Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an estimate of the number of households that applied for (a) broadband and (b) mobile phone social tariffs in (i) Cynon Valley constituency, (ii) Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority and (iii) Wales in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has worked with industry to bring a range of low-cost, high quality broadband and mobile social tariffs to the market, starting from just £10 per month, available in 99% of the country.
Providers vary on their eligibility criteria for their social tariffs, therefore we do not hold the exact data regarding those eligible in the requested areas. However, receipt of Universal Credit is the most common eligibility criterion across providers. The Department for Work and Pensions Portal Stat-Xplore includes data on the number of people claiming Universal Credit, and this shows that there were approximately 6,000 households in Cynon Valley Parliamentary Constituency, 17,000 households in Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Authority and 215,000 households in Wales in this category in November 2022. This provides a useful proxy for social tariffs eligibility in those areas.
The Department does not hold data relating to take-up in any geographical area. However, Ofcom’s Affordability Report (April Update) showed that 5.1% (220,000) of the 4.3 million households eligible were taking up a social tariff nationally. This represents a four-fold increase from January 2022.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an estimate of the number of households that are eligible for broadband and mobile phone social tariffs in (a) Cynon Valley constituency, (b) Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority and (c) Wales.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has worked with industry to bring a range of low-cost, high quality broadband and mobile social tariffs to the market, starting from just £10 per month, available in 99% of the country.
Providers vary on their eligibility criteria for their social tariffs, therefore we do not hold the exact data regarding those eligible in the requested areas. However, receipt of Universal Credit is the most common eligibility criterion across providers. The Department for Work and Pensions Portal Stat-Xplore includes data on the number of people claiming Universal Credit, and this shows that there were approximately 6,000 households in Cynon Valley Parliamentary Constituency, 17,000 households in Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Authority and 215,000 households in Wales in this category in November 2022. This provides a useful proxy for social tariffs eligibility in those areas.
The Department does not hold data relating to take-up in any geographical area. However, Ofcom’s Affordability Report (April Update) showed that 5.1% (220,000) of the 4.3 million households eligible were taking up a social tariff nationally. This represents a four-fold increase from January 2022.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the article by the Independent Game Developers’ Association entitled TIGA Launches Proposal for an Industrial Secondment Programme, published on 25 January 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of accepting the recommendation on introducing an industrial secondment scheme for video games lecturers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
Through the Strategic Priorities Grant, the department is providing funding on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education, including expensive to deliver subjects, such as computer game and computer game design degrees, in addition to science and engineering more widely. The department is investing an additional £750 million over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to support high quality teaching and facilities, including in science and engineering. This includes £450 million in capital funding to invest in teaching and learning facilities.
We are also increasing the level of overall investment in the further education (FE) and skills sector, worth £3.8 billion over the course of this parliament.
It is important that lecturers enhance their teaching skills and keep their practical knowledge of game development current. The Skills for Jobs White Paper introduces a ‘Workforce Industry Exchange’ policy commitment to ensure that FE teachers have the relevant industry experience to make sure that young people are being taught the skills that employers need. This will help support the sector by encouraging collaboration with industry staff teaching FE provision and upskilling existing teachers with relevant industry skills. This will allow staff to continuously develop their professionalism and insight and ensure that FE is able to adapt to the needs of a changing economy.
To facilitate this we are working with business leaders to develop resources supporting knowledge exchange and detailing how employers can get involved in FE learning. We are keen to create a pipeline of talented individuals from industry who can teach the next generation in FE and to support industry to upskill existing teachers in the latest practices and innovations in their sector.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an industrial secondment scheme for video games lecturers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
Through the Strategic Priorities Grant, the department is providing funding on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education, including expensive to deliver subjects, such as computer game and computer game design degrees, in addition to science and engineering more widely. The department is investing an additional £750 million over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to support high quality teaching and facilities, including in science and engineering. This includes £450 million in capital funding to invest in teaching and learning facilities.
We are also increasing the level of overall investment in the further education (FE) and skills sector, worth £3.8 billion over the course of this parliament.
