Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people are employed in Music Education Hubs in England.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Music Hubs cover every area of England and are made up of partnerships that support, deliver and enable children and young people to access music education within a local area. These partnerships are co-ordinated by a Hub Lead Organisation (HLOs) which is responsible for the funding and governance of the Hub. As the fundholder and accountable body for the Hub programme, Arts Council England (ACE) oversees the management of Music Hubs including payments, monitoring the risk to investment and monitoring the performance of Hubs. The department provides the funding for the grant award to HLOs each year.
The terms and conditions of staff is the responsibility of either the HLO or any other music service or equivalent organisation working in partnership with the HLO and for whom they hold grant funding. HLOs also need to apply ACE standard grant terms and conditions, including in relation to the workforce.
ACE collects and publishes workforce information on an annual basis and this is published on the ACE Hub Data Dashboard which is available on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
The workforce dashboard for 2021/22 shows that the number of permanent staff (full-time or part-time) across all areas of England is 6,588. The number of staff employed on a contractual basis is 1,665 and the number of self-employed or freelance staff is 3,104. ACE does not collect information on the type of contract or average wage or income of staff, including teachers.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the level of business rates for film and TV studios on investment in that sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of the film and TV sector to the UK and is committed to maintaining a competitive offer for studios. The Valuation Office Agency is working closely with the film studio sector and its representatives to review valuation evidence through a Group Pre-Challenge Review (GPCR).
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an impact assessment of the Valuation Office Agency's decision to raise business rates on film and TV studios.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of the film and TV sector to the UK and is committed to maintaining a competitive offer for studios. The Valuation Office Agency is working closely with the film studio sector and its representatives to review valuation evidence through a Group Pre-Challenge Review (GPCR).
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the Universal Credit taper rate.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In November 2021, The Government reduced the taper rate from 63% to 55%. There are no current plans to further reduce the taper, however this will be kept under review.
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, when she will implement (a) Section 61 to 65 and (b) the remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are aiming to implement all remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 by the end of 2024.
These provisions are complex, and it is important we ensure they are commenced in a manner that effectively delivers the changes legislated for by Parliament in the Act.
DSIT officials will continue to keep stakeholders informed of progress, including more detailed information on likely timelines when appropriate.
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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of instructing Ofcom to (a) monitor compliance by (i) network operators and (ii) contractors using Openreach ducts and (b) require registration from any organisation using Openreach ducts to help ensure the (A) resilience of the UK’s networks and (B) security of national infrastructure.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Openreach has commercial contracts with broadband contractors who access its ducts and poles. These contracts include detailed requirements on how Openreach should be notified of where and when companies will be building fibre. It is ultimately a commercial decision for Openreach to decide how it enforces these contracts, and we understand it already has an active non-compliance process in place.
If there are concerns that competition issues might arise from the enforcement of these commercial contracts, these should be raised with Ofcom. Ofcom’s Openreach Monitoring Unit ensures that the company meets expectations in how it deals with both its customers and its competitors.
DSIT engages with Ofcom and Openreach on a regular basis and no concerns have been raised to date regarding the use of Openreach ducts by other companies and contractors. DSIT will continue to monitor potential risks to the cyber, physical and personnel security of telecoms infrastructure and assess the need for intervention, based on advice from NCSC and NPSA.
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 (a) ensure the security of network infrastructure and (b) prevent unauthorised access to fibre lines during the (i) installation and (ii) utilisation of Openreach ducting.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) works with Ofcom, UK technical authorities (the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Protective Security Authority) and industry to identify risks and ensure the security of telecoms network infrastructure.
Through the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and working with the National Cyber Security Centre and Ofcom, we have one of the toughest telecoms cyber security regimes in the world with the Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022 and Code of Practice. These place stringent obligations on providers of public telecoms networks to protect those networks against security threats. The Act also created new national security powers to manage and control the use of high-risk vendors in the UK’s telecoms network.
DSIT also works with the National Protective Security Agency (NPSA) in developing telecoms security policies. The NPSA advises government and industry on the physical security of infrastructure, including its installation.
DSIT will continue to develop policies to address significant risks to the cyber, physical and personnel security of telecoms infrastructure where necessary, based on advice from the NPSA and NCSC.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to her oral contributions of 12 December 2022, Official Report column 823, and 30 March 2023, Official Report column 1168, when she plans that the the ministerial registration of interests, hospitality, gifts and so forth will be put on the same footing as Parliament’s.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
In July 2023, the Cabinet Office published its response to three reports on strengthening ethics and integrity in central government. This states: “The Government will be implementing comprehensive reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of departments' transparency returns, which cover meetings, gifts, hospitality and travel.”
“The Cabinet Office is developing a single platform to collate and publish departments' transparency returns. This will provide a single public source of transparency data, replacing the system of separate publications. Following the deployment and adoption of an integrated database, the Government will look to move departments' transparency publications from a quarterly to a monthly basis.” The full response is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strengthening-ethics-and-integrity-in-central-government
My office is already collating monthly returns and we are working with the Cabinet Office in order to publish these ahead of the new system being rolled out across Government.
Separately, and in line with the Ministerial Code, the List of Ministers’ Interests is published twice yearly with updates issued at other times as needed.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will publish a list of meetings he held with Dominic Cummings in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Since May 2010, the Government has published on gov.uk details of official government meetings with external organisations.
In 2011, this was extended to include details of meetings with senior media executives, covering official government, social and political meetings.
But otherwise, the Government does not record political meetings.
I would observe that since 2016, the Labour Party has stopped publishing its own meeting data on shadow frontbench meetings with senior media executives, breaking a commitment made by the then Labour Party leader (the Rt Hon Member for Doncaster North) during the Leveson Inquiry. The Hon. Member may recall how previous data illustrated his engagement with Evgeny Lebedev (now Lord Lebedev). As a shadow DCMS spokesman, the Hon. Member may wish to raise this subsequent shyness with his Opposition colleagues.
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 information her Department holds on the number and proportion of (a) railway signals, (b) motorway signs and (c) cash machines that rely on the public switched telephone network.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The change to digital landlines will affect many sectors of the economy. Generally, we cannot definitively comment on the number or proportion of any services and devices that rely on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). They are procured from various manufacturers and function differently depending on their make. Many services and devices are also purchased privately by individuals or businesses who have no obligation to supply us with this information.
Having said that, we know that an estimated 1.8 million people in the UK currently use telecare services. Of these, roughly 1.3 million use alarms in their own homes and 0.5 million in a range of care homes, supported housing and sheltered living arrangements. There are multiple different telecare manufacturers; the make-up of their devices, including their connectivity solution, depends on the provider.
We understand that National Highways do not have any motorway signs that depend on the PSTN, as they own and operate their own switched network. With regards to railway signals, Network Rail has a migration programme for its estate but does not use PSTN telephony for its signals.
DSIT convenes the relevant government departments, agencies and stakeholders to a Cross Whitehall meeting on a quarterly basis to encourage all parties to consider the potential impacts of the PSTN migration on their respective sectors.