:00:09. > :00:17.Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture,
:00:18. > :00:22.Media and Sport, Mr Richard Graham. Number one. I am pleased to tell
:00:23. > :00:28.you, Mr Speaker, that broadband roll-out is going extremely well,
:00:29. > :00:34.particularly in our cities. This is juju the success of business voucher
:00:35. > :00:37.scheme. I make no apology for returning to the issue of
:00:38. > :00:45.frustrations of poverty in Gloucester. BT promised to upgrade.
:00:46. > :00:52.In 2014, the were sorry for the delay. In 2016, they said could I
:00:53. > :00:57.send them the original e-mail saying they would ever upgrade the box. At
:00:58. > :01:06.what stage is a commitment from BT a real commitment that will not result
:01:07. > :01:12.in in situ and saying, you lied. I am not a BT spokesman. But I hope
:01:13. > :01:17.they're listening to what by honourable friend has to say. He is
:01:18. > :01:22.a fantastic MP and it is incumbent, although I am proud of roll-out
:01:23. > :01:25.programme, the BT gets its act together in terms of customer
:01:26. > :01:31.service and delivering on its promises. When the minister boasted
:01:32. > :01:35.that we have some of the best broadband in Europe, who is he
:01:36. > :01:41.actually comparing us to? Is he aware of the House of Lords report
:01:42. > :01:49.that shows that we are the 19th fastest in the world and the 12th
:01:50. > :01:55.fastest speed in Europe? Is that not abysmal? Can we not be better? I
:01:56. > :02:02.don't think we could do better than we are already doing, actually. When
:02:03. > :02:05.I compare our Broadband to similar countries, Germany, France, Spain,
:02:06. > :02:10.Italy, we're beating all of them. When you look simply a speed, I
:02:11. > :02:14.think this is a narrow view, you don't look up prices, we have some
:02:15. > :02:20.of the lowest prices anywhere in the world. If you look at the results,
:02:21. > :02:25.the fact that we lead the world in terms of e-commerce, it shows we are
:02:26. > :02:33.probably the world's most advanced digital nation. Technology is
:02:34. > :02:37.available for the roll-out of superfast broadband and go for
:02:38. > :02:42.ultrafast broadband. With the Minister agree with this, to reduce
:02:43. > :02:49.disruption and give businesses in Bath a huge boost? It is important
:02:50. > :02:56.to set realistic targets, which is why we dropped the Labour policy and
:02:57. > :03:00.we're starting to look at gigabit Britain. Let's not get stuck in the
:03:01. > :03:10.past with Labour. Let's go forward to future. Is the Minister aware
:03:11. > :03:12.that the very latest European Commission Digital economy
:03:13. > :03:19.scorecard, published in the last few weeks, ranks the UK not just below
:03:20. > :03:23.the Nordic countries, which we would expect, but the low countries like
:03:24. > :03:27.Belgium. Will the Minister, despite the well-known antipathy of his
:03:28. > :03:30.Secretary of State to all things Europe and European, will the
:03:31. > :03:35.Minister actually pressed the European investment bank to put more
:03:36. > :03:42.money into extending broadband, particularly in rural constituencies
:03:43. > :03:50.like East Lothian? The question is ongoing. People must not leave the
:03:51. > :03:53.Chamber while a question is ongoing. I am sure the honourable gentleman
:03:54. > :04:01.is interested in views other than his own. BT may already be on the
:04:02. > :04:06.phone. However, I am surprised at the town of contempt for small
:04:07. > :04:09.countries like Belgium. I think small countries are often extremely
:04:10. > :04:13.successful. Small and perfectly formed. I was talking to an investor
:04:14. > :04:18.the other day about the extraordinary digital businesses
:04:19. > :04:21.that exist in Edinburgh, really ground-breaking businesses,
:04:22. > :04:25.developing facts to our digital policy. I know he will support what
:04:26. > :04:31.we're doing. I have forgotten his original point and! Because I was
:04:32. > :04:43.going out tonight on about what a fantastically digitally capable
:04:44. > :04:46.country Scotland is. Mr Speaker, public service broadcasting is the
:04:47. > :04:54.powerhouse of the UK's world-class television industry. In 2014, PSP
:04:55. > :05:03.invested ?2.5 billion in original TV content and accounted for over half
:05:04. > :05:04.of all TV viewing. I have had representations from constituents
:05:05. > :05:10.concerned about the future of the BBC. It is overwhelmingly positive
:05:11. > :05:14.and supportive. Now we have the result of the consultation and over
:05:15. > :05:17.three fifths are in favour of continuing with the current funding
:05:18. > :05:22.system. Can we have assurances there will be no further top slicing of
:05:23. > :05:28.the licence fee? I hope to be able to update the House on our progress
:05:29. > :05:33.with renewal of the charter in due course. But we're taking all the
:05:34. > :05:39.responses we received seriously. We take them into account. I would
:05:40. > :05:45.point out, we agreed with the BBC that one of the top slices of the
:05:46. > :05:52.licence fee, the amount taken for broadband, will come to an end in
:05:53. > :05:55.2020. I know my right honourable friend will have noted the
:05:56. > :05:59.forthcoming BBC Shakespeare season, held in collaboration with other
:06:00. > :06:01.bodies, including the Royal Shakespeare Company. Designed to
:06:02. > :06:06.bring Shakespeare July for a new generation, using TV and radio and
:06:07. > :06:11.online services. Does he agree with me that this is exactly the sort of
:06:12. > :06:21.thing the BBC not to be doing and something that only the BBC can do?