It is important that lecturers enhance their teaching skills and keep their practical knowledge of game development current. The Skills for Jobs White Paper introduces a ‘Workforce Industry Exchange’ policy commitment to ensure that FE teachers have the relevant industry experience to make sure that young people are being taught the skills that employers need. This will help support the sector by encouraging collaboration with industry staff teaching FE provision and upskilling existing teachers with relevant industry skills. This will allow staff to continuously develop their professionalism and insight and ensure that FE is able to adapt to the needs of a changing economy.
To facilitate this we are working with business leaders to develop resources supporting knowledge exchange and detailing how employers can get involved in FE learning. We are keen to create a pipeline of talented individuals from industry who can teach the next generation in FE and to support industry to upskill existing teachers in the latest practices and innovations in their sector.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether all of the civil servants working in (1) the Department for Business and Trade, (2) the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, (3) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (4) the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, (5) the Department for Transport, (6) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and (7) the Department of Health and Social Care, who have regular access to top secret material have been cleared through Developed Vetting.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK government policy on National Security Vetting is outlined in the HMG Personnel Security Controls, which states the levels of clearance required for access to TOP SECRET material and the access controls in place. For long-term, frequent or uncontrolled access to TOP SECRET assets and/or access to TOP SECRET codeword material, the level of clearance required is Developed Vetting (DV). Occasional, supervised access to TOP SECRET assets is permitted for individuals with Security Check (SC) clearance.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to remove age specific transition points between adolescent and adult services for young people with eating disorders for continuity of care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
NHS England is developing whole pathway models of care for children and young people and adults with eating disorders with the aim of ensuring fewer inpatient admissions by 2024/25. Transition between services is being considered as part of this.
NHS England has also commissioned Academic Health Science Networks to take forward a project on transitions between children and young people’s services and adults’ services. The project seeks to map national and international best practice, with an aim to showcase a range of evidence-based approaches via an e-learning webinar that will be available to children and young people’s eating disorder services and adult eating disorder services across England.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release published 14 December 2022 on global science partnership with Japan, whether it is still the Government’s policy to double dementia research; and whether the funds in that announcement are contributing to that pledge.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2019, we committed to double funding for dementia research. We will double funding for dementia research to £160 million a year by 2024/25. United Kingdom researchers on dementia funded via the global science partnership with Japan will be included in this commitment.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that farmers are consulted on expansions to the Environment Land Management Scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers and land managers are at the heart of our Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. We use a range of methods including social science research, user testing, and co-design to make sure that schemes are developed with and tested by farmers. Their input is ensuring our schemes are accessible, attractive, and fit for purpose.
We have learnt a lot about how to successfully introduce new schemes from our experience developing the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). For example, the application process and guidance for SFI were made simpler in direct response to the farmers who tested these. To date, our work with farmers and other stakeholders has included:
As the ELM scheme offer expands, we will continue to shape our proposals with farmers and land managers – including those with specific requirements, such as tenants, commoners, and those with sites of Special Scientific Interest on their land.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.
Answered by Matt Warman
The 21-22 Annual Report & Accounts figures are subject to audit and expected to be published in early November. We are unable to provide data on consultancy spend prior to the conclusion of the audit.
The 20-21 consultancy spend as per DCMS 20-21 published accounts (page 135) was £16.6m. The listing for the £16.6m is set out below and is net of a credit of £1.914m on reversed expenditure.
The 19-20 consultancy spend as per DCMS 19-20 published accounts (page 135) was £3.9m. The listing for the £3.9m is set out below including £0.164m relating to corrections to the data.
Details of all third-party government contracts, including the Supplier, are published on Contracts Finder above £10,000, for the core Department, and above £25,000, for the wider public sector.
20-21 Consultancy Supplier Listings
Supplier | Amount |
346 Consultancy Limited | 10,080.00 |
Anthony William Catt | 1,000.00 |
ANUBHAV JAIN | 5,000.00 |
Astarte Limited | 1,800.00 |
Bain & Company Inc UK | 906,100.00 |
BBC Accounts Receivable | 13,000.00 |
BDO LLP | 523,076.40 |
Beckford Executives | 500.00 |
Behavioural Insights Ltd | 9,570.00 |
Brick Court Chambers | 5,250.00 |
Cabinet Office (Citi Tr) | 126,718.18 |
Climate Associates | 11,444.00 |
Contemporary Visual Arts Network | 300.00 |
Cornerstone Barristers | - 270.00 |
Corporate Blue Consulting Ltd | 5,700.00 |
David Fogel | 1,500.00 |
DB Consulting Group Pty Ltd | 6,600.00 |
Deloitte LLP | 2,512,566.80 |
Dentons UKMEA LLP | 660,208.30 |
Department of Education | 50,400.00 |
Digirep Nigeria Ltd | 12,384.25 |
DLA Piper (Liverpool) | 330,557.49 |
DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds Office Only) | 201,473.12 |
DLA Piper UK LLP (London Office Only) | 32,153.03 |
DLA Piper UK LLP (Sheffield Office Only) | 146,966.20 |
Dona Haj Ltd | 8,000.00 |
Economic Insight Limited | 42,000.00 |
Enterprise Academy International Limited | 19,999.00 |
Ernst & Young (EY) | 2,499,356.70 |
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standa | 123,880.66 |
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP | 111,293.03 |
Faculty Science Limited | 294,500.00 |
Faizal Asher Ismail | 2,500.00 |
FarrPoint Ltd | 10,212.50 |
Foreign Commonwealth & Development Off | 5,443.09 |
Frontier Economics Ltd | 221,719.00 |
Fujitsu Services Ltd | 133,440.00 |
Georgina Ella Harding Limited | 2,500.00 |
Government Actuary Department | 41,451.17 |
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HQ (GCHQ) | 23,851.78 |
Government Legal Department | 17,673.00 |
Hazel Bees Consulting Ltd | 3,840.00 |
Historic England | - 2,058.34 |
Home Office | 166,725.19 |
Infrastructure & Projects Authority | 13,880.00 |
Intelligent Risks Limited | 6,000.00 |
International Association | 5,628.93 |
Kantar UK Ltd | 23,902.20 |
Knight Frank LLP | 45,000.00 |
KPMG LLP | 159,285.00 |
Lakesmith Consulting Ltd | 16,200.00 |
Linklaters LLP | 136,000.00 |
lnclusion in Arts UK Ltd | 150.00 |
Local Partnerships LLP | 505,031.88 |
Mace Ltd | 47,030.00 |
Modern Art Oxford | 300.00 |
Mr Christopher Knight - 11KBW | 4,301.67 |
Mr George Peretz | 738.00 |
Mr K Latham | 4,999.00 |
NESTA | 26,000.00 |
Oliver Wyman Ltd | 181,500.00 |
ON PURPOSE CAREERS LTD | 30,768.62 |
PA CONSULTING GROUP | 35,700.00 |
Pentara Consulting Services Ltd | 30,000.00 |
Pinsent Masons LLP | 613,539.58 |
Plum Consulting | 43,250.00 |
PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP | 3,327,797.80 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | 2,619,488.00 |
Quo Imus Ltd T/a QI Consulting | 40,800.00 |
Ryan Turner | - 733.50 |
Sarah McFadden | 2,305.20 |
Savills | 4,677.00 |
Scottish Contemporary Art Network - SCAN | 300.00 |
Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service | 10,000.00 |
Slaughter and May | 628,149.24 |
SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLECTIVE LTD | 5,999.99 |
Softcat Plc | 15,245.52 |
Spark Ninety Limited | 45,330.00 |
Stance Global Ltd | 35,412.00 |
Tech Grow Limited | 2,500.00 |
The Indus Entrepreneurs Bangalore | 324.08 |
The Royal Academy of Engineering | 3,100.00 |
THEM Design Ltd | 4,800.00 |
TLT LLP | 153,119.12 |
University of Cambridge | 4,800.00 |
Up Spring Ltd | 1,000.00 |
VAGW (Visual Arts Group Wales) | 300.00 |
Veran Performance Ltd | 339,540.00 |
Visual Arts South West | 150.00 |
Webb Search Limited | 17,360.00 |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 36,000.00 |
