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Digital Broadcasting

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many complaints his Department and Digital UK have received relating to digital switchover from residents of (a) North Cornwall constituency, (b) Cornwall, (c) the South West region and (d) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [317003]

Mr. Simon: The information requested regarding my Department is not held in this manner and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Information on correspondence received by Digital UK is not held centrally.

I have therefore asked the chief executive of Digital UK to write direct to the hon. Member for North Cornwall.

Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.


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Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that viewers in Rossendale and Darwen constituency are able to receive the full range of digital television channels. [317175]

Mr. Bradshaw: The three public service broadcasting digital multiplexes, which carry around 15 channels including the public service broadcasting channels-BBC 1 and 2, ITV1, Channel 4 (S4C in Wales) and Five-should reach 98.5 per cent. of UK households after digital switchover. Services carried on the commercial multiplexes, which increase the number of channels available to around 40, are planned to reach 90 per cent. of UK households and any expansion of coverage is a commercial matter for the multiplex operators. In Granada these latter multiplexes reach around 97 per cent. of households.

For those who require more services, there are other options for receiving digital services via satellite or cable.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the energy requirements of (a) digital and DAB radios and (b) analogue radios. [316981]

Mr. Bradshaw: My Department along with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently commissioned an independent review of the environmental impact of the Digital Radio Switchover programme. This research will look at current energy consumption of analogue, digital receivers and transmission networks; the projected energy consumption from a future increase in digital devices and potential developments in equipment and compatibility with other technologies.

We expect the first phase of this study to be completed by spring.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to inform the public of the Government's plans for analogue wavelengths as part of its plans for digital radio; and if he will make a statement. [317071]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Digital Britain White Paper stated the Government's policy that, following the digital radio switchover, the MW spectrum will be re-allocated for non-radio purposes and the FM spectrum will be retained for radio, specifically for small commercial and community radio stations.

We have also made our position clear during the passage of the Digital Economy Bill.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received from commercial radio stations on the effects on their businesses of the roll-out of digital audio broadcasting; and if he will make a statement. [317072]


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Mr. Bradshaw: My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Simon) met representatives of the commercial radio sector a number of times, including at two joint DCMS and RadioCentre local radio summits, which were specifically intended to engage with the smallest local radio broadcasters.

These dialogues have provided a number of opportunities to gain a clear insight into the potential impact of the digital radio switchover on radio businesses. In light of this, I believe that the proposals for a digital radio switchover, as set out in the Digital Britain White Paper, are supported by the vast majority of the radio sector.

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to support local commercial radio stations in Scotland in the transition to digital broadcasting. [317563]

Mr. Bradshaw: My Department is in discussion with broadcasters from across the UK to consider the impact of digital radio switchover on local commercial radio stations. This will help inform what support, if any, is needed to aid the transition to digital, beyond those already set out in the draft Digital Economy Bill.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason he decided to propose a digital radio switchover date of 2015; what assessment he made of the merits of proposing the switchover date of 2017 recommended in the Digital Radio Working Group report; and if he will make a statement. [317597]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Digital Britain White Paper stated our vision for a digital radio switchover by the end of 2015. This timetable is based on industry projections of take-up over the next six years and represents an achievable date by which the switchover criteria could be achieved and a sufficient notice period for listeners to convert their remaining radio devices to digital.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to ensure that those in vulnerable groups will be eligible for the scheme to provide free digital equipment during the digital switchover. [316963]

Mr. Simon: At the time of designing the help scheme for television switchover, research suggested that age and disability were the most important indicators of lower digital TV take-up and that these groups were most likely to struggle with digital switchover.

For these reasons it was decided that the scheme would offer practical support for people who are: aged 75 or over, disabled, visually impaired or care home residents. Participating in the scheme costs a subsidised £40. However help is available free of charge where the eligible person is also in receipt of certain income related benefits.

Domestic Visits

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which constituencies he has visited on official duties in the last 12 months. [317010]


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Mr. Bradshaw: Constituency visits made in the last 12 months by myself and my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) are listed.

