:00:00. > :00:00.day in Houses of Parliament at 11pm. Firstly, we have questions to the
:00:00. > :00:11.Secretary of State for culture media and John Whittingdale and his team
:00:12. > :00:18.of ministers. Order, order. Question to the
:00:19. > :00:27.Secretary of State for culture media and sport, Mister Kevin Hollinrake.
:00:28. > :00:32.With permission and without a group this with question number four. By
:00:33. > :00:36.the end of the thousands of engine 95% of homes and businesses in the
:00:37. > :00:39.UK will have action to superfast broadband and as the Prime Minister
:00:40. > :00:44.announced last month, by the end of this Parliament people will have the
:00:45. > :00:47.legal right to request a broadband connection matter where they live,
:00:48. > :00:54.we will consult on these plans which will put access to broadband or any
:00:55. > :00:58.similar footing to other basic services early next year. Thank you,
:00:59. > :01:02.Mr Speaker. I will come the universal service obligation to
:01:03. > :01:05.provide 10 megabytes of coverage to the whole country by 2020.
:01:06. > :01:12.Point-to-point wireless can provide a solution and talk to 30 megabytes,
:01:13. > :01:17.but they all -- organisations behind the societies will not invest
:01:18. > :01:20.because state aid will bring wireless to those committees and
:01:21. > :01:23.take away their customers, can you minister provide a solution to this
:01:24. > :01:28.conundrum? Can I commend my honourable friend
:01:29. > :01:32.on his advocacy for his constituents on the importance of them achieving
:01:33. > :01:36.superfast broadband as quickly as possible? The universal service
:01:37. > :01:42.obligation will provide a safety net but it will take some time to work
:01:43. > :01:44.out the details. Meantime, we would welcome all the various alternative
:01:45. > :01:49.suppliers to put forward solutions and it could be that those will be
:01:50. > :02:00.different solutions for different places.
:02:01. > :02:02.Thank you, Mr Speaker, part of my constituency have been suffering
:02:03. > :02:07.from poor fibre-optic broadband coverage from BT. Much-needed
:02:08. > :02:14.upgrades were meant to be in place in December last year, yet, we are
:02:15. > :02:18.having to beat... Pardon? We are having to wait until 2016 and 2017
:02:19. > :02:22.financial year at the earliest. Can the Minister tell me what we are
:02:23. > :02:28.going to stop broadband companies dragging their heels so that all
:02:29. > :02:30.businesses and residents can enjoy the services they should have?
:02:31. > :02:35.I can fully appreciate the wish of my honourable friend that there
:02:36. > :02:38.constituents have access to superfast broadband quickly. We are
:02:39. > :02:44.making progress on the second phase and we have passed an extra 3.3
:02:45. > :02:48.million premises and that will rise to 4 million by early 2016 and I can
:02:49. > :02:53.tell my honourable friend that by the end of the second phase we will
:02:54. > :02:56.expect to achieve 97% coverage within her constituency and we will
:02:57. > :03:01.work hard on the remaining small number of houses and obviously, they
:03:02. > :03:05.will have the possibility of the universal service obligation to rely
:03:06. > :03:14.upon. Those of us who have long held views
:03:15. > :03:17.and strong advocate views, welcomed the government's U-turn on this
:03:18. > :03:21.matter. A few weeks ago I was told by the ministers sitting next to him
:03:22. > :03:25.this was not possible, it was not government policy. I will take part
:03:26. > :03:29.in the consultation. Can the Minister indicate, will any new
:03:30. > :03:31.government money be made available either from the UK or Welsh
:03:32. > :03:35.Government or from the European Union?
:03:36. > :03:43.I would be surprised if what might until friend said Ray A92 that! He
:03:44. > :03:49.has been a leading advocate of the universal service policy, it will
:03:50. > :03:53.benefit his constituents just as it will every household in the
:03:54. > :03:57.country. The precise details of how the universal service obligation
:03:58. > :04:00.will work has still to be worked out and that will be easily include how
:04:01. > :04:05.it will be paid for and we will consult that in the coming time.
:04:06. > :04:13.Given the report that was published this week by Ofcom, which
:04:14. > :04:17.illustrated the differences in spite for broadband accessibility in
:04:18. > :04:21.Northern Ireland and the fact that Northern Ireland has 73% coverage
:04:22. > :04:26.compared to 88% in the rest of the UK, what action will be Secretary of
:04:27. > :04:32.State and his officials take to address this particular matter?
:04:33. > :04:37.I believe the Ofcom report showed there were a number of different
:04:38. > :04:42.causes for slower broadband, including Christmas fairy lights,
:04:43. > :04:46.but that is why they are making an application available to measure the
:04:47. > :04:51.speed of Wi-Fi. I can tell you that in Northern Ireland we expect by the
:04:52. > :04:55.end of the superfast broadband project that 87% of homes and
:04:56. > :04:57.businesses will be covered and the Northern Ireland government has
:04:58. > :05:03.received ?11.4 million for this BT project.
:05:04. > :05:08.In my constituency there are some easily accessible areas where
:05:09. > :05:14.superfast broadband is economic with viable, BT have received a huge
:05:15. > :05:18.amount of subsidy since 2010. That's my right honourable friend agree
:05:19. > :05:24.that this is unacceptable and we need to get this right and solve
:05:25. > :05:28.this issue? Well, I would tell you that we are
:05:29. > :05:32.making good progress. As I have mentioned, we are optimistic and we
:05:33. > :05:37.are confident that we will achieve the target of 95% by the end of
:05:38. > :05:40.2017. That leaves difficult areas however, and I would be happy to
:05:41. > :05:47.meet my honourable friend to discuss what more we can do to ensure that
:05:48. > :05:50.all of his constituents can from superfast broadband.