Wysing Arts Charity | 300.00 |
Yorkshire & Humber Visual Arts | 300.00 |
Young Samuel Chambers (YSC) Ltd | 14,560.00 |
YunoJuno Ltd | 8,736.00 |
| - 1,941,548.06 |
Grand Total | 16,609,721.82 |
19-20 Consultancy Supplier Listings
Supplier | Sum of Amount (Posted) |
2T Security Ltd | 72,300.00 |
3 Reasons Ltd | 12,000.00 |
Alistair Lindsay | 16,350.00 |
Annell Howard / Monckton Chambers | - 20.00 |
Anthony William Catt | 8,800.00 |
Birmingham Organising Committee for the | 21,600.00 |
Blackstone Chambers | 1,610.00 |
Bloom Procurement Services Ltd | 75,455.00 |
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP | 14,252.80 |
Classical Numismatic Group LLC | 50.00 |
Climate Associates | 10,760.00 |
Curvestone Ltd | 2,796.00 |
David Fogel | 2,392.25 |
David Miller | 150.00 |
DB Consulting Group Pty Ltd | 11,000.00 |
Deloitte LLP | 667,438.40 |
Digital Radio UK (DRUK) | 1,200.00 |
DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds Office Only) | - 570.32 |
Dona Haj Ltd | 12,682.50 |
Enterprise Academy International Limited | 5,000.00 |
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standa | 127,406.10 |
Faculty Science Limited | 281,400.00 |
Farrer & Co LLP | 3,882.00 |
FarrPoint Ltd | 5,700.00 |
Film London | 19,900.00 |
Foreign Commonwealth & Development Off | 73,783.14 |
Frontier Economics Ltd | 99,325.00 |
Global Partners Digital Ltd | 4,000.00 |
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HQ (GCHQ) | 100,000.00 |
Government Legal Department | 3,347.50 |
Gowling WLG (UK) LLP | 10,628.18 |
Hazel Bees Consulting Ltd | 26,880.00 |
Historic England | 4,935.47 |
HM Courts & Tribunals Service | 113,850.00 |
HMRC (VAT payments) | 9,200.00 |
Hogan Lovells International LLP | 99,725.00 |
Home Office (Citi Trf) | 50,000.00 |
ICF CONSULTING SERVICES | 11,268.00 |
Infrastructure & Projects Authority | 24,000.00 |
Ion Industries Ltd | 900.00 |
Ipsos (Market Research) Ltd | 94,898.53 |
Joanna van der Lande | 273.10 |
KPMG LLP | 198,000.00 |
Lakesmith Consulting Ltd | 65,233.35 |
Martin Beisly Fine Art Ltd | 791.44 |
Mass Inspire Limited | 5,180.49 |
Matassa Toffolo Ltd | - 926.50 |
MHR International UK Ltd | 2,595.04 |
Ministry of Defence | 1,153.12 |
Miss Laura Smith | 50.00 |
MKF Holdings Ltd t/a China Policy | 62,750.00 |
Moorhouse Consulting Ltd | 25,000.00 |
Morton & Eden Ltd | 50.00 |
Mott MacDonald Ltd | - 0.50 |
Mr George Peretz | 720.00 |
My CSP LTD | 12,464.40 |
Ovum t/a Informa Telecoms & Media Ltd | 21,060.00 |
PA CONSULTING GROUP | 135,600.00 |
Pinsent Masons LLP | 680,143.56 |
PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP | 119,232.00 |
QinetiQ Limited | - 16,632.00 |
Quo Imus Ltd T/a QI Consulting | 19,200.00 |
Rochelais Limited T/a True & North | 1,080.00 |
Ryan Turner | 5,262.50 |
SALESFORCE COM EMEA LTD | 2,311.51 |
Sally Osman | 10,000.00 |
Savills | 187,698.00 |
Social Innovation Camp Ltd | 3,840.00 |
Sotheby's | 150.00 |
Stance | 5,184.00 |
Stance Global Ltd | 27,648.00 |
Sundry Supplier - Non Staff Expenses | 832.73 |
The Indus Entrepreneurs Bangalore | 2,370.63 |
Thomas Upchurch | 4,999.00 |
University of Cambridge | 4,500.00 |
Up Spring Ltd | 5,000.00 |
Venia Consulting Limited | - 1,281.60 |
Who Targets Me Ltd | 1,500.00 |
Xansium Consulting Ltd | 5,998.80 |
| 164,624.96 |
Grand Total | 3,863,931.58 |
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology report on the health impact of 5G.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) are aware of the European Parliament’s report. The UKHSA and COMARE will review emerging evidence and provide advice to inform the Government’s policy making.