Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on setting targets for on-demand broadcasters to provide subtitles and audio description for people with sensory loss.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The government is committed to seeing an improvement in the levels of provision of accessibility services for video-on-demand (VoD) services. We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for VoD content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. We will work with them - and use information from the April 2015 paper by Action on Hearing Loss, Sense and RNIB - to define a target that we will expect providers to reach by mid-2016. If ATVOD's 2015 annual survey of VoD services indicates that significant progress has not been made then, as we stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers paper (July 2013), we will consider legislation in 2016.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the conclusions of his Department's report, Connectivity, Content and Consumers, published in July 2013, what progress has been made in establishing and enforcing targets on subtitled and audio-description TV services for on-demand content on the 80 per cent of on-demand providers in the UK who offer no subtitles at all.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services. We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for VoD content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. Government will use information from a variety of sources to develop a target that we would expect to see reached by mid-2016. That information includes the Action on Hearing Loss, Sense and RNIB paper (April 2015). If ATVOD's 2015 annual survey of VoD services indicates that significant progress has not been made then, as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013), we will consider legislation in 2016.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the quality of access to on demand television content for people with sensory loss.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government is committed to ensure the quality of the access continues to improve. We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for Video on Demand (VoD) content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. As part of our continuing assessment of access to such services for VoD content, we will use information from a variety of sources and engagement with relevant parties to develop a target that we would expect to see reached by mid-2016.
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, if he will review the effectiveness of existing legislation on subtitles and audio description for on-demand television.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services. We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for VoD content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. If ATVOD's 2015 annual survey of VoD services indicates that significant progress has not been made then, as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013), we will consider legislation in 2016.
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 recent discussions he has had with television representatives on the setting of targets on the provision of subtitles for on-demand television services.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for Video on Demand (VoD) content since 2013 through engagement with the Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. As part of our continuing assessment of access to such services for VoD content, we will use information from a variety of sources and engagement with relevant parties to develop a target that we would expect to see reached by mid-2016.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2015 to Question 1237 on television: disability, what targets his Department uses to judge if significant progress has been made on the provision of access service on Video on Demand.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Government will use information from a variety of sources and engagement with relevant parties to develop a target that we would expect to see reached by mid-2016. That information includes the Action on Hearing Loss, Sense and RNIB paper (April 2015). We have been monitoring progress of the provision of access services for Video on Demand content since 2013 through engagement with The Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), platform operators and content providers. Discussions with those parties are also helping us to understand better the technical challenges in providing such services.
Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with sensory loss have full access to subtitles and audio description whilst using on-demand content.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services and will continue to monitor progress. If the 2015 ATVOD’s annual survey of VOD Services indicates that significant progress has not been made, then as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013) we will consider legislation in 2016.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help people with sensory loss enjoy on demand television content by increasing provision of subtitles and audio description; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services and will continue to monitor progress. If ATVOD's 2015 annual survey of VOD Services indicates that significant progress has not been made, then as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013) we will consider legislation in 2016.
Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will bring forward proposals to require broadcasters to provide subtitles and audio description for on-demand programmes for the benefit of people with sensory loss; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services and will continue to monitor progress. If the 2015 ATVOD’s annual survey of VOD Services indicates that significant progress has not been made, then as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013) we will consider legislation in 2016.