:05:51. > :05:53.Can the Secretary of State tell me what steps he is taking with other
:05:54. > :05:57.government departments to enforce broadband speeds, that is these
:05:58. > :06:01.questions are about superfast broadband but what constitutes that
:06:02. > :06:05.on the ground, as it were, it's a matter of dispute, because many
:06:06. > :06:12.providers tell you that they provide speeds to a certain number, what
:06:13. > :06:16.enforcement steps is he kidding? I have sympathy with the honourable
:06:17. > :06:19.gentleman and his concern that they advertise speeds are not always
:06:20. > :06:23.delivered in practice, we have spoken to Ofcom about that and we
:06:24. > :06:29.continue to do so regularly and they are carrying out a detailed research
:06:30. > :06:32.and making available an application to allow consumers to test whether
:06:33. > :06:35.they are achieving those speeds. The universal service obligation, which
:06:36. > :06:40.the question refers to, which is coming into place and it will
:06:41. > :06:45.require that all providers can supply at least 10 megabytes, that
:06:46. > :06:50.is the speed that Ofcom assesses as what business survey to be able to
:06:51. > :07:00.enjoy most normal applications. Mr Speaker, five years after the
:07:01. > :07:04.universal commitment of the Labour Party, without proper consultation
:07:05. > :07:09.about that with either Ofcom or industry, the Prime Minister
:07:10. > :07:12.magically makes available the universal service obligation out of
:07:13. > :07:16.thin air and the Minister, for whom I have the deepest sympathy, he is
:07:17. > :07:22.forced to depend -- pretended to some sort of strategy that they have
:07:23. > :07:25.looked at when they haven't, what the Chancellor is not in on this
:07:26. > :07:28.track because the comprehensive spending review does not mention
:07:29. > :07:33.this once. Does the Minister have any idea how much this will cost or
:07:34. > :07:40.is it just a sop for his backbenchers with their mail bags
:07:41. > :07:46.bulging with broadband complaints? It was a good try! I would tell the
:07:47. > :07:54.right honourable lady that we have made good progress and we have no
:07:55. > :07:58.past 3.3 million homes with the superfast scheme and we will achieve
:07:59. > :08:03.95% by the end of 2017. The universal service obligation is to
:08:04. > :08:08.allow those few remaining ones that do not benefit to have the legal
:08:09. > :08:11.right to require broadband. As to the costing of it, that is something
:08:12. > :08:15.we are in discussion with the industry about and with which we
:08:16. > :08:19.will consult on and we look forward to hearing all inputs on this
:08:20. > :08:25.consultation, including from the honourable lady.
:08:26. > :08:29.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am grateful for this question, it is an
:08:30. > :08:33.important issue, we improve access to culture and the arts and people
:08:34. > :08:37.from disadvantaged unities. I was delighted with the Autumn Statement
:08:38. > :08:41.from the Chancellor, which did not cut funding from the arts and
:08:42. > :08:44.heritage and I know that will be welcomed by the Labour Party because
:08:45. > :08:48.they were predicting doom and gloom. There are a number of schemes
:08:49. > :08:53.that help disadvantaged people but I want to work on this from my white
:08:54. > :08:57.paper in the New Year. Mr Speaker, the Arts Council will
:08:58. > :09:01.have over ?1.5 billion to support the arts over the next three years,
:09:02. > :09:07.it has been calculated that this 43% will be invested in London, compared
:09:08. > :09:13.to ?19 80 per head for the rest of the country. People in Dewsbury and
:09:14. > :09:17.the rest of Yorkshire feel let down. Will the Minister take action to
:09:18. > :09:21.improve funding and balance between London and the regions to ensure
:09:22. > :09:24.that everyone from this advantage communities get access to culture
:09:25. > :09:30.and the arts? My understanding is that tonight in
:09:31. > :09:34.Dewsbury at Crow nest Park they will be a fantastic free art event for
:09:35. > :09:40.families funded by the Arts Council. Another fund targets funding outside
:09:41. > :09:45.of London and more than half of the drugs for arts go to a quarter of
:09:46. > :09:49.the most deprived areas in England. I think that the Arts Council is
:09:50. > :09:53.doing a lot and we are doing more than under the last Labour
:09:54. > :09:55.government, we have massively increased the funding that goes
:09:56. > :10:02.outside of London which the Labour Party never addressed.
:10:03. > :10:05.Last Saturday evening my family and I attended the Lighthouse theatre in
:10:06. > :10:10.Kettering attended by the local Scouts group and it was a fantastic
:10:11. > :10:14.show, and given that the Scouts do so much, very good work with boys
:10:15. > :10:18.and girls in this advantage committee throughout this country,
:10:19. > :10:20.with the Minister like to take this opportunity to praise the Scout
:10:21. > :10:25.movement for the way in which they encourage young people to get
:10:26. > :10:28.involved in the arts in this way? I bet a lot to take this opportunity
:10:29. > :10:33.to praise the Scouts movement and to praise all of the volunteers and
:10:34. > :10:36.voluntary organisations that do so much for the arts. Their
:10:37. > :10:39.contribution should not be forgotten, we should not looked at
:10:40. > :10:45.those organisations funded by the Arts Council.
:10:46. > :10:47.On the issue of disadvantaged communities and their languages, the
:10:48. > :10:52.Gaelic language is the most endangered in these islands, why
:10:53. > :10:56.then in the Autumn Statement that the government withdraw its total
:10:57. > :11:01.direct UK funding of ?1 million? Can I ask him to reconsider?
:11:02. > :11:07.As the honourable gentleman knows full well, there were too one of
:11:08. > :11:10.grants in the last Parliament to support that important work and I
:11:11. > :11:15.think that those contributions have made a very viable difference but
:11:16. > :11:20.they were not annual grants going back into the past, they were 21 of
:11:21. > :11:24.grants supported by the then Chief Secretary.