:06:22. > :06:24.I do agree. This year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death
:06:25. > :06:31.and it is an enormously important event. The BBC has a crucial role to
:06:32. > :06:38.play. I had the pleasure of going to watch the filming of Ben Elton's new
:06:39. > :06:43.comedy, based on Shakespeare, and I suspect this is the sort of thing
:06:44. > :06:47.that only the BBC would do. That the Secretary of State agree that
:06:48. > :06:51.proposals by BBC Scotland to strengthen its news output investing
:06:52. > :06:57.in jobs and production for an entirely editorial independent
:06:58. > :07:01.Scottish six, anchored from Scotland, is a development that all
:07:02. > :07:05.across the House can welcome as an example of long-term commitment to
:07:06. > :07:12.public service broadcasting and can he promise us that there will be no
:07:13. > :07:16.interference from Downing Street? Well, I had a very good meeting with
:07:17. > :07:20.Fianna Hyslop a couple of weeks ago to talk about the way in which the
:07:21. > :07:24.BBC meet the requirement to serve all the nations and regions of the
:07:25. > :07:28.UK. I'll office we welcome any investment which will create
:07:29. > :07:38.additional jobs, particularly in Scotland. And how the BBC goes about
:07:39. > :07:42.meeting that obligation is for the BBC and certainly is not something
:07:43. > :07:48.that I or my colleagues in number ten would want to instruct them how
:07:49. > :07:55.to go about. Mr Speaker, 80% of the 192,000 responses from the
:07:56. > :07:58.consultation see the BBC serves its audience well and the majority
:07:59. > :08:02.believe the content is high quality and distinctive from other
:08:03. > :08:05.broadcasters. The Secretary of State purports to be a supporter of the
:08:06. > :08:09.BBC, so why is he using charter renewal to restrict what the BBC
:08:10. > :08:17.does, rather than help it compete in the rapidly changing, increasingly
:08:18. > :08:21.global broadcasting environment? I was not surprised to find the
:08:22. > :08:27.responses showed the vast majority of people value the BBC. I value the
:08:28. > :08:30.BBC, as I have said. We will have to wait for the publication of the
:08:31. > :08:34.white paper. It is not a question of trying to come back on its output.
:08:35. > :08:42.There is a case which is borne out by responses, that the BBC needs to
:08:43. > :08:46.be more distinctive. That is something the director-general
:08:47. > :08:52.himself has said. He set out his own plans for the charter renewal. Well,
:08:53. > :08:55.the Secretary of State's speech yesterday was rather more about
:08:56. > :08:59.bashing the BBC than anything else. That is what the chair of the BBC
:09:00. > :09:02.Trust said. Bashing the BBC is the one thing the Secretary of State and
:09:03. > :09:06.the Prime Minister and the Chancellor agree about these days.
:09:07. > :09:13.They all want to use charter renewal to eviscerate the BBC, to do it a
:09:14. > :09:16.competitive favour, rather than delivering what the licence fee
:09:17. > :09:20.paying public want to see. They do not accept that the British people
:09:21. > :09:23.like the BBC and wanted to continue what it is doing. When the Lisa
:09:24. > :09:27.Graham state except that charter renewal should be about making the
:09:28. > :09:30.BBC fit for the future, rather than trying to diminish it for the
:09:31. > :09:35.commercial convenience of its competitors? The honourable lady
:09:36. > :09:39.must've been looking at a different speech to the one that I delivered.
:09:40. > :09:44.It certainly was not about bashing the BBC. As soon as I finished it, I
:09:45. > :09:48.had an extremely good meeting with the chairman of the BBC Trust, who
:09:49. > :09:53.did not mention anything about bashing the BBC at all, and indeed,
:09:54. > :09:57.welcomed what I had said. As for the charter renewal, it is precisely
:09:58. > :10:01.about making the BBC fit for the future and I do intend to try to
:10:02. > :10:06.bring forward the publication as soon as it is possible. As the
:10:07. > :10:10.honourable lady knows, there are a number of very important
:10:11. > :10:23.contributions, including the 192,000 consultations, which we want to take
:10:24. > :10:26.fully into account. We're making good progress on superfast broadband
:10:27. > :10:33.roll-out and averaged 4 million premises. It is going extremely
:10:34. > :10:36.well. I welcome the commitment to faster broadband in rural areas.
:10:37. > :10:39.Constituents have found it difficult to find information about the
:10:40. > :10:45.voucher scheme. Will he committed to working with Lancashire County
:10:46. > :10:53.Council to help people benefit from satellite broadband? I am pleased
:10:54. > :10:56.that within my original answer, I was pointing out how well the
:10:57. > :11:02.satellite broadband scheme was going. We at the end of December. To
:11:03. > :11:06.ensure people that had speed is of less than 2 megabits could get the
:11:07. > :11:10.speed they need. It was a soft launch, but we will be making it
:11:11. > :11:14.much more high profile in the next months and I will happily work with
:11:15. > :11:18.my honourable friend on making sure his constituents can benefit from
:11:19. > :11:22.the scheme. I note that superfast broadband roll-out will be almost
:11:23. > :11:30.100% in his constituency and in Lancashire.
