Laura Pidcock

We do not hold this information. The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee.

Neither the Department, nor the Gambling Commission, hold information on gambling addiction rates in individual constituencies.

The Government has committed over £12m to support the Digital Durham Superfast Broadband Project. In 2011, only 0.7% of premises in the North West Durham constituency had access to superfast broadband compared to over 93% of premises today. For all premises that do not have superfast broadband coverage the Government will ensure universal broadband of at least 10Mbps

All homes and businesses which are unable to receive a speed of at least 2Mbps can benefit from support from the Better Broadband Scheme. Further information on the Scheme can be found on our website (https://basicbroadbandchecker.culture.gov.uk/guide-to-better-broadband-subsidy-scheme.pdf).

We estimate that around 50,000 more children will benefit from free school meals (FSM) by 2022, compared to the previous system.

No child will lose their entitlement to FSM because of these changes. As well as the additional 50,000 pupils mentioned above, hundreds of thousands more children will benefit from the generous protections we will provide.

The same funding arrangements apply to 16 to 19-year olds education in different types of institutions and for different programmes, including academic and vocational. The Department for Education and its agencies have previously considered using a sparsity factor for 16 to 19-year olds education (given a factor of this kind is used in 5 to 16-year olds school funding). However, a sparsity factor was not introduced into the 16 to 19-year olds funding system.

16 to 19-year olds education is different in nature to 5 to 16-year olds education. There is a more diverse set of education and training providers to consider, offering a wider choice of programmes. Post-16 students often travel further to access these education options. We recognise that the cost and availability of transport can be an issue for students. Local authorities have a duty to publish a transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access 16 to 19-year olds education, together with a duty to encourage and support young people to participate in education and training.

The 16-19 Bursary Fund enables disadvantaged students to access funding to meet the costs of participating in education and training, and can be used to contribute to transport costs.

The same funding arrangements apply to 16 to 19-year olds education in different types of institutions and for different programmes, including academic and vocational. The Department for Education and its agencies have previously considered using a sparsity factor for 16 to 19-year olds education (given a factor of this kind is used in 5 to 16-year olds school funding). However, a sparsity factor was not introduced into the 16 to 19-year olds funding system.

16 to 19-year olds education is different in nature to 5 to 16-year olds education. There is a more diverse set of education and training providers to consider, offering a wider choice of programmes. Post-16 students often travel further to access these education options. We recognise that the cost and availability of transport can be an issue for students. Local authorities have a duty to publish a transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access 16 to 19-year olds education, together with a duty to encourage and support young people to participate in education and training.

The 16-19 Bursary Fund enables disadvantaged students to access funding to meet the costs of participating in education and training, and can be used to contribute to transport costs.

The Department published full details of the school and high needs national funding formulae, and the impact they will have for every local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs.

The national funding formula would allocate an additional 2.8% to schools in County Durham, if implemented in full based on 2017-18 pupil data. This represents an increase of £8.0 million. The actual funding that County Durham will receive will be determined each year on the basis of the most recent pupil data available.

As the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has said, the additional £1.3 billion we are allocating to schools funding means that overall funding per pupil across the country will now be maintained in real terms up to 2020.

Schools in districts identified as rural by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would gain on average 3.9%. Of these, remote schools that attract additional funding through the sparsity factor will gain on average 5.0%, which ensures that the higher costs of these schools are recognised.

These figures are calculated as if the national funding formula had been implemented in full in 2017-18, with no transitional arrangements.

As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union, we are carrying out a broad range of sectoral analysis, in including agriculture, as you would expect a responsible Government to do.

Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. The Agriculture Bill will provide stability to farmers as we leave the EU. It will support our farmers to compete domestically and on the global market, allowing us to grow, sell and export more great British food. The bill includes measures to ensure that after we leave the EU, and therefore the Common Agricultural Policy, we have an effective system in place to support UK farmers and protect our natural environment.

The Government is committed to getting the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for all parts of the UK, including the North East. We will continue to engage with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy, and all regions of the UK, in order to inform our negotiations with the EU.

The UK has world leading standards of food safety and quality, backed by a rigorous legislative framework. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure we are able to maintain these high standards once the UK leaves the European Union.

The Government is committed to ensuring high food standards at home, and promoting high standards internationally. We will ensure there is a food standards framework in place that protects consumer interests, maximises confidence, and facilitates international trade.

The law requires anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK to be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.

The DVLA visits number plate suppliers to monitor compliance with the legal requirements. The DVLA also works closely with both the police and trading standards to share intelligence and to support investigations and prosecutions of suppliers who do not comply with the legal requirements.

Enforcement of the law relating to the display of number plates is a matter for the police. The police can issue a fixed penalty if a vehicle is displaying an illegal number plate. When notified by the police that an offence has been committed, the DVLA will write to the registered keeper of the vehicle concerned. This letter will notify the keeper that the registration number must be correctly displayed or it will be permanently withdrawn.

The Department has not made an assessment of the equity of the level of funding for public transport throughout the UK.