:11:25. > :11:27.Thank you, Mr Speaker, does the Minister agree that the ?40 million
:11:28. > :11:32.commitment to the Discover England fund will help promote the arts and
:11:33. > :11:35.culture across Britain? Yes, I do and it is extremely
:11:36. > :11:39.important that that fund is coordinated with the arts and
:11:40. > :11:42.heritage funding that the Chancellor has kept stable for the next
:11:43. > :11:46.five-year is, if we combine the funding for arts, heritage and
:11:47. > :11:47.tourism we could generate some meaningful interjections across the
:11:48. > :11:58.UK. The Government's official annual
:11:59. > :12:02.figures, taking part, published in July, show there has been a marked
:12:03. > :12:06.decline in the percentage of young children participating in the
:12:07. > :12:16.activities including dance, music, theatre, drama, arts and crafts. In
:12:17. > :12:23.2010, more five to ten-year-olds were taking part, it is now just
:12:24. > :12:29.30%. Our access to arts and culture has gone backwards and has
:12:30. > :12:33.disproportionately disadvantaged young kids who have missed out.
:12:34. > :12:37.Museums have never received more visitors, arts organisations are
:12:38. > :12:41.thriving, and rather than criticising the arts, this is his
:12:42. > :12:44.opportunity to apologise for the appalling scaremongering he
:12:45. > :12:48.undertook this month, claiming that the arts were going to be cut by
:12:49. > :12:55.30%. He should apologise now at this despatch box. It is an odd request
:12:56. > :13:01.to be asked to apologise for the Government figures! I have
:13:02. > :13:07.highlighted the poor performance. More figures, these are real
:13:08. > :13:10.figures, not scaremongering, Ipsos MORI revealed that children of
:13:11. > :13:16.non-graduate parents spend fewer than three hours per week on
:13:17. > :13:21.cultural activity, compared to 80% of children from graduate parents.
:13:22. > :13:27.In the spending review last week, a 5% real terms cut, and the central
:13:28. > :13:36.grant of local government is being cut by a massive 56%. ?6.1 billion
:13:37. > :13:41.reduction by 2019-20, not exactly a course for a circuit of honour. What
:13:42. > :13:46.impact has the DCMS made about the impact of local government cuts made
:13:47. > :13:52.by this government on libraries, museums, galleries, theatres, that
:13:53. > :13:57.all rely on local councils? Well, Mr Speaker, I take the issue of access
:13:58. > :13:59.to the arts for all of our communities very seriously, which is
:14:00. > :14:03.why I support all of the scheme is the arts Council are taking. He can
:14:04. > :14:07.make a difference, he doesn't have to feel powerless on the opposition
:14:08. > :14:10.Bence, he can bring up Labour Lancashire and ask why they are
:14:11. > :14:20.withdrawing all funding from museums. -- opposition bench. Number
:14:21. > :14:24.three, Mr Speaker. I am grateful, Mr Speaker, for the chance to address
:14:25. > :14:28.this important issue. I am delighted over 50,000 firms around the UK have
:14:29. > :14:34.taken advantage of our broadband connection voucher, as well as more
:14:35. > :14:39.than 1000 public buildings. My constituents will have connections
:14:40. > :14:43.below the Cheshire average for superfast broadband. What steps can
:14:44. > :14:48.be taken to ensure that connecting Cheshire will be prioritised better
:14:49. > :14:53.with superfast broadband access for rural businesses and residents? My
:14:54. > :14:57.honourable friend is a fantastic advocate for broadband and her
:14:58. > :15:01.constituency, and I am very pleased that almost half of her constituency
:15:02. > :15:05.will benefit from our superfast broadband roll-out. Almost 15,000
:15:06. > :15:09.homes in her constituency have already been passed, but by the time
:15:10. > :15:14.the project is finished, more than 30,000 will have been passed. There
:15:15. > :15:18.won't be very many successful business parks where the highway
:15:19. > :15:23.stops short of the business park, people get out of the car and walk
:15:24. > :15:29.on foot to the business park. Can we apply the same logic to another very
:15:30. > :15:33.important highway? Broadband. And make sure that business parks are
:15:34. > :15:38.properly connected so that small businesses can thrive and prosper?
:15:39. > :15:41.There is no reason at all why business parks should not be part of
:15:42. > :15:45.the superfast broadband roll-out programme, but it is also important
:15:46. > :15:49.for business park owners providing services and charging rent to get on
:15:50. > :15:57.board and get broadband to the tenants as well. Question five, Mr
:15:58. > :16:00.Speaker. As the Prime Minister announced, by the end of this
:16:01. > :16:03.Parliament people will have a legal right to request a broadband
:16:04. > :16:07.connection no matter where they live, from a designated provider at
:16:08. > :16:15.a minimum speed up to a reasonable cost threshold. We will consult on
:16:16. > :16:18.these plans in early 2016. I want to thank the Minister for his answer,
:16:19. > :16:22.and thank the Secretary of State for meeting with me and being so patient
:16:23. > :16:28.with the queries I have had on this issue. Residents in Telford, in new
:16:29. > :16:32.build areas, and in historic iron bridge, they tell me they struggle
:16:33. > :16:37.daily with inadequate broadband. I would like to know when these
:16:38. > :16:43.residents can expect increased connectivity, the same as other
:16:44. > :16:47.people across the UK? Well, I can tell my honourable friend that the
:16:48. > :16:53.Telford and Wrekin project is set to deliver superfast broadband access
:16:54. > :17:00.to 98% of homes and businesses by the end of phase two, in 2017.
