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1247014

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Emergency Services Network
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much additional technology funding will be made available in the next Spending Review for the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP); how much the overspend is on that programme to date; how many deadlines that programme has missed to date; what plans she has made to ensure confidence in the delivery of the ESMCP; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the delay of the delivery of the ESMCP on public services.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	109523
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is replacing the current Airwave radio system, used by the emergency services, with the Emergency Services Network which runs over the commercial EE network with priority and pre-emption for emergency service users.</p><p>The Spending Review is ongoing and it would be wrong to prejudge the outcome.</p><p>Programme costs are separated into 3 categories; first the cost of building and rolling out the new ESN system; second costs borne locally by users for things like devices and accessories that they’ll need to use the ESN, and; third the cost to maintain Airwave until ESN has been adopted by all users and Airwave can be switched off. The costs for maintaining Airwave are by far the most significant and, subject to commercial negotiation, the annual cost of extending Airwave beyond the current contract end date of December 2022, is likely to be in excess of £450m per annum, taking into account local Airwave costs.</p><p>The programme set itself an original target of transitioning all users from the current Airwave system onto the ESN and switching Airwave off by December 2019. We are now targeting an Airwave switch off date no later than 2025. The investment case for the programme remains positive even with this later Airwave switch off timescale.</p><p>Both during and since the programme reset in 2018, it has undergone extensive assurance both internally within the department and externally through Cabinet Office and HMT. The programme has also been scrutinised by the National Audit Office and Parliament (Public Accounts Committee and Home Affairs Select Committee). An Independent Assurance Panel chaired by a Non-Executive Director from HMRC and made up of several industry experts also regularly assures the programme and provides advice to the Permanent Secretary and Ministers. I, (Home Secretary) receive regular updates on the programme.</p><p>The Department remains committed to completing delivery of the ESN and switching off Airwave as quickly as possible. We stand by our commitment to the Emergency Services that we will only transition from Airwave to ESN when it is operationally safe to do so. In the meantime, Airwave continues to provide a resilient service.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 09/11/2020 16:38:05 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1135281

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Emergency Services Network
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of allowing roaming in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Parks using the Emergency Services Network and Extended Area Service masts.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	270415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2019 answer text <p>The Emergency Services Network (ESN) is being provided primarily to deliver world class critical voice and data to the emergency services, and to replace the existing Airwave network with one provided by EE, who operate the UK’s largest and fastest 4G Network.</p><p>The details of ESN and Extended Area Service (EAS) masts in (a) Dwyfor Meirionnydd, (b) Arfon, (c) Ceredigion and (d) Carmarthen East and Dinefwr are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td>ESN masts completed</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>EAS masts completed (not yet operational)</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>ESN masts scheduled</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>EAS masts scheduled</td><td>30</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some additional ESN sites are likely to follow. Their locations are currently being confirmed.</p><p>I can also confirm that all ESN masts can be shared by multiple mobile network operators. The same will potentially apply to the 30 EAS masts, subject to approval by the relevant Planning Authorities.</p><p>In respect of cost, I am afraid it is not possible to aggregate ESN costs down to specific geographic locations and any specific costs in relation to EAS would breach the disproportionate cost threshold. <br>The Government’s ambition is to have high-quality mobile connectivity where people live, work and travel, and we have committed to extending geographic coverage to 95% of the UK. Roaming in rural areas has the potential to improve consumer choice and could be a solution for the problem of “partial not-spots” (where one or more operators are present, but all four are not). It refers to the ability of customers of one network to use another provider’s network when they do not have access to a signal in a given area. This is currently mandated for emergency calls so that a 999 call can be made from any mobile in all areas where there is a signal from at least one operator. Improving mobile coverage in rural areas is a priority for us and we are considering all the options available to us, including rural roaming, to facilitate this.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd grouped question UIN 270411 270412 270413 270414 question first answered 05/07/2019 13:18:08 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

778252

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2017
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Emergency Services Network
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the difference in cost of rolling out the Emergency Services Network in rural and urban areas.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	109794
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2017 answer text <p>The costs of upgrading to the Emergency Services Network are available in the public domain at:</p><p>https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Upgrading-emergency-service communications-the-Emergency-services-Network.pdf</p><p>and https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/b15926/Minutes%20-%20Appendix%201%20 %20Transcript%20of%20Item%205%20Tuesday%2018-Jul-2017%2010.00%20GLA%20Oversight%20Committee.pdf?T=9”</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd grouped question UIN 109795 question first answered 18/12/2017 12:46:33 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts