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Good morning and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the | :00:08. | :00:15. | |
Commons. The Labour chair of the, first committee Yvette Cooper will | :00:16. | :00:20. | |
be asking about the decision to end the child refugee programme. Then | :00:21. | :00:25. | |
the Leader of the House David Lidington will be asking questions | :00:26. | :00:31. | |
about the future parliamentary business on the backbenchers debate. | :00:32. | :00:35. | |
Join me for a round-up of the day and both houses of parliament at | :00:36. | :00:39. | |
11pm tonight. First questions for the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley | :00:40. | :00:44. | |
and her team. Number one, sir. | :00:45. | :00:53. | |
Mr Speaker, in a fast changing and challenging broadcast environment, | :00:54. | :00:56. | |
the Government wants to ensure that Channel 4 has a secure and strong | :00:57. | :01:00. | |
future, and will continue to provide for audiences and support creative | :01:01. | :01:03. | |
industries around the UK. The Government is looking at a broad | :01:04. | :01:07. | |
range of options and we will set out our plans in this area in due | :01:08. | :01:11. | |
course. Is it that the review is not as fast | :01:12. | :01:16. | |
changing and fast moving as the broadcast environment? At the end of | :01:17. | :01:19. | |
this month, it will have taken longer than the BBC Charter review. | :01:20. | :01:25. | |
Can we now put this review out of its misery and declared that Channel | :01:26. | :01:27. | |
4 works well and will not be privatised. | :01:28. | :01:32. | |
Mr Speaker, unlike the BBC Charter review, this is no formal process | :01:33. | :01:36. | |
and there is not an end date to which the charter expires as with | :01:37. | :01:41. | |
the BBC. But we need to make sure we get it right. I want to see Channel | :01:42. | :01:46. | |
4 survive and flourish and prosper in an ever-changing broadcasting | :01:47. | :01:51. | |
world, as he has pointed out, and that means working with Channel 4 to | :01:52. | :01:55. | |
get the right deal for viewers, but also the right deal for the whole | :01:56. | :01:58. | |
country. David Nuttall. | :01:59. | :02:03. | |
Would my honourable friend think the view of the conditions and markets | :02:04. | :02:09. | |
authority, what would it be like, if a company owned one broadcasting | :02:10. | :02:14. | |
company the size of the BBC and wanted to own another the size of | :02:15. | :02:17. | |
the Channel 4? If she would agree that this should not be allowed, | :02:18. | :02:24. | |
will she add agree to sell off Channel 4? | :02:25. | :02:26. | |
Mr Speaker, I know my honourable friend has strong views on this, but | :02:27. | :02:29. | |
I assure him we are looking at all and we will report to the house in | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
due course. As we heard from my honourable | :02:35. | :02:38. | |
friend from Chester, this is one of the longest-running soap episodes in | :02:39. | :02:42. | |
this house, whether Channel 4 will or will not be privatised. Can the | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
Secretary of State confirm it will not be privatised and will not be | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
for-profit, unlike, and I expect she is coming from pressure from the | :02:53. | :02:57. | |
benches opposite to privatise. Mr Speaker, I know the honourable | :02:58. | :03:01. | |
gentleman from Chester is interested in long-running soaps on Channel 4, | :03:02. | :03:06. | |
given that Hollyoaks is set in his constituency, and I want to make | :03:07. | :03:08. | |
sure that Hollyoaks and other programmes around the UK are able to | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
prosper so we have a plurality of broadcasting that works for | :03:15. | :03:16. | |
everyone. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
of State will be aware Channel 4 won the broadcaster of the year I | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
broadcast awards, and she, does she agree if it is not broken to fix it? | :03:27. | :03:31. | |
The point is that we make sure Channel 4 has a long term | :03:32. | :03:34. | |
sustainable future and that is why we are looking at all options we can | :03:35. | :03:41. | |
ensure that a station that relies very, very predominantly on | :03:42. | :03:43. | |
advertising revenue is able to continue and provide the excellent | :03:44. | :03:49. | |
broadcasting Channel 4 is renowned for. | :03:50. | :03:52. | |
But when she spoke to the select committee last year, she said you | :03:53. | :03:58. | |