:11:31. > :11:35.Merseyside authorities are not claiming millions that BT settled
:11:36. > :11:44.side and non-commercial broadband areas. Could put some pressure on
:11:45. > :11:46.the councils? -- that BT set aside. The councils know what is happening
:11:47. > :11:55.on the ground, and will work with them to access funding from central
:11:56. > :12:06.government or from Europe. Number four. Thank you. York, along with
:12:07. > :12:15.other areas affected, are being promoted by a ?1 million publicity
:12:16. > :12:17.campaign, this is designed to encourage British families to spend
:12:18. > :12:23.their Easter holidays in the north and. The Culture Secretary also
:12:24. > :12:31.launched pigeon trains 30% discount offer on the 1st of February, as
:12:32. > :12:38.part of his visit to York, as part of promoting the region is open for
:12:39. > :12:42.business. I thank him for his response. Around 200 businesses in
:12:43. > :12:46.York were flooded after Christmas, and thankfully many are getting back
:12:47. > :12:53.on their feet. Eldon on what he said about the recent visit England
:12:54. > :12:56.campaign to encourage families to visit the area, would he give
:12:57. > :13:01.consideration to providing individual grants, so local tourist
:13:02. > :13:09.attractions can market themselves to let everybody know they are open
:13:10. > :13:14.again for business. I know how assiduous he is to his commitment in
:13:15. > :13:21.the area. After the recent floods, York is open for business and
:13:22. > :13:29.welcoming back visitors. Tourism visitors in flood affected areas are
:13:30. > :13:31.eligible for a ?5 billion flood recovery grant, which can be used by
:13:32. > :13:40.businesses to help promote themselves. Visit Britain and visit
:13:41. > :13:51.England are also helping spread this message that business is open. It is
:13:52. > :13:56.1000 years since King Canute's accession to the throne. There
:13:57. > :14:07.trying to raise money so they biking centre in York can open again. What
:14:08. > :14:10.help can he give? The first priority is to make sure we deal with the
:14:11. > :14:14.physical impact of the floods themselves. We worked hard to make
:14:15. > :14:18.that happen. Now we need to make sure we work hard to give those
:14:19. > :14:27.businesses helped to attract the bookings they need. I have been to
:14:28. > :14:34.this Jorvik centre myself, and was very impressed with it. We need to
:14:35. > :14:41.make sure businesses are using channels to support the affected
:14:42. > :14:45.areas. The government is taking forward measures to tackle nuisance
:14:46. > :14:50.calls. This includes strengthening the regulators ability to take
:14:51. > :14:54.enforcement action against organisations that break the law,
:14:55. > :14:56.and increasing consumer choice by consulting on making it a
:14:57. > :15:04.requirement for direct marketing collars to display their line
:15:05. > :15:08.identification. Many of my constituents will be pleased by that
:15:09. > :15:14.answer, but they would hope that the action is taken quickly because,
:15:15. > :15:19.like me, they are fed up to the back teeth with sleazy calls, trying to
:15:20. > :15:23.sell PPI protection or to help with personal injuries that never
:15:24. > :15:34.happened. It is time something is done to stop these practices. We're
:15:35. > :15:40.constituency neighbours, so I am aware of the concerns expressed by
:15:41. > :15:43.the constituents on this. We would never be guilty of making nuisance
:15:44. > :15:56.calls in relation to our own election! But this is the case,
:15:57. > :15:58.action is being taken. The new measures at taking effect. Last week
:15:59. > :16:05.the information commission office has announced a record fine of
:16:06. > :16:14.?350,000 against one of the leading firms responsible for nuisance
:16:15. > :16:19.calls. The issue of nuisance calls is a problem for myself and
:16:20. > :16:24.constituents, and maybe affecting more in Scotland, with nine out of
:16:25. > :16:28.ten people complaining. In March, there is the second anniversary of
:16:29. > :16:39.the DC MS report on nuisance calls. What plans does he have two issue a
:16:40. > :16:43.revised plan to tackle this problem? We keep this matter under continual
:16:44. > :16:48.review, that we have taken a number of measures and we will be coming
:16:49. > :16:52.forward shortly with the outcome of the consultation that we have been
:16:53. > :17:04.conducting, into strengthening the requirements on direct marketing
:17:05. > :17:13.collars. -- collars. We're also consulting with "Which?", and
:17:14. > :17:16.further measures will be taken. The roll-out of superfast broadband is
:17:17. > :17:20.going very well and we have reached almost 4 million premises. Areas in
:17:21. > :17:26.my constituency fault into the so-called broadband white areas
:17:27. > :17:31.where Internet access is virtually nonexistent. In 2010 the government
:17:32. > :17:34.committed to providing a new home with a basic broadband connection by
:17:35. > :17:39.the end of 2015. Three months later I have been contacted by many
:17:40. > :17:43.constituents who are still without a decent broadband connection. Will he
:17:44. > :17:46.look into this issue and delivered on the commitment made five years
:17:47. > :17:49.ago that every household and business is given access to
:17:50. > :17:59.broadband, which is surely a necessity now, not a luxury. I am
:18:00. > :18:02.pleased to tell her that 96% of premises in her constituency will be
:18:03. > :18:08.getting superfast broadband. But as I said earlier, the satellite
:18:09. > :18:14.voucher scheme is now available. All of her constituents who do not have
:18:15. > :18:24.broadband or have slow broadband, can now apply and have it installed
:18:25. > :18:27.for three. -- free of charge. Those in my constituents who have missed
:18:28. > :18:32.out on superfast broadband are pinning their whole is on the
:18:33. > :18:39.universal service obligation. -- pinning their hopes. Can he outlined
:18:40. > :18:43.to the House how he has got on with the consultation, which I understand
:18:44. > :18:52.has to be conducted before it can be introduced? I am pleased to tell him
:18:53. > :18:56.that we are proceeding at pace with the consultation, which we will
:18:57. > :19:00.issue shortly, and we will legislate to bring in the universal service
:19:01. > :19:05.obligation in the Digital economy Bill, and I am delighted he will get
:19:06. > :19:10.superfast broadband in his constituency anyway. I have several
:19:11. > :19:14.cases of superfast broadband not reaching several constituents,
:19:15. > :19:23.including businesses. What discussions has he had with the
:19:24. > :19:28.businesses ensuring superfast broadband is available to more of
:19:29. > :19:32.them? We challenged the communication providers, and I am
:19:33. > :19:38.pleased to say that virgin and BT and extending their roll-out. There
:19:39. > :19:45.will be around 85% in his own constituency. Details of the
:19:46. > :19:50.meetings which we have had with interested parties on this matter
:19:51. > :19:53.are available through the Department's transparency returns.
