The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2014, Official Report, columns 67-8W, on the press, whether he has set a date for meeting victims of press abuse and their representatives.
Mr Edward Vaizey
These arrangements are currently being finalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s response to the letter of 2 May 2014 from Mr Kishore Rao, the Director of the UNESCO Culture Sector, World Heritage Centre.
Mr Edward Vaizey
DCMS has not issued a formal response to the letter of 2 May 2014. The letter has been passed to the planning authorities as part of that process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Dorset and East Devon coast continues to enjoy World Heritage status and remains in compliance with Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site continues to enjoy World Heritage status and it is not currently under threat. The UK Government takes its responsibilities to conserve World Heritage Sites very seriously. The planning systems in place provide robust processes for assessing the potential impact of proposals on heritage assets and dealing appropriately with them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Work has been ongoing in Herefordshire to search for appropriate locations for potential masts, and for each mast to: come to an agreement with a landlord, find an option to transmit signal back into the existing mobile networks, and ensure that the mast can be connected to a source of electricity
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire is on course to be delivered on schedule.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Mobile Infrastructure Project has faced challenges in finding ways to connect signal from masts back into the existing networks, and DCMS officials are assessing the impact of these challenges on overall progress and schedules.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are by which Arqiva assesses notspot data.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Notspot data is compiled and held by Ofcom, with information provided by the Mobile Network Operators. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned drive testing to check the level of coverage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process was by which Arqiva arrived at its decision not to proceed with the proposed Fownhope mast.
Mr Edward Vaizey
DCMS officials provided Arqiva with the latest data on notspots, updated by Ofcom for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. This shows that coverage has improved in Fownhope since the inception of the project. The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast, considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage, provides value for money. Unfortunately this is no longer the case for the proposed mast location in Fownhope, and Arqiva made a recommendation to officials to not proceed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on whether staff from Arqiva visited Fownhope to assess the adequacy of mobile telephone reception in that area.
Mr Edward Vaizey
It is not in Arqiva’s remit to assess adequacy of mobile telephone reception, and no Arqiva staff visited Fownhope for that purpose. It is Ofcom’s role to assess the adequacy of mobile coverage and reception. Ofcom has updated the notspot data for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators, and Arqiva base their planning on that information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all notspot data will be properly checked before masts are proposed and plans are made public.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The notspot data is collated and held by Ofcom and has been updated for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned on the ground drive testing to assess the level of coverage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the people have adequate mobile signal coverage in light of the decision not to proceed with a mast at Fownhope.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage provides value for money. Recent changes in coverage provided by the private sector have proved beneficial to Fownhope, but unfortunately this means that the Mobile Infrastructure Project can no longer go forward with plans for a mast.
The Mobile Infrastructure Project can only intervene in areas where there is no coverage from any operator, and where an intervention achieves good value for money for the taxpayer. Government is looking at what else can be done to extend coverage.