would come to a decision, and I quote, "In the near -ish future". | :03:59. | :04:06. | |
And our in due course. I do not know whether the near -ish future is | :04:07. | :04:11. | |
sooner than in due course. This messing around about Channel 4 needs | :04:12. | :04:16. | |
to come to an end because the uncertainty is damaging the business | :04:17. | :04:22. | |
and broadcasting industry. Will she give us, rather than in the near | :04:23. | :04:27. | |
-ish future, a decision immediately? I do not agree this is affecting the | :04:28. | :04:31. | |
quality of broadcasting Channel 4 is able to produce. The fact that | :04:32. | :04:34. | |
Channel 4 has committed to being the broadcaster for the para athletics | :04:35. | :04:42. | |
being held in London is a positive move we welcome. I will get this | :04:43. | :04:46. | |
right and we're working with Channel 4 and all stakeholders to make sure | :04:47. | :04:50. | |
Channel 4 has the long-term, sustainable future and I will report | :04:51. | :04:53. | |
back to the honourable gentleman as soon as I can. | :04:54. | :05:00. | |
Number two. Matt Hancock. | :05:01. | :05:04. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. We strongly support a brass bands, and through | :05:05. | :05:08. | |
regular arts Council funding to organisations such as the Brass Band | :05:09. | :05:14. | |
England, and in addition large brass band can take advantage of the | :05:15. | :05:18. | |
orchestra tax relief introduced in April last year. | :05:19. | :05:28. | |
Youth Brass 2000 is a small brass band based in Kettering, and would | :05:29. | :05:33. | |
my honourable friend join me in congratulating them in recently been | :05:34. | :05:37. | |
crowned British Open youth brass band champions for the fifth year | :05:38. | :05:40. | |
running? They are an excellent example of youth band should be | :05:41. | :05:44. | |
pleased to follow, are they not? I would be delighted to trumpet | :05:45. | :05:46. | |
success... Of the winners of the British open | :05:47. | :05:56. | |
youth championship for a fifth year in the role. I myself played the | :05:57. | :06:01. | |
cornet in a brass band when I was a boy. But I never rose to the | :06:02. | :06:08. | |
dizzying heights of the National Champions that he represents and I | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
send them congratulations. In my constituency, we have the | :06:13. | :06:18. | |
wonderful band that brings together the not so young and the young, with | :06:19. | :06:22. | |
instruments that are also young or not so young and I understand the | :06:23. | :06:26. | |
minister is keen to support that. Could he endorsed today in this | :06:27. | :06:29. | |
chamber of the need to have that cross community, gender balance as | :06:30. | :06:34. | |
well, to make sure the brass bands of the future are as such? | :06:35. | :06:39. | |
As you see from the response in the House, there are brass band toured | :06:40. | :06:44. | |
across the country. The Haver Hill Brass Band in my constituency is a | :06:45. | :06:49. | |
good example. But the point the honourable gentleman makes is that | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
brass bands like other music organisations can bring people | :06:54. | :06:56. | |
together across cultural divides, from different backgrounds, and | :06:57. | :07:01. | |
provide a point of unity. A point well made. | :07:02. | :07:05. | |
The Minister is not known for blowing his own trumpet but... I am | :07:06. | :07:13. | |
sure he, like me, would want to congratulate the Rossendale Scout | :07:14. | :07:17. | |
band and many other bands, all of which particularly work with young | :07:18. | :07:21. | |
people. I am sure I hope the Minister will take the opportunity | :07:22. | :07:25. | |
to thank these bands getting young people off the street and giving | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
them a love of music and helping them perform. | :07:30. | :07:34. | |
I never played the trumpet, I was a mere player of the cornet but I want | :07:35. | :07:37. | |
to bang the drum for all of these brass bands. | :07:38. | :07:41. | |
The long-term sustainability of our brass bands, including the fine | :07:42. | :07:49. | |
brass band in my hometown... Yeah, yeah... | :07:50. | :07:53. | |
It depends on the affordable music lessons in schools. Does the | :07:54. | :07:57. | |
Minister agree that this Government's cuts to devolved | :07:58. | :07:59. | |
administrations and local councils but a risk? | :08:00. | :08:05. | |
I think that people who play in brass bands across the country | :08:06. | :08:07. | |