:19:54. > :19:56.My officials engage regularly with interested stakeholders to discuss
:19:57. > :20:04.gambling policy more generally, including the issue of fixed odds
:20:05. > :20:12.betting terminals. In 2014-15, people in my area lost 209 --
:20:13. > :20:15.millions of pounds on these terminals. People cannot afford to
:20:16. > :20:24.Leeds large sums of money in my area. Does the government realise
:20:25. > :20:30.the risk that they pose? I understand the concern expressed
:20:31. > :20:33.about fixed odds betting terminals, and we keep this under review. She
:20:34. > :20:38.may be aware that last year we brought in new requirements which
:20:39. > :20:45.improved player protection, by putting a stop to unsupervised play,
:20:46. > :20:50.stakes over ?50. It is already clear that has had an impact on player
:20:51. > :20:54.behaviour, and as far as we can see, the rate of problem gambling remains
:20:55. > :21:02.under 1% and has not shown any sign of rising as a result of this. But
:21:03. > :21:06.we do keep this under review. As he knows, problem gambling rates have
:21:07. > :21:11.actually reduced since the introduction of fixed odds betting
:21:12. > :21:17.terminals, and the campaign for Federer gambling claim that fixed
:21:18. > :21:22.odds machines make a profit of ?1000 per week. As a betting shop is open
:21:23. > :21:25.for over 90 hours per week, that works out at an average profit of
:21:26. > :21:29.around ?11 and are. Does he think around ?11 and are. Does he think
:21:30. > :21:33.that is an excessive profit rate, and if so, what does he think
:21:34. > :21:41.unacceptable profit rate would be? -- ?11 an hour. I would say that
:21:42. > :21:44.they are a lot of claims and counterclaims being made in this
:21:45. > :21:49.area, and not all of them stand up to scrutiny. It is the government's
:21:50. > :21:56.intention to maintain a close watch on this, and any further changes we
:21:57. > :22:03.bring in will be firmly evidence -based. I have regular meetings with
:22:04. > :22:13.ministerial colleagues at the Home Office to discuss a range of issues.
:22:14. > :22:18.Companies often talk about social responsibility, and I can think of
:22:19. > :22:23.nothing more responsible about consulting with the police regarding
:22:24. > :22:30.death threats. But they have been waiting... Does the Minister agree
:22:31. > :22:35.that Facebook and other social media need to do more to help the criminal
:22:36. > :22:41.justice system? I would expect all social media companies to assist the
:22:42. > :22:44.police and uphold the law. It is the case that those providing
:22:45. > :22:50.communication services to UK users have an obligation to comply with
:22:51. > :22:54.warrants, requesting the content, and disclosure of data. That is
:22:55. > :22:59.perhaps something he should bring to the attention of Facebook and
:23:00. > :23:07.Greater Manchester Police, if the cooperation is not forthcoming. Will
:23:08. > :23:12.the Minister agree with me in welcoming the consultation starting
:23:13. > :23:19.today which has commenced in taking action on Internet trolls, who
:23:20. > :23:24.create fake profiles and bully, harass other members on time, in
:23:25. > :23:34.particular children affected by online bullying? I share her concern
:23:35. > :23:38.on this matter. It is a very distressing matter when this
:23:39. > :23:44.happens. I discovered someone had set up a profile of me, without my
:23:45. > :23:49.knowledge, a few weeks ago. It is clear that we need to tighten the
:23:50. > :23:54.law in this area where people are using these profiles to cause
:23:55. > :23:58.distress and in some cases breaching the law, so I welcome the new
:23:59. > :24:06.guidelines which the CPS are coming out with. Normally Internet
:24:07. > :24:11.companies are required to respond to requests from the police, but they
:24:12. > :24:16.are not given time skill requirement to do so. With Twitter, it is over
:24:17. > :24:21.three weeks on average before they provide data to the UK police for
:24:22. > :24:25.criminal investigations. What is the Minister and government going to do
:24:26. > :24:33.to force the Internet companies to respond promptly and immediately to
:24:34. > :24:41.our law-enforcement agencies who are pursuing criminals? As I said to the
:24:42. > :24:45.honourable gentleman a moment ago, I would expect social media companies
:24:46. > :24:52.to comply with the law, and to do so without any unnecessary delay.
