK thanks the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe for bringing this topic into focus. The UK is a strong protector of children online and through passage of our Online Safety Bill, we will become one of the safest places to be a child online. We are continually taking steps to empower users of all ages to make safer and well-informed choices online through resources such as the UK Government's Online Media Literacy programmes and our yearly action plans.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to introduce provisions within the Online Safety Bill to enable the improvement of media literacy skills of the UK through strengthening the duties of Ofcom, such as requiring (1) local authorities, or (2) media platforms and services, to play a role in education for parents.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom has a statutory duty to promote media literacy under Section 11 of the Communications Act (2003). This covers services regulated under the Online Safety Bill. In December 2021, Ofcom published its ‘Approach to Media Literacy’ document, setting out its refreshed work programme to discharge its duty. This includes working with industry to publish best practice principles for platform-based media literacy interventions, and funding projects supporting children and their parents online.
The Online Safety Bill will strengthen Ofcom’s ability to discharge its existing duty, giving it new information-gathering and transparency-reporting powers to provide it with better visibility of industry efforts. It will also force regulated services to consider media literacy in their illegal content and children’s risk assessments.
Further, the government is delivering an expansive, non-legislative media literacy work programme through our Online Media Literacy Strategy. This includes providing £1 million in grant funding this year alone for new media literacy projects, including initiatives working with Local Authorities, and offering support to parents.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to increase levels of physical footfall at public libraries of (a) children at key stage 1 and 2 and (b) other users.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 places a duty upon local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. This duty includes having regard to encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service. It is for local authorities to ensure that their libraries provide services such as access to books, PCs and study space, as well as access to activities and events which meet residents’ needs and will therefore contribute to and encourage footfall.
Libraries actively engage with a number of organisations and people to encourage visits and use of their services. This includes working with schools on a programme of class visits to encourage children to read for pleasure, to support schools with literacy, and to support parents with the home-learning environment, while also driving footfall. They are also actively engaged in specific initiatives aimed at school children such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme. Libraries also work in partnership with the Reading Agency to bring people of all ages into libraries each year through reading programmes, such as the Summer Reading Challenge, Reading Friends; through book issues, such as Reading Well and Quick Reads and attendance at themed events, such as the Big Jubilee Read and Story Trails.
The Government has appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton to chair an independent panel to help inform a new libraries strategy. Baroness Sanderson has visited a number of library services across the country to find out about their work, and is having numerous discussions with the libraries sector, plus partners and others with an interest in their work. These include organisations active in boosting and supporting children’s literacy work such as the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians, The Reading Agency, National Literacy Trust and BookTrust.
Baroness Sanderson is also running a series of deep-dive discussion sessions at libraries around the country, themed on different aspects of libraries’ work. Four have already been held (covering culture, health and well-being, communities, and digital), with five others planned through to the middle of May (covering learning, business support and employability, reading, governance and blue-sky thinking).
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he publish the following documents referencing the hon. Member for Christchurch: (a) Covid Comms: Afternoon Note - 25th September, (b) Fwd: Checking receipt - Priorities for tackling fake news and improving media literacy - Morning, Tuesday 8th February 2022, (c) Covid: Morning Update - Wednesday 1 December 2021 and (d) Re: No10 Xmas party - RRU analysis; for what reason those documents were created; and if he will place a copy of them in the Library.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office officials are working to collate the necessary information to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member shortly, and a copy of this letter will be deposited in the House Libraries.
Please note that any release of documentation will be subject to classification.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
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 support local newspapers.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. They play an essential role in holding power to account, keeping the public informed of local issues and providing reliable, high-quality information.
However, as the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism identified, society is increasingly moving online and local news publishers are facing significant challenges in transitioning to sustainable digital business models.
The Government supported the majority of Cairncross recommendations and has taken them forward through a range of fiscal and regulatory interventions. This has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and our work through the Mid-Term Review of the BBC Charter, exploring how the BBC seeks to act as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, local commercial news outlets. The Government was also pleased to see the BBC conduct a thorough review of the Local Democracy Reporting Service in 2020, as recommended by the Cairncross Review. As set out in our response to the Review, we would support any efforts by the BBC to grow the scheme.
Most importantly, we are introducing a new, pro-competition regime for digital markets. The regime, which aims to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms, will help rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms on which they increasingly rely. This will make an important contribution to the sustainability of the press.
I am pleased that the DCMS Select Committee has also looked into this issue in detail. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining the sector, including carefully reviewing the recommendations made in their report.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 further steps to promote STEM subjects through (a) permanent and (b) temporary exhibitions at (i) the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands and (ii) other museums.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Royal Air Force Museum is sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. It welcomes around 900,000 visitors a year to its sites in London and the West Midlands, inspiring everyone with the Royal Air Force story through its unique national collection. Around 64,000 of its visitors are young people participating in formal learning sessions, including STEM subjects, history, and literacy.
In December 2022 the Royal Air Force Museum was awarded investment from The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund for its ‘Inspiring Everyone: Royal Air Force Museum Midlands Development Programme’. This will include a new Learning Centre linked to an innovative exhibition focusing on the critical national role played by the Royal Air Force over the past four decades in particular.
More widely, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport supports museum programming, including education, through Arts Council England. Arts Council England has awarded National Portfolio Organisation status to 82 museums and museum sector organisations in its forthcoming 2023–26 investment round. Museums are also eligible for National Lottery Project grants.
Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much Ofcom has spent on its work to promote online media literacy in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom is operationally independent from His Majesty’s Government and is accountable to Parliament. Information on Ofcom’s budget and funding arrangements can be found in its Annual Report and Accounts, which are lodged in the House of Commons Library and published on Ofcom's website.
Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment Ofsted has made of Ofcom's progress towards improving the online media literacy of internet users.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Ofsted is not responsible for evaluating the work of Ofcom and has made no assessment of Ofcom’s progress on this matter.
Ofsted sets clear expectations that schools teach pupils how to understand and recognise risks they may encounter online. This should include a well constructed relationship, sex and health education curriculum that addresses online abuse and harassment, online safeguarding risks, and what constitutes a healthy relationship online. Ofsted also expects schools to act to ensure bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and sexual violence, online or offline, are unacceptable and dealt with quickly, consistently, and effectively should they occur.
Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the time devoted to online media literacy as part of the national curriculum.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Department continues to support schools to deliver media literacy education. There are many opportunities across the national curriculum for pupils to acquire knowledge of online media literacy. It is taught through the compulsory subjects of computing and citizenship and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), which was introduced in September 2020. Non-online media literacy is also covered in history and English.
The computing curriculum teaches children how to use technology safely. This includes understanding the internet, using search technologies effectively, and being discerning when evaluating digital content.
Citizenship education equips pupils with the knowledge to explore issues critically, weigh evidence, make reasoned arguments, and take informed action. Pupils are taught the role of responsible journalism in democratic society, enabling them to identify misinformation.
The RSHE curriculum includes online relationships, the implications of sharing private or personal data, including images, online, harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, overreliance on social media, and where to get help and support for issues that occur online.