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  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will make representations to the Advertising Standards Authority to change the guidelines for broadband speed advertisements to increase the proportion of broadband customers who must reach the stated speed on their internet connection.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy has met and written to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), encouraging it to strengthen its rules on broadband speed claims in advertising. We consider that the proportion of customers who can receive the headline speed should be higher than their guidelines stipulate (10%) and have asked to ASA to examine this.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by when he plans to open the next triennial review of gaming machine stakes and prizes.

    David Evennett

    In April 2015 the previous Government introduced regulations which require authorisation of stakes over £50 on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals through a “verified account” or staff interaction. The Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations on 21 January. The evaluation paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015.

    We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of when all exchange-only lines will have access to fibre broadband.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The vast majority of phone lines across the UK connect to the nearest telephone exchange via a street cabinet, which can be upgraded to deliver fibre broadband. Estimates are not available of the number of premises served by exchange only lines and therefore when they will all have access to fibre broadband. Exchange only lines present a greater engineering challenge to deliver fibre broadband than those connected via street cabinets but technical solutions are available; one solution is to rearrange the existing network, lay new cables to reroute lines to new cabinets – a technique developed as part of the BDUK Superfast Broadband Programme.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 3.2 of his Department’s document, Implementing the replacement for the Horserace Betting Levy, published in March 2016, what progress has been made on the independent report on the value of the common interest between betting and racing; and when he expects to publish the findings of that report.

    David Evennett

    The rate payable by gambling operators will be informed by this independent economic analysis of the funding of horseracing and further discussion with the betting and racing industries. We will be consulting on the findings of the report with both industries within the next few weeks and intend to publish the report in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many households in Northern Ireland held black and white television licences in (a) 2005 and (b) 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    TV Licensing have confirmed that the number of black and white TV licences in force in Northern Ireland was 2,978 in 2005, and 736 in 2015.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the proposals in his Department’s White Paper, A BBC for the future, published in May 2016, if he will take steps to ensure that employees earning above £450,000 will not be able to be exempted from the requirement to publish their name by using personal service companies or similar structures.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Our White Paper, ‘A BBC for the Future’, makes it clear that we want to ensure that the BBC is transparent and efficient in how it spends its funding. As set out in its annual report, the BBC reviewed the use of Personal Service Companies as a means of engaging presenters and contributors​ in 2012​. ​It continue​s to apply an employment test, discussed with HM Revenue & Customs, to all workers to ensure they have the appropriate employment status.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 3.2 of his Department’s document, Implementing the replacement for the Horserace Betting Levy, published in March 2016, how his Department plans to use the independent report on the value of the common interest between betting and racing to inform the construct of the proposed levy replacement and recover revenues lost from remote offshore betting.

    David Evennett

    The rate payable by gambling operators will be informed by this independent economic analysis of the funding of horseracing and further discussion with the betting and racing industries. We will be consulting on the findings of the report with both industries within the next few weeks and intend to publish the report in due course.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of street level cabinets served by a fibre enabled exchange that are not planned to be upgraded for fibre broadband in commercially viable areas.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    BT’s commercial deployment programme is still ongoing. We will not have access to information on the proportion of cabinets that remain to be upgraded in commercial areas until this is completed.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial provision his Department has made for the (a) research, (b) education and (c) treatment of problem gambling in each year to 2020; and if he will estimate the amount of funding provided by the gambling industry for such activities in each such year.

    David Evennett

    The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), was set up to by the Gambling Commission to advise on priorities for research, education and training (RET) relating to responsible gambling. The Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) an independent charity, then commissions research into gambling related harm and funds education and treatment programmes, taking into account the priorities set out by the RGSB.

    It is a requirement on all gambling licence holders to make an annual financial contribution to one or more organisations that perform research, education or training for gambling-related harm. The vast majority choose to make that contribution to the Responsible Gambling Trust, which has raised £7.5 million in 2016 (unaudited); £6.5 million in 2015; £6.3 million in 2014; £5.7 million in 2013; £5.2 million in 2012; £5 million in 2011 (each year relates to the previous 12 months to 31 March). RGT’s accounts for these years are available on the Charity Commission website and include the breakdown of expenditure between research, treatment and harm prevention.

    RGT is committed to working with RGSB to estimate the cost of the education activities identified in the recently published National Responsible Gambling Strategy, 2016-19, that will be expected to raise from businesses who profit from commercial gambling in Britain.

    The Responsible Gambling Trust has published a number of research reports into FOBTs since 2010, which are available on the RGT website: http://www.responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk/research/research-publications/

    Further RGT commercial and independent research on Category B Gaming Machines was published on 24 May, and can be found here http://www.responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk/research/research-publications/

    “

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what research on the effect of fixed odds betting terminals his Department has (a) commissioned, (b) carried out and (c) assessed from external sources since 2010; and whether his Department plans to carry out or commission any further such research.

    David Evennett

    The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), was set up to by the Gambling Commission to advise on priorities for research, education and training (RET) relating to responsible gambling. The Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) an independent charity, then commissions research into gambling related harm and funds education and treatment programmes, taking into account the priorities set out by the RGSB.

    It is a requirement on all gambling licence holders to make an annual financial contribution to one or more organisations that perform research, education or training for gambling-related harm. The vast majority choose to make that contribution to the Responsible Gambling Trust, which has raised £7.5 million in 2016 (unaudited); £6.5 million in 2015; £6.3 million in 2014; £5.7 million in 2013; £5.2 million in 2012; £5 million in 2011 (each year relates to the previous 12 months to 31 March). RGT’s accounts for these years are available on the Charity Commission website and include the breakdown of expenditure between research, treatment and harm prevention.

    RGT is committed to working with RGSB to estimate the cost of the education activities identified in the recently published National Responsible Gambling Strategy, 2016-19, that will be expected to raise from businesses who profit from commercial gambling in Britain.

    The Responsible Gambling Trust has published a number of research reports into FOBTs since 2010, which are available on the RGT website: http://www.responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk/research/research-publications/

    Further RGT commercial and independent research on Category B Gaming Machines was published on 24 May, and can be found here http://www.responsiblegamblingtrust.org.uk/research/research-publications/

    “