:24:53. > :24:57.Therefore, if there is evidence that they are delaying, that is a matter
:24:58. > :25:01.that I'm happy to discuss with my colleagues in the Home Office to see
:25:02. > :25:04.what can be done about it. I am very pleased to tell the House that this
:25:05. > :25:11.government is a great champion of the digital single market, and I
:25:12. > :25:16.know you will have all read the Prime Minister's excellent White
:25:17. > :25:24.Paper. And it means that we're not paying roaming charges when
:25:25. > :25:26.travelling across the EU, and also when we get the digital single
:25:27. > :25:29.market in place we are going to see a huge increase in our GDP.
:25:30. > :25:37.According to the number ten website we can -- could create 325 billion
:25:38. > :25:44.in growth regarding the digital market. Why would anyone campaign to
:25:45. > :25:50.leave the EU, rather than working to get the best deal for the UK? Why
:25:51. > :25:55.indeed would anyone want to leave the EU! We present a united front in
:25:56. > :26:03.this House, on the benefits of EU membership.
:26:04. > :26:16.Yes... The Minister will be aware that the UK's internet economy is
:26:17. > :26:20.largest of all the G20. Twice the size of Germany and about four times
:26:21. > :26:24.the size of France. Does the Minister agree that that is why
:26:25. > :26:30.getting a good deal out of the single market is so important
:26:31. > :26:34.because so many jobs depend on it? I agree with my honourable friend.
:26:35. > :26:38.When he points out the share of the internet economy, it is incumbent on
:26:39. > :26:42.the opposition to explain why they come to this House all the time to
:26:43. > :26:47.rubbish our digital record and pretend there is an broadband in the
:26:48. > :26:50.UK. How does a digital economy come about if people are not using the
:26:51. > :27:02.brilliant superfast broadband we're delivering? Number ten, please. Our
:27:03. > :27:08.5-point plan makes clear the Government support for the tourist
:27:09. > :27:14.industry. This helps tourists explore the country beyond London.
:27:15. > :27:18.We have secured a discover England fund. This will encourage public and
:27:19. > :27:25.private sector partners across the country to come together and improve
:27:26. > :27:32.English tourism. Thank you. What help is being provided to owners of
:27:33. > :27:40.historic homes, such as Rockingham Castle, to not only conserve these
:27:41. > :27:47.out to boost local tourism? My honourable friend is known as a
:27:48. > :27:52.champion in Northamptonshire and his constituency. I recognise the
:27:53. > :27:56.importance of private heritage in supporting terrorism. These historic
:27:57. > :28:00.houses can apply for Heritage Lottery Fund Inc of up to ?100,000
:28:01. > :28:10.on projects which are of public benefit. You can get funding from
:28:11. > :28:20.historic England. It is important to know the facts. Before you reprimand
:28:21. > :28:27.me, can I remind the House that John Clare was the Northamptonshire poet
:28:28. > :28:30.and the John Clare trust has opened the wonderful cottage to terrorists
:28:31. > :28:35.and can I say to the Minister, he would be welcome to pay an official
:28:36. > :28:39.visit any time. Could he tell the world that we have a campaign, every
:28:40. > :28:49.child's right to the countryside, to get kids to learn outside the
:28:50. > :28:56.classroom. This is a powerful point. I endorse his comments. I look
:28:57. > :29:04.forward to visiting his area. Northampton and Rugby share a
:29:05. > :29:09.heritage in leather products. 50,000 visitors came during the Rugby World
:29:10. > :29:15.Cup, which established an interest in tourism. Would now be a good time
:29:16. > :29:19.to develop a permanent rugby themed visitor attraction in the town? When
:29:20. > :29:25.we get that attraction, I invite him to visit. I should like to commend
:29:26. > :29:32.the hard work my honourable friend has done. When we had visitors going
:29:33. > :29:37.to the birthplace of rugby, during the Rugby World Cup. I am interested
:29:38. > :29:42.in his proposition. I look forward to seeing what progress can be made
:29:43. > :29:52.and to visiting his area. Question 11. We have a competitive internet
:29:53. > :29:54.service provider marketed in the UK. Ofcom has published additional
:29:55. > :29:58.communications review, which promises further changes, which will
:29:59. > :30:03.be welcomed. Age-mac will the Minister tell the House what
:30:04. > :30:09.discussions he had had with his partner regarding encouraging
:30:10. > :30:11.alternative investment and competition in the UK
:30:12. > :30:15.telecommunications infrastructure? Item actually have announced a joint
:30:16. > :30:18.review of the Department of business on business broadband in the
:30:19. > :30:23.Secretary of State for business takes an interest in this issue.
:30:24. > :30:27.Both departments are very focused on Ofcom's recommendations. My message
:30:28. > :30:34.to BT but I hope they will reach an agreement with Ofcom in the future.
