Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the OpenRan 5G project rollout in Wales; what the planned timetable is for that project to go live in Ynys Môn constituency; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using that project as an exemplar for net zero 5G provision.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government continues to explore the role of interoperable technologies, such as Open RAN (Radio Access Network), in the future of our telecommunications networks as part of the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, published in November last year. Open RAN is an emerging technology that promises efficiency, flexibility and scalability gains. Government’s commitments in this space include £15m of investment in SONIC Labs (the SmartRAN Open Networks Interoperability Centre), the £36m Future RAN Competition (FRANC), and the £1.2m NeutrORAN project in partnership with NEC in North Wales.
NeutrORAN is a project which aims to develop a multi-operator, ‘neutral host’ solution for 4G and then 5G in Wales; in Cefn Du and Menai Science Park (M-Sparc) in Ynys Môn (Anglesey). This style of deployment will enable a more cost efficient way to deliver capacity and coverage to underserved regions. NeutrORAN has been up and running since 2019 and has been extended up to March 2023.
There are also three FRANC projects in Wales, covering a range of key topics to develop power efficient, flexible, and scalable 5G Open RAN. The government is committed to the net zero agenda, and improving the power efficiency of Open RAN solutions was one of the priorities against which FRANC applicants were assessed. We look forward to seeing how those projects in Wales, and across the UK, advance the environmental credentials of Open RAN and push our networks towards carbon neutrality.
UK network operators are now beginning to deploy Open RAN solutions in the field. Notably, Vodafone has committed to deploy 2500 4G and 5G sites across Wales and the south west of England. Three sites in Wales are already live: Builth Wells, Powys; Pendine, Carmarthenshire; and Halkyn, Flintshire.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has (a) met or (b) had discussions with with representatives of the Protect and Connect campaign since 1 January 2021; and how many times he has (i) met or (ii) had discussions with representatives from mobile phone operators in that time.
Answered by Matt Warman
The full list of Ministerial meetings is published on gov.uk on a quarterly basis.
Ministers and officials engage regularly with the telecoms industry on a range of issues. However, it would not be appropriate to have conversations with stakeholders about reforms to the Electronic Communications Code while the responses to the consultation on that issue are being considered.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential effect of the proposed Electronic Communications Code changes on local government finances.
Answered by Matt Warman
Ministers and officials regularly engage with their counterparts in other government departments as part of the policy making process. Our proposals for amending the Electronic Communications Code are no exception and we will continue to work together to ensure that the proposals reflect the importance of both digital infrastructure and the vital role that local government has in supporting deployment.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits to the (a) Welsh economy and (b) tourism sector of Ynys Môn constituency of holding the Commonwealth Games in Wales.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games provide a unique and significant opportunity to accelerate economic growth and support the recovery of our tourism sectors across the UK after the impact of COVID-19. The government is working closely with our Games partners to ensure we make the most of these opportunities.
Central government is funding £594 million of the total £778 million investment into hosting the Commonwealth Games. This significant investment is driving legacy opportunities across both the West Midlands and UK, including job creation, visitor attraction and a timely boost to businesses. There is also a wealth of opportunities for the people of Wales to get involved in the Games, such as the Queen’s Baton Relay, which will travel through Wales ahead of the Games, Games-time volunteering opportunities and potential business contracts.
An additional £24 million investment from the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority to create a Business and Tourism Programme will ensure the region and the UK can take advantage of the economic opportunities hosting the Games provides. Fully integrated with the Games, the Business And Tourism Programme will use the event’s profile to boost our global reputation as a leading destination for tourism, trade, and investment.
The matter of a bid for a future Commonwealth Games in Wales would be a matter for the Welsh government.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage private businesses in the tourism sector to increase their accessibility to disabled people and (b) work with the Welsh Government to supply businesses with free access to accessibility guides.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
My Department, alongside VisitBritain and VisitEngland, have taken a number of steps to improve accessibility within the tourism sector.
For example, VisitBritain and VisitEngland launched the Channel 4 Mission: Accessible series last year, which highlighted the perspective of visitors with access needs enjoying the tourism landscape and included an episode filmed in Wales.
VisitEngland has a dedicated web portal providing tailored business advice to tourism businesses, including guidance on how to welcome guests with different access needs.
