Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many multi-dwelling unit freeholders are still to give permission to broadband network operators to upgrade their properties to gigabit-capable broadband.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There are approximately 6.5m Multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in the UK, of which an estimated 75% have access to a gigabit-capable connection. Of those that remain to be connected, this may be for a variety of reasons, including commercial viability, whether they are eligible for public subsidy or because they are subject to the commercial build plans of network operators, which includes ongoing negotiations with landlords of such properties.
The Land Registry holds details of property interests in Land and Buildings in England and Wales, while the Land Register of Scotland, and the Land Registry of Northern Ireland, collect information related to Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. While we recognise that not all land in the United Kingdom is registered, the Department expects operators to refer to these sources to ascertain the identity of the owner of a property.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many multi-dwelling units are excluded from the requirement that new build properties should have capability to host gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 require developers of new build homes, including multi-dwelling units (MDUs), in England to install the gigabit-ready physical infrastructure necessary for gigabit-capable connections. Additionally, and subject to a £2,000 cost cap per premises, developers need to install a gigabit-capable connection. Where a developer is unable to secure a gigabit-capable connection within the cost cap, a next-best technology connection that is available within the same cost cap must be installed. This means first a superfast connection, and if this is not possible, at minimum a broadband connection.
The requirements do not apply to properties undergoing a material change of use, such as converted properties, which may form some of the MDU housing stock. This issue was considered during the Technical Consultation which ran from 21 December 2012 to 28 February 2022. However, there was a lack of evidence from the consultation responses to suggest that these types of properties should be in scope of the regulations. We do not have an up-to-date assessment of how many MDUs this currently applies to.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support network operators in identifying freeholders of multi-dwelling units so operators can secure the permission of freeholders to upgrade broadband infrastructure so it is gigabit capable.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There are approximately 6.5m Multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in the UK, of which an estimated 75% have access to a gigabit-capable connection. Of those that remain to be connected, this may be for a variety of reasons, including commercial viability, whether they are eligible for public subsidy or because they are subject to the commercial build plans of network operators, which includes ongoing negotiations with landlords of such properties.
The Land Registry holds details of property interests in Land and Buildings in England and Wales, while the Land Register of Scotland, and the Land Registry of Northern Ireland, collect information related to Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. While we recognise that not all land in the United Kingdom is registered, the Department expects operators to refer to these sources to ascertain the identity of the owner of a property.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the process for declaring imports of (a) Orchidaceae, (b) Dendranthema, (c) Dianthus, (d) Gypsophila and (e) Solidago from the EU as medium risk.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra have undertaken the risk modelling necessary to categorise commodities, advised by an expert panel comprised of risk analysts, risk managers and policy representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency (which advises the UK and Welsh Governments), and Food Standards Scotland, alongside public health and disease control policy experts from the UK Health Security Agency and from the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments.
The categorisation is based on the inherent risk (high, medium or low) that the commodity poses to animal and plant health, food safety, alongside any specific risk from the country/region of origin. The categorisation approach draws on a range of data including disease outbreak data, known public health risks, transmission data, trade restrictions, non-compliance data and our confidence in the exporting country’s production standards and health controls, among other sources.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to lay regulations under the Health and Care Act introducing further advertising restrictions on TV and online for less healthy food products.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 1 October 2025, the Government will introduce a United Kingdom-wide 9:00pm television watershed for the advertising of less healthy products, and a restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online. The Government and regulators are working through the necessary steps to implement and enforce the regulations. These steps include consulting, finalising guidance, and laying regulations.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to help ensure (a) energy companies and (b) network operators can contact consumers on the Energy Priority Services Register during a power cut once the digital switchover is complete.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT is engaging with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to ensure robust measures are in place to mitigate any risks arising from the Public Switched Telephone (PSTN) switchover in the energy sector. The details regarding contingency plans and consumer prioritisation in the energy sector falls within DESNZ’s remit.
DSIT works closely on a range of resilience issues in partnership with industry, through the Electronic Communications Resilience & Response Group (EC-RRG), who engage in regular dialogue with the Energy Networks Association across a range of issues to help strengthen resilience between the telecoms and energy sectors.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) also recently consulted on proposals to establish a multi-sector Priority Services Register to enable better data sharing between providers of gas, water, electricity, and telecoms providers, and allow consumers to be registered as vulnerable across sectors. The consultation closed in January 2024, with a response expected in due course.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is monitoring how many retrospective checks have been conducted on forcibly migrated households to investigate if they had telecare devices.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It is the Government’s utmost priority that vulnerable people and telecare users are protected throughout the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration. In December 2023, the UK’s major Communication Providers agreed to sign a PSTN Charter, committing to improve protections for vulnerable customers. The Charter can be found here:
As set out in the PSTN Charter, Communication Providers have agreed to conduct additional checks on customers who have already been forcibly migrated. This is with a view to ensuring that the customers do not have telecare devices that providers were unaware of, and if they do, to ensure that the correct support is provided to them.
The Government will be monitoring the Communication Providers’ adherence to the Charter through bilateral meetings and through asking the companies for written updates on their approach to the migration.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the impact of trials of flexible permitting for streetworks on supporting the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government will shortly be trialling a more flexible permitting system, which would grant permission to work in multiple streets - as opposed to the current system which requires statutory undertakers to submit a separate permit for every street they work in. This would allow companies carrying out works to move from street to street quickly.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is working with the Department for Transport to trial this concept across England. DSIT have appointed an independent contractor to design, oversee and evaluate the trials, which we expect to commence in the second quarter of 2024.
Once trials have concluded, Ministers will consider the results of the evaluation, and decide whether a flexible permitting scheme should be introduced.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for undertaking additional trials of flexible permitting for works on roads by broadband and utility providers.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport consulted in 2021 on a proposal to allow flexi permits for certain types of works and published a response in 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/street-manager-and-permit-scheme-changes.
The proposal was not supported at the time on the basis of limited evidence that was presented in the impact assessment that accompanied the consultation.
The Government committed to carry out trials to develop the design for flexi permits and to carry out further assessments. We are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology who are funding the trials. Work has been underway since the end of 2023 and will continue until autumn 2024.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of flexible permitting schemes for works on roads by broadband and utility providers on changes in the level of spending by local authorities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport consulted in 2021 on a proposal to allow flexi permits for certain types of works and published a response in 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/street-manager-and-permit-scheme-changes.
The proposal was not supported at the time on the basis of limited evidence that was presented in the impact assessment that accompanied the consultation.
The Government committed to carry out trials to develop the design for flexi permits and to carry out further assessments. We are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology who are funding the trials. Work has been underway since the end of 2023 and will continue until autumn 2024.