Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 8 July (HL1838), what are the specific punctuality, cancellations, and passenger experience metrics which the Department for Transport is using to monitor the performance of South Western Railway following its transfer into public ownership; and to what extent those metrics are being met.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department monitors Southwestern Railway’s performance through a range of operational measures covering punctuality, cancellations, passenger experience and service quality. The principal operational performance metrics are:
Customer satisfaction metrics are:
In the latest reporting period, Southwestern Railway did not meet its punctuality or cancellations targets. It also did not meet its customer experience targets for overall satisfaction and satisfaction during disruption. Whilst a number of Service Quality station measures remained below benchmark, performance in all train areas exceeded the benchmark.
Whilst SWR’s performance before and after public ownership has been below standard passengers deserve, particularly with rolling stock issues and driver shortages inherited from the previous owning group, progress is being made under public ownership. Since their transfer to public ownership, SWR have unlocked their Arterio programme, with fifty-two daily service diagrams compared to just six when SWR entered public ownership.
To improve performance, Southwestern Railway and Network Rail's integrated Wessex team are focused on reducing delays and cancellations caused by infrastructure, fleet and operational issues. This includes investment in more reliable infrastructure, deployment of technologies to improve monitoring of track conditions, improvements to service recovery and disruption management through the Major Disruption Taskforce, and delivery of customer information improvements. The Department monitors progress through regular performance reviews and engagement.
Information on punctuality and reliability and improvement activity can be found on the SWR website.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of their software assets to ascertain usage, year-over-year spend and potential dependencies for the purpose of realising maximum cost efficiencies for digital transformation.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes in digital purchasing, including development of a digital sourcing strategy, central buying of commodity services, creation of technical enablers and joined up management of strategic digital suppliers.
Through our digital sourcing strategy and digital supplier management we will engage with suppliers to ensure appropriate licensing to achieve our digital transformation outcomes.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of software licences that restrict specific uses of that software, such as customisation of capabilities, on the digital transformation programmes set out in the Spending Review 2025 (CP1336).
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes in digital purchasing, including development of a digital sourcing strategy, central buying of commodity services, creation of technical enablers and joined up management of strategic digital suppliers.
Through our digital sourcing strategy and digital supplier management we will engage with suppliers to ensure appropriate licensing to achieve our digital transformation outcomes, as well as ensure we do not over customise capabilities risking them becoming legacy in the future.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of reports that Microsoft has withdrawn services from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, what steps they are taking to ensure that software services provided to public sector bodies by non-UK based companies cannot be unexpectedly withdrawn.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
We are aware of media reports that Microsoft may have blocked the email account of Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in compliance with US sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. It is our understanding that Microsoft has strongly denied this action, it would therefore be in appropriate for us to comment further at this point in time, other than to note that we constantly keep our commercial relationships under review.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that software services provided to UK public sector bodies by companies based in the jurisdiction of hostile state actors cannot be accessed by those hostile state actors.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The government takes data security very seriously and has taken appropriate action to mitigate hostile state actors providing or accessing the software services being used by the public sector. The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) requires public sector contracting authorities to mitigate any potential risk from hostile states by addressing national security risk in all procurements.
The Procurement Act 2023 introduces powers to exclude a supplier from a specific procurement, terminate a public contract with a supplier, or debar a supplier from all, or a range of, public contracts. Ministers may exercise this power should they deem there to be a threat to national security.
Contracting authorities should follow Government Security Group (GSG)’s guidance on Tackling Security Risk in Government Supply Chains, as well as supply chain guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Protective Security Authority (NPSA).
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has had with other Cabinet ministers on (1) the scarcity of cybersecurity skills in the UK, and (2) the potential impact of the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill on the availability of cybersecurity talent.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham
Cyber criminals are attacking our public services and businesses with increased frequency, costing billions of pounds per year. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will protect more digital businesses than ever, essential services that the public rely on and our national security. The government is committed to minimising additional costs to business and will set out a full assessment of this in an impact assessment, to be published upon introduction of the Bill.
My department is working across government, including working closely with departments who act as cyber sector regulators, to deliver the government’s commitment to reducing the gap in cyber skills. Our assessment of this is set out in the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market Survey. The priority skillset for the Bill will be the Audit and Assurance specialism, as defined by the UK Cyber Security Council. We have made strides in reducing the gap in these skills this year with a reported fall to 18%, down from 28% in 2023.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to their policy statement on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, published on 1 April, what assessment they have made of the potential increase in regulatory burdens on cybersecurity professionals.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham
Cyber criminals are attacking our public services and businesses with increased frequency, costing billions of pounds per year. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will protect more digital businesses than ever, essential services that the public rely on and our national security. The government is committed to minimising additional costs to business and will set out a full assessment of this in an impact assessment, to be published upon introduction of the Bill.
My department is working across government, including working closely with departments who act as cyber sector regulators, to deliver the government’s commitment to reducing the gap in cyber skills. Our assessment of this is set out in the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market Survey. The priority skillset for the Bill will be the Audit and Assurance specialism, as defined by the UK Cyber Security Council. We have made strides in reducing the gap in these skills this year with a reported fall to 18%, down from 28% in 2023.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how, in developing the industrial strategy following their consultation on Invest 2035: the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy published in October 2024, the Department for Business and Trade will work with Skills England to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled professionals in the technology and cybersecurity sector.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The Industrial Strategy Green Paper is clear that the people that create and work in businesses will be central to the success of the growth-driving sectors and clusters. The government has established Skills England to better understand current and future skills requirements and is developing proposals to ensure the skills system supports employers to develop a pipeline of skilled workers to meet their needs, including in technology and cybersecurity. This will also complement existing skills efforts led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, who oversee the current CyberFirst programme and the work of the UK Cyber Security Council.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government which Departments had not agreed their spending settlements ahead of the Autumn Budget Statement by 16 October.
Answered by Lord Livermore
All departments agreed their Spending Review settlements ahead of Autumn Budget. As you would expect, some technical details took longer to be worked through but the overall numbers were agreed within the expected timeframes. Details of the Settlements were announced by the Chancellor as part of her Budget speech yesterday, and are now available to be viewed online.
Asked by: Viscount Camrose (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue the Modular Acceleration Programme.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The modular acceleration programme is a two-year programme designed to accelerate the supply and support the delivery of individual modules of Higher Technical Qualifications ahead of the launch of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. During academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25, 25 providers will deliver up to 108 modules to learners.
Delivery of the first modules began in April 2024, with the bulk of modules being delivered from September 2024. Activities to raise demand and support recruitment to modules will continue as the programme enters its second academic year.