Jane Dodds

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with stakeholders on a range of issues, including the challenge of addressing disinformation, particularly in an electoral context. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

The Government is committed to becoming a world leader in 5G, and to provide access to a 5G signal for the majority of the population by 2027. The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review set out the Government’s plan to create the right conditions for the deployment of 5G across the UK.

It is important to note that the vast majority of commercial rollout of 5G services will be delivered by industry, according to their own timeframes. All four Mobile Network Operators have confirmed plans to launch 5G services this year and will extend coverage to 50 towns and cities by the end of 2020.

Government is committed to ensuring that world-class connectivity is provided across the UK, wherever people live, work and travel. Good 4G mobile coverage will be central in laying the foundation for 5G rollout across the entire country.

Government is also taking action to build the business case for 5G by investing in a nationally coordinated testbed and trials programme. As part of this programme Government is testing 5G use cases across a range of sectors including in rural settings.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.

We remain focused on facilitating a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal as soon as possible. If we do leave the EU with a deal, trade in the egg sector will continue with the EU and third countries as it does at present for the duration of the implementation period.

However, as a responsible Government, we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of a no deal. Since the referendum over three years ago we have been meeting regularly with the egg industry to understand and anticipate the potential impacts of a no deal scenario on the sector. The UK has a high level of self-sufficiency in eggs; last year the UK was nearly 90% self-sufficient in its egg production. The UK is also a net importer of eggs, with the overwhelming majority of egg imports coming from the EU. In the event of no deal, EU imports will continue to enter the UK tariff-free. In relation to exports, last year approximately 40% of our exports of eggs (value) went to the EU. This accounts for 1.3% of our domestically produced eggs. In the event of a no deal EU departure these exports would face a tariff when going to the EU. As the UK would be classed as a ‘third country’ in the event of a no deal, there may be a period during which the UK cannot export eggs to the EU. This is because the EU may want to carry out an assessment called ‘an evaluation of equivalence’ of UK marketing standards.

We will be monitoring the market prior to and immediately after we leave the EU on 31 October and will be ready to intervene if necessary.

Our high regulatory standards are not dependent on EU membership.

The UK has an exceptional track record on environmental protection and this will not change after we leave the EU. Our landmark Environment Bill, introduced last week, marks a key step towards achieving a Green Brexit, and demonstrates how the UK is leading the world in setting legally binding domestic targets on environmental protection.

In the political declaration, the UK and EU have agreed that the future relationship must ensure open and fair competition, encompassing robust commitments to ensure a level playing field. These commitments should uphold the common high standards applicable in the Union and the United Kingdom at the end of the transition period in the areas of state aid, competition, social and employment standards, the environment, climate change and relevant tax matters in order to prevent distortions of trade and unfair competitive advantages.

All veterinary medicines authorised for use in the UK will continue to be authorised after Brexit and can remain on the market for sale and supply in their existing packaging.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is working with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure a no deal scenario has minimal impact on the regulatory burden on the pharmaceutical industry and that the UK remains attractive for the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture and market veterinary medicines.

Domestically, the Government is on course to plant 11 million trees this Parliament (2017-2022), with at least 3.6 million trees (2,318 hectares) of woodland planted since April 2017, and over 15 million trees planted since 2010. In the Autumn Budget 2018, the Government announced an additional £60 million for tree planting initiatives, comprising £10 million to fund urban tree planting through the Urban Tree Challenge Fund, and £50 million for a Woodland Carbon Guarantee scheme. This will add to other new planting in the pipeline, including the High Speed 2 Woodland Fund, the Woodland Carbon Fund, a kick start investment in the Northern Forest and support for a new Northumberland Forestry Partnership, to delivera new forest region starting with 1 million trees planted by 2024.

The Prime Minister recently announced a doubling of UK International Climate Finance (ICF) to at least £11.6 billion over the next five years. This spend will include a focus on nature based solutions to climate change. Through ICF, the UK currently funds several programmes in developing countries that use native tree-planting as a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and generating economic benefits for rural communities. For example, Defra’s investments aim to restore 550,000 hectares of forest, generating 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions savings. This includes a £10 million project to restore up to 20,000 hectares of mangrove forest in Madagascar and Indonesia.

Leaving with a deal is the best outcome for both the UK and the EU, providing certainty for businesses and the UK economy.

On Monday 21st October 2019, the Government published an Impact Assessment to accompany the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. It provides an assessment of the direct costs and benefits to businesses of the elements of the Bill.

The new Brexit deal that the Government has agreed with the EU provides the basis of a new relationship with the EU based on free trade and friendly cooperation. We have agreed with the EU in the Political Declaration to seek an "ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation with a comprehensive and balanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at its core.

Once Parliament has agreed this deal, we are looking forward to working with our partners in the EU to negotiate the details of that FTA. Ahead of that negotiation, it is not the appropriate time to publish a speculative analysis of what the outcome of those negotiations might be.

