Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on reducing AI-generated child sex abuse imagery.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Government remains firmly committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse online and in our communities across the UK and internationally. Our approach is underpinned by the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy which sets out firm commitments to drive action across the whole system.
The law in the UK is very clear with regards to production of child sexual abuse material. It is an offence to produce, store, share or search for any material that contains or depicts child sexual abuse, regardless of whether the material depicts a ‘real’ child or not. This prohibition also includes pseudo-imagery that may have been computer-generated.
Home Office investment supports the National Crime Agency to use its unique capabilities to disrupt the highest harm offenders, safeguard children and remove the most horrific child sexual abuse material from the internet, including on the dark web.
The Home Office has recently rolled out new tools linked to our world leading Child Abuse Image Database to support law enforcement to identify offenders and safeguard victims more quickly.
All companies that utilise Artificial Intelligence must incorporate safety measures to ensure their technology cannot be manipulated by offenders of this abhorrent crime. We welcome further engagement with industries to work together to implement or create the best solution for their platforms.
As part of the Government’s work to tackle child sexual abuse offences in every form, the Government has driven forward the Online Safety Bill, which will soon gain royal assent and become law. The strongest protections in the Online Safety Bill are for children and all companies in scope of the legislation will need to tackle child sexual abuse material as a priority.
In September, the Home Secretary met US Secretary of State Alejandro N. Majorkas at NCMEC and reaffirmed their commitment to combined expertise of the UK and United States to ensure perpetrators of child sexual abuse and exploitation cannot operate across continents.
In partnership with the IWF, the Home Office will be hosting an AI Summit side event to discuss the growing threat of generative artificial intelligence creating child sexual abuse material. The summit will bring international stakeholders together to encourage co-operation to tackle this heinous crime.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential benefits of digital tools in helping small and medium-sized developers to comply with biodiversity net gain on small sites.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025.
The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain.
The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes.
In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers.
Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity.
We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024.
Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November.
[1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's decision to delay the implementation of biodiversity net gain on small sites until April 2024 on (a) the amount of habitat created in that period, (b) the amount of habitat destroyed in that period, (c) the UK’s ability to meet its commitments under the G7 2030 Nature Compact and (d) small developers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025.
The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain.
The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes.
In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers.
Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity.
We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024.
Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November.
[1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's timeline is for laying the Statutory Instrument to commence the implementation of biodiversity net gain under Part 6 of the Environment Act 2021 in relation to both the main and small sites metric.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025.
The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain.
The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes.
In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers.
Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity.
We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024.
Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November.
[1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Statutory Instrument to commence the implementation of biodiversity net gain under Part 6 of the Environment Act 2021 will confirm the implementation dates for the (a) main and (b) small sites metric.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025.
The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain.
The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes.
In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers.
Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity.
We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024.
Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November.
[1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to implement the biodiversity net gain on small sites after April 2024.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government intends to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from 2025.
The temporary transition for small sites until April 2024 is intended to lessen the short-term administrative burdens and to allow local planning authorities and smaller developers a longer period to prepare for biodiversity net gain.
The relative regulatory burden of BNG for small developers can be higher, so this transition is important to ensure time for small developers to familiarise themselves with the new requirement, associated guidance, and the small sites metric. We are developing tools that will help small, medium, and large developers alike. We are also providing training and guidance that will support developers in the necessary assessments and processes.
In addition, we are aware a number of digital tools are being developed in the private sector to support small and medium sized developers.
Given that this is a temporary transition until April 2024, and that small development only makes up a small proportion of overall land use change from non-developed to urban land cover[1], we expect this transition period will a limited impact on biodiversity.
We also know that some developers are already voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain ahead of it becoming mandatory. The transition period for small sites does not prohibit developers from delivering voluntary BNG ahead of April 2024.
Defra intends to lay the small sites metric alongside the statutory metric ahead of implementation in November.
[1] Net gain impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk) Section 2.2.2
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of diagnostic funding was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Kent and Medway Integrated Care System spent a total of £92,251,788 on all diagnostic services collected on DM01. DM01 includes the 15 key diagnostic tests and procedures. Of this, £51,185,316 (55.5%) was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including Kent and Medway ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
NHS Kent & Medway ICS is actively working with providers across Kent & Medway, including Ashford, to support waiting list reduction through waiting list validation, providing additional capacity and the redesign of patient pathways. This includes endoscopy procedures.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Kent and Medway Integrated Care System spent a total of £92,251,788 on all diagnostic services collected on DM01. DM01 includes the 15 key diagnostic tests and procedures. Of this, £51,185,316 (55.5%) was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including Kent and Medway ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
NHS Kent & Medway ICS is actively working with providers across Kent & Medway, including Ashford, to support waiting list reduction through waiting list validation, providing additional capacity and the redesign of patient pathways. This includes endoscopy procedures.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system plans to take to increase the delivery of endoscopy procedures in Ashford.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Kent and Medway Integrated Care System spent a total of £92,251,788 on all diagnostic services collected on DM01. DM01 includes the 15 key diagnostic tests and procedures. Of this, £51,185,316 (55.5%) was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst integrated care systems (ICSs), including Kent and Medway ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
NHS Kent & Medway ICS is actively working with providers across Kent & Medway, including Ashford, to support waiting list reduction through waiting list validation, providing additional capacity and the redesign of patient pathways. This includes endoscopy procedures.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the NHS Kent and Medway integrated care system. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of Chinese influence through Confucius Institutes at UK universities since the Integrated Review Refresh in March 2023.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department recognises concerns about overseas interference in the higher education (HE) sector, including through Confucius Institutes. We regularly assess the risks facing academia. The department is taking action to remove any government funding from Confucius Institutes in the UK, but currently judges that it would be disproportionate to ban them.
Like any international body operating in the UK, Confucius Institutes need to operate transparently and within the law, with a full commitment to our values of openness and freedom of expression. Universities also have a responsibility to ensure that any partnership with a Confucius Institute is managed appropriately, and that the right due diligence is in place.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will ensure that universities in England have the tools they need to deal with interference with, and threats to, freedom of speech and academic freedom wherever they originate. Section 9 of the Act will require the Office for Students to monitor the overseas funding of registered HE providers and their constituent institutions, in order to assess the extent to which such funding arrangements present a risk to freedom of speech and academic freedom in HE. This includes the reporting of educational or commercial partnerships and would therefore cover arrangements with, for example, Confucius Institutes.
The department is now going further in the Integrated Review Refresh, launching a new and comprehensive review of legislative and other provisions designed to protect the academic sector, to identify what more we could or should be doing.
The government is clear that any challenges to our core values, whatever their origin, will not be tolerated.