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1133803

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth: Diplomatic Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Since taking up the role in June 2018, the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited the following Commonwealth countries: Rwanda, Kenya, India, Barbados, Saint Lucia, South Africa and the Seychelles. The Commonwealth Envoy has called on all Commonwealth High Commissioners in London, and is in regular contact with them (including at frequent meetings of the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors and Executive Committee).</p><p>Outside of the Commonwealth he has travelled to New York: for a Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers' Meeting, a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting and other Commonwealth-related meetings; Dubai, for Commonwealth meetings at the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and to consolidate Commonwealth members' support for the re-election of the British Deputy Secretary General of the ITU; and to Addis Ababa, for a UN conference on implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (for which the UK is supporting several Commonwealth countries), and to discuss Commonwealth-African Union collaboration.</p><p>He has also visited: Brussels, to meet the Ambassador of a Commonwealth government which is not represented in London; and Geneva, for a Commonwealth Health Ministers' Meeting, discussions with the International Trade Centre (which is implementing the UK-funded She Trades Commonwealth Project) and the ITU (re the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation), a discussion with Commonwealth member representatives about increasing collaboration, and to visit the Commonwealth Small States Office, to which the UK has provided specific financial support.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:28:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133804

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth Secretariat: Reform
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made in reforming the Commonwealth Secretariat.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>At CHOGM 2015, Heads of Government mandated the Secretary-General to convene a high-level group (HLG) to review the full governance arrangements of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure that its governance is streamlined and integrated in order to improve oversight, efficiency and transparency. This mandate was reiterated by Heads at CHOGM 2018, who asked Foreign Ministers to make decisions in response to the HLG's findings. Reform and strengthening of the Commonwealth Secretariat is a priority for our period as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. We have worked with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to support the fulfilment of the mandate set by Heads.</p><p>An HLG, convened by the Secretar- General, first met shortly before CHOGM 2018. Since then, the HLG has submitted two reports. The first - covering roles and responsibilities, funding, and arrangements for the appointment of Secretaries-General - was submitted in early September 2018, and discussed by Foreign Ministers when they met in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. At that meeting, Foreign Ministers instructed the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors (of which the UK Commonwealth Envoy is a member) to agree recommendations in the light of that report by 30 November 2018. The Board fulfilled that instruction, unanimously agreeing a set of recommendations through a thorough, transparent and inclusive process. At the end of December 2019, the HLG produced a second report, focused on the Secretariat's collaboration with accredited Commonwealth organisations and other partners. Through a further thorough, transparent and inclusive process the Board of Governors unanimously agreed a set of recommendations in response to that second HLG report.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary, as current Chair of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, has recommended that they adopt the recommendations. A few of them have some outstanding questions. We hope that those can be resolved, and the recommendations adopted, soon. Once implemented, they will make a significant difference to the effective governance and operation of the Commonwealth Secretariat and its collaboration with member states and Commonwealth organisations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:29:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133805

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Commonwealth: Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the funding they announced to support the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 will be provided by the Department for International Development; and how much of that spending had already been committed before the 2018 meeting.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>At the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018, Leaders agreed a series of commitments aimed at supporting a future which is fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable, and more secure. The UK Government announced funding of approximately £526.7 million for programmes and projects to support delivery of these ambitious commitments. The Department for International Development is responsible for providing nearly £400 million of this funding, none of which had been committed prior to the meeting in April 2018.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 04/07/2019 15:39:25 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133472

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Digital Economy and Society Index 2019, published by the European Commission in June, in particular its finding that the UK (1) has fallen from 7th to 10th on the measure of Digital Connectivity, and (2) ranks 26th out of 28 countries for full fibre (FTTP) coverage.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK compares well on superfast connectivity and it is currently available to over 96% of UK premises, following over £1bn of public investment. This is above European counterparts like Spain, France and Germany. Demand for these services is also increasing with 45% of households now opting for a superfast service. This deployment is also supported by competition from ultrafast services of at least 100Mbps, currently available to 53% of UK premises.</p><p> </p><p>We are now focussing on full fibre. Published last year, the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review set out our national strategy for ensuring 15m premises are able to connect to full fibre by 2025, with a nationwide network by 2033. Coverage is increasing quickly, and is now approaching 8% with around half of this coverage achieved in the last 12 months.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde grouped question UIN HL16509 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:37:15 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133473

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: Universal Service Obligation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the implementation of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband; what recent assessment they have made of whether a 10Mbps minimum is fit for purpose for the modern economy; and when they plan to review the USO.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>On 6 June 2019, the telecoms regulator Ofcom, responsible for implementing the USO, announced that customers will be able to request Universal Service Obligation (USO) connections from March 2020, in line with the Government’s commitment.</p><p> </p><p>The USO will give customers the right to request a broadband connection with a download speed of at least 10Mbps. This download speed and the other quality parameters of the USO are in line with Ofcom’s advice on the needs of a typical household at present. However, recognising that take-up and use of broadband changes, the Government legislated to enable it to direct Ofcom to carry out reviews of the USO. Any review would look not just at the minimum download speed but all aspects of the USO specification. There is also a formal requirement for the Government to direct Ofcom to undertake a review when superfast broadband has been taken up by 75% of UK premises.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The USO is designed to act as a safety net to ensure everyone can access a minimum level of connectivity but the Government is also committed to investing to deliver faster speeds across the UK. Our Superfast programme has ensured superfast broadband (24mbps) coverage for over 96% of UK premises. Further, in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the Government committed to an “outside-in” approach to the deployment of gigabit capable broadband, which will ensure that the least commercial areas of the country get this type of connectivity at the same time as the market deploys to more commercial areas. The first step in this approach is the £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) Programme, which will test a model of connecting public sector buildings with gigabit capable connections, starting with primary schools. The RGC programme also has a rural gigabit broadband voucher component, offering up to £3,500 for small businesses and up to £1,500 for residents to encourage the take-up of gigabit-capable connectivity by residents and businesses in rural areas.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 03/07/2019 16:37:28 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133474

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK customers have access to 100Mbps broadband; and whether they intend to ensure that the UK meets the European Commission’s target for 50 per cent of all broadband customers to have 100Mbps by 2020.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK compares well on superfast connectivity and it is currently available to over 96% of UK premises, following over £1bn of public investment. This is above European counterparts like Spain, France and Germany. Demand for these services is also increasing with 45% of households now opting for a superfast service. This deployment is also supported by competition from ultrafast services of at least 100Mbps, currently available to 53% of UK premises.</p><p> </p><p>We are now focussing on full fibre. Published last year, the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review set out our national strategy for ensuring 15m premises are able to connect to full fibre by 2025, with a nationwide network by 2033. Coverage is increasing quickly, and is now approaching 8% with around half of this coverage achieved in the last 12 months.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde grouped question UIN HL16507 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:37:15 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133475

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Telecommunications: Compensation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much automatic compensation has been paid to broadband and home phone customers by members of Ofcom’s voluntary code of practice since that code came into force in April.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>In March 2017, Ofcom consulted on an automatic compensation scheme for fixed broadband and landline consumers. Following the consultation, providers serving 90% of these consumers agreed to introduce a voluntary automatic compensation scheme, which came into effect from 1 April 2019. The scheme compensates consumers for delayed repairs following a loss of service, missed repairs or appointments, and delays to the start of a new service. Ofcom plans to review the scheme, including the amount of compensation paid out by providers, next year.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 03/07/2019 12:38:43 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133476

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which programmes they are funding to support the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 broken down by (1) the budgeted amount, (2) the current level of actual expenditure, and (3) the expected timeline for disbursing that funding.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>At the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Leaders agreed a range of actions to deliver a future that is fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable, and more secure. The Government has allocated approximately £526.7 million to programmes and projects to support delivery of these ambitious commitments. As of 31 March, £187.1 million had been disbursed. The remaining funds are expected to be disbursed over varying timeframes with completion dates ranging from March 2020 to March 2025.</p><p>A list of UK-funded programmes and projects has been placed in the Library of the House. Furthermore, the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) on 15 May to provide an update on delivery of CHOGM commitments. This report can be accessed via the FAC's website.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/07/2019 15:36:20 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133477

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms will be used to evaluate the UK funding used to support the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>All UK-funded programmes and projects to support actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018 are subject to thorough monitoring and evaluation. The majority of such programmes and projects are subject to the standard monitoring and evaluation processes of either the Department for International Development (DFID) or the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. Annual Reviews of those projects are published online on gov.uk and DFID's Development Tracker.</p><p>Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of other UK-funded programmes and projects to support actions agreed at CHOGM 2018 vary, but common elements include annual reviews, site visits, log frame reporting, and regular progress meetings.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/07/2019 15:34:00 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1131900

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 17 April (HL15078), when they will publish the details of the projects that have been successful as part of the Carbon Capture and Utilisation Demonstration Programme and the Call for Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage Innovation.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>We will be announcing the details of the successful projects in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 19/06/2019 16:41:06 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn