The Government has worked closely with internet service providers to ensure provision of social tariffs for those on Universal Credit and other means tested benefits \u2013 including Pension Credit.<\/p>
<\/p>
Ofcom\u2019s latest Affordability Report shows awareness of social tariffs amongst eligible groups has increased from 16% in February 2022, to 47% in April 2023. The Government recognises more is needed to ensure eligible households know about the support available and continues to work closely with operators, charities, and consumer groups to raise awareness of social tariffs.<\/p>
<\/p>
In July, Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom\u2019s Chief Executive, wrote to the sector to set out the regulator\u2019s expectation that they should do more to promote awareness, such as by highlighting tariffs on bills and end-of-contract notifications. We continue to work closely with Ofcom to monitor public awareness of social tariffs as well as the other barriers to take up.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4939", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Camrose"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Camrose"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-13T13:27:42.633Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "216"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Science, Innovation and Technology"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Science, Innovation and Technology"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Social Tariffs"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase their promotion of social tariffs in areas of deprivation in the light of the finding that many older people are unaware of social tariffs, particularly in the broadband sector, in the report A constant struggle: The impact of high household costs on older people facing financial hardship, published by Independent Age in September.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"} ], "uin" : "HL725"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1468306", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1468306/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since the creation of the Sponsor Body in April 2020 to the end of March 2022, the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority spent an estimated £212 million on the Restoration and Renewal Programme. This includes costs for design work, surveys, preparation of the detailed and costed plan (also known as business case development), programme management, staffing the two organisations, and data and digital services. All of the spend to date has been in accordance with the Restoration and Renewal Programme remit to progress the work required under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019.<\/p>
A further £87 million of R&R funding for 2022/23 has been agreed by the Commissions of both Houses and the Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3605", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Best"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Best"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-16T12:31:05.817Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "207"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Parliament: Repairs and Maintenance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body how much money they have spent so far on drawing up plans for the Restoration and Renewal of the Houses of Parliament.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} ], "uin" : "HL725"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1330204", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1330204/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As the Minister of State responsible for human rights issues for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, I tweeted on 11 May to express my deep sadness at the reported murder of priests in Tigray. This is one of an increasing number of horrifying reports of atrocities coming out of Tigray. Civilians must be protected and the violence must stop. We have also stressed the need for Ethiopia to safeguard its incredible diversity of faith and identity in order to uphold freedom of religion and belief.<\/p>
The UK's longstanding position is that determining whether a situation amounts to genocide is an issue for competent national and international courts, not governments: our focus is on seeing an end to violence and protecting civilians. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that their joint investigations with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission into atrocities in Tigray are independent, transparent and impartial and that those responsible for these human rights abuses are held to account. The Foreign Secretary, Minister for Africa and our Ambassador in Addis continue to raise human rights issues in their discussions with the Ethiopian government.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-06-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-06-21T11:07:11.227Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-06-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Tigray: Genocide"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Ethiopia about (1) the alleged genocide in Tigray, and (2) reports that priests and nuns in that region have been attacked and killed.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3364", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Cox"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Cox"} ], "uin" : "HL725"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1172794", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1172794/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Our longstanding position is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or act as a mediator. Any external mediation on Kashmir would need to be jointly agreed by India and Pakistan. We recognise that there are human rights concerns in India-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and have noted the recommendations in the OHCHR report for the authorities in India, the Government of Pakistan, and the Human Rights Council. Any allegation of human rights violations or abuses are deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-29T13:59:05.037Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 January (HL Deb, col 916) that the situation in Kashmir \u201cneeds to be resolved bilaterally\u201d, what assessment they have made of the possibility of mediating between the governments of India and Kashmir in order to implement the recommendations made in the report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir from May 2018 to April 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4558", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Thornhill"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Thornhill"} ], "uin" : "HL725"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }