Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 593 26 February 2015 No. 114 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 26 February 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 443 26 FEBRUARY 2015 444 Will the Secretary of State be raising this issue with House of Commons FIFA? Will he be discussing it with other European Sports Ministers? Thursday 26 February 2015 Sajid Javid: A few years ago when it was first announced that the 2022 World cup would be held in Qatar, my son The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Suli, who was 10 at the time, said to me, “How are they going to hold this competition in such blazing heat?” If PRAYERS my 10-year-old son knew that, I do not know why Sepp did not. We take a close interest in this, but ultimately the decision has to be made by the relevant football [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] authorities. BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington) (LD): Previous TV deals with the Premier League have not resulted in TRANSPORT FOR LONDON BILL [LORDS] comparable increases in funding for the grass roots and Consideration of Bill, as amended, opposed and deferred football family. Does the Secretary of State accept that until Thursday 5 March (Standing Order No. 20). the only way of guaranteeing future funding is for this Parliament to legislate to ensure that 5% of Premier League revenue goes to the grass-roots and football Oral Answers to Questions family? Sajid Javid: I do not accept that there is a need for legislation. What there is a need for is a continued and CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT active dialogue between Government and the Premier League to make sure that its investment in grass-roots The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport football continues. As I said, given the recent news that was asked— the Premier League had of a windfall, we should encourage Grass-roots Sport it to do more. 1. Grahame M. Morris (Easington) (Lab): What Film Festivals recent discussions he has had with the Premier League on funding for grass-roots sport. [907737] 2. Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op): What assessment he has made of the role The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of film festivals in promoting the creative industries in (Sajid Javid): The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. the UK. [907739] Friend the Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Mrs Grant), who is responsible for sport, and I have The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regular discussions with the Premier League and the (Sajid Javid): Film festivals make a valuable contribution Football Association. Together we work in partnership to promoting the film economy and enhancing the to ensure that funding for grass-roots football remains cultural life of the UK. In addition to running two strong. festivals of its own, the BFI, as the Government’s lead agency for film, provides £1 million of lottery funding Grahame M. Morris: I thank the Secretary of State each year to support film festivals right across the UK. for his answer, but does he recognise that there is a growing crisis in grass-roots football, in terms of facilities, Tom Greatrex: I thank the Secretary of State for that pitch quality and fees, which local authorities have reply. I am sure he will be aware that one festival the often been increasing because of local government cuts? BFI helps to fund is the Glasgow film festival, the UK’s Will he back Labour’s call for the Premier League to use third largest and best festival, which is under way in some of its new windfall to meet its 5% commitment to Glasgow and is finishing on Sunday with the UK fund grass-roots football? premier of “Force Majeure”. He has talked about the Sajid Javid: I join the hon. Gentleman in his suggestion BFI funding, but given that the BFI’s grant in aid that there should be more investment in grass-roots budget will be 10% lower next year than it was last year, football, and he will know that the Government allocated what is he going to do to ensure that film festivals such more money in the last autumn statement. Together as Glasgow’s continue to get that vital support? with the Premier League and Football Association money, that is £100 million of new money going into grass-roots Sajid Javid: Like the hon. Gentleman, I am delighted football over the next three years. On his point about about the Glasgow film festival, which I believe is in its the Premier League, I should say, first, that the Premier 10th year and which is going from strength to strength. League already does a lot—I welcome that and we He will know that it has received funding: it has been should all commend it. However, with the recent increase awarded £25,000 by the BFI this year, which is a good in its finances, we can all expect it to do more. result. As well as the grant in aid funding, the BFI has access to lottery funding, which it is using wisely. That is Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con): Moving partly reflected in the success of British film: just last the FIFA World cup in 2022 to the winter could have year we had a record year of investment in British film significant financial consequences for the Premier League and of success, and I am sure that he would join me in and for all levels of football in England and Europe. welcoming that. 445 Oral Answers26 FEBRUARY 2015 Oral Answers 446 Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): Of course a Mark Lazarowicz: I can tell the Secretary of State Shropshire film festival would be very welcome indeed. that thousands of people in my constituency, one of the Is the Secretary of State aware of a recent decision by most urban in Scotland, have no guarantee of getting Gapictures, which was due to film “Dracula” on location superfast broadband by 2017 or any date after that. I in Shropshire, to switch to another European country? have raised this with local government, the Scottish Given that Shropshire has been home to many famous Government and the UK Government. I do not want to films, including, more recently “Atonement”, will the ascribe blame; I want to see some action so that the Secretary of State look at new ways in which the United residents who have contacted me again and again, such Kingdom can keep those production companies that as the ones in Western Harbour, Leith who contacted want to film in locations such as Shropshire, rather than me recently, will have some guarantee that they will get have them switch to other European countries? superfast broadband in their houses. Mr Speaker: We assume the hon. Gentleman is not auditioning for the lead role in the said film. Sajid Javid: The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the importance of superfast broadband both to residents Sajid Javid: If my hon. Friend had auditioned, a and to businesses. Considerable progress has been made different decision might have been made! in his constituency in the past five years. Today, 87% of There has been an increase in the number of films made homes and businesses there have access to superfast in the regions of the UK. “Dracula Untold” was recently broadband. That will rise to 98% by 2017, and that is made in Northern Ireland. We have had “Outlander” in better than the national target of 95% by that time. Scotland, “Testament of Youth”in Yorkshire and “Far However, I hear what he says, and he is right to mention from the Madding Crowd”, which is set in Dorset, to the importance of the issue. name but a few, so there has been great success in regional films. What my hon. Friend says about Shropshire Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con): The villages of is quite right. There are some fantastic locations and Affetside and Holcombe in my constituency will not be there is some fantastic talent in Shropshire, and I think covered by the roll-out of superfast broadband in phases 1 the film industry should be listening. or 2, so when villagers ask me when they will be Ms Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham) (Lab): covered, what should I tell them? In a week when we have seen British success at the Oscars and London Fashion Week, and last night at the Sajid Javid: My hon. Friend raises a very important Brits, no one should be in any doubt about the importance point. He should tell those villagers that the Government of our film, fashion and music industries and all our have an active programme to reach the most remote creative industries. The basis of future jobs and investment areas with superfast broadband. He will be interested to in those creative industries depends on the protection of know that in the middle of last year we undertook a intellectual property. Will the Secretary of State ensure pilot, with seven projects using mostly wireless and that, in consideration of the European digital single other types of hybrid technology. We are now having a market, he will be absolutely vigilant to protect our good look at the results of that pilot, and I shall be able creative industries, including small and medium-sized to make a further announcement shortly.