02/07/10 - Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article

I was delighted this week to be confirmed as a member of the support team at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This is an area I am particularly interested in, following my four very enjoyable years as the Lead Member for Culture, Leisure & Recreation on Swindon Borough Council. In a meeting with Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State at the Department whose brief includes the Olympics, the priorities for the future were set out:

Media – We’re fortunate in Swindon to have a vibrant local media scene, with a daily newspaper, several local radio stations, various websites and some excellent community publications serving the town. However overall this sector has been in decline for a number of years, so we will be looking to change the rules on competition and ownership to reinvigorate the local media landscape.

Technology - With three million people still unable to gain access to broadband, it is essential this is resolved. It will also be a priority to develop technology to deliver super-fast broadband, which will transform the way we use the internet.

Sport - It is essential that the Olympics create a sporting legacy, so I’m delighted that we will be introducing an annual School Olympics. This will not only encourage sporting activities, but also re-introduce the competitiveness among young people all too often hampered by political correctness. From a personal perspective, I will be keen to explore ways to support voluntary and semi-professional sporting teams, advocating the excellent work of the Swindon Sports Forum.

Libraries – As we have shown with our new Central Library in Swindon, by providing a modern, flexible facility with opening hours to suit local residents, the national decline in usage can be addressed. I also believe we should explore opportunities for shared facilities. Here in Swindon we are again leading the way, with the plans to combine the Old Town Library with the Arts Centre - something I championed for a number of years.

Arts - We will work on new rules to make it easier to encourage philanthropy so that arts and cultural facilities can access additional funding. In the USA, this sector benefits from 14bn in endowments every year, helping transform facilities. We need to work towards a similar ambition here in the UK.

I will, of course, keep you updated on developments in these important areas of policy.

Finally, I was delighted to welcome students from St. Luke’s School in Cricklade Road to the House of Commons recently. They really enjoyed the visit, even if they were disappointed that I wasn’t actually the Prime Minister, and nor could I secure payments for them attending school – even if I did admire their entrepreneurial flair!