Topical Questions

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The Government have made a number of changes to strengthen protections for children, offer a triple shield of protection for adults while safeguarding free speech and consumer choice. Next week, the Online Safety Bill will return to the House.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The Government launched the national youth guarantee. The £368 million youth investment fund is to build or refurbish 300 youth facilities in levelling-up priority areas, with applications open from August and first awards expected early next year.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The media Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech for this Session. It has not been delayed but is part of the legislative process.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The Bill is not changing any clause. It strengthens protections for children, illegal content continues to be taken down, and a triple shield of defence is introduced along with offences for promotion of self-harm and intimate image abuse.

Answer from Paul Scully

I entirely agree that social mobility is at the heart of what we want to do. I congratulate those four institutions, and if the Secretary of State or Minister will not come to Hastings and Rye, I certainly will.

Answer from Julia Lopez

The issue is long-running. The BBC announced changes to its complaints process yesterday, but I appreciate that they are not strong enough. We will look into this in the course of our reviews of the organisation.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

Clubs may apply for licensed standing areas provided they meet stringent criteria set by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. I welcome Leeds United's initiative and should be happy to meet my hon Friend later in the new year after meeting the SGSA to discuss this.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

We have received 4,000 responses to the call for evidence and are working with colleagues in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to sort it out. I recognise the issues involved.

Answer from Paul Scully

Tourists, like residents, want to breathe clean air in London, but they also want good public transport as an alternative to driving. When I was Minister for London, my main concern in relation to tourism was for those working in the industry, at the lower-paid end. We need to have a sensible discussion, and we need a Mayor who remains accountable for the results of the consultation that is on the table.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

We work closely with the Charity Commission, and of course all donors and charities have to work transparently. I shall be happy to meet the hon. Member for discuss this in detail.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

I thank my hon. Friend for those kind words. Foreign investment and ownership have benefited football, from elite to grassroots level, and we must be careful not to exclude good investment from the game. However, it is absolutely right that good custodians be permitted to own football clubs, and that skilled and experienced directors run them. We will publish our White Paper on the reform of football club governance in the coming weeks; it will set out our approach to improving that governance, and the owners and directors test.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise the issue. It is worrying that the progress made with women and girls has not gone back to pre-pandemic levels. This issue is a key priority for me; I will be working closely with the Department for Education on it. We are developing the sports strategy, which I hope will address many of the issues that she raised.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

I would be delighted to meet my right hon. Friend. The Bill will ensure that children do not see content that promotes self-harm or glorifies eating disorders. Of course, the Bill will now be strengthened by a provision ensuring that adults will no longer see content promoting self-harm. I will invite the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, the right hon. Member for Charnwood (Edward Argar), who has responsibility for victims, to join that meeting, to explain the clauses that we have added.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

That was one of the reasons why I wore the armband. It was totally unacceptable that both the Welsh and English teams, at the 11th hour, were faced with an impossible decision. I thank those teams for wanting to wear the armband; it means a lot to all of us. I have already spoken to the FA about where we go from here. We cannot, at the end of this tournament, just let the matter come to an end. We need to talk about the future.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

It is indeed a game-changer, and I thank my hon. Friend for all the lobbying that he has done on behalf of his constituents to ensure that Cumbria has better levels of connection. It is testament to his hard work that we have rolled out Building Digital UK's first regional contract in Cumbria.

Answer from Julia Lopez

I met the Minister of State, Department for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon), who has responsibility for skills, just this week to talk about how we get more creative skills in the economy to fill all the wonderful jobs being created in areas such as the film and television industry. I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's enthusiasm.