Drama: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage young people to participate in (a) drama production and (b) acting. [314736]

Margaret Hodge: Providing access to high quality drama and theatre opportunities is part of the cultural offer, currently being tested through Find Your Talent. Nearly £24 million is being invested into 10 pathfinder
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areas to test how best to offer all children and young people the opportunity to access five hours of high quality cultural activity a week. Each of the 10 pathfinders are offering opportunities for children and young people to experience and participate in theatre, especially those with least access.

My Department also supported Arts Council England to deliver the £1.8 million national "Young People's Participatory Theatre" (YPPT) programme. This aims to increase young people's access to and participation in theatre through improved information on where to find and take part in high quality activities. We have also launched "Open Doors", a scheme which saw theatres across the country opening up to provide interactive events and workshops highlighting the wide variety of potential careers in theatre.

The "A Night Less Ordinary" initiative, launched by Arts Council England in February 2009 provided 122,000 free theatre tickets to under 26-year-olds in its first nine months. By removing price as a barrier to participation, the scheme enables more young people to experience theatre, and it is hoped will help to create both the practitioners and audiences of the future.

iPhone

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to enable deposit libraries to archive iPhone applications. [316646]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 9 February 2010]: The Legal Deposit Advisory Panel advises the Secretary of State on the deposit of non-print material. The Panel has made recommendations on the "Collection and Preservation of UK Offline and Microform Publications" and the "Collection and Preservation of UK Online Publications Free of Charge and Without Access Restriction" and we are currently consulting on the Panel's recommendations. The consultation period ends on 1 March 2010. The Government are keen to get these proposals through and will consider other content in the future.

Mass Media: Coventry

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the level of media literacy in Coventry; and how much funding his Department has allocated to Coventry for that purpose since 2005. [316906]

Margaret Hodge: My Department does not directly allocate funding to specific regions for the purpose of increasing the level of media literacy. However, the Government and Ofcom have worked with media industry bodies, educational organisations and third sector groups on a range of initiatives to improve media literacy and digital participation across the UK. The Government are also considering a range of educational initiatives to improve the media literacy skills of children and parents in England and Wales.

Since 2005 my Department has provided grant in aid of £559,000 a year to support Ofcom's media literacy work programme. As part of the 2009-10 programme the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
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was given support for its Adult Learners' Week. This project included events in Coventry such as internet for beginners' sessions organised by Coventry Central Library and ancestry sessions at Coventry's Canley Community Library.

National Gallery: Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members of the board of the National Gallery receive (a) remuneration and (b) expenses only. [317964]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The National Gallery is an exempt charity, governed by the Museums and Galleries Act 1992. As charity trustees, none receive remuneration but all are entitled to reclaim reasonable expenses.

Olympic Games: Canada

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he met the Snowsport GB team before its departure for the Winter Olympics. [317374]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport did not meet with the Snowsport GB team before its departure to the Winter Olympics.

I, however, attended the launch of Team GB on 26 January.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is on the funding of British teams to participate in Winter Olympics events. [317375]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds UK Sport to deliver sporting excellence, primarily at the Olympics and Paralympics.

UK Sport allocates this funding based on the current performance and future potential of sports, via its successful "no compromise" investment strategy, which uses objective information to make funding awards that reflect each sport's relative ability to win medals on the world stage, whether at the Summer or Winter Olympics.

Snowsport GB

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with Snowsport GB on its finances; and when he first became aware of Snowsport GB's financial situation. [317371]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The chair of Snowsport GB wrote to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 December 2009, informing us of their recent financial difficulties.

This followed a request in July 2009 for the Department to act as guarantor for a number of loans that Snowsport GB was seeking to raise from the private sector. Snowsport GB representatives discussed their situation and the way the organisation had been managed with DCMS and UK Sport officials on both occasions.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the British Olympic Association and (b) others on Snowsport GB. [317372]

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