Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that full fibre broadband is available to all properties.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I am pleased to share that more than 98% premises in Waveney can access a Superfast connection, which is above the national average. Almost 61% of premises in Waveney have access to a full fibre, gigabit-capable connection.
The competitive and pro-growth regulatory environment we have created is enabling suppliers to expand their networks to reach more homes and businesses. Over 75% of UK premises now have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection, up from just 6% in January 2019.
The Government is committed to working with broadband suppliers to ensure 85% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, and then for nationwide coverage by 2030. We are on track to achieve our target.
Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. More than £1.2 billion of public subsidy has already been made available to broadband suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to rural and hard to reach parts of the country. We have awarded eight contracts to date, and we have launched a further 18 procurements, which combined will deliver fast, reliable broadband to up to 850,000 premises that would not be reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout plans alone.
Support is also available through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses in rural areas towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband via local community broadband projects.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What steps he is taking to facilitate overseas dentists practising in the UK.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We have just passed legislation that enables the General Dental Council to increase the capacity of the Overseas Registration Exam and improve their registration processes
We have also made it easier for overseas dentists to start working in the NHS. As of a few weeks ago, Saturday 1 April, no dentist will need to pay an application fee to NHS England to provide NHS services.
We want to radically reduce the time that people spend going through Performers List Validation by Experience (PLVE) and plan to set out further steps in our forthcoming dentistry plan.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of homes that will be able to simultaneously use two electric car chargers and a heat pump.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has not made such an estimate, which would depend on variables such as size of heat pump, power of electric vehicle charge point and existing supply capacity. Domestic supplies can be upgraded if required and the use of smart energy management solutions such as electric vehicle smart charging can also help reduce the maximum demand of a property to facilitate the installation, and use, of low carbon technologies.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to include provisions on hydrogen-ready boilers within the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will mean that new homes use low carbon heating and have very high levels of energy efficiency.
We intend to consult on the technical specification of the Future Homes Standard later this year and so further information will be coming forward on the consultation in due course. From a principles perspective, building regulations tend to set performance-based standards over the mandating or banning the use of specific technologies, to enable innovation and tailoring to individual sites.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans that the UK will ratify the UN High Seas Treaty; and what steps he is taking to encourage global partners to do so.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Draft text for an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction - the BBNJ Agreement - was agreed on 5 March. It will be adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference at a further meeting, later this year. This is a landmark agreement for biodiversity and will mean much greater protection for over 60% of the global ocean.
The UK will work to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible, and work with global partners to ensure it is implemented quickly and effectively.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to support high seas marine protected areas in relevant regional fisheries management organisations..
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Draft text for an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction - the BBNJ Agreement - was agreed on 5 March. It will be adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference at a further meeting, later this year. This is a landmark agreement for biodiversity and will mean much greater protection for over 60% of the global ocean.
The UK will work to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible, and work with global partners to ensure it is implemented quickly and effectively.
The UK uses its engagement in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and other international forums to push for outcomes focused on managing fisheries sustainably, protecting marine ecosystems (including through Marine Protected Areas) and combatting illegal fishing.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to propose new Marine Protected Areas under the mechanism established by the new High Seas Treaty.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Draft text for an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction - the BBNJ Agreement - was agreed on 5 March. It will be adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference at a further meeting, later this year. This is a landmark agreement for biodiversity and will mean much greater protection for over 60% of the global ocean.
The UK will work to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible, and work with global partners to ensure it is implemented quickly and effectively.
The UK uses its engagement in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and other international forums to push for outcomes focused on managing fisheries sustainably, protecting marine ecosystems (including through Marine Protected Areas) and combatting illegal fishing.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility of November 2022, what recent discussions he has had with that Office on the factors behind the projected increase in revenue from business rates.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
OBR forecasts are produced independently of ministers, objectively, transparently and impartially, as set out clearly by law. The spring forecast is available at: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2023/
For the spring forecast, the OBR have been engaged with the Treasury in the normal way and there have been regular discussions of the economic and fiscal outlook.
As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury and the OBR, the forecast process involves the OBR producing multiple draft iterations of the forecasts which it shares with the Chancellor.
With regard to business rates, the 5-year forecast takes account of the Government’s £13.6 billion package of support announced at Autumn Statement 2022, and annual CPI indexation of the multiplier.
Future decisions regarding business rates will be taken in line with the normal Budget process.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to introduce the Non-Domestic Rating Bill.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Chancellor has published the final report of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Statement 2021. The Government will bring forward legislation to implement the conclusions of the Review as soon as Parliamentary time allows. As part of the review, the Government also undertook a further technical consultation on the implementation of the changes proposed in the review as well as a further consultation on the Digitalisation of Business Rates. The Government response to these consultations was published alongside the Budget on 15 March. The Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with businesses and business groups about taxation.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) consultations and (b) meetings his Department has held with businesses to discuss the content of the Non-Domestic Rating Bill over the last twelve months.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Chancellor has published the final report of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Statement 2021. The Government will bring forward legislation to implement the conclusions of the Review as soon as Parliamentary time allows. As part of the review, the Government also undertook a further technical consultation on the implementation of the changes proposed in the review as well as a further consultation on the Digitalisation of Business Rates. The Government response to these consultations was published alongside the Budget on 15 March. The Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with businesses and business groups about taxation.