should be enthused by the level of support across this chamber for this | :08:08. | :08:14. | |
question. I would disagree with the honourable gentleman, because in | :08:15. | :08:17. | |
England, where the UK Government is responsible for support, we have put | :08:18. | :08:23. | |
in ?300 million into music clubs to make sure everybody gets the | :08:24. | :08:28. | |
opportunity to play a musical instrument. It is up to the devolved | :08:29. | :08:32. | |
authorities to do that. That is outside of England, and I wish that | :08:33. | :08:36. | |
the Welsh Government would do something similar. | :08:37. | :08:40. | |
Question three. Mr Speaker, the Government wants to | :08:41. | :08:44. | |
ensure the best deal for Britain on leaving the EU, and to provide as | :08:45. | :08:48. | |
much certainty as we can. The creative industries are one of the | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
UK's greatest success stories, contributing over ?87 billion to the | :08:53. | :08:57. | |
economy, and ?19 billion in exports, and I am confident this will | :08:58. | :09:00. | |
continue when we leave the European Union, and I am working with the | :09:01. | :09:04. | |
ministry to ensure this. I am sure the Minister has her | :09:05. | :09:12. | |
favourite things, but can she enjoys the Government is ensuring that work | :09:13. | :09:19. | |
Visa requirements and increased application costs do not kill the | :09:20. | :09:24. | |
ability of UK musicians to tour in European venues post Brexit? | :09:25. | :09:29. | |
Mr Speaker, as pointed out, we have moved from brass bands to rock | :09:30. | :09:35. | |
bands. A nice segue. But the point of the UK music industry is this is | :09:36. | :09:38. | |
a global leader. Not just in 27 countries in the European union but | :09:39. | :09:43. | |
across the world, and it is British music and British bands that are | :09:44. | :09:46. | |
touring around the world. I understand the point that he makes | :09:47. | :09:50. | |
and I am sure to work closely with the industry to ensure we get the | :09:51. | :09:55. | |
best deal for British music in Europe but also across the world. | :09:56. | :10:00. | |
The EU is crucial funding for the creative sector, and Scottish | :10:01. | :10:06. | |
organisations have received over 12 million from creative Europe, but no | :10:07. | :10:09. | |
word from this Government as to what will happen to the source of funding | :10:10. | :10:12. | |
after the UK leads the EU, so can you commit to giving the creative | :10:13. | :10:17. | |
industries assurance that they will not be worse off as the result of | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
the UK leaving the EU? The Chancellor of the Exchequer has | :10:23. | :10:24. | |
committed that funding will be secured until 2020, which is after | :10:25. | :10:28. | |
the UK will leave the European Union, but I am working closely with | :10:29. | :10:32. | |
industry and across Government to ensure that we get the right deal | :10:33. | :10:36. | |
for Britain, and that means that we have the support that is needed to | :10:37. | :10:38. | |
ensure our creative industries flourish. | :10:39. | :10:45. | |
Mr Speaker, when I look at the stylish men and women on the front | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
bench opposite, I think that each and every one of them... | :10:50. | :10:53. | |
LAUGHTER Except perhaps the honourable member | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
for Reading, could be models on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. | :10:58. | :11:04. | |
Now, the fashion industry, Mr Speaker, are concerned that as the | :11:05. | :11:10. | |
UK leads the EU, we will lose the right to present original designs | :11:11. | :11:14. | |
with serious knock-on effect for trade showcases, including London | :11:15. | :11:17. | |
Fashion Week. Can the Secretary of State tell us what the Government is | :11:18. | :11:21. | |
doing to make sure intellectual property rights of our designers are | :11:22. | :11:26. | |
protected post Brexit? Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman | :11:27. | :11:29. | |
has a timely question with British Fashion Week coming up, but also, | :11:30. | :11:36. | |
because only on Monday myself and the Minister of State met the | :11:37. | :11:38. | |
fashion industry to discuss exactly these points, and I reassure him and | :11:39. | :11:45. | |
the fashion industry that because the Great Repeal Bill will bring | :11:46. | :11:49. | |
European rules into UK law, those rates will be protected. | :11:50. | :11:56. | |
Mr Speaker, last week the select committee took evidence from people | :11:57. | :12:02. | |
representing the creative industries. Some of these employ a | :12:03. | :12:07. | |
40% EU workforce and these people are now in limbo. What reassurances | :12:08. | :12:12. | |
can the Secretary of State give that their roles and livelihoods are | :12:13. | :12:13. | |
secure? I want to pay tribute to the | :12:14. | :12:24. | |
decreative works, and the role they have played in working Government to | :12:25. | :12:28. | |
develop our plan to ensure we get the right deal for creative | :12:29. | :12:31. | |
industries when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. He will | :12:32. | :12:34. | |
know the Prime Minister has been very clear that she wants to get an | :12:35. | :12:39. | |
early settlement on the matter of EU nations in the UK and UK nationals | :12:40. | :12:43. | |
living in Europe and I know that she is working hard, as we all are, | :12:44. | :12:48. | |
across Government, to ensure we can achieve it as soon as possible. | :12:49. | :12:55. | |
We expect all clubs and sports to fill full their legal obligations | :12:56. | :13:03. | |
under the act of 2010, so disabled people are a are not placed at a | :13:04. | :13:10. | |
disadvantage. Football has the highest issue, and is stepping up. | :13:11. | :13:14. | |
We expect all other sports to do the same. | :13:15. | :13:18. | |
People from across the United Kingdom have been contacting me with | :13:19. | :13:24. | |
grave concerns about lack of accessibility to sport stadiums. | :13:25. | :13:30. | |
Will the minister meet with myself and the all parliamentary group to | :13:31. | :13:33. | |
discuss the important steps in the way forward. Can I start by | :13:34. | :13:38. | |
congratulating the honourable lady in all she does. Her reputation is | :13:39. | :13:43. | |
fast spreading around the chamber and indeed beyond. I would, I am | :13:44. | :13:51. | |
sure, along with my colleague for work and pensions, be delighted to | :13:52. | :13:54. | |
meet her about this issue. We are making progress on it. It isn't just | :13:55. | :13:58. | |
football in the English Premier League. It is football throughout | :13:59. | :14:03. | |
this country and across other home nations as well. I encourage all | :14:04. | :14:08. | |
members to do what they can to encourage their own local clubs to | :14:09. | :14:13. | |
be as successful as possible. Will the minister agree it is | :14:14. | :14:15. | |
unacceptable with all the wealth that there are clubs that don't yet | :14:16. | :14:19. | |
have a plan to meet their accessibility target for their | :14:20. | :14:23. | |
stadia. Will she agree with the report that clubs that fail to do | :14:24. | :14:27. | |
that should face legal action? I don't agree with the honourable | :14:28. | :14:30. | |
gentleman that the clubs don't have a plan. I believe they have a plan, | :14:31. | :14:34. | |
they may not be meeting that plan. He is right to say there should be | :14:35. | :14:38. | |
legal action. It is not for me to advance that. It is, he will be | :14:39. | :14:42. | |
aware, as others will be, that equally and the human rights | :14:43. | :14:45. | |
commission is the body that enforces the act. If insufficient progress is | :14:46. | :14:51. | |
made by clubs they should consider using their legal powers and they | :14:52. | :14:56. | |
would have my full support. The Government's approach continues to | :14:57. | :15:00. | |
be come play sent. The Government's a-- complacent. The Government's | :15:01. | :15:04. | |
view is to leave it up to individuals to enforce. When they | :15:05. | :15:08. | |
try and enforce it the Government hit them with tribunal fees. Will | :15:09. | :15:13. | |
the Government do it itself and stop passing the buck. ? I am not sure he | :15:14. | :15:19. | |
listened to the answer. The enforcement body, if they decide to | :15:20. | :15:23. | |
take legal action and they would have Government support in doing so. | :15:24. | :15:26. | |
I know, Mr Speaker, that the honourable gentleman is in fact a | :15:27. | :15:34. | |
Wolverhampton wanderer's fan and Molineux is 62 spaces short of its | :15:35. | :15:42. | |
target. I hope he will encourage the excellent disabled, active fan's | :15:43. | :15:45. | |
group to make sure they do meet their own target. Number five. As | :15:46. | :15:52. | |
the honourable gentleman knows, we have committed to a come produce | :15:53. | :15:58. | |
when sieve review which will look at funding arrangements, remit and | :15:59. | :16:01. | |
governance. I look forward to the honourable member's contributions to | :16:02. | :16:06. | |
