Written Statements

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

Thursday 31 October 2024

Public Library Usage: England

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism (Chris Bryant)]

Libraries matter to people. They provide inspiration, education, entertainment and a safe haven for many thousands every week. In addition to their core function of providing books to lend or consult, they provide digital services, audio recordings and information that can be vital to building a local business as well as bringing people together across communities.

Despite the value and benefit of public libraries for users, the library sector has faced several long-term challenges, and the context for library engagement and delivery has changed significantly. Recent challenges include: the impact of Government-driven austerity, leading to cuts to local authority budgets; the covid-19 pandemic, which drastically affected people’s engagement with and use of libraries; and the increasingly digital world. We cannot shy away from those challenges; the amount that councils are spending on public libraries in England fell by almost half in real terms between 2009-10 and 2022-23.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a statutory responsibility to superintend and to promote the improvement of local government’s provision of public library services in England. The Culture Secretary is responsible for ensuring that library authorities deliver a “comprehensive and efficient” library service for their communities. DCMS works closely with sector stakeholders to achieve this, as well as to advocate for public libraries across Government.

As part of that work, the Government are publishing DCMS-commissioned research by Ipsos on barriers to library usage by the general public. The research explored the barriers to and enablers of library usage through a number of focus groups and sets out potential policy interventions that could be deployed by local or national Government to promote library usage. A copy of the research will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

This research has identified a number of ways that public libraries could tackle these challenges and encourage more engagement from the public, including:

raising awareness of the range of services that public libraries offer, particularly digital services;

addressing practical barriers to engagement with public services, such as opening hours and parking facilities;

clarification of the types of spaces available for all demographics; and

harnessing the appeal of public libraries as spaces that enable and encourage community cohesion.

We are sharing the findings to ensure that library services across England can actively consider how they might act on the results. DCMS is commissioning further research to test the findings and insights from phase 1 at scale to inform policy design and implementation. I will also be meeting with library sector organisations and leaders to discuss the challenges in the sector, reflect on priority policy areas and consider how best we can support the sector.

[HCWS178]

Afghanistan

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Hamish Falconer)]

Today, I am updating the House on the efforts the UK Government have made to support those most in need in Afghanistan. The future of this country continues to matter to the UK due to the risk of terrorism, illegal migration, the humanitarian and food security crisis, and appalling human rights situation, particularly for women and girls.

Afghanistan remains in humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, over 23 million people—more than half the population—require humanitarian assistance in 2024. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has provided support to the most vulnerable and marginalised people in Afghanistan. In financial year 2023-24, we provided a total of £113.5 million in overseas development assistance to Afghanistan. All UK funding was channelled through UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the Red Cross Movement. Through these partnerships last year, the UK Government supported access to humanitarian assistance for more than 2.7 million people, including providing assistance to prevent malnutrition to at least 1.5 million people. The UK also helped more than 1.4 million people, of whom over 1 million were women, to access essential health services. We aim to ensure that more than 50% of people reached with UK assistance are women or girls.

The Government have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s repressive policies and behaviour. However, like many of our allies, we maintain a limited and pragmatic dialogue with the Taliban where it is in our national interest to do so. This process was started by the previous Conservative Government. This engagement does not represent legitimisation of the Taliban’s actions. We will continue to hold the Taliban to account for their actions, including on the rights of women and girls, counter terrorism, human rights and maintaining humanitarian aid access.

Government officials have engaged with the Taliban to help protect the operating space for humanitarian partners in Afghanistan, pressing on priority issues such as counter-terrorism and human rights, including the rights of women and girls. We have consistently underlined the need to ensure that women continue to play an active role in the humanitarian response to the crisis in Afghanistan, and can safely access assistance and provide feedback on the quality and appropriateness of the response. We will continue to push the Taliban on this issue, and ensure women and girls remain at the heart of our aid response.

