Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of neurodiverse people referred to Prevent in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Office does not hold information on the number of neurodiverse people referred to Prevent, as neurodiversity is not recorded on either the police or Home Office-owned Prevent databases.
A new Prevent case management system will be launched next year which will be able to capture data more accurately, including information relating to neurodiversity.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) children and (b) young people under the age of 20 referred to Prevent in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Office published its annual statistics on individuals referred to and supported through Prevent programme on December 7th 2023. The release covers Prevent data reported between April 2022 and March 2023, and for the first time includes statistics to show the number of minors referred to Prevent. In the year ending 31 March 2023, there were 3,773 referrals to Prevent for individuals aged 17 and under.
This comprises 56% of referrals where the age was known. Combining those aged 17 and under with those aged 18, 19 and 20, there were 4,322 referrals to Prevent for individuals aged under 21.
This comprises 64% of all referrals where the age was known. More information and detailed data tables are provided in the latest release, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/individuals-referred-to-prevent
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide support to people who have been misreferred to Prevent.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Where the police take a decision that a referral is not suitable for Prevent, the referral will be closed. The person being referred will not routinely be made aware of the referral. Where the person is signposted for support via other services – which could include social care or mental health services – they will receive support via the appropriate service.
It will process complaints from both the public and practitioners, and will take instruction from Ministers to conduct investigations and publish findings. The unit will be delivered by the Commission for Countering Extremism, and will be answerable to Ministers on the Prevent oversight board.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of the withdrawal of copper wire telecommunications to local authorities.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The change to digital landlines will affect many sectors of the economy, including services delivered by local authorities. We cannot definitively comment on the estimated cost of the upgrade on local authorities, since the services and devices vary from one local authority to another.
The Government engages regularly with local authorities to raise awareness of the PSTN migration. As part of that engagement, we have encouraged local authorities to collate and share cost data related to the migration with DSIT and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). We have also made clear that local authorities should plan ahead for how they may be impacted by the migration, including by considering the budgetary implications of upgrading outdated devices.
With regards to communicating the migration, industry is best placed to inform their respective customers. Communications Providers have varying strategies and timelines for the migration, as well as a better understanding of the needs of their individual customers. By contrast, there is a significant risk that a nationwide campaign would be misleading and counterproductive, for example by not giving appropriate advice to vulnerable customers.
That said, DSIT has published a webpage on GOV.UK about the PSTN migration as a way to increase public awareness. This resource provides guidance about how consumers can prepare for the switchover and where they can find additional information. The webpage can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines. We also regularly engage with Ofcom and Communication Providers to discuss how best to communicate with end users, particularly vulnerable customers.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Construction Industry Council on decarbonising the cement industry.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Officials have regular discussions with the Green Construction Board and with other bodies on a range of issues relating to the decarbonisation of cement. The Government is committed to exploring opportunities to decarbonise this critical foundation material and regularly engages with the Mineral Products Association and the sector to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in decarbonisation, and potential ways forward. The Department for Business and Trade is working with the Construction Leadership Council, with a key priority being net zero and biodiversity, to support use of lower carbon materials and products such as cement and concrete in the construction sector.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding to support the development of the low-carbon cement sector.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State regularly discusses a range of issues with my Rt hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer. Carbon Capture Usage and Storage will be crucial for decarbonisation of industries, such as cement, which otherwise lack viable alternatives to achieve deep decarbonisation. CCUS and low carbon hydrogen are vital to transforming these sectors. In March, the Chancellor announced £20 billion investment in the early development of CCUS to help meet the Government’s climate commitments. The Government is taking forward the Hanson Padeswood Cement Works to proceed to negotiations for support under the Industrial Carbon Capture business model.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she plans to take to incentivise the development of low-carbon cement technologies.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Phase 2 of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA) supported projects to develop energy and resource efficiency technology in cement, worth a total of £720,000 in grant funding. Over £13 million in funding has been awarded from UKRI’s Innovate Transforming Foundation Industry Challenge for decarbonisation projects in the cement sector, including over £2.6m to Cemex to look at the valorization of contaminated waste glass to produce low carbon cements at its Rugby plant. The Department for Energy security and Net Zero is also undertaking research to explore barriers and opportunities for the adoption of low carbon, resource efficient materials in the construction sector.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the date by which he will next receive an update on the independent policing productivity review.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Policing Productivity Review was commissioned in August 2020 to produce clear, practical, and deliverable recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of policing functions. They have provided their report to the Home Office, which has now been published.
The Government welcomes this review and is supportive of any effort to reduce bureaucracy and make it easier for the police to do their jobs. The Home Office is considering each of the recommendations and will engage with relevant stakeholders to respond to the report in due course.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a 50% increase in Administrative Strike Prices; and whether an increase in those Prices applies to all renewable technologies in Allocation Round 6.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government reviews auction parameters, including Administrative Strike Prices, ahead of every Contracts for Difference allocation round. Considering recent price volatility and that no offshore wind technologies were successful in Allocation Round 5, the Government has conducted a thorough review of its cost assumptions ahead of Allocation Round 6. The Government will set parameters that reflect the Contracts for Difference scheme’s objective to encourage low-carbon generation whilst considering net zero commitments, energy security and the likely cost to consumers. Core parameters for Allocation Round 6 will be published in November 2023.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how her Department plans to take into account changes in the level of costs when setting the Administrative Strike Price for renewable technologies in Allocation Round 6 of the Contracts for Difference.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government reviews auction parameters, including Administrative Strike Prices, ahead of every Contracts for Difference allocation round. Considering recent price volatility and that no offshore wind technologies were successful in Allocation Round 5, the Government has conducted a thorough review of its cost assumptions ahead of Allocation Round 6. The Government will set parameters that reflect the Contracts for Difference scheme’s objective to encourage low-carbon generation whilst considering net zero commitments, energy security and the likely cost to consumers. Core parameters for Allocation Round 6 will be published in November 2023.