that review. She will be fully aware of the sig mans of S4C to the people | :16:07. | :16:10. | |
of Wales. When the announcement was made last year of a review, the | :16:11. | :16:16. | |
Government also wisely froze the cuts tDCMS share of the budget. The | :16:17. | :16:20. | |
review has not started. It will happen this year. Will the Secretary | :16:21. | :16:24. | |
of State guarantee to, again, freeze any proposed cuts to S4C's budget? | :16:25. | :16:34. | |
The Government is committing to ensuring the future is strong and it | :16:35. | :16:38. | |
has a long future in broadcasting. We will make sure the appropriate | :16:39. | :16:43. | |
budgets are available. Of course, the forthcoming | :16:44. | :16:46. | |
independent review of S4C is welcomed. It remains a scarlet pip | :16:47. | :16:55. | |
per them. The to specify recommendations about present and | :16:56. | :16:58. | |
future funding arrangements to ensure the channel can achieve its | :16:59. | :17:04. | |
public service obligations Mr Speaker, we have ensured that S4C | :17:05. | :17:09. | |
has appropriate funding for a very long time I was a Conservative | :17:10. | :17:13. | |
Government that introduced S4C in the first place. This Government the | :17:14. | :17:17. | |
Government gave over ?600 million and will give that next year in | :17:18. | :17:19. | |
addition to the money that comes addition to the money that comes | :17:20. | :17:24. | |
from the licence fee. I hope that will show we are committed. The | :17:25. | :17:30. | |
current funding projection means a 10% in its funding between now and | :17:31. | :17:36. | |
2021. Could the minister assure me the review will look strongly at | :17:37. | :17:40. | |
making sure we have a definitive base to S4C's funding? We are | :17:41. | :17:44. | |
putting together terms of reference for the reviesmt look forward to The | :17:45. | :17:48. | |
Right Honourable gentleman's comments on that review when it is | :17:49. | :17:52. | |
put forward. Question six. | :17:53. | :17:59. | |
We strongly support the roll out of super fast broadband, which is on | :18:00. | :18:03. | |
track to be available to 95% of premises this year. One in three | :18:04. | :18:07. | |
homes in my constituency have broadband speeds of under 10 | :18:08. | :18:18. | |
megabits per second. In recent study 44% repeated repeated loss of | :18:19. | :18:23. | |
broadband service. If this situation continues, the future growth | :18:24. | :18:27. | |
prospects of my constituency will be severely restrained? I will look | :18:28. | :18:32. | |
into the figures which he mentions. But I think broadband, which is the | :18:33. | :18:37. | |
independent body which publishes figures on this, think the amount of | :18:38. | :18:41. | |
properties with super fast broadband available is much higher and ahead | :18:42. | :18:44. | |
of the national average. There's been a huge effort to roll out super | :18:45. | :18:50. | |
fast broadband. Of course there's a difference between it being | :18:51. | :18:53. | |
available and taken up. Making sure people take up broadband when it is | :18:54. | :18:57. | |
available is a very important task. In the rural areas n the isolated | :18:58. | :19:01. | |
areas across the country, the hardest to reach areas still haven't | :19:02. | :19:05. | |
been reached by broadband. I think, can I urge the Government to have as | :19:06. | :19:11. | |
flexible approach, a voucher system in some places? Use all technologies | :19:12. | :19:16. | |
in order to get it out to the people in isolated areas? I very strongly | :19:17. | :19:20. | |
agree with my honourable friend. Thank you. In designing the super | :19:21. | :19:25. | |
fast broadband tender, the Government was warned they were | :19:26. | :19:29. | |
effectively entrenching BT's monopoly. Now in designing the | :19:30. | :19:33. | |
obligation they appear to be making exactly the same mistake again. Will | :19:34. | :19:39. | |
the minister commit to delivering choice in our broadband networks. | :19:40. | :19:42. | |
She's wrong on the premise of the question. There is now many, many | :19:43. | :19:47. | |
companies delivering into the BDU scheme. In fact there are companies | :19:48. | :19:51. | |
that didn't even exist a few years ago who are now delivering super | :19:52. | :19:55. | |
fast and much faster broadband across the country. | :19:56. | :19:59. | |
Question eight, Sir. Rob Wilson. Thank you, Mr Speaker. | :20:00. | :20:05. | |
The Government is providing support for library authorities throughout | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
England to deliver library services that are accessible, modern and meet | :20:10. | :20:16. | |
modern needs. This includes a ?4 million libraries innovation fund | :20:17. | :20:20. | |
and support for libraries to explore alternative operating models. I | :20:21. | :20:23. | |
believe very strongly that staff should have a stake in the public | :20:24. | :20:28. | |
services they provide. Lichfield library is situated in a | :20:29. | :20:32. | |
lovely building. It will cost over ?1 million to maintain it. | :20:33. | :20:36. | |
Staffordshire County Council decided to move the library out into a | :20:37. | :20:41. | |
heritage centre, which will strengthen the heritage centre and | :20:42. | :20:44. | |
the old building is being privatised, if you like and being | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
restored so. A win-win situation. What sort of best practise advice | :20:49. | :20:53. | |
does his department give to other County Councils? And perhaps | :20:54. | :20:59. | |
Staffordshire County Council n this area at least could be a model? | :21:00. | :21:04. | |
Could I welcome the approach taken by Lichfield library and | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
congratulate Staffordshire County Council. Local authorities need to | :21:09. | :21:13. | |
think very imaginatively about how libraries can deliver priorities and | :21:14. | :21:18. | |
the ambition document which we recently published through the | :21:19. | :21:21. | |
library's task force challenges them to do so. Standing still is not an | :21:22. | :21:28. | |
option. I encourage local authorities to embrace change and be | :21:29. | :21:32. | |
bold in finding solutions. Can I thank the minister for being so | :21:33. | :21:36. | |
personally engaged in supporting our efforts to protect Swindon's | :21:37. | :21:43. | |
community libraries. Can he praise the trust which has saved the | :21:44. | :21:46. | |
library and should be expanded further? | :21:47. | :21:52. | |
Can I thank him for his efforts in Swindon, where I did recently visit | :21:53. | :21:56. | |
the local authority and I was encouraged by the desire to keep | :21:57. | :22:01. | |
local libraries open. I join him in congratulating his local colleague | :22:02. | :22:04. | |
and local councillor for the work he's done in setting up a local | :22:05. | :22:06. | |
trust and keeping libraries open. Topical number one, Mr Speaker. | :22:07. | :22:15. | |
Today, my department published the first annual report setting out our | :22:16. | :22:20. | |
progress against sporting future, our sports strategy for an active | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
nation. Since the last oral questions my ministerial team and I | :22:26. | :22:29. | |
have held round table meetses with representatives from various | :22:30. | :22:33. | |
sectors, the purpose is to identify challenges and opportunities as the | :22:34. | :22:36. | |
United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union. | :22:37. | :22:41. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last week, when I went and visited Deptford | :22:42. | :22:46. | |
green secondary school a teenager from the school council asked me a | :22:47. | :22:50. | |
question. She started by asking the question by saying, "It's not | :22:51. | :22:55. | |
political." She asked me, why are there not more sports facilities for | :22:56. | :22:59. | |
young girls in the area. Female sports participation is half that of | :23:00. | :23:04. | |
men. This is a very, very political qu efrom a young girl. Is there any | :23:05. | :23:09. | |
surprise when female role models like Stef Houghton is paid ?65,000 a | :23:10. | :23:17. | |
year. And Wayne Rooney is paid ?250,000 a week. No, that is ?12 | :23:18. | :23:22. | |
million less. THE SPEAKER: Speak! Order! I am | :23:23. | :23:28. | |
sorry. It is a very good question, but it is far too long. Topical | :23:29. | :23:33. | |
questions have to be far shorter. Sorry to interrupt. | :23:34. | :23:38. | |
I do appreciate the point. We are aware of it and we are working | :23:39. | :23:43. | |
across Government to address it. Can the minister tell the House what | :23:44. | :23:51. | |
work her department is doing to help small charities to secure public | :23:52. | :23:57. | |
service contracts? Mr Speaker, my Right Honourable friends raises a | :23:58. | :24:00. | |
very important point. We know the volumetry sector has the ability to | :24:01. | :24:05. | |
bring greater social value to our services. We know they can face | :24:06. | :24:10. | |
barriers when up against established providers. We announced new measures | :24:11. | :24:16. | |
in this area in December. It is why a group attended by the ministers | :24:17. | :24:20. | |