The Department does not allocate funding to transport on a ‘per head of population’ basis. Decisions are made based on a rigorous and fair appraisal process that ensures spending goes to the projects and programmes where it is most needed and delivers greatest value-for-money for both taxpayers and passengers.

Data from the HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) provides figures for total public expenditure on transport and how this varies across regions. The latest publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/country-and-regional-analysis-2017.

The Government is providing significant levels of funding to support public transport across the North East. For example, we have committed to provide £337 million towards the cost of replacing the entire rolling stock fleet on the Tyne and Wear Metro. My Department has also provided both revenue and capital funding to the Metro since its inception in 1980, and currently provides £55 million a year towards day-to-day operational costs and an Asset Renewal Programme.

We are also taking steps to improve rail connectivity in the North East. The Northern franchise will see a new high quality Northern Connect service operate at least 10 times per day between Middlesbrough and Carlisle via Newcastle, with Hexham and the MetroCentre becoming Northern Connect stations with staff, WiFi and catering outlets. The Transpennine franchise will see the introduction of a new hourly service between Newcastle and Edinburgh, along with an increase in the frequency of trains between Newcastle and York/Leeds/Manchester from one to two trains per hour.

The North East will also benefit from the £250 million being paid this year to support bus services in England through Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). Around £40 million of this BSOG funding is paid directly to local authorities, rather than bus operators to help deliver bus services. The Government also provides almost £1 billion of funding for the concessionary bus pass every year, and remains committed to the scheme.

In addition, we have recently announced that the Tees Valley Combined Authority will receive a per capita allocation of £59 million from the new £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund to improve intra-urban connectivity. Other cities in the North East without a Metro Mayor may be able to benefit from the competitive part of the Fund, which will be launched shortly.

The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision is primarily a commercial matter for bus operators. Decisions on subsidised bus services are a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities.

However, my Department provides around £40m of Bus Subsidy Operators Grant (BSOG) directly to English local authorities for local bus services, of which Durham receives around £347,000. BSOG plays an especially important role in protecting services in rural areas by helping extend the bus network, providing residents with vital links to local services.

The Bus Services Act 2017 introduces a number of new tools to help local authorities improve local bus services in their area. Through partnership arrangements we have enabled local authorities and bus operators to work constructively to provide better services for passengers.

The department does not have any plans to reinstate the train station in Consett.

In line with our devolution policies, it is for the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and local transport authorities in this area to decide what are the priority projects to support economic development and to secure appropriate funding - including drawing on that made available by Government for example through the Local Growth Fund - to take them forward.

Proposals for new stations need first to secure the support of a local promoter, normally the local transport authority, to undertake studies of the potential additional passenger demand, train service options, economic benefits, capital and any operating subsidy requirements before the addition of such services to a franchise agreement could be considered.

The Department makes use of a range of channels to increase understanding of Universal Credit through social media and wider advertising. This includes signposting to sources of information which are written in an ‘easy-to-read’ format to help people make decisions on whether Universal Credit is appropriate for their circumstances.

We publish information in two key locations to help improve awareness of, and how to claim Universal Credit, which can be found at the following websites:

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/making-a-claim/before-you-claim/

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-detailed-information-for-claimants

If a person wishes to claim Universal Credit but requires assistance, they are clearly directed to either the Help to Claim service, or to the Universal Credit telephone helpline. Both can be useful to anyone who cannot use digital services.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support from helping people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. This service is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders, including welfare rights organisations, to ensure we gather and understand a diverse range of opinions, which helps us to design improvements to Universal Credit.

The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. It is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.

Any digital claim can be treated as a non-digital claim. For instance, if a claimant’s circumstances change and contacting them digitally is no longer suitable for a short or significant period of time, agents can annotate the claim and take the same action as they would have if the claim had originally made as a non-digital claim.

We are already committed to placing Universal Credit guidance in the House of Commons Library and last updated it on 28 March 2019.

Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey

All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline – which is clearly displayed on GOV.UK.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, and so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account, will be communicated in an alternative format which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.

The Department makes use of a range of channels to increase understanding of Universal Credit through social media and wider advertising. This includes signposting to sources of information which are written in an ‘easy-to-read’ format to help people make decisions on whether Universal Credit is appropriate for their circumstances.

We publish information in two key locations to help improve awareness of, and how to claim Universal Credit, which can be found at the following websites:

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/making-a-claim/before-you-claim/

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-detailed-information-for-claimants

If a person wishes to claim Universal Credit but requires assistance, they are clearly directed to either the Help to Claim service, or to the Universal Credit telephone helpline. Both can be useful to anyone who cannot use digital services.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support from helping people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. This service is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders, including welfare rights organisations, to ensure we gather and understand a diverse range of opinions, which helps us to design improvements to Universal Credit.

The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. It is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.

We are already committed to placing Universal Credit guidance in the House’s Library and last updated it on 28 March 2019.

Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey

All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline – which is clearly displayed on GOV.UK.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, and so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account, will be communicated in an alternative format which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.

The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. It is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.

We are already committed to placing Universal Credit guidance in the House’s Library and last updated it on 28 March 2019.

Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey

All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline – which is clearly displayed on GOV.UK.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, and so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account, will be communicated in an alternative format which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.