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Written Question
Loneliness: Rural Areas
Friday 18th July 2025

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle loneliness in rural areas.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural communities.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform which assists professionals who are working to reduce loneliness to connect and share learning, including those in rural areas. In April, the government extended the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, making up to £4.5 million available to tackle loneliness and increase volunteering. This will help improve social connections in 27 disadvantaged areas in England, 9 of which are rural and small urban areas.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs is supporting rural communities to address loneliness through its funding support for the modernisation and improvement of village halls. A further £750k in grant funding has been made available in 2025/26. Village halls host the delivery of a wide range of essential services and wider social and recreational activities, which help to address social isolation.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 26 Jan 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"Does my hon. Friend accept that the reverse seems to be happening and that the roll-out seems to be slowing down? Does he also accept that this is a rather mature market of providers in an increasingly profitable arena, with ever-greater demand for their services from a growing population? Therefore, …..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

View all Simon Hoare (Con - North Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 26 Jan 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"My hon. Friend is being characteristically generous with his time. We had this sort of debate about the water companies and sewage. Unless their toes are held to the fire, they will exploit a system—I do not criticise them for so doing—for as long as they can. If the Government …..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

View all Simon Hoare (Con - North Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 26 Jan 2022
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

"Sports clubs, parish halls, village halls and the like have seen a real depreciation in their income because of non-use as a result of covid, so does my right hon. Friend agree that this is precisely the worst possible time for an enforced reduction in their income? Many of them …..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

View all Simon Hoare (Con - North Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill
Written Question
Data Protection: EU Law
Monday 1st February 2021

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union judgment on the Privacy International case (C-623/17), what steps he is taking to ensure that data collection by UK (a) law enforcement agencies and (b) national security and intelligence agencies complies with EU data protection standards.

Answered by John Whittingdale

The CJEU Judgement of 6 October 2020 relates to a previous power, Section 94 Directions under the Telecommunications Act 1984, that has since been replaced by provisions in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA). The IPA sets strict requirements of necessity and proportionality for the use of these powers, and provides significant safeguards and independent oversight. All warrants permitting the use of these powers are subject to the ‘double lock’ safeguard requiring that an independent Judicial Commissioner approve the Secretary of State’s decision before the warrant is issued. This ‘double lock’ ensures that the UK has one of the strongest oversight regimes anywhere in the world.

The Judgment will now be referred back to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal for interpretation for domestic law purposes.

The UK is committed to maintaining high data protection standards for personal data, and we will continue to be a global leader in ensuring personal data is properly protected.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 28 Oct 2019
Shared Rural Network

"I welcome the statement and my constituents in North Dorset will as well, probably with the caveat that it is about time. May I take my right hon. Friend back to the planning issue? Can she keep the planning team’s and Ministers’ toes to the fire on this? It is …..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

View all Simon Hoare (Con - North Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Shared Rural Network
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 11 Jun 2019
Free TV Licences: Over-75s

"I, too, am a huge supporter of the BBC, but this decision stinks and it needs to rethink it. It has resiled from a commitment and based the decision on the wrong argument. To pick up the point made by the hon. Member for Batley and Spen (Tracy Brabin), the …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 13 Dec 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"In the hurly-burly of the Brexit debate, there are a number of things to be concerned about. However, this country is very much the creator, cherisher and nurturer of human rights, and we have a proud record in that area both domestically and in leading on the international stage. Does …..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

View all Simon Hoare (Con - North Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 15 Oct 2018
Loneliness Strategy

"I thank the Minister for an excellent statement, but may I press her on two things? First, I ask her to make a strong and robust case to the Treasury and our colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to set up some ring-fenced funding for local …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 May 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"5. What steps the CPS is taking to implement the Government’s plan to tackle hate crime. ..."
Simon Hoare - View Speech

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