Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1315662

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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: Southport
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase broadband speeds in Southport.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	3136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2021 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Government is working with mobile operators and suppliers to build an open, flexible, and diverse telecoms supply market, following the recommendations of the Diversification Taskforce, published on 20 April on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/telecoms-diversification-taskforce-findings-and-report/telecoms-diversification-taskforce-findings-and-report" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The Taskforce recommendations are helping to guide our approach delivering the Diversification strategy, including its central pillar of attracting new suppliers. The Government is designing a programme of targeted R&amp;D to level the playing field for smaller suppliers, and we continue to consider all options.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Suppliers are themselves taking positive steps to support this agenda and a number of smaller suppliers have already announced new research facilities in the UK.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The government is committed to delivering lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the UK. ‘Project Gigabit’ is ambitious, challenging and central to how we build back better. Our plan - to stimulate investment, bust barriers and drive competition - is working. We are on track for one of the fastest rollouts in Europe and for 60% of all households to have access to gigabit speeds by the end of the year. It is a huge leap forward from 2019, when it was 9%.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">We are backing Project Gigabit with £5 billion so hard to reach communities are not left out - starting to level up now, not waiting for the end of the commercial rollout, and building on the half a million rural homes and businesses already given coverage through our support.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">As part of Project Gigabit we are funding up to £210 million worth of vouchers over the next three years to help with the costs of installing gigabit to people’s doorsteps and up to £110 million to connect up to 7,000 rural public buildings such as GP surgeries, libraries and schools. All premises not covered through these measures or through commercial coverage will be in scope for new Project Gigabit contracts.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">According to Thinkbroadband (<a href="http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/E14000958" target="_blank">http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/E14000958</a>) 99.61% of premises in Southport currently has access to superfast broadband - up from 23% in 2011. On top of this, 19% also have access to Gigabit speeds. So far, 9 gigabit connection vouchers have been issued in the Southport area with a value of £19,600. Eligibility of other premises for vouchers can be checked at <a href="https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/ </a></ins></p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 26/05/2021 10:02:45 question first ministerially corrected 27/05/2021 14:48:37 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman previous answer version 2742 answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1315700

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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	Dormant Accounts Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Dormant Bank and Building Society Acounts Act 2008, Reclaim Fund Ltd scheme, how many reclaims from the scheme there have been since it was set up; and how many have ended up in dispute and been referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	3047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL) is legally obliged to retain a portion of the funds it receives as a result of the Dormant Assets Scheme in order to repay owners who come forward to reclaim their money. Data provided by RFL indicates that it has processed reclaims for 134,031 accounts, totalling £106m in value, up to 31 December 2020.</p><p>RFL is part of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) scheme. However, as participating banks and building societies hold the customer relationships, RFL does not have any data on how many reclaim disputes, if any, have been referred to FOS by participating firms. RFL has had no direct referrals to FOS.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 24/05/2021 14:20:20 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1315784

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the average internet (a) download and upload speed and (b) monthly cost for households in each region of the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	2886
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2021 answer text <p>Superfast broadband coverage is now available to over 97% of the UK, and Think Broadband reports that gigabit-capable networks now serve more than two in five (40%) premises in the UK.</p><p>Earlier this month, Ofcom published its UK Home Broadband Performance research which showed that the average download speed in the UK was 80.2 Mbps. This is an increase of 25% from 2019. The same report highlighted upload speeds of 21.6 Mbps which is equal to a 54% increase over the same period. Upload and download speeds will vary based on the type of connectivity installed within a property and the consumer’s individual retail package.</p><p>Ofcom published as part of its Connected Nations report in June 2020 the average speeds for each Nation. This showed the average download speeds as:</p><ul><li><p>England: 74 Mbps</p></li><li><p>Wales: 58 Mbps</p></li><li><p>Scotland: 70Mbps</p></li><li><p>Northern Ireland: 64 Mbps</p></li></ul><p>Regional data is produced on a quarterly basis by the website ThinkBroadband, and can be accessed at the following address: <a href="https://labs2.thinkbroadband.com/local/browse" target="_blank">https://labs2.thinkbroadband.com/local/browse</a>. Average speeds have been increasing each quarter as more premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband networks.</p><p>Different packages offered by suppliers may offer greater speeds, data allowances or other benefits, so it is difficult to assess the average cost. For example a number of broadband packages may include Pay TV subscriptions and other additional add-ons. However, to ensure decent broadband is affordable to everyone, a number of operators have brought in new nationwide affordable tariffs starting at £15 per month. For example, BT and Hyperoptic provide fibre social tariff products for households in receipt of Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits offering download speeds ranging from 40Mbps, up to 150Mbps.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 26/05/2021 16:27:39 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1315821

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the findings of the Telecommunications Diversification Taskforce, what plans he has to create an international digital infrastructure recommendations and standards alliance.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Anthony Mangnall
uin	3162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2021 answer text <p>Increasing UK representation and participation in the international standards setting environment is vitally important in promoting secure, open and interoperable standards. To achieve these objectives, the Government is working closely with industry, the NCSC, Ofcom and a wide range of international partners.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Through the UK’s G7 Presidency, the Government led positive conversations on standards with international partners, and will continue to work closely with like-minded partners in order to forge a consensus on these issues.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Telecommunications Diversification Taskforce has provided detailed recommendations to government as it takes forward this work, and we will set out next steps in due course.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 26/05/2021 10:09:30 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4762 label Biography information for Anthony Mangnall

