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1654513

registered interest
date	19/07/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Science: Innovation and Research
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the cost of (a) the immigration health surcharge and (b) student visas on the (i) global influence of UK-based science and (ii) ability to attract international (A) researchers and (B) innovators.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	195287
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2023 answer text <p>The Science &amp; Technology Framework sets out the government’s plan to cement the UK as a Science and Technology superpower by 2030 and the government is committed to ensuring the UK’s immigration system supports economic growth and remains competitive in attracting and retaining the best international researchers and innovators.</p><p>As announced on 13 July, increases to student visa fees and the immigration health surcharge will help to cover the cost of the migration and border system and help to improve it, as well as cover the genuine cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to those who use it.</p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 06/09/2023 11:38:56 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1654514

registered interest
date	19/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Entry Clearances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in visa costs for international students and researchers on the higher education sector.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	195288
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2023 answer text <p>The department has been successful in delivering the International Education Strategy ambition of hosting at least 600,000 students per year by 2030 for the last two years, and the government fully expects the UK to continue to be an attractive destination for international students.</p><p>We are increasing fees across a range of immigration routes, including for people coming here to live, work and study, at a time of record high migration numbers. It is the government’s policy that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating the system, reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer.</p><p>Our visa fees are competitive globally and there is little evidence that fee increases to date have significantly affected demand on work, study and tourism routes.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 05/09/2023 10:54:52 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1654515

registered interest
date	19/07/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for when increases in the cost of (a) works visas, (b) study visas and (c) the immigration health surcharge will come into effect.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	195289
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2023 answer text <p>We will lay regulations in the Autumn to amend the immigration and nationality fee and IHS levels and set out which immigration routes are impacted.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 07/09/2023 10:44:59 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1654516

registered interest
date	19/07/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Health Services and Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allow international students to split the cost of their (a) visa and (b) immigration health surcharge over the duration of their visa, in the context of planned increases in those costs.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	195290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2023 answer text <p>There is no intention to permit the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) to be paid in instalments. The IHS is designed to be paid up-front, in full, so an individual’s healthcare is covered for the duration of their immigration permission in the UK.</p><p>The immigration and nationality fees regulations 2018 require visa fees to be paid in full in order for the application to be valid. There are currently no plans to change this requirement.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 07/09/2023 10:48:07 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1650483

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the rollout of broadband services in semi-rural areas in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	192664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>Currently, 97.6% premises across the UK have access to a superfast connection (&gt;=30 Mbps) and 76.4% have gigabit-capable coverage. In Scotland, these figures are 95.7% and 70.2% for superfast and gigabit-capable respectively. Through Project Gigabit the Government aims to reach at least 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the UK by 2025 and then to reach near-universal coverage as soon as possible.</p><p>For urban areas, a key part of the Government’s approach is to promote increased competition in broadband delivery. We have made it as easy and attractive as possible for firms to build their networks in the UK, and we now have a thriving market of over 80 providers investing nearly £35bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK.</p><p>To support coverage in rural areas, 31 local and regional procurements have now been launched within England, with 12 of these now in the contract delivery stage.</p><p>Within Scotland, the Scottish Government undertook a Public Review during March and April 2023 to seek responses from broadband suppliers and other interested parties on current and planned commercial coverage of gigabit broadband. The Scottish Government has also undertaken initial market engagement with suppliers on their potential interest in Project Gigabit contracts in Scotland, prior to procurements commencing later this year.</p><p>The Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) project is also providing gigabit broadband coverage to 115,000 premises that do not have access to superfast broadband, with £49.5 million funding from the UK government. This project has covered over 24,000 premises to date.</p><p>Premises in Scotland can also benefit from support through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides up to £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure for homes and businesses, while remaining sub-superfast premises are also eligible for support from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew grouped question UIN 192665 192666 question first answered 12/07/2023 07:47:22 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1650484

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) local government on improving broadband speeds in semi-rural areas.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	192665
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>Currently, 97.6% premises across the UK have access to a superfast connection (&gt;=30 Mbps) and 76.4% have gigabit-capable coverage. In Scotland, these figures are 95.7% and 70.2% for superfast and gigabit-capable respectively. Through Project Gigabit the Government aims to reach at least 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the UK by 2025 and then to reach near-universal coverage as soon as possible.</p><p>For urban areas, a key part of the Government’s approach is to promote increased competition in broadband delivery. We have made it as easy and attractive as possible for firms to build their networks in the UK, and we now have a thriving market of over 80 providers investing nearly £35bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK.</p><p>To support coverage in rural areas, 31 local and regional procurements have now been launched within England, with 12 of these now in the contract delivery stage.</p><p>Within Scotland, the Scottish Government undertook a Public Review during March and April 2023 to seek responses from broadband suppliers and other interested parties on current and planned commercial coverage of gigabit broadband. The Scottish Government has also undertaken initial market engagement with suppliers on their potential interest in Project Gigabit contracts in Scotland, prior to procurements commencing later this year.</p><p>The Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) project is also providing gigabit broadband coverage to 115,000 premises that do not have access to superfast broadband, with £49.5 million funding from the UK government. This project has covered over 24,000 premises to date.</p><p>Premises in Scotland can also benefit from support through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides up to £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure for homes and businesses, while remaining sub-superfast premises are also eligible for support from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew grouped question UIN 192664 192666 question first answered 12/07/2023 07:47:23 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1650486

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Broadband
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support her Department has provided to businesses to support the rollout of improved broadband services in (a) urban, (b) rural and (c) semi-urban areas.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	192666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>Currently, 97.6% premises across the UK have access to a superfast connection (&gt;=30 Mbps) and 76.4% have gigabit-capable coverage. In Scotland, these figures are 95.7% and 70.2% for superfast and gigabit-capable respectively. Through Project Gigabit the Government aims to reach at least 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the UK by 2025 and then to reach near-universal coverage as soon as possible.</p><p>For urban areas, a key part of the Government’s approach is to promote increased competition in broadband delivery. We have made it as easy and attractive as possible for firms to build their networks in the UK, and we now have a thriving market of over 80 providers investing nearly £35bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK.</p><p>To support coverage in rural areas, 31 local and regional procurements have now been launched within England, with 12 of these now in the contract delivery stage.</p><p>Within Scotland, the Scottish Government undertook a Public Review during March and April 2023 to seek responses from broadband suppliers and other interested parties on current and planned commercial coverage of gigabit broadband. The Scottish Government has also undertaken initial market engagement with suppliers on their potential interest in Project Gigabit contracts in Scotland, prior to procurements commencing later this year.</p><p>The Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) project is also providing gigabit broadband coverage to 115,000 premises that do not have access to superfast broadband, with £49.5 million funding from the UK government. This project has covered over 24,000 premises to date.</p><p>Premises in Scotland can also benefit from support through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides up to £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable infrastructure for homes and businesses, while remaining sub-superfast premises are also eligible for support from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew grouped question UIN 192664 192665 question first answered 12/07/2023 07:47:23 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1645752

registered interest
date	19/06/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legislation on private pension schemes for (a) support for pensioners during the cost-of-living crisis and (b) introducing an ethics code in the decision of payments.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	190219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2023 answer text <p>Employers have legal obligations to provide minimum levels of pension provision for certain groups of employees. As long as they comply with those obligations it is up to the individual employer to decide on the nature of the scheme and the exact benefits which are provided.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 27/06/2023 12:48:33 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1645753

registered interest
date	19/06/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions: EU Countries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the merits of pension regulatory regimes of EU member states.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	190220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2023 answer text <p>We continually engage and learn from international work, including on the latest developments and findings on the pension regimes in EU member states. This routinely informs policy development in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 27/06/2023 15:07:46 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1628222

registered interest
date	16/05/2023
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Homes for Ukraine Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will extend the Homes for Ukraine scheme beyond its current timescales.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	185400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2023 answer text <p>We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, the Ukrainians now living in the UK and are working closely with local authorities and the devolved administrations across the UK supporting them. <br> <br> We continue to keep the scheme under review, and will set out updates in the usual way.</p> answering member constituency Kensington answering member printed Felicity Buchan question first answered 24/05/2023 12:18:16 answering member 4821 label Biography information for Felicity Buchan
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith