The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish as soon as possible a full analysis of responses to his Department’s recent consultation on the deregulation of Sunday trading.
Brandon Lewis
The Government published its response to the consultation on 9 February.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent representations he has made to Premier League football clubs on the level of ticket prices.
David Evennett
While ticket prices are matter for individual clubs, this Government is aware how important this is to so many football fans. Football is enjoying an enormous amount of financial success at present, however it should not be forgotten that this is built on the hard work and the money of millions of loyal supporters. Clubs should ensure that ticket pricing strikes the right balance between value for supporters, and generating the income necessary to sustain their business.
I will be looking for football to embrace fully a key recommendation from a recently published Government Expert Working Group on supporter ownership and engagement that requires clubs meet with fans at least twice yearly to discuss matters of most importance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he or Ofcom have made an assessment or hold information on the proportion of BT’s ducts that were able to have fibre blown through them without further civil works in the superfast broadband rollout.
Mr Edward Vaizey
BT and other suppliers with funding from BDUK are obliged to provide wholesale access to all new ducts and poles built using public subsidy, in line with the requirements of the BDUK European State aid approval.
Ofcom has not conducted an assessment of the proportion of ducts that were able to have fibre blown through them without further civil works in the subsequent superfast broadband rollout. Ofcom does not hold any other information on the proportion of BT’s ducts that were able to have fibre blown through them without further civil works.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on cultural, sporting and media initiatives within the UK currently supported by the EU.
Mr Edward Vaizey
As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on Monday, the Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on cultural, sporting and media initiatives currently supported by the EU within the UK.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Ministers meet with a range of EU counterparts in the course of normal business. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to all-weather football pitches at grassroots level.
David Evennett
In partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League, the government is continuing to invest significant sums in grassroots football facilities every year. In addition to the £10million we give to the Football Foundation each year, this Government has dedicated £8million per year to the new ‘Parklife’ project that will double the number of 3G pitches and enable over 3,500 community sports matches to be played per week.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26900, if he will request that Ofcom publish an assessment of the extent to which the indicative assessment of BT’s ducts in the report, Telecoms infrastructure access – sample survey of duct access, published in March 2009, was borne out in the subsequent rollout by BT of superfast broadband.
Mr Edward Vaizey
It is a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator to consider whether the benefits of conducting and publishing such an assessment are proportionate to the costs.
On 25 February Ofcom published the initial conclusions of its Strategic Review of Digital Communications, including its strategy to promote large-scale roll-out of new ultrafast broadband networks.
As part of that, Ofcom has said it will ask Openreach to provide a new database showing the physical location and characteristics of all of its ducts and poles, and to provide greatly improved systems and processes for access to them. This will allow competing operators to invest, plan and lay advanced networks. Ofcom will be working closely with industry to drive this forward over the coming months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Gaming Machine Regulations 2015 on the volume of bets being staked at just under £50; and what steps his Department is taking to assess the levels of staff interaction with fixed odds betting terminal players in bookmakers.
David Evennett
The Government published the Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 on 21 January. The Evaluation can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015
The Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), include clear requirements regarding staff interaction whenever players show signs of problem gambling. The Government is clear that we expect the industry to help people stay in control of their gambling, and ensure they know where to get help and advice if they need it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of homes receiving fibre-optic broadband services in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Ofcom regularly publishes data on premises able to receive Next Generation Access broadband services and able to receive superfast broadband services (measured at 30+Mbit/s). Their most recent data, collected in May 2015, showed that AL:UK Next Generation Access (NGA) coverage of 90% and superfast coverage of 83%; that West Midlands region NGA coverage of 91% and superfast coverage of 86%; and Coventry NGA coverage of 91% and superfast coverage of 89%.
The roll-out continues and the subsequent rise in superfast coverage will be reported by Ofcom in the next update later in 2016
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of fibre-optic broadband coverage across the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government’s Superfast Broadband programme delivers superfast broadband – which delivers speeds of at least 24Mbps. Superfast broadband is available to nearly 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK, and we are on track to reach 95% by the end of 2017, as set out in our manifesto.