Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the geographical coverage of (a) 4G and (b) 5G mobile data in Banff and Buchan constituency.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom is responsible for measuring 4G coverage and it does not currently report on 5G coverage. In Ofcom’s Connected Nations summer update report, published on 9 September 2021, 87% of the Banff and Buchan constituency had 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators, and 99.4% of the constituency had 4G coverage from at least one.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the economic value of the lifting of the ban on British lamb imports to the US for (a) Scotland and (b) Banff and Buchan.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
We are pleased that US Department of Agriculture is looking to remove their import restrictions on sheep meat. Restoring access to the US will provide a great opportunity for British producers, including those in Banff and Buchan, to export their high-quality product to a valuable new market that will increase in value as trade becomes more established.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he plans to accept bids for a freeport in the northeast of Scotland.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Freeports will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK attracting new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country.
We remain committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Scotland and specific locations will be chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress the Department has made on the roll-out of (a) superfast broadband and (b) mobile data connectivity in Banff and Buchan constituency.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government has invested heavily in the Rest of Scotland project area, where the Banff and Buchan constituency sits, with £50 million of central government funding allocated. Superfast coverage in the constituency stands at 84.8%, up from 1.1% in 2012
Today, there is 84.8% 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile network operators in the Banff and Buchan constituency, with 99.3% from at least one mobile network operator.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department’s policy is on short-term financial support for people affected by the contaminated blood scandal before the conclusion of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Since 1988, successive Governments have voluntarily provided ex-gratia financial and non-financial support for people affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through historic treatment with National Health Service-supplied blood or blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 2017, country specific support schemes were set up in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, responsibility for these is devolved to the four nations.
We are working with our partners in the devolved nations and other relevant Government departments to improve parity of support across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of proposed changes to IR35 rules from April 2020 on trends in the level of employment in the oil and gas sector in Scotland.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The off-payroll working rules (commonly known as IR35) are designed to ensure that an individual who works like an employee, but through their own limited company, pays broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as other employees. The rules do not apply to the self-employed or stop anyone working through their own company.
The Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) published in July 2019 sets out HMRC’s assessment that the reform to the off-payroll working rules is expected to affect 170,000 individuals; this is a UK-wide figure. The TIIN can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timetable is for the conclusion of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The timetable for the Infected Blood Inquiry is a matter for the Chair of the independent statutory Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff. Sir Brian has publicly recognised the need to achieve a proper balance between speed and the need for thoroughness, and has made clear that the Inquiry will complete its work as quickly as a thorough examination of the facts allows.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK can enforce its fishing rights after the end of the transition period.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has taken significant steps to ensure the UK can enforce its fishing rights. These include, with respect to England via the Marine Management Organisation, increasing the number of frontline warranted officers by 50% (35 people) for 2019/2020; putting in place a framework to increase aerial surveillance by a maximum of two surveillance aircraft as risk and intelligence demands; and chartering two additional commercial vessels to enable an increase in routine sea-based inspections to supplement provision from the Royal Navy Fisheries Protection Squadron.
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter. As such, it will continue to be for each Devolved Administration to decide how best to control and enforce its waters, and what new arrangements may be needed. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a coordinated approach to fisheries control and enforcement across UK waters.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been made in the inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Infected Blood Inquiry chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff (a retired High Court Judge) and sponsored by Cabinet Office has been sitting since September 2018. So far, the inquiry has heard written and oral evidence from hundreds of those ‘infected and affected’.
The next session of the Inquiry will begin in February 2020, when it will hear from its own expert panel on the ‘psycho-social impact’ of infection and what followed for individuals. Evidence from ‘institutional’ witnesses such as from Government and the National Health Service is expected to be sought later this year.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to provide financial relief to Equitable Life policyholders.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In 2010 the government allocated up to £1.5 billon, tax free, for payment to affected policyholders. More detail on the history of the action taken on this issue can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report.