:30:35. > :30:38.In areas where there is insufficient competition, there is a requirement
:30:39. > :30:44.for regulation to ensure existing providers provide a fair service. In
:30:45. > :30:47.rural Cheshire, we have no competition and insufficient
:30:48. > :30:50.regulation. Ofcom are allowing providers to charge a premium to
:30:51. > :30:56.rural customers because they live in rural areas. Will the minister speak
:30:57. > :31:01.to Ofcom to provide tough regulation and a fair deal for rural broadband
:31:02. > :31:06.customers? You might yes, I met with the Chief Executive of Ofcom
:31:07. > :31:09.yesterday and I told her we were behind the review, which includes
:31:10. > :31:14.tough measures on BT. We want BT to reach agreement with by the end of
:31:15. > :31:17.the year. Also very proconsumer mechanisms, such as automatic
:31:18. > :31:28.compensation, which we strongly support. I am pleased to tell you
:31:29. > :31:33.there is strong support for the arts within the Northern Powerhouse
:31:34. > :31:35.project. The investment in the factory in Manchester as well as our
:31:36. > :31:42.batting for the whole City of Culture and the great exhibition of
:31:43. > :31:48.the North. I welcome the statement and plans for the future. Can I
:31:49. > :31:53.highlight that this year sees the return of a festival in
:31:54. > :31:59.Macclesfield. Many events and performers and all visitors are
:32:00. > :32:02.welcome. With ?90,000 of art council funding, joining the mix of private
:32:03. > :32:06.and public funding, this is the perfect example of how arts funding
:32:07. > :32:11.can help fuel the Northern Powerhouse. I do agree. Funding has
:32:12. > :32:15.helped make the festival director a paid position for the first time and
:32:16. > :32:18.it is a great example of how the arts Council is working with
:32:19. > :32:24.organisations all over the country. Particularly in the north, to
:32:25. > :32:29.support our world-class arts. The royal photographer society's archive
:32:30. > :32:34.was recently threatened with being moved from Bradford to London. What
:32:35. > :32:39.assessment has the Minister made of the impact on cultural provision
:32:40. > :32:44.within Bradford, the wider Yorkshire region, and indeed, the Northern
:32:45. > :32:49.Powerhouse, for such a move? I've been closely involved with this site
:32:50. > :32:53.is busy on the future of the national medium Museum, for example
:32:54. > :32:56.and I am sure that is being put on a more firm fitting now. But I would
:32:57. > :33:01.say there is extensive support for the arts in Bradford. Something like
:33:02. > :33:04.?9 million about council funding. I would point to the excellent article
:33:05. > :33:10.written by the Chief Executive of the arts Council about the support
:33:11. > :33:14.being given to Bradford. The Minister shows great artistry in the
:33:15. > :33:20.picture he paints. But the regions are already losing out on arts
:33:21. > :33:25.funding by a road show of 14-1. Before the Chancellor chose to chop
:33:26. > :33:29.billions from northern local authorities, struggling to maintain
:33:30. > :33:34.arts for all. The Sutton Road Port said that arts are becoming less and
:33:35. > :33:39.less accessible. Does the Minister agree that the arts are far too
:33:40. > :33:45.important to our culture and to our identity to be left in the hands of
:33:46. > :33:49.a privileged few? Well, I would certainly agree with her on that
:33:50. > :33:52.point. Our forthcoming white paper will announce new measures to
:33:53. > :33:58.increase access to the arts. We support music education, we have
:33:59. > :34:02.extended the in harmony scheme and have introduced new arts schemes in
:34:03. > :34:06.schools. So, I would take great issue with her implicit criticism
:34:07. > :34:14.that we're not doing anything to increase access. The report
:34:15. > :34:16.published by Janet Smith was the result of incomprehensible and
:34:17. > :34:20.wide-ranging review. This is a matter for the BBC, who commissioned
:34:21. > :34:26.the review and are responsible for responding. The chairman and
:34:27. > :34:28.director general take this issue seriously and I have already
:34:29. > :34:37.discussed this with the director-general. This four-year,
:34:38. > :34:47.six now confirmed that Jimmy Savile abused young victims and that
:34:48. > :34:51.attacks occurred in the BBC over a period of 47 years. Now senior
:34:52. > :34:54.manager past or present has accepted individual responsible at it for
:34:55. > :34:58.failing to stop this. Does the Secretary of State believe this is
:34:59. > :35:04.an adequate response from Britain's leading public service broadcaster?
:35:05. > :35:08.Well, I would say to my honourable friend that I hope he will read in
:35:09. > :35:13.full the statement by the director-general, which makes clear
:35:14. > :35:19.that the BBC does take this matter very seriously. It offers a full
:35:20. > :35:21.apology. It fully accepts the recommendations of Dame Janet Smith.
:35:22. > :35:25.The important thing is that measures are put in place to ensure this kind
:35:26. > :35:30.of thing can never happen again. A lot has been done already by the
:35:31. > :35:33.BBC. They have also accepted the recommendation of a further review
:35:34. > :35:38.to be carried out, to ensure that the impossible is being done to stop
:35:39. > :35:46.this kind of abuse ever happening again. Topical questions, Chris
:35:47. > :35:53.Green. Number one. Mr Speaker, as you will know, today is World Book
:35:54. > :35:57.Day! And since the last questions, my Department has published a
:35:58. > :36:04.summary of responses to our consultation on the BBC Charter
:36:05. > :36:13.review. And independent research. That will inform thinking. The House
:36:14. > :36:21.will be delighted to hear that we welcome my honourable friend, who
:36:22. > :36:27.has had a baby since we last met. We wish her and her new arrival well.