:17:01. > :17:04.However she is right to press us to ensure those few remaining
:17:05. > :17:07.constituents of hers who do not have access should obtain it. I can tell
:17:08. > :17:12.her that from this month they will have the right to a basic broadband
:17:13. > :17:15.service, two megabits per second, and then they will be able to take
:17:16. > :17:21.advantage of the universal service obligation when it comes into
:17:22. > :17:23.effect. I welcome the Secretary of State's statement, but what
:17:24. > :17:28.reassurance can he give me that the pace of the roll-out will be
:17:29. > :17:34.increased so that businesses in my constituency, such as XL group in
:17:35. > :17:41.Wareham, can have access to fibre? I can say to my honourable friend that
:17:42. > :17:45.we will achieve the 95% target by 2017, indeed we will then be able to
:17:46. > :17:50.invest more into going beyond that as a result of the contractual
:17:51. > :17:54.arrangements that we have achieved. And we will be putting in place the
:17:55. > :18:00.universal service obligation, which will benefit his constituents just
:18:01. > :18:04.as it will every other member's. It is all very well having the
:18:05. > :18:07.universal service obligation in place, and I do urge that it be
:18:08. > :18:14.brought in as quickly as possible, but the key question is what the
:18:15. > :18:18.definition is of affordable and reasonable? Can the Secretary of
:18:19. > :18:21.State confirmed that when it is introduced my constituents will be
:18:22. > :18:25.able to afford what is offered by the providers? Well, I would say to
:18:26. > :18:30.my honourable friend that the universal service obligation is a
:18:31. > :18:37.safety net to benefit those few remaining people who have been
:18:38. > :18:41.unable to access superfast. We are consulting on the precise details,
:18:42. > :18:45.and that includes the costing of it. We are discussing with the industry
:18:46. > :18:48.how it will be met, but I can assure my honourable friend that it is
:18:49. > :18:50.intended that it should be affordable to his and every other
:18:51. > :18:56.member's constituency. Question member's constituency. Question
:18:57. > :19:00.number six. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have regular discussions with the
:19:01. > :19:04.football authorities on a variety of issues, including the work of
:19:05. > :19:08.supporters associations, the expert working group set up by government
:19:09. > :19:11.has been looking at building support engagement. I received a copy of the
:19:12. > :19:15.report and it will go to the football authorities for approval by
:19:16. > :19:19.the boards. I am grateful for that answer from my honourable friend.
:19:20. > :19:26.We'll she join me in paying tribute to Crawley Town supporters Alliance
:19:27. > :19:31.for the charity work they do in terms of the Crawley Kicks were
:19:32. > :19:37.checked for young people? And also raising funds for chestnut tree
:19:38. > :19:42.Children's Hospital in Sussex? I share a TV region with my honourable
:19:43. > :19:46.friends so I share the ups and downs of his club alongside him! It is
:19:47. > :19:50.nice to be able to congratulate Crawley Town supporters Alliance on
:19:51. > :19:54.the label admirable community work. Supporters groups up and down the
:19:55. > :19:58.country make hugely valuable contributions to their communities
:19:59. > :20:01.as well as raising funds for their clubs. Football clubs are stronger
:20:02. > :20:07.when they work with supporters and in the best interests of the
:20:08. > :20:11.supporters. The Northern league was founded in 1889, it's the second
:20:12. > :20:15.oldest Football League in the country. It couldn't have survived
:20:16. > :20:20.without the commitment of the dedicated supporters and
:20:21. > :20:24.volunteers. A shining example is Mr Mike Amos, the chairman of the
:20:25. > :20:29.Northern league, retiring after 20 years this year. He has done a
:20:30. > :20:33.fantastic job, like lots of other volunteers across non-league
:20:34. > :20:37.football. Across this country. Will the minister join me in thanking the
:20:38. > :20:41.likes of Mr Amos, who give lots of dedication and commitment to
:20:42. > :20:46.non-league football, and wish him the very best together with his
:20:47. > :20:50.family for the future? Football is nothing without its fans and without
:20:51. > :20:54.volunteers and communities that it works in. It is extremely important
:20:55. > :20:58.that we celebrate and honour those who dedicate their lives in a
:20:59. > :21:01.variety of different ways to football, so I certainly join with
:21:02. > :21:07.the honourable gentleman and congratulate Mr Amos on all he has
:21:08. > :21:11.done to serve the Northern league. Could the minister just say when the
:21:12. > :21:14.report for the working group will be published? We were hoping it would
:21:15. > :21:19.be published at the end of last month. This morning we highlight the
:21:20. > :21:21.problems in the governments of world football, but there are still
:21:22. > :21:30.problems and concerns about the governments of football in this
:21:31. > :21:33.country too. -- the governance. If anything, I owe the honourable
:21:34. > :21:38.gentleman and apology because in response to the question last time,
:21:39. > :21:43.I said the report would be published before his bill tomorrow. I have
:21:44. > :21:46.received a copy of the report. It has been done by football for
:21:47. > :21:50.football, so it is only right that the football authorities that need
:21:51. > :21:52.to look through this are given the opportunity to do so. I expect that
:21:53. > :21:57.in the next three weeks in the in the next three weeks in the
:21:58. > :22:03.report to be published in January. Question number seven, Mr Speaker. I
:22:04. > :22:08.plan to publish the new cross departmental strategy for sport and
:22:09. > :22:14.physical activity before Christmas. Thank you very much. The Department
:22:15. > :22:19.figures show that children's participation has dropped under this
:22:20. > :22:23.government. The number of 5-15 -year-olds playing competitive sport
:22:24. > :22:27.outside school has dropped to 19%. Given my city has been awarded the
:22:28. > :22:30.European city of sport for next year, the great city of
:22:31. > :22:33.Stoke-on-Trent, when is the Government going to give us detail,
:22:34. > :22:38.stop talking and start delivering so my constituents can get the most out
:22:39. > :22:42.of next year? The honourable lady only has to wait a short time to see