Beyond immediate humanitarian needs, the UK Government are working with the international community to support longer-term basic services for the Afghan people, including health, education and livelihoods. Through our bilateral programmes, in 2023-24, at least 83,000 children, including 54,000 girls, were supported to access education and at least 466,000 children, including 310,000 girls, were fully immunised. In February 2024, with strong UK support, the World Bank Board endorsed the provision of grant finance from the World Bank’s International Development Association to Afghanistan. This funding, to which the UK Government contribute, will deliver further health, livelihoods and education programming in Afghanistan through the World Bank’s Afghanistan resilience trust fund.

Through newly approved UK funding we will scale up livelihoods and agriculture programming to support vulnerable Afghans to grow more food, improve their income, and be more resilient to climate change, helping tackle the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan in more sustainable ways. New UK investments in health and education, with a focus on women and girls, support wider goals to champion rights, equality and a healthier world.

In August, the Taliban passed a “vice and virtue” law imposing wide-ranging restrictions on Afghan women, men and children and the media, including effectively removing women from public spaces. The laws have attracted widespread international condemnation. As the Foreign Secretary has said, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan and its people. Officials have directly pressed the Taliban to reverse this law and, alongside like-minded international partners, have lobbied senior Taliban officials emphasising that we consider the law a grotesque backwards step. We have also condemned the law publicly through the UN, including the Human Rights Council. We will continue to raise our serious concerns and press for the reversal of these restrictions.

We continue to engage with Afghan women and are committed to providing platforms for Afghan women to speak out, advocate for their full inclusion in society, and promote their rights. In August, the Minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan hosted a group of senior Afghan women leaders to hear their perspectives and discuss the inclusion of women in Afghanistan’s future political process. In September, the Minister delivered a speech to the All Afghan Women Summit in Tirana, emphasising the UK Government’s continued support to Afghanistan and solidarity with Afghan women.

In September, the Afghan embassy in London closed following the dismissal of its staff by the state of Afghanistan. This decision was not made by the UK Government. In line with international law, specifically the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, Afghanistan is responsible for the appointment and termination of staff at its embassies. The FCDO recognises that the closure will create challenges for Afghan citizens in the UK who require consular services.

We continue to work constructively with parties inside and outside of Afghanistan for an Afghanistan at peace with itself, its neighbours, and the international community.

[HCWS179]

Government Wine Cellar Report 2022-'24

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Catherine West)]

I have today placed a copy of the report on the Government wine cellar for the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24 in the Libraries of both Houses.

This biennial report meets our commitment to transparency on the use of the Government wine cellar, covering consumption, stock purchases, costs, and value for money.

[HCWS180]

Housing and Regeneration: London

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

Maximising housing delivery around Euston

[The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)]

Since the construction of Britain’s first inter-city rail link between London and Birmingham, Euston has been not just a bustling London neighbourhood but a gateway to the west midlands, north-west England, north Wales and Scotland.

However, as in many of London’s neighbourhoods, the need for housing in the area around Euston station far outstrips supply, resulting in higher housing costs, rising levels of overcrowding and workforce pressures. To meet the challenges and grasp the opportunities facing this important part of our capital city, bold action is required.

The Government are already taking forward plans for a much-improved Euston station, and my Department is committed to supporting the delivery of significant numbers of new homes alongside this project. To progress that work, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has established the Euston housing delivery group in partnership with the London Borough of Camden. This group will advise Ministers and local leaders on an ambitious housing and regeneration initiative for Euston, assessing the shape and scale of the opportunity for growth in the area, and acting as a driving force for new investment in the area.

My Department will work with local leaders and communities to ensure that the redevelopment of Euston is an example of exemplary place-making. Housing delivery and commercial development will be backed by the necessary social infrastructure and amenities to create thriving new communities and bolster existing ones. Ready access to primary healthcare, spaces in primary and secondary schools, and access to open green spaces for communities will be central to our vision.

Sustained economic growth is the only route to improving the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people. That is why it is this Government’s No. 1 mission. Regenerating Euston, at the heart of our capital city, will both contribute to meeting housing need locally, and support economic growth nationally by releasing the productive potential of this historic neighbourhood.

The Euston housing delivery group

As announced in the Budget, I am appointing Bek Seeley to chair the Euston housing delivery group. The group will:

Assess the scale of opportunity for housing growth and regeneration beyond the existing Euston station site.

