Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 71074, on Emergency Services Network: Strathconon, what steps her Department has taken to look at cases where there may be a particular case for early activation due to community need, as well as potential funding sources to enable that.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We expect the contract for connecting all 292 EAS masts to the network to be awarded in Autumn 2021. Following the award of this contract the work to deliver the links can take several months before connecting the mast to the network and, separately, activating the mast. Although we cannot give firm dates for the final activation of masts at this stage, we expect this to commence in 2022 and complete towards the end 2024. Unfortunately we are unable to accelerate this.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to extended area service sites that require a backhaul link to the main telecoms communications network to be commissioned but are otherwise ready for use, for what reason her Department has not provided (a) that backhaul link or (b) other maintenance solution that would provide access to the 4G mobile network for residents.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The contract for connecting all 292 EAS masts to the network (backhaul link) is currently in the process of being awarded to a supplier, we expect this to be completed in Autumn 2021. After the award of this contract, we will complete the physical work to connect the mast to the network and, separately, activate the mast. Contract award for maintenance is currently at the procurement phase, we expect this to be in place when sites are ready for activation.
The installation of the backhaul link (transmission) takes place once a site has been built. The contract for transmission connections is currently in the process of being awarded to a supplier, we expect this to be completed in Autumn 2021. After the award of this contract, we will complete the physical work to install the transmission and connect the mast to the network and, separately, activate the mast.
The contract for transmission will include installation and maintenance services and is scheduled to awarded in Autumn 2021 as above.
The ordering of transmission circuits (over which the 4G services run) remain the responsibility of each commercial operator.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department not supported activation of a commercial 4G service on the majority of built extended area service sites.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Wherever possible, we have chosen a future-proofed design for EAS mast structures, meaning that they can be easily upgraded to be part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) which is being delivered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). SRN is a partnership between Government and industry to deliver on the manifesto commitment of increasing mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by 2026. Through the SRN programme, Government will fund upgrades to the Home Office EAS sites, to enable Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to provide commercial mobile coverage from these sites.
The HO is making as many of the EAS sites available to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), working with DCMS under the SRN programme. This includes physical upgrades to the sites to enable MNOs place their equipment onto the sites. Activation and timing of the site for 4G commercial services is a responsibility of the individual operators. The role of the HO is to provide physical access to MNOs which it is enabling.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that Extended Area Service sites are ready for commercial use by mobile networks (a) as quickly as possible and (b) ahead the move from the airwave network to the Emergency Services Network in 2025.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We are striving to deliver the EAS component of ESN for emergency services’ use, as quickly as possible. 4G commercial mobile phone coverage will generally be available to EE customers as soon as these masts are activated for ESN. As part of the DCMS Shared Rural Network Programme, these masts will also be made available for commercial mobile customers of other Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) wherever possible.
The EAS sites have been designed and built primarily to support the delivery of the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The Home Office, working together with DCMS as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme are upgrading as many of the EAS sites as possible to enable all operators provide 4G commercial coverage from those sites.
EE would be able to provide 4G commercial coverage (alongside ESN) from those sites at the point those sites are fully activated.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Extended Area Service programme, for what reason only six sites in Argyll and Bute are suitable for use by a commercial 4G service.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have chosen a future-proofed design for all mast structures in Bute and Argyll, meaning that they can be easily upgraded to allow access by the UK’s commercial mobile operators to improve coverage to communities.
A number of EAS sites are not currently able to support commercial services for technical or financial reasons. The HO is working with DCMS under the SRN programme to provide significant investment in many of these sites to enable 4G coverage to be possible from as many of the EAS sites as possible.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of appointments for biometric testing at the Core Service Point in Glasgow are (a) free and (b) enhanced appointments which incur a charge.
Answered by Kevin Foster
UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) centres are run by Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) on behalf of UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) The core service points, at which free appointments are offered are located in Cardiff, Croydon, Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.
The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) regarding availability of free appointments for biometric enrolment at core service points related to SSL is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Key Performance Indicators for HMG’s most important contracts held by the Home Office.
This can be found following the link below:
Note: In order to find the information specific to the UKVCAS contract, this can be identified via column C and selecting Sopra Steria Ltd.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an Overseas Security and Justice Assessment or similar human rights due diligence was carried out before the visit of the Home Secretary to Muharraq Governorate Police in Bahrain on 6 December 2020.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office undertakes Overseas Security and Justice Assessments for activities that involve providing security and justice assistance to a foreign partner.
This includes any activities that could either result in changes to the laws, policies or practices of foreign justice or security institutions or which may alter their capabilities. Assessments are also carried out where the activity could result in any individuals being identified or brought into the judicial process of the foreign authority.
The Home Secretary’s visit to the Muharraq Governorate Police Station on 6 December did not involve providing any such security and justice related assistance.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take steps to provide emergency support for highly skilled migrants with pending indefinite leave to remain applications and without rights including access to public funding under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Highly skilled migrants within the cohort affected by the Judgement in the case of Balajigari (and others) are considered to have 3C leave by virtue of the fact that the original decisions were quashed by the Court of Appeal.
Section 3C leave allows an individual to continue on the conditions attached to their last grant of permission to stay and therefore in the case of these individuals they were not permitted to access public funds under Tier 1 (General).
Where an individual applied for indefinite leave to remain when their permission to stay had already expired they would not benefit from Section 3C leave. However, individuals in this position have been issued with Immigration Bail letters confirming their right to work and study.
As such we do not consider access to public funds is necessary for the purpose of these applicants as they are able to undertake employment.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Immigration Health Surcharge exemption will extend to international volunteers from other countries working in (a) Camphill communities and (b) other health and social care settings under the Tier 5 arrangements.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to work together to exempt overseas NHS and care staff from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care officials are currently working on how to implement this and further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Immigration Health Surcharge exemption will extend to people from other countries who are (a) applying and (b) plan to apply for visas under the Tier 5 arrangements to work as volunteers in (i) Camphill communities and (ii) other health and social care settings.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to work together to exempt overseas NHS and care staff from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care officials are currently working on how to implement this and further details will be announced in due course.