for civil society met for the first time yesterday to lead our work on | :24:21. | :24:26. | |
this issue. Keeping our children safe on line is one of the most | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
important responsibilities. That is why section 67 made it a criminal | :24:32. | :24:37. | |
offence for adults to send sexual messages to children TNSPCC say two | :24:38. | :24:41. | |
years on the law is still not enforst forced. Will the minister -- | :24:42. | :24:46. | |
enforced. Will the minister explain why the Government is dragging their | :24:47. | :24:50. | |
feet on this and ensure this is implemented immediately? It is very | :24:51. | :24:55. | |
good to see a member of the shadow team who has been voting with the | :24:56. | :24:58. | |
rest of the shadow front bench this week. On the important issue that | :24:59. | :25:12. | |
she addresses ensuring Internet safety is something, as she knows, | :25:13. | :25:16. | |
is at the top of the Government's agenda. It has been a crucial part | :25:17. | :25:24. | |
of the digital bill and the proposal she makes is also something we are | :25:25. | :25:27. | |
considering very seriously. Thank you. Million on the, Mr Speaker, | :25:28. | :25:33. | |
million on the is widely recognised as the horse racing capital of the | :25:34. | :25:44. | |
north. And the racing -- Molton. And the levy will bring up to ?30 | :25:45. | :25:47. | |
million a year into the industry. Would the minister update us on the | :25:48. | :25:54. | |
progress of its implementation. I recognise the valuable contribution | :25:55. | :25:57. | |
that horse racing makes to the whole of the country. We remain on course | :25:58. | :26:03. | |
to implement the reforms to the levy in 2017 and lay legislation to that | :26:04. | :26:07. | |
effect shortly. Thank you Mr Speaker. Every day player, coach, | :26:08. | :26:13. | |
volunteer of every sport should be made welcome. Will she join me in | :26:14. | :26:20. | |
praising the leadership shown by rugby league in tackling homophobia | :26:21. | :26:24. | |
in sport, on this, the day the Superleague season kicks off? I will | :26:25. | :26:28. | |
certainly join with the honourable gentleman in praising rugby league | :26:29. | :26:32. | |
for its efforts to make progress on this issue. Homophobia should not be | :26:33. | :26:37. | |
allowed in sport. We share the same rugby league team, Leeds. We wish | :26:38. | :26:41. | |
them well this evening against St Helens. English and Welsh wine is a | :26:42. | :26:47. | |
great quality success story. By 2020 will produce more than 12 million | :26:48. | :26:52. | |
bottles. I know the Secretary of State does her bit to boost wine | :26:53. | :26:56. | |
consumption. What is she doing to promote the use of English wine in | :26:57. | :27:02. | |
her department, across Government departments and attracting visitors | :27:03. | :27:04. | |
to our emerging wine regions? I have travelled down and grown in | :27:05. | :27:15. | |
my constituency is one of the finest English wines, and I am passionate | :27:16. | :27:20. | |
about wine for all of the right reasons and tourism is part of | :27:21. | :27:24. | |
ensuring English wine is part of that. | :27:25. | :27:26. | |
Manchester United should be applauded for their recent | :27:27. | :27:29. | |
announcement to increase the number of disabled supporters attending | :27:30. | :27:35. | |
games, but this is not a step that clubs at all levels can afford to | :27:36. | :27:39. | |
take. What will be Minister do to support those smaller clubs looking | :27:40. | :27:43. | |
to improve the experience of disabled supporters attending | :27:44. | :27:45. | |
matches? Manchester United should be | :27:46. | :27:50. | |
applauded, and other Premier League clubs are doing the same to improve | :27:51. | :27:54. | |
the offering for disabled spectators at their clubs. It is to other clubs | :27:55. | :27:57. | |
in lower leagues do find it difficult and they are working well | :27:58. | :28:02. | |
to ensure they meet their commitment going forward. We as the Government | :28:03. | :28:07. | |
do what we can to support that. If a broadband service is to be | :28:08. | :28:12. | |
advertised as Faber, should it not be full labour and should the | :28:13. | :28:18. | |
service speed advertised not be got by at least half of people receiving | :28:19. | :28:27. | |
it? -- fibre. The advertising standards authority | :28:28. | :28:29. | |
is a non-statutory body looking at some of these issues but it needs to | :28:30. | :28:32. | |
look more broadly to ensure people know what they are getting and the | :28:33. | :28:39. | |