1315822

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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: Infrastructure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the findings of the Telecommunications Diversification Taskforce, what steps he plans to take to attract small-scale vendors to the UK market.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Anthony Mangnall
uin	3163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2021 answer text <p>The Government is working with mobile operators and suppliers to build an open, flexible, and diverse telecoms supply market, following the recommendations of the Diversification Taskforce, published on 20 April on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/telecoms-diversification-taskforce-findings-and-report/telecoms-diversification-taskforce-findings-and-report" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Taskforce recommendations are helping to guide our approach delivering the Diversification strategy, including its central pillar of attracting new suppliers. The Government is designing a programme of targeted R&amp;D to level the playing field for smaller suppliers, and we continue to consider all options.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Suppliers are themselves taking positive steps to support this agenda and a number of smaller suppliers have already announced new research facilities in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 26/05/2021 10:05:10 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4762 label Biography information for Anthony Mangnall

1315847

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
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	Ofcom: Competition
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether Ofcom’s principal duty in carrying out its functions to further the interests of (a) citizens in relation to communications matters and (b) consumers in relevant markets where appropriate by promoting competition will apply across all its new functions in the (i) Telecoms Security Bill and (ii) draft Online Harms Bill.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	2963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>Ofcom must take account of its general duties when carrying out all of its functions, as set out in the Communications Act 2003. Ofcom also has certain specific requirements it must comply with when carrying out certain regulatory functions.</p><p>The Telecommunications (Security) Bill will amend Ofcom's regulatory duties under Section 105A to D of the Communications Act 2003 to strengthen Ofcom’s existing role in ensuring the UK’s public telecoms networks are secure and resilient. As the Bill amends those duties, Ofcom will continue to have to comply with the requirements set out earlier in the Act in discharging their new functions.</p><p>The general duties referenced will apply to Ofcom’s new online safety functions. The Draft Online Safety Bill, published on 12 May 2021, proposes to amend the Communications Act 2003 to add a specific duty on Ofcom in relation to online safety. This will be to secure, in the carrying out of its functions, ‘the adequate protection of citizens from harm arising from regulated services, through the appropriate use by providers of such services of systems and processes designed to reduce the risk of such harm.’</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 24/05/2021 12:33:38 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1315143

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Reclaim Fund: Civil Society
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the £750 million in funding announced for the voluntary and community sector on 8 April 2020 came from Reclaim Fund Ltd.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	2356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>None of the £750 million funding announced for the voluntary and community sector in April 2020, came from the Reclaim Fund Ltd transferred under the Dormant Assets Scheme. All of the funding was central government funding.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Separate to the £750m funding package, in May 2020 the DCMS Secretary of State announced the unlocking of £150m of dormant assets funding to help charities, social enterprises and individuals in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 20/05/2021 15:47:12 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1315144

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Reclaim Fund: Civil Society
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the £150 million of funding from Reclaim Fund Ltd which was allocated to good causes during the covid-19 outbreak contributed to the £750 million in funding announced on 8 April 2020.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	2357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>In May 2020 the DCMS Secretary of State announced that £150 million of dormant assets funding would go to help charities, social enterprises and individuals in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak. This funding was completely separate to the government’s £750 million support package for the voluntary and community sector, announced in April 2020.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The £150 million of dormant assets funding – consisting of £71 million of new funds alongside repurposing £79 million already unlocked – has supported a variety of initiatives focused on youth, financial inclusion, and social investment:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£10 million was used by Youth Futures Foundation to launch an emergency levelling up fund for young people from the communities hit hardest by this crisis, including those from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic groups.</p></li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£65 million was used by Fair4All Finance to create a robust programme to tackle the heightened needs of the financially marginalised as a result of the crisis.</p></li></ul><p> </p><ul><li><p>£45 million was used by Big Society Capital to allow better access to investment, including emergency loans for charities, social enterprises and some small businesses facing cash-flow problems and disruption to their trading.</p></li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£30 million was used by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, making up to £10 million available for emergency support through social lenders, while also developing a wider £20 million programme of flexible recovery finance for the social sector.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 2358 question first answered 24/05/2021 16:37:28 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1315146

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Reclaim Fund: Civil Society
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what initiatives have been supported by the £150 million in funding allocated from Reclaim Fund Ltd during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	2358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>In May 2020 the DCMS Secretary of State announced that £150 million of dormant assets funding would go to help charities, social enterprises and individuals in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak. This funding was completely separate to the government’s £750 million support package for the voluntary and community sector, announced in April 2020.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The £150 million of dormant assets funding – consisting of £71 million of new funds alongside repurposing £79 million already unlocked – has supported a variety of initiatives focused on youth, financial inclusion, and social investment:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£10 million was used by Youth Futures Foundation to launch an emergency levelling up fund for young people from the communities hit hardest by this crisis, including those from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic groups.</p></li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£65 million was used by Fair4All Finance to create a robust programme to tackle the heightened needs of the financially marginalised as a result of the crisis.</p></li></ul><p> </p><ul><li><p>£45 million was used by Big Society Capital to allow better access to investment, including emergency loans for charities, social enterprises and some small businesses facing cash-flow problems and disruption to their trading.</p></li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li><p>£30 million was used by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, making up to £10 million available for emergency support through social lenders, while also developing a wider £20 million programme of flexible recovery finance for the social sector.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 2357 question first answered 24/05/2021 16:37:29 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1315148

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Digital Markets Unit: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many full time equivalent staff are employed in the Digital Markets Unit as of 1 May 2021; and what estimate he has made of the number of those staff that will be employed in that unit at the end of 2021.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	2281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>In April, we established a new Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the Competition and Markets Authority to prepare for the new pro-competition regime for digital markets. We will legislate to put the DMU on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows, following consultation on the regime later this year.</p><p>The Competition and Markets Authority is an independent regulator. It received funding for approximately 55-60 staff members for the Digital Markets Unit for this financial year. Approximately half of the Digital Markets Unit staff are in post, with the Competition and Markets Authority expecting the Unit to be fully staffed by the summer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 20/05/2021 15:51:33 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah