{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith®isteredInterest=false", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith®isteredInterest=false", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith®isteredInterest=false&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith&_page=0®isteredInterest=false", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith®isteredInterest=false", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMember.label=Biography+information+for+Lord+Beith®isteredInterest=false", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1715690", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1715690/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has a jurisdiction beyond the UK and serves as the final court of appeal for many Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. From time to time, the work of the Judicial Committee has been augmented with the jurisprudence and expertise brought by appellate judges from jurisdictions beyond the UK.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Lord Chancellor welcomes and approves Lord Reed\u2019s proposal to invite judges outside the UK to sit on the Judicial Committee, and the necessary work is in train.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4941", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bellamy"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bellamy"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-15T15:17:04.12Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Privy Council Office Judicial Committee"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to bring forward Orders in Council to allow judges from relevant overseas jurisdictions to be appointed to serve on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Beith"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Beith"} ], "uin" : "HL4318"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1685668", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Science, Innovation and Technology"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1685668/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The analogue landline system, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately-owned telecoms network and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry. The industry\u2019s decision to upgrade the PSTN is due to necessity, as the network is increasingly unreliable and prone to failure, with some telecoms companies finding it difficult to source certain spare parts required to maintain or repair connections. Therefore, keeping customers on the ageing PSTN system presents risks in itself.<\/p>
<\/p>
DSIT officials engage with Communications Providers on a regular basis to understand the plans they have in place for the transition. Ofcom, the UK\u2019s telecommunications regulator, has also issued guidance on how telecoms companies should fulfil their regulatory obligations in the event of a power cut.<\/p>
<\/p>
This guidance states that providers should have at least one solution available that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises. These are minimum standards, and in practice many providers are offering solutions which exceed them, such as longer life battery back-up units, 4G enabled handsets or satellite enabled communication units. The DSIT Secretary of State also asked Ofcom to review the general resilience of telecommunications services in the event of prolonged power outages. In response, in December 2023, Ofcom launched a consultation<\/a> on the resilience of the sector that includes a separate call for input on power backup for mobile radio access networks. The consultation stated that 65% of power outages lasted for less than 1 hour.<\/p> <\/p> In December 2023, DSIT agreed a Charter of Commitments<\/a> with the UK\u2019s leading Communications Providers to secure additional commitments to protect vulnerable consumers through the transition process. As part of the Charter, Communication Providers have agreed to work towards going beyond the standard minimum of one hour resilience.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4939", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Camrose"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Camrose"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-12T12:05:20.237Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "216"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Science, Innovation and Technology"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Science, Innovation and Technology"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Telecommunications: Emergency Calls"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the withdrawal of copper wire land lines because of the roll out of full fibre does not leave some homes and schools without access to communication, emergency messages or 999 calls in the event of a power cut which disables both their home power and the power supply to local mobile phone masts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Beith"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Beith"}
], "uin" : "HL1971"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437993", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437993/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The telecoms industry is retiring the Public Switched Telephone Network as the old technology reaches the end of its serviceable life, with landlines being replaced by Voice over Internet Protocol services. The decision to upgrade the telephone network has been taken by the telecoms industry and not the Government. Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has issued guidance on how telecoms companies can fulfil their regulatory obligation to ensure that their VoIP customers have access to the emergency services during a power outage. This guidance was prepared following consultation with Ofgem and the industry, looking at data on average power outages among other factors.<\/p> This guidance states that providers should have at least one solution available which enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises, and that the solution should be suitable for customers\u2019 needs and should be offered free of charge to those who are at risk because they are dependent on their landline. This might include relying on the mobile network, which has a high degree of power resilience, or using a battery back-up unit to provide power. Ofcom\u2019s full guidance is available on its website here<\/a>.<\/p> As part of our standard procedure for large incidents, DCMS is working with Ofcom and the telecoms sector to complete a Post-Incident Review on the response to Storm Arwen. Similarly, BEIS as the Lead Government Department for energy is undertaking its own review; both these reports will identify lessons and develop actions to improve responses for future events.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4728", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-03-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-03-16T14:13:39.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-03-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Telecommunications: Rural Areas"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on vulnerable people in remote rural areas of the loss of telephone contact during power cuts; and what plans they have to review their policy of withdrawing telephone land lines from some rural properties given the experience during recent storms.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Beith"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Beith"}
], "uin" : "HL6591"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1353158", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1353158/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In England, licences - for the purpose of preventing serious damage to land, or any other form of property - to kill or take badgers, or to interfere with a badger sett are granted by Natural England (NE). NE is authorised, on behalf of the Secretary of State, to grant licences for this purpose.<\/p> <\/p> In situations where badgers are causing damage to cemeteries or burial grounds, NE can provide case-specific advice to the local authority if requested, and this may include a site visit where this would be beneficial. If the damage is caused by foraging activities, then advice will normally relate to preventive measures that do not require a licence, such as the use of fencing and other proofing. Where the sett itself is causing damage to graves, then an application for a licence to exclude badgers from the sett may be appropriate.<\/p> <\/p> Licences will only be granted where there are no satisfactory alternatives, the action to be licensed is proportionate to the scale of the problem and the licensed action will contribute to resolving the problem.<\/p> <\/p>