Identify the infrastructure, services, and green space required to unlock maximum housing delivery.

Consider how these housing opportunities can be delivered across Euston, working alongside with the Department for Transport, the Greater London Authority, and the London Borough of Camden.

Advise central Government and local leaders on an ambitious housing and regeneration scheme, as well as the routes to deliver it.

Bek has worked in the public and private sectors, has held a range of operational and commercial roles in economic development, infrastructure, built environment and public services, and has overseen major housing projects in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

The delivery group will be made up of industry experts in urban design, architecture, affordable housing delivery and financing large-scale projects. Their core focus will be to develop a trailblazing regeneration scheme, which will unlock more investment in Euston and drive growth, benefiting the local community and the whole nation.

We will continue to update Parliament on the work of the delivery group.

[HCWS182]

Greater Cambridge

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)]

I am today updating the House on the next steps the Government intend to take, in collaboration with local partners, to support ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs.

Sustained economic growth is the only route to improving the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people. That is why it is this Government’s No. 1 mission. The economic growth of Cambridge has been a phenomenal success and the city’s strengths in knowledge-intensive businesses within its unique innovation ecosystem are well documented, with strong connections between investors, researchers, businesses and local government. We know that greater Cambridge has the potential to make an even greater contribution to the UK economy, and the Government are determined to make this happen.

While local partners in greater Cambridge share the Government’s ambitions, there remain significant barriers to further growth. It is essential that the Government help to remove them to overcome the issues that have held up planned development for essential housing and laboratory space. It is also vital that we take a collaborative approach to addressing the costs that have come with success, including housing affordability pressures, traffic and congestion, and air pollution. We know what can be achieved when local authorities, central Government and public bodies work in partnership to overcome these challenges. I want to sustain the constructive relationship I have established with local leaders and key partners over recent months.

The Cambridge Growth Company

The Deputy Prime Minister and I are determined to realise the full potential of greater Cambridge to the benefit of its existing communities and the UK economy. I am therefore appointing Peter Freeman to chair the Cambridge Growth Company, which will work with local partners to develop and start to deliver an ambitious plan for delivering high-quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs.

Peter is a development and regeneration expert with a strong track record, working with private and public partners. He brings a wealth of experience in delivering complex mixed-use projects, including in his current role as chair of Homes England and through the renowned redevelopment of King’s Cross.

The growth company will focus on the following core activities:

Enable and accelerate developments which align with the Government’s ambitions for Cambridge, and unlocking development on stalled sites.

Develop the evidence base to support development of an infrastructure-first growth plan and a long-term delivery vehicle, working with experts to assess infrastructure requirements, including water and transport, and laying the foundations to establish a long-term delivery vehicle.

Identify solutions to complex constraints and support a cross-Government approach to unblock existing development, providing the right incentives for successful development in the long-term.

The work of the Cambridge Growth Company will be supported by £10 million of new funding committed at yesterday’s autumn Budget. This funding will be used to develop an ambitious plan for housing, transport and wider infrastructure, and for the water needed to support sustainable growth.

We will continue to update Parliament on the work of the Cambridge Growth Company.

[HCWS181]

Civil Aviation Authority Annual Progress Report

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Kane)]

The airspace modernisation strategy refresh, published on 23 January 2023, sets out, through nine elements, the ways and means of modernising airspace, focusing on the period until the end of 2040.

The Civil Aviation Authority must report to the Secretary of State annually on the delivery of the AMS, through an annual progress report. This report details the progress made by industry, as well as work the CAA have conducted against each of the AMS’s elements. For 2022, the progress report reports on the previous AMS’s 15 initiatives.

In total, six of the 15 initiatives are assessed as “requiring attention”, two are on track, one has been implemented and six initiatives have been assessed as having “major issues”.

The Department is working with the CAA to strengthen delivery and ensure greater progress is made in implementing the airspace modernisation programme. Ministers are giving the programme urgent attention and have already announced measures to tackle these challenges, including the consultation launched on 22 October on our plans to create a new UK Airspace Design Service. This will drive forward airspace modernisation and create a system fit for the future by