:36:28. > :36:31.The House will join me in congratulating the British winners
:36:32. > :36:38.at last week and's Oscars and wishing our track cycling team is
:36:39. > :36:45.well this weekend. The British horse racing industry and the economic
:36:46. > :36:51.impact is ?3.5 billion a year. It has this economic impact. We have
:36:52. > :36:58.popular racecourses in my constituency. Can we confirmed the
:36:59. > :37:05.dates when offshore bookmakers will make a financial contributor to
:37:06. > :37:08.racing? My honourable friend is correct to draw attention to the
:37:09. > :37:12.importance of horse racing to this country. I can tell him that our aim
:37:13. > :37:17.is to introduce a new funding arrangement for British racing by
:37:18. > :37:22.April, 2017. We will create a level playing field for British and
:37:23. > :37:26.offshore gambling operators and ensure a fair return from all
:37:27. > :37:30.bookmakers to racing, including those based offshore. Racing will be
:37:31. > :37:32.responsible for making decisions on spending the new fund and will be
:37:33. > :37:43.making further announcements shortly. Thank you. Four out of five
:37:44. > :37:46.tourist companies served by UK inbound, believe that staying in the
:37:47. > :37:51.EU is important to business. UK inbound's Chief Executive Officer,
:37:52. > :37:55.said, saying yes to staying in the EU sends a clear message that open
:37:56. > :38:01.for business. Can the Secretary of State tell us why he is intent on
:38:02. > :38:05.damaging our tourist industry, by campaigning for Britain to leave the
:38:06. > :38:12.European Union, against the policy of his own Government? Well, I can
:38:13. > :38:18.tell the honourable gentleman that whatever the decision about
:38:19. > :38:22.written's future membership of the EU, we will remain open for tourists
:38:23. > :38:26.to come and visit this country. Not just from the European Union, but
:38:27. > :38:30.from across the world. We are already enjoying a steady increase
:38:31. > :38:40.in the number of international visitors and I expect that to
:38:41. > :38:44.continue. Fought fair is on historic England's at risk register, listed
:38:45. > :38:50.as priority A. Built in 1861, it forms part of the region's distant
:38:51. > :38:54.of naval and coastal history. What support any minister provided to
:38:55. > :38:58.such heritage assets, at risk of rapid deterioration, particularly in
:38:59. > :39:04.private ownership? Thank you. I am well aware of this site and it is
:39:05. > :39:10.one of several which are testament to the important role in defending
:39:11. > :39:14.our nation in the past. The purpose of the at risk register is to enable
:39:15. > :39:22.historic England and other partners to target their support to those
:39:23. > :39:28.sites in greatest need. Historic England is working with partners in
:39:29. > :39:33.Hampshire to preserve the drastic history of Portsmouth Harbour. I am
:39:34. > :39:37.sure the Secretary of State will have been as aggrieved as I was to
:39:38. > :39:44.see the Royal Society of arts in South Tyneside, is one of the lowest
:39:45. > :39:48.boroughs on the heritage index. He should know that South Tyneside has
:39:49. > :39:51.a huge amount of history and culture to offer. I wondered if the
:39:52. > :39:56.Secretary of State would consider accepting an invitation to come with
:39:57. > :39:59.the RSA, to take part in our summer festival, explore our ancient Roman
:40:00. > :40:07.site, or perhaps pull a rabbit out of the hat in her upcoming annual
:40:08. > :40:13.magic show at Customs House? The honourable lady makes an
:40:14. > :40:16.irresistible offer as to the attractions of South Tyneside. The
:40:17. > :40:20.magic show sounds highly enticing. She is absolutely right to stress
:40:21. > :40:24.the importance of heritage to South Tyneside and indeed across the
:40:25. > :40:29.country. I hope that in due course, I will manage to accept this
:40:30. > :40:32.invitation. My honourable friend is being assiduous in trying to visit
:40:33. > :40:40.as many tourism and heritage destinations as possible. Can my
:40:41. > :40:43.honourable friend Tullie House what steps are taken to ensure all
:40:44. > :40:47.Government departments get behind the Government's excellent new sport
:40:48. > :40:50.strategy, particularly in relation to outdoor recreation, with its
:40:51. > :40:54.physical health benefits and benefits to the tourism, economy of
:40:55. > :41:02.rural areas, in Macclesfield and far beyond?
:41:03. > :41:07.He makes an excellent point. We are committed to working together across
:41:08. > :41:10.government to make sure the new sporting future strategy promotes
:41:11. > :41:20.opportunities for everyone, no matter where they are, to get
:41:21. > :41:28.involved in sporting activities. We invest in many activities such as
:41:29. > :41:34.canoeing, and we continue to work with other departments to make sure
:41:35. > :41:38.this happens. Across the nations of the UK there are 4500 miles of road,
:41:39. > :41:43.where there are no mobile phone coverage signals, according to a
:41:44. > :41:50.recent RAC report, including 452 miles in the Highlands, no call or
:41:51. > :41:56.text message could be made. Will he commit to take action to plug these
:41:57. > :42:00.gaps in mobile coverage? I am pleased to tell him the emergency
:42:01. > :42:05.services network proposals will see 300 new mobile masts being built.