:22:43. > :22:46.what the Government will be doing to deliver a brand-new policy on
:22:47. > :22:50.sport, making sure children participate in sport at a very early
:22:51. > :22:57.age, that is incredibly important. We know that if children develop a
:22:58. > :23:02.habit -- a habit for sport, it is something they will continue. If you
:23:03. > :23:08.can bear with us for a few days, hopefully she will get the answer in
:23:09. > :23:13.more detail. Mr Speaker, I know the minister is keen on increasing
:23:14. > :23:17.participation in sport. Is she aware of the work of an authority which
:23:18. > :23:23.does cycling for those with disability, but is concerned that
:23:24. > :23:26.activity levels are not being included in the government's
:23:27. > :23:31.activity standard, as it does not count as being sport? Too much focus
:23:32. > :23:39.is going on Italy Paralympic sport and not enough on activity levels
:23:40. > :23:44.for disabled sport? -- on Paralympic sport. The previous sports strategy
:23:45. > :23:48.relied only on two crude measurements around participation
:23:49. > :23:51.and medals. As I indicated previously when we have discussed
:23:52. > :23:54.this issue in the house, the new sports strategy will look beyond
:23:55. > :24:01.those measures and look to see what social value sport brings. That will
:24:02. > :24:07.mean that nobody should be prevented from participating in sport or any
:24:08. > :24:10.kind of physical activity. Minister, obviously any new strategy should
:24:11. > :24:16.involve the participation of more ladies and girls, are also the issue
:24:17. > :24:22.of obesity. Particularly at primary school level. What discussions has
:24:23. > :24:27.she had with the Health Minister to address that issue? I can reassure
:24:28. > :24:32.the honourable gentleman that I meet regularly with Ministers across all
:24:33. > :24:35.departments, but especially the Department for Health and education.
:24:36. > :24:39.The new sports strategy is a cross department will strategy that will
:24:40. > :24:42.deal with lots of different issues. We will make sure it will align
:24:43. > :24:47.carefully with what the Department of Health is doing in the long-term
:24:48. > :24:54.around combating obesity and childhood obesity. Mr Laurence
:24:55. > :25:00.Robertson. Question number nine, Mr Speaker.
:25:01. > :25:05.If I may one of all draw the House's attention to the written
:25:06. > :25:10.ministerial statement in the name of the Secretary of State in Parliament
:25:11. > :25:14.this morning, which confirms the 55th Levy has now been set. Despite
:25:15. > :25:17.this, the Government remains committed to replacing the current
:25:18. > :25:21.levy system to create a level playing field for British-based and
:25:22. > :25:25.offshore gambling operators. Work is continuing and we will make a
:25:26. > :25:29.further announcement in the due course. I am grateful to the
:25:30. > :25:37.Minister for that response. One of the proposals put forward by Racing
:25:38. > :25:41.sport is for a racing right. Could she tell us what work the Government
:25:42. > :25:46.has done in considering the proposal? If she is in need of more
:25:47. > :25:49.details from the industry with regards to that proposal? And what
:25:50. > :25:54.sort of timescale we might be talking about? The previous
:25:55. > :25:58.government undertook three consultations on this and we are
:25:59. > :26:02.committed to replacing the current outdated levy. Work is continuing
:26:03. > :26:04.and more detailed policy design is under way. We will make a further
:26:05. > :26:16.announcement in due course. Can I inform the minister there is
:26:17. > :26:19.growing concern in Scotland, including more sober racecourse
:26:20. > :26:26.regarding the delay in introducing the new horse racing right? Can I
:26:27. > :26:35.press the Minister on some form of timetable so that this industry
:26:36. > :26:40.knows where it is. -- mussel broth. It is a field piece of work and we
:26:41. > :26:45.want to get the lead it right. It is important for everyone make sure
:26:46. > :26:49.that racing continues to be strong, it is a huge economic contributor to
:26:50. > :26:53.the UK economy and therefore we want to make sure that we do things in
:26:54. > :27:00.the appropriate and right way. I should make people aware of my entry
:27:01. > :27:06.in the register of interests. ?130 million is the total prize
:27:07. > :27:11.winning in horse racing and bookies hand over almost ?200 million,
:27:12. > :27:16.nearly 50% more than prize money, is it not fair to say that bookmakers
:27:17. > :27:24.pay a fair price for the racing product and of -- that it was a
:27:25. > :27:29.problem that they turn down this money?
:27:30. > :27:32.I thank you for that question I know you take a keen interest in this
:27:33. > :27:38.matter. The 1 thing I can assure my honourable friend is that the issue
:27:39. > :27:42.around the levy discussions that take place, the voluntary
:27:43. > :27:47.contribution aspect was discussed within that and the Secretary of
:27:48. > :27:51.State makes that clear today. There is an issue with off-shore remote
:27:52. > :27:55.gambler is not contributing from the statutory perspective and that
:27:56. > :28:00.requires reform, if that does require reform, so we are looking at
:28:01. > :28:06.this in great detail. Mr Speaker, it is two years since on
:28:07. > :28:09.the site we forced the government to commit to introducing a racing
:28:10. > :28:14.right, to ensure that racing gets a fair return on all forms of betting
:28:15. > :28:19.that take place here in the UK, it is estimated that the industry is
:28:20. > :28:21.missing out on ?30 million each year. Could I press the Minister
:28:22. > :28:27.again, when can we expect a conclusion of the discussions on the
:28:28. > :28:30.horse racing right? Can she say what discussions he has had with the
:28:31. > :28:34.betting industry about a sports betting right for all sports that
:28:35. > :28:38.can be invested back into grassroots sport which began under the last
:28:39. > :28:44.Labour government? Well, I have made it clear and
:28:45. > :28:48.answered the question around the time frame, we have to look at this
:28:49. > :28:51.in detail and there is an economic evaluation taking place. In terms of
:28:52. > :28:55.the sports betting right, the government does not believe it is
:28:56. > :28:58.something that we should be introducing and has no plans to do
:28:59. > :29:03.so. The new model for horse racing will replace an existing arrangement
:29:04. > :29:11.for transferring funds from betting to horse racing.
