Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the impact on UK strategic interests in the Caribbean of the presence of Chinese military personnel in Cuba.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary's Mansion House speech earlier this year set out the UK's global approach to China. The Foreign Secretary underlined that the UK would be firm in pushing back wherever we judged Chinese actions were against British interests while engaging directly with China, bilaterally and multilaterally, to preserve and create open, constructive, and stable relations reflecting China's global importance. We continue to monitor the situation in Cuba and any potential impact on UK strategic interests.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of allegations that Cuban nationals are undertaking military training in Belarus with the consent of the Cuban government on the UK's bilateral relations with Cuba.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to monitor reports of the discussion of potential military co-operation between Belarus and Cuba, following comments made by the Belarus Deputy Defence Minister. The UK has a long standing policy of engagement with Cuba. Our relationship allows us to collaborate positively in areas of mutual interest and to talk frankly on matters where our views and interests differ.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on the level of Official Development Assistance provided to Cuba and of Cuban nationals undertaking military training in Russia to fight with the Russian military in Ukraine.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not currently provide any bilateral ODA funding to Cuba. We will continue to monitor reports that Cuban nationals living in Russia may have joined the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and be fighting in Ukraine. Russia's assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK and countries all around the world remain united in condemning Russia's egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Cuban counterpart on the implications for his policies of Cuban citizens joining the Russian army to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have and will continue to raise Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine with the Cuban government and will continue to monitor reports that Cuban nationals living in Russia may have joined the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and be fighting in Ukraine. Russia's assault on Ukraine is a premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK and countries all around the world remain united in condemning Russia's egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to invest in IT systems to (a) improve the productivity and (b) reduce the administrative workload of GP surgeries in (i) Shropshire and (ii) Telford and Wrekin.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
As part of our Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published on 9 May, NHS England committed to fund digital tools to make it easier for practices to receive, navigate, assess and respond to requests more efficiently. We are retargeting over £240 million of funding in 2023/24 for new technologies and support offers. These will, for example, make home blood pressure monitoring easier, improve the digital infrastructure between general practice and community pharmacy, and help practices implement digital telephony and a Modern General Practice Access approach.
These should improve productivity by saving time for general practice teams, and reducing unnecessary administrative workload across England, including in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
NHS England ensures that modern, integrated, secure and user-friendly digital systems are available through the GP IT Operating Model, the Digital Care Services catalogue and the GP IT Futures frameworks. This work supports ongoing improvements to procurement processes, a greater choice of nationally accredited digital suppliers and products that meet core standards, requirements and capabilities to ensure GP IT systems continually evolve and advance with minimal impact and disruption to care.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish the UK Semiconductor Strategy.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been reviewing the UK government’s approach to the semiconductor sector and intends to set out its plans for the sector in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy. The Strategy will be published as soon as possible.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with her counterparts in the G7 on the oversight and regulation of (a) nation-state and (b) private sector developed artificial intelligence technologies.
Answered by Paul Scully
G7 ministerial discussions concerning the oversight and regulation of AI are well advanced. On 29-30 April 2023, the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy attended the G7 Digital Ministerial meeting in Japan, where the UK agreed to the G7 Digital Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration emphasises the importance of responsible AI and global AI governance, and endorses an Action Plan for promoting global interoperability between tools for trustworthy AI and for cooperating on upcoming AI opportunities and challenges.
Active engagement in the G7, as well as other international fora, is a key priority for the Government. We recognise the need to shape the development and governance of AI both at a domestic and international level, as highlighted in the AI Regulation White Paper and the International Technology Strategy, both published in March 2023. We will continue to collaborate with our G7 counterparts to shape the global AI landscape, achieving the right balance between responding to risks and maximising opportunities afforded by AI.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps to improve mobile phone signal strength and coverage in Shropshire.
Answered by John Whittingdale
This Government is taking steps to improve both 4G and 5G coverage across the country.
With industry, we are investing £1 billion in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025. Shropshire will see coverage improvements to partial not-spots areas where there is coverage from one but not all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and to total not-spots where there is no coverage from any operator.
In our recently published Wireless Infrastructure Strategy (11 April 2023), we have set a new ambition for nationwide coverage of standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
We have also taken steps to make it easier and cheaper for operators to deploy 4G and 5G wireless connectivity by reforming the planning system in England. Alongside this, measures within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, will support upgrades of sites to 5G.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission research on the (a) potential impact and (b) prevalence of interference of 5G technology on the radio bandwidth of aircraft navigation systems.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is aware of the concerns around 5G and is actively monitoring any potential risk of 5G interference to radio navigation aids both nationally and internationally.
The risk of aircraft equipment failure remains inherently low but is under constant review. To date no UK or international reports of radio altimeter failure have been directly attributed to 5G technology. The CAA has issued a Safety Notice across the industry and continues to monitor any concerns that the 5G network could affect equipment onboard aircraft. It will keep this under review and update it to reflect UK and international developments.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies to help reduce pedestrian safety incidents on level crossings in Shropshire.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department provided £34.7bn in direct funding to Network Rail to be spent in the period 2019-2024 on the operation, maintenance, and renewal of the mainline railway, including level crossings. In Shropshire, level crossings have directly benefited from funding to improve user safety, which has included the closure of 10 of the highest risk level crossings and the installation of overlay miniature stop lights at several crossings across the County, including Saltmoor, Stokeswood and Micklewood level crossings, amongst others. In implementing these measures, Network Rail has collaborated closely with lineside neighbours, local authorities, train operators and level crossing managers to identify risks, so that they can be addressed quickly, for example by installing new surfaces, clearing vegetation and improving access for users.