advertising is proper and fair. In 2014 - 15, nearly ?4 million was | :28:40. | :28:44. | |
lost in the Stockton North constituency by those who could not | :28:45. | :28:47. | |
afford it. I know ministers have concerns highlighted in an report | :28:48. | :28:53. | |
last year, and can I urge them to respond possibly and have more | :28:54. | :28:58. | |
stakes on these machines -- lower stakes on the machines. | :28:59. | :29:02. | |
There was a review announced on these machines, and I am considering | :29:03. | :29:09. | |
the findings of that will be publishing shortly. | :29:10. | :29:17. | |
A football club are part of the fabric of the community and have | :29:18. | :29:20. | |
inspired many generations to participate in sport and foster a | :29:21. | :29:27. | |
sense of town pride, so will the Minister welcome the home of these | :29:28. | :29:34. | |
football and rugby team thanks to a ?7 million investment? | :29:35. | :29:38. | |
I am pleased to help that Oldfield has now opened, having the right | :29:39. | :29:43. | |
facilities in the right places and combining sports with those | :29:44. | :29:46. | |
facilities is not only important in driving participation but it is | :29:47. | :29:51. | |
excellent leave money. The tech sector number one Brexit | :29:52. | :29:54. | |
concern is that when we leave it will become unlawful to send | :29:55. | :30:00. | |
personal data from Europe to UK firms unless the commission, the UK | :30:01. | :30:05. | |
commission has declared that to be adequate. What steps are being taken | :30:06. | :30:10. | |
to secure that declaration in time? This is an important point and | :30:11. | :30:15. | |
making sure that we have unhindered flow of data between the UK and the | :30:16. | :30:18. | |
EU and indeed other trading partners around the world like the US is | :30:19. | :30:25. | |
vital. We are implementing this in full to make sure we have that | :30:26. | :30:29. | |
unhindered flow of data. In 2020, my right honourable friend | :30:30. | :30:37. | |
knows that we will be celebrating the 400 anniversary of the Mayflower | :30:38. | :30:41. | |
setting sail to found the American colony. Can I ask my right | :30:42. | :30:45. | |
honourable friend what discussion she has had with the Secretary of | :30:46. | :30:49. | |
State for Transport to make sure that tourists can get to the place | :30:50. | :30:53. | |
they set off from to get to the wonderful event? | :30:54. | :30:57. | |
Mr Speaker, I had the honour last week to meet the team who are | :30:58. | :31:01. | |
putting together the Mayflower 400 celebrations, and also attended an | :31:02. | :31:05. | |
event at the US embassy last summer where I saw a replica of the | :31:06. | :31:10. | |
Mayflower that will be part of the celebrations we look forward to in | :31:11. | :31:14. | |
2020. It is important that as many people as possible can visit those | :31:15. | :31:18. | |
celebrations and I had discussions with the Secretary of State for | :31:19. | :31:20. | |
Transport for that matter last night. | :31:21. | :31:25. | |
When the Government reduced the maximum stake on fixed odds betting | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
terminals to ?50, it accepted the principle that we are lowering the | :31:30. | :31:34. | |
level of the state to have a positive impact on problem gambling. | :31:35. | :31:38. | |
As part of the review, will you examine the success of that measure, | :31:39. | :31:45. | |
and see if it has been successful, will you consider reducing the state | :31:46. | :31:49. | |
even further? The Minister might do one or other | :31:50. | :31:52. | |
or conceivably if they got honourable gentleman is a lucky boy, | :31:53. | :31:57. | |
both. Mr Speaker, we have had many | :31:58. | :32:01. | |
responses to the consultation and you will be welcome to help consider | :32:02. | :32:05. | |
those recommendations. I will make my recommendations shortly and we | :32:06. | :32:08. | |
are looking through the body of evidence that came to us from the | :32:09. | :32:14. | |
review published in October. I expect to publish the | :32:15. | :32:16. | |
recommendations and findings in the spring. | :32:17. | :32:23. | |
Questions for the Secretary of State for International Trade, Thomas | :32:24. | :32:24. | |
Simmonds. Mr Speaker, the EU Canada | :32:25. | :32:41. | |
comprehensive economic trade agreement, CE GAA, is a good | :32:42. | :32:48. | |
agreement for the UK. -- CETA. The UK Government is fully committed to | :32:49. | :32:51. | |
supporting such agreements whilst we remain EU members. The investment | :32:52. | :32:56. | |
protection provisions in | :32:57. | :32:58. |