:29:12. > :29:17.Number Ten, sir. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I am thrilled
:29:18. > :29:22.with the progress we are making on broadband and mobile coverage and I
:29:23. > :29:24.know that the front bench likes to mockingly, the Labour front bench,
:29:25. > :29:32.but it is interesting, for example... No, no...
:29:33. > :29:37.We love you, Edward! I just want to tell you very quickly
:29:38. > :29:41.at the International telecoms union which has seen the ranking of the UK
:29:42. > :29:46.rise from 10th position to fourth position in terms of broadband,
:29:47. > :29:53.overtaking Sweden, Holland, Hong Kong and Finland, and of course, the
:29:54. > :29:58.broadband score Bard -- the European broadband scorecard puts us in the
:29:59. > :30:04.top five, that is progress! Yes, progress but I am interested in
:30:05. > :30:07.Shropshire where I represent and there are outstanding issues. I hope
:30:08. > :30:11.that the Minister can give us assurances about the work taking
:30:12. > :30:17.place to improve infrastructure and the structure of that.
:30:18. > :30:23.And the electronic information code. Broadband roll-out in Shropshire is
:30:24. > :30:26.exceeding the number of Michelin stars in the honourable gentleman's
:30:27. > :30:32.own constituency, some 12,000 homes have been part of our broadband
:30:33. > :30:37.programme and he will get to 92% of his constituency and reform the
:30:38. > :30:42.electronic mutation scored to make the broadband roll-out faster,
:30:43. > :30:47.especially when we introduce our universal service obligation.
:30:48. > :30:51.Thank you, Mr Speaker for. A report published by Ofcom in August found
:30:52. > :30:55.that 24% of Scotland's landmass has no mobile signal and the Highlands
:30:56. > :30:59.and Islands Enterprise to be the worst area for 3G coverage in the
:31:00. > :31:10.UK. The 4G option to no account of the UK's span across the UK. What is
:31:11. > :31:13.he doing to ensure that 5G licenses are happening across the UK and does
:31:14. > :31:20.he agree that 5G could be part of the solution in rural areas?
:31:21. > :31:25.5G is some way off but we are investing in the research. He may be
:31:26. > :31:28.looking at our plans to clear the 700 megahertz spectrum which will
:31:29. > :31:32.provide better coverage. I know he will agree with me and applaud the
:31:33. > :31:37.deal that we did with mobile operators to get 90% geographic
:31:38. > :31:47.coverage I 2020 seven, but his interest from in our hearts.
:31:48. > :31:51.Question 11, Mr Speaker. What can I say except that we are
:31:52. > :31:54.committed to the Welsh language, we are committed to providing services
:31:55. > :32:02.in the Welsh language and we are also formally committed to S4C.
:32:03. > :32:11.Does my honourable friend, Mr Speaker, agree that S4C plays a key
:32:12. > :32:14.role in promoting the Welsh language in Wales? Does he understand the
:32:15. > :32:22.widespread disappointment that people in Wales feel that the DCMS
:32:23. > :32:26.contribution which was significantly due -- ridges and the Autumn
:32:27. > :32:32.Statement? I am afraid my glass is half full on
:32:33. > :32:37.this one, we secured ?84 million of funding in 2013 for S4C and that has
:32:38. > :32:40.remained stable Rodley for the lifetime of that parliament. If you
:32:41. > :32:46.take into account the contribution made by BBC News, S4C will receive a
:32:47. > :32:49.guaranteed income of some ?90 million each year, that is
:32:50. > :32:55.guaranteed income which any other media company and organisation apart
:32:56. > :33:00.from the BBC would cry out for. S4C is the only Welsh language
:33:01. > :33:05.channel that exists. That is a national treasure of the United
:33:06. > :33:09.Kingdom and of the government has a commitment to the Welsh language, it
:33:10. > :33:14.needs to stop cutting the income of the only Welsh language TV channel
:33:15. > :33:18.that we have, will he be considered -- will be please reconsider?
:33:19. > :33:21.This channel was brought in by the Conservative government and has been
:33:22. > :33:24.supported by the Conservative government and will continue to be
:33:25. > :33:29.so, but we have had to make difficult decisions about funding
:33:30. > :33:31.across all areas of government because of the catastrophic mess
:33:32. > :33:38.left by his government. In this -- in his general election
:33:39. > :33:42.manner faster, his party for Mister guaranteed defunding of S4C but it
:33:43. > :33:47.has received a further 20% cut recently. As the Minister aware of
:33:48. > :33:54.his Welsh history and what happened the last time of the broken promises
:33:55. > :34:02.by the Tories? Will he reconsider that S4C be adequately resourced?
:34:03. > :34:04.I continue to repeat, S4C is generously funded and supported by
:34:05. > :34:09.the BBC and will receive a generous grant from our department and it is
:34:10. > :34:16.more generously funded than any other media organisation in terms of
:34:17. > :34:25.the number of viewers it receives. Topical one, Mr Speaker, please.
:34:26. > :34:29.Since the last culture media and the questions, Adele's new album 25 has
:34:30. > :34:33.enjoyed record-breaking chart success. The latest Bond film is
:34:34. > :34:37.doing excellent business and we concluded our hosting of the common
:34:38. > :34:42.Rugby World Cup and Great Britain has won the Davis Cup! We have also
:34:43. > :34:46.seen the ability of sport to bring people together in an incredibly
:34:47. > :34:51.powerful moving week in the England versus France game at Wembley. The
:34:52. > :34:55.positive impact of the many areas sponsored by my department on
:34:56. > :34:57.culture and well-being were reflected and recognised in the
:34:58. > :35:03.Spending Review. Will the Secretary of State to join
:35:04. > :35:07.me in congratulating rugby league star Kevin Sinfield on being short
:35:08. > :35:12.listed for BBC Sports Personality of the Year? Following the Autumn
:35:13. > :35:15.Statement, will he tell us how the government is supporting rugby
:35:16. > :35:23.league and the bed for the Rugby League World Cup in 2021?
:35:24. > :35:26.Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate all 12 contenders for
:35:27. > :35:32.the Sports Personality of the Year, however, you may be aware that there
:35:33. > :35:36.are some fans of Leeds Rhinos two Inwood department, one who is not
:35:37. > :35:39.sitting too far from the, and I am sure she will be very vocal in
:35:40. > :35:46.supporting Kevin Sinfield! With regards for the Rugby League World
:35:47. > :35:55.Cup, two years ago at 2/200 and ?50,000 -- fans, and generated a lot
:35:56. > :36:00.of money. Officials are due to meet shortly to discuss that World Cup
:36:01. > :36:04.bid. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The
:36:05. > :36:09.Immigration Bill seems to make it harder and harder for people in the
:36:10. > :36:13.creative industries, calling others to work with people across the
:36:14. > :36:17.globe. As the Secretary of State considered the benefits of our
:36:18. > :36:20.greatest industries of a new short-term visa and police bid to
:36:21. > :36:24.the Home Secretary about this possibility?
:36:25. > :36:26.You have raised a very important topic and we have a close
:36:27. > :36:31.relationship with the Home Office and we keep in close contact on them
:36:32. > :36:37.on this issue, working with organisations we have reformed
:36:38. > :36:40.immigration rules to provide people in this country with the right
:36:41. > :36:45.skills and we will continue to work with the Home Office on this issue.
:36:46. > :36:52.The Minister will be delighted to know that last night Telford Home
:36:53. > :36:56.Park was announced as the UK's best part. Can the Minister join me in
:36:57. > :37:01.congratulating all of those involved, particularly Hollands
:37:02. > :37:06.would and the local parish council, friends of the spark and the local
:37:07. > :37:12.council for the important work that they do?
:37:13. > :37:14.This is indeed excellent news for the people of Telford and I
:37:15. > :37:20.congratulate everyone involved who won this award. -- Park. Urban parks
:37:21. > :37:23.are vital to provide opportunities for people to get active in the
:37:24. > :37:27.fresh air and it is important that we protect them for the benefit of
:37:28. > :37:31.local communities. As become within two days of small
:37:32. > :37:37.business Saturday, the Minister will be aware of the 350 production
:37:38. > :37:41.companies, including a large number of medium and small sized
:37:42. > :37:45.businesses. Can the Minister and the Secretary of State ensure is that in
:37:46. > :37:48.the event of any privatisation of channel for the livelihood of these
:37:49. > :37:51.important small businesses will not be threatened by the desire to
:37:52. > :37:57.centralise and nationalise to save money? -- Channel 4.
:37:58. > :38:03.Ayshire share the honourable gentleman's admiration in supporting
:38:04. > :38:07.our creative industries and I am trying to make sure Channel 4 has a
:38:08. > :38:15.sustainable and viable future and continues to deliver its remit. With
:38:16. > :38:18.regard to the ownership layers, no option has been taken but we're
:38:19. > :38:21.looking at different ones, including one put forward by the management of
:38:22. > :38:25.Channel 4. Whatever decision we reached it will be to ensure that
:38:26. > :38:31.Channel 4 makes a considerable contribution to our great economy.
:38:32. > :38:37.I am grateful for the blog that has been undertaken to review the case
:38:38. > :38:41.for greater integration of sports and recreation. Can make on the
:38:42. > :38:46.House what steps are being done to promote outdoor recreation to
:38:47. > :38:51.promote tourism in Macclesfield and across the country?
:38:52. > :38:57.Outdoor activity is a hugely important part of the tourism in
:38:58. > :38:59.rural areas across the UK and total annual tourism spending attributed
:39:00. > :39:06.to leisure activities across Britain is phenomenal. Of course, it is a
:39:07. > :39:10.key strand and strategy going forward but as the Minister for
:39:11. > :39:14.Prisons as well, it mixes in nicely with the other activities we are
:39:15. > :39:18.doing. Mounting evidence of BBC and its
:39:19. > :39:23.licensee of inhibiting the ability of retailers to develop online, the
:39:24. > :39:29.Minister is required to water down his antipathy towards this, can he
:39:30. > :39:36.do it may be that prevents hotting non-licensee funded media?
:39:37. > :39:40.Ayshire do concern about local newspapers which play a vital role
:39:41. > :39:43.in democracy. I welcome the fact that discussions have been taking
:39:44. > :39:47.place between media groups and the BBC and to determine what the BBC
:39:48. > :39:52.might do to assist local newspapers. I understand good progress has been
:39:53. > :39:58.made on that and I hope that the BBC will therefore be able to play its
:39:59. > :40:00.part in recognising the contribution local newspapers make to news
:40:01. > :40:04.provision and giving them some recompense for that.
:40:05. > :40:09.Thank you, Mr Speaker, with the highly successful Westminster gaming
:40:10. > :40:13.event earlier this month, would my rig honourable friend agree with me
:40:14. > :40:17.that the computer programming and gaming are viable options for many
:40:18. > :40:21.young people in terms of careers and our local communities?
