Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on ensuring developers provide new homes with gigabit broadband.
Answered by Matt Warman
Ensuring that every new home is built with fast, reliable and resilient broadband is a priority for my Department. The Government announced in March 2020 that we will amend Building Regulations 2010 to require housing developers to:
Provide a gigabit-capable connection unless the cost exceeds £2,000, or the network operator declines to provide a connection;
Install the next fastest broadband connection which can be installed below a cost of £2,000, where a gigabit-capable connection cannot be installed below a cost of £2,000; and
Install the physical infrastructure necessary for gigabit-capable connections even where a gigabit-capable connection exceeds the cost cap.
We are working closely with stakeholders to develop the regulations and statutory guidance and will publish a technical consultation this winter, laying the amendments to regulations in spring 2021.
The Government has also secured commitments from the CEOs of Openreach, Virgin and Gigaclear to work with housing developers to provide gigabit-capable connectivity to all new build developments across the UK, including contributing to the costs of connection.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with local hospitals on transferring covid-19 patients to Nightingale hospitals.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The National Health Service Nightingale hospitals are an unprecedented response to an unprecedented challenge and created additional capacity to ensure the NHS can respond to demand if needed.
The Nightingale hospitals are available to support the NHS when needed. Local clinical leaders are working to determine how this is done whilst considering the needs of all patients requiring NHS care.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the business rates holiday for pubs.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The unprecedented full business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure properties for the financial year is worth £10 billion to business in 2020-21. All eligible businesses will pay no business rates in England for 12 months from 1 April 2020.
The Government will continue to look at how to adjust support in a way that ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and the livelihoods of people across the country.
The Government considers all reliefs in the round, against the broader fiscal and economic impacts of COVID-19 and as part of the Business Rates Review, and would encourage businesses and individuals to respond to the review’s Call for Evidence document.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much of the funding allocated for Tradeshow Access Programmes remained unspent in 2019-20.
Answered by Graham Stuart
There was an underspend of £1.2m against Tradeshow Access Programme budgets in 2019-20.
The underspend arose predominantly within the last two months of the financial year, the busiest period of the tradeshow calendar, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of many shows from February 2020 onwards.
We continue to work hard with business and trade bodies to support TAP stakeholders, and successful applicants, to attend those agreed tradeshows that are internationally accessible, under HMG travel guidelines, at the point they commence.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 1.119 of the Budget 2020 Red Book, how she plans to allocate the £10 million funding for domestic abuse; and if she will take urgent steps to allocate that funding in response to the increase in domestic abuse as a result of the covid-19 social distancing measures.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has committed to providing £10 million in 2020/21 for innovative new approaches to preventing domestic abuse, including work to expand projects like the ‘Drive’ perpetrator programme.
The Home Office is currently working with key voluntary and statutory organisations to ensure that this funding is used effectively to deliver immediate and longer-term improvement to our response to domestic abuse and domestic abuse perpetrators.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the river cruise sector on resumption of their operations as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
My officials and I have been engaging regularly with the cruise industry on restart plans through Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). FCO currently advise against travelling on sea-going cruises only. River cruises are not included within the travel advice for cruise, however, CLIA continues to engage across industry on the safe resumption of operations. River cruise operators should ensure the relevant risk assessments have been undertaken and that their operations comply with relevant Covid-19 requirements. We are keen to support the safe resumption of cruise operations, and will continue to work with CLIA, Public Health England, and the FCO to ensure plans are in place to support this.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many homes have been built under the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund in each year since 2018.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of units started and completed under the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund in 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively are listed below:
- | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
Units started | 563 | 895 |
Units completed | 448 | 423 |
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been purchased under the Home Ownership for those with Long-term Disabilities scheme in each year since 2015.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We do not hold data on the number of homes purchased through the Home Ownership for Long-term Disabilities (HOLD) scheme.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with Cabinet colleagues on allowing pupils from reception to year 13 to repeat an academic year in September 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.
Once a child has been admitted to a school it is for the headteacher to decide how best to educate them. This may, on occasion, include deciding that a child should be educated in a year group other than the one indicated by their age. Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents. We do not currently anticipate that children and young people will need to repeat a school year as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to look at all options to make sure children and young people get the support they need to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak and make up for time spent out of school.
However, it remains possible for headteachers to agree this in individual cases, if they think it is appropriate.
Asked by: Kate Kniveton (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on allowing pupils from reception to year 13 to repeat an academic year from September 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.
Once a child has been admitted to a school it is for the headteacher to decide how best to educate them. This may, on occasion, include deciding that a child should be educated in a year group other than the one indicated by their age. Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents. We do not currently anticipate that children and young people will need to repeat a school year as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to look at all options to make sure children and young people get the support they need to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak and make up for time spent out of school.
However, it remains possible for headteachers to agree this in individual cases, if they think it is appropriate.