The Tourism Sector Deal, published in June 2019, set out an ambition to make the UK the most accessible destination in Europe by 2025. The Tourism Recovery Plan will set out how we will support the tourism sector to build back better from the pandemic, including by making it more accessible.
More generally, the Government is committed to improving the lives of disabled people, and will publish the National Strategy for Disabled People this year. The strategy will take into account the impacts of the pandemic on disabled people and will focus on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects and phases of life.
As tourism is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for any targeted initiatives to support the sector in Wales - though we will continue to engage with the Devolved Administrations to discuss issues relevant to the tourism sector.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage private businesses in the tourism sector to be more accessible to disabled people and (b) work with the Welsh Government to supply businesses with free access to accessibility guides.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
My Department, alongside VisitBritain and VisitEngland, have taken a number of steps to improve accessibility within the tourism sector.
For example, VisitBritain and VisitEngland launched the Channel 4 Mission: Accessible series last year, which highlighted the perspective of visitors with access needs enjoying the tourism landscape and included an episode filmed in Wales.
VisitEngland has a dedicated web portal providing tailored business advice to tourism businesses, including guidance on how to welcome guests with different access needs.
The Tourism Sector Deal, published in June 2019, set out an ambition to make the UK the most accessible destination in Europe by 2025. The Tourism Recovery Plan will set out how we will support the tourism sector to build back better from the pandemic, including by making it more accessible.
More generally, the Government is committed to improving the lives of disabled people, and will publish the National Strategy for Disabled People this year. The strategy will take into account the impacts of the pandemic on disabled people and will focus on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects and phases of life.
As tourism is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for any targeted initiatives to support the sector in Wales - though we will continue to engage with the Devolved Administrations to discuss issues relevant to the tourism sector.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to provide financial support to (a) MônFM on Anglesey and (b) other community radio stations which have provided a vital service to the community during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government is strongly supportive of community radio. Community stations such as Môn FM have played a key role in keeping listeners informed and entertained during the coronavirus pandemic, and we are extremely grateful for the level of commitment shown by the sector in continuing to make connections within its communities during these difficult times.
We are, of course, very conscious of the impact that the pandemic has had on revenues within the sector, which is why we released a total of £600,000 in emergency funding through the Community Radio Fund in 2020/21 to help a significant number of stations to meet their immediate financial obligations. While the application windows for that funding have now closed, the Community Radio Fund will be allocating a further £400,000 in 2021/22 to support stations that can demonstrate that a grant would help to further their financial stability and future sustainability. Ofcom administer this Fund on behalf of DCMS, and further information about it can be found on their website.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve broadband provision in Ynys Mon constituency.
Answered by Matt Warman
Good progress has been made in the Ynys Mon constituency, with over 93% of premises in the constituency able to access superfast broadband. This is up from 6% in March 2013. Gigabit-capable coverage in the constituency stands at 19%, above the Welsh coverage figure of 16%.
The Ynys Mon constituency is included in the North Wales Wave 3 project as part of the Local Full Fibre Networks programme. The project is connecting 413 public sector sites across the six local authorities (Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, Gwynedd County Council, Isle of Anglesey County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council) that make up North Wales.
In addition, there is a Rural Gigabit Connectivity project that is looking to connect a further 103 public sector sites across Wales - the Ynys Mon constituency is included in this project too.
For those premises that are still struggling from slow speeds, DCMS runs a voucher scheme that can be used by rural communities across the UK to reduce the cost of installing gigabit-capable connectivity. This provides a voucher worth up to £3,500 for eligible small businesses and vouchers worth up to £1,500 for residents. Increased funding is available for eligible small businesses and residents in Wales, where the Welsh Government is ‘match funding’ the vouchers, doubling the above figures.
Furthermore the government has pledged £5 billion to invest in the hardest to reach areas of the UK. Supplier engagement has taken place over the summer, and their feedback will be used to refine and finalise the delivery vehicle of the programme.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the BBC on the decision to remove the free TV license for over 75s.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government meets with the BBC on regular occasions to discuss a wide range of issues, including the over 75 concession. The Government has consistently made clear its disappointment with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.
The BBC remains responsible for the administration of the concession and it will be responsible for setting out what those affected will need to do. It must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.