:40:22. > :40:27.You make an excellent point, not only about the syntax that broadband
:40:28. > :40:30.roll-out in Cornwall but also the games economy that exists in the
:40:31. > :40:33.south-west, but also the games economy that exists in the
:40:34. > :40:39.south-west, whether we or other games manufacturers. As is
:40:40. > :40:44.accessible person who rolls out broadband, I wholeheartedly agree
:40:45. > :40:48.with both elements of his question. I can not let the Minister get away
:40:49. > :40:52.with his comments on S4C. In the month of May, the Conservative
:40:53. > :40:56.manifesto said they would safeguard the funding of S4C. How does the
:40:57. > :41:00.statement of the Chancellor last week safeguard the funding of S4C
:41:01. > :41:05.along the lines of his manifesto commitment?
:41:06. > :41:08.It will receive funding from this department and from the BBC and will
:41:09. > :41:12.continue to be the most generously funded media country -- dumping in
:41:13. > :41:17.the country in terms of the number of yours it gets.
:41:18. > :41:20.Mr Speaker, in September a new memorial to the miners that lost
:41:21. > :41:26.their lives in the local pets was unveiled. On Saturday night one of
:41:27. > :41:29.the four statues was severely damaged by a driver who crashed into
:41:30. > :41:32.it and fled from the scene. Will my right honourable friend join me in
:41:33. > :41:38.condemning the action of this callous individual and if possible,
:41:39. > :41:43.could government support be made available for the renewal of local
:41:44. > :41:46.memorials? -- pits. I share the feelings of my
:41:47. > :41:49.honourable friend and I was concerned to hear about the damage
:41:50. > :41:53.done to the memorial of the miners who lost their lives, not
:41:54. > :41:58.particularly because it came so soon after more than 2000 people lined
:41:59. > :42:01.the streets of the town to unveil that in September. I am sure the
:42:02. > :42:08.whole house would join me in condemning the actions of the person
:42:09. > :42:13.responsible. My ministers in this department are looking into that and
:42:14. > :42:16.if they care is with a local charity, they can benefit from the
:42:17. > :42:25.VAT on that. If the Government are serious about
:42:26. > :42:29.opening up the culture and arts to disadvantaged communities, can the
:42:30. > :42:34.Secretary of State explain to my constituents why the London museums
:42:35. > :42:37.are getting ?150 million announced in the Comprehensive Spending
:42:38. > :42:43.Review, ?100 million for a new arts complex in Battersea, yet Hull, the
:42:44. > :42:47.UK city of culture in 2017, is getting a share in ?1 million
:42:48. > :42:53.allocated by the Chancellor? How does that work? As somebody who has
:42:54. > :42:56.been to Hull twice to see what is going on, it is fantastic to see the
:42:57. > :43:00.improvements. The Labour front bench can mock what is going on in Hull
:43:01. > :43:05.and the people of Hull will see them laughing at the efforts being made
:43:06. > :43:09.by people in Hull to produce a great capital of culture. But she won't
:43:10. > :43:14.mention the ?78 million for the factory in Manchester and she won't
:43:15. > :43:18.point out that the ?150 million get storage out of Blyth house is to get
:43:19. > :43:23.those objects out of London to the regions. So I welcome Hull even if
:43:24. > :43:29.Labour condemned Hull as the capital of culture. The Minister is an
:43:30. > :43:34.exceptionally excited fellow this morning. I don't know what he or the
:43:35. > :43:37.honourable gentleman for Wolverhampton in the south-west had
:43:38. > :43:43.for breakfast this morning, but I think they should probably take care
:43:44. > :43:52.to avoid it. INAUDIBLE.
:43:53. > :43:55.It seems a very worthwhile cause, and what the Government bid to
:43:56. > :44:01.safeguard and support public sculpture... I feel strongly about
:44:02. > :44:06.this issue, Mr Speaker, but I will try not to get too overexcited about
:44:07. > :44:10.it. I was very pleased to secure the future of the Henry Moore sculpture
:44:11. > :44:15.on Abingdon Green, as well as campaigning to keep the Henry Moore
:44:16. > :44:19.sculpture from being sold by Tower Hamlets. And also the Hepworth
:44:20. > :44:22.sculpture that was going to be sold by a shopping centre. So I will
:44:23. > :44:28.support any public campaign that keeps a sculpture where it is meant
:44:29. > :44:33.to be. Last but not least, Mr Greg Mulholland. I am also delighted at
:44:34. > :44:40.the nomination for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Leeds
:44:41. > :44:44.legend Kevin Sinfield. But also by Otley cycling world champion Lizzie
:44:45. > :44:47.Armitstead. With the popularity of cycling, will the Government and
:44:48. > :44:51.DCMS get behind making the tour of Yorkshire a four-day event to build
:44:52. > :44:58.on the huge success it has been last year?
:44:59. > :45:04.As I said earlier, I congratulate all those who have received
:45:05. > :45:10.nominations for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It is a
:45:11. > :45:14.testament to how many successful sportsmen we have in this country,
:45:15. > :45:20.and sports women, that the line-up is so strong this year. In terms of
:45:21. > :45:26.the cycling tour in the north, it is something I am strongly aware of,
:45:27. > :45:31.and we will certainly consider. Questions to the Leader of the House
:45:32. > :45:33.and to the honour roll member for Carshalton and Wallington,
:45:34. > :45:40.representing the House of Commons commission. -- the honourable
:45:41. > :45:43.member. Mr Martin Day. With permission, Mr Speaker, I will
:45:44. > :45:48.answer this question and question six together. Sitting hours are
:45:49. > :45:51.decided by the House and reviewed by the siege committee, and decisions
:45:52. > :45:53.made by honourable members following