:42:06. > :42:10.The mobile infrastructure programme will see 75 miles being built, and
:42:11. > :42:14.our changes to the licences of mobile providers requiring 90%
:42:15. > :42:20.geographic coverage will also see improvements in mobile coverage. My
:42:21. > :42:25.honourable friend the sports Minister will have seen yesterday
:42:26. > :42:30.the suggestion from distinguished luminaries from the medical world,
:42:31. > :42:32.including from places like the University of the Pacific, where
:42:33. > :42:36.ever that may be, that the ban any form of tackling in rugby in
:42:37. > :42:39.schools. I wondered if he agrees that it is time to stop
:42:40. > :42:43.mollycoddling young people, and filed in all we can to make sure
:42:44. > :42:48.sport is safe, let schools get on with teaching these sports and the
:42:49. > :42:55.values they represent. He will be well aware that the government is
:42:56. > :42:59.committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to get involved
:43:00. > :43:02.in sport from a young age, provided it is available within a safe
:43:03. > :43:07.environment. Department for Education is responsible for sport
:43:08. > :43:12.in schools, but rugby and other sports always carry an element of
:43:13. > :43:15.risk and we expect those supervising it to ensure the safety of all
:43:16. > :43:20.participants. However he will be interested to know that as part of
:43:21. > :43:33.our strategy on sport, a review of the duty of care will be carried
:43:34. > :43:39.out, chaired by Baroness Cani Grey Thompson. Local authority budgets
:43:40. > :43:44.are under extreme pressure, and occasionally isn't averaging
:43:45. > :43:49.councils to get rid of... Can he ensure that will not include
:43:50. > :43:54.paintings and artefacts in local authority museums? None of us want
:43:55. > :43:56.to see a fire sale of our national heritage on the back of this
:43:57. > :44:01.stumbling economic policy. I hope one treasure not liquidated is the
:44:02. > :44:04.honourable gentleman, I hope he is not liquidated by the momentum
:44:05. > :44:08.campaign in Stoke and he gets reselected. We are all praying for
:44:09. > :44:12.him on this side. It is up to individual local authorities, but
:44:13. > :44:18.they must adhere to the code of ethics of the museums Association,
:44:19. > :44:22.and I take a dim view of local authorities getting rid of assets,
:44:23. > :44:28.particularly when they have been left to them by prominent members of
:44:29. > :44:30.the community. There have been numerous resignations from the board
:44:31. > :44:36.of London 2017. Has he had the chance to discuss why this may be?
:44:37. > :44:43.Does he have any concern about their working relationship with UK
:44:44. > :44:48.athletics? This is a matter which we keep under review. Does not matter I
:44:49. > :44:53.have recently had a chance to discuss, but I will look into this
:44:54. > :44:58.further than discuss it with the appropriate authorities. To prevent
:44:59. > :45:01.our pop charts being disproportionately dominated by acts
:45:02. > :45:05.from Private schools and to prevent an all white BRIT Awards, which we
:45:06. > :45:11.criticised last week, with the Minister consider starting a scheme
:45:12. > :45:14.similar to the much missed music action zones which Labour created in
:45:15. > :45:22.government, to encourage creativity and talent in music in non-classroom
:45:23. > :45:26.context? I would say that this country produces some of the finest
:45:27. > :45:35.music acts around the world, and a lot of the ones I go to did not go
:45:36. > :45:46.to public school. I am looking forward to going to see Muse in the
:45:47. > :45:54.coming months. I would like an opportunity to see everyone who has
:45:55. > :46:01.talent. Would he join me in congratulating the former Olympic
:46:02. > :46:05.cyclist Victoria Pendleton, after her first horse racing win
:46:06. > :46:08.yesterday. When it comes to separate of the new levy, will he confirm
:46:09. > :46:14.that it will be taken into account all the current strains of funding
:46:15. > :46:18.that go into racing from bookmakers, such as picture rights? I join him
:46:19. > :46:24.in congratulating Victoria Pendleton. I heard her talking about
:46:25. > :46:31.her success this morning, and it shows how someone can achieve
:46:32. > :46:36.greater accomplishment in a sport then go onto a second. Regarding
:46:37. > :46:42.extension of the levy, the amount will be determined by an analysis
:46:43. > :46:47.which we have commissioned into the funding and costs of racing, which
:46:48. > :46:54.will take into account all sources of revenue, including media rights.
:46:55. > :46:57.Why has his government bond from promising victims of press abuse
:46:58. > :47:06.that part to the Levenson enquiry will happen to my cabin. -- lettuce
:47:07. > :47:13.and enquiry. How many meetings have he had with newspaper proprietors
:47:14. > :47:27.over the past year? We have always said that any decisions about
:47:28. > :47:32.whether a second enquiry should take place would be discussed, and once
:47:33. > :47:37.the criminal investigations are underway, we will come back to look
:47:38. > :47:42.at this question. -- Leveson. Regarding meetings with newspaper
:47:43. > :47:47.proprietors and victims, we regularly publish a record of all
:47:48. > :47:52.those meetings, and I do have regular meetings with all of those,
:47:53. > :47:57.and I am looking forward to having a further meeting to discuss these
:47:58. > :48:10.matters in a few weeks' time with Hacked Off. Questions to the Leader
:48:11. > :48:15.of the House. Question one. Thank you. The government is committed to
:48:16. > :48:20.promoting public awareness of Parliament. Much has been achieved
:48:21. > :48:24.and this important work must continue. The government welcomes
:48:25. > :48:26.the new e-petition site, which