But once we leave the EU, we will be able to pursue an independent trade policy, with the opportunity to strike trade deals all around the world.

The Department is working closely with partners across the health and care system and industry which should ensure the United Kingdom is as prepared as possible to leave the European Union. These preparations mean the health and care system is in a strong position to mitigate potential problems as far as possible and respond to any challenges caused by EU Exit.

The Government has been clear that the UK’s ability to import medical radioisotopes will not be affected by our withdrawal from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), as Euratom places no restriction on the export of medical radioisotopes from the EU to countries outside the EU, nor do they fall under nuclear safeguards regimes.

Information on the numbers of patients from Welsh postcode areas treated in England hospitals is collected at trust level, not at individual site level. Data are also not a count of patients as a patient admitted to or attending hospital on more than one occasion would be counted as separate events.

A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) and accident and emergencies (A&E) attendances for Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJR), Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (RXW), Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (RTE) and Wye Valley NHS Trust (RLQ) for patients resident in Wales for the years between 2014-15 and 2018-19 is shown in the attached table.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Departmental Ministers meet with a variety of members from the devolved administrations on a regular basis, and discuss a range of operational issues.

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Information is not held in the format requested.

In September, under UK leadership, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, Kuwait and Sweden, met and signed a communiqué reiterating the need to increase the pace and scale of the humanitarian response. The Group was clear that a political settlement is the only way to address the humanitarian crisis, but given the risk of starvation faced by millions in Yemen, the Group called on all donors to disburse promptly their pledges to the UN humanitarian response. It also called on the conflict parties to facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access in compliance with Security Council Resolution 2451. Our Permanent Representative to the UN also reiterated the need to bolster efforts on humanitarian access in her statement of 17 October to the UN Security Council.

Chile has made the difficult decision not to host the COP Climate Change Conference this year, taking into consideration the current circumstances in the country. The Government welcomes the UN's decision to hold the summit in Madrid under a continued Chilean Presidency. The UK is strongly committed to international action to tackle climate change, and we look forward to working closely with partners in the UN and across other governments at COP25.

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with many organisations in the public and private sectors on a variety of issues.

The Government had limited engagement with all parties during negotiation of the Banking Framework, to ensure they were given the appropriate commercial freedom to negotiate the contract.

Post Office Limited announced in the Spring that renegotiated commercial terms and service enhancements for the Banking Framework had been agreed, and will take effect from January 2020 until January 2023. All 28 banks who were part of the original Banking Framework have signed up to the renegotiated agreement, which will see a significant increase to the overall fees received by Post Office Limited from the banks.

Barclays initially made the decision to uniquely opt out of cash withdrawal services at post offices through the renegotiated Banking Framework agreement, but they have since reversed this decision. The Government welcomes this renegotiated agreement that, alongside other work by industry, regulators and Government to safeguard cash for those who need it, will ensure that 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers continue to have access to everyday banking services at the Post Office.

On 24 October 2019, following my meeting with Matt Hammerstein, CEO Barclays UK, Barclays announced that they will commit to full participation in the Post Office Banking Framework from the renewal date in early 2020, including maintaining the cash withdrawal facility using debit cards for Barclays customers.

The Government has been clear that industry must play a key role in ensuring access to cash and banking services for people and businesses, and welcomes this decision which will continue to allow 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking services at over 11,500 post offices across the UK.

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with many organisations in the public and private sectors on a variety of issues.

The Post Office Limited has recently renegotiated the commercial terms and service enhancements for Banking Framework 2, which will take effect from January 2020. The Government welcomes this agreement that, alongside other work by industry, regulators and Government to safeguard cash for those who need it, will ensure that 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers continue to have access to everyday banking services at the Post Office.

Barclays has extended its agreement with Post Office Limited, though its customers won’t be able to withdraw cash over the counter at post offices from January 2020. Barclays’ customers will still be able to check their balance, and pay in cash and cheques. Whilst the Government is committed to maintaining access to cash, and has set up the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group to help ensure this, the decision over precisely how to provide access to banking services is rightly a commercial decision for banks and Government does not intervene in these decisions.

If Barclays customers value withdrawing cash over the counter using the Post Office, they may wish to consider switching to an alternative bank using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). The switch service is free to use, comes with a guarantee to protect customers from financial loss if something goes wrong, and redirects any payments mistakenly sent to the old account, providing further assurance for customers. This means that customers are more able than ever to hold their banks to account by voting with their feet, and that banks are incentivised to work hard to retain their existing customers and attract new ones. More information about CASS is available at:

www.currentaccountswitch.co.uk

Domestic abuse is a horrendous crime that we are committed to tackling. Whether it takes place in our rural communities or cities, we are supporting Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners as they decide how best to deploy resources in their areas.

The new designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs will play an important role in monitoring the provision of services for victims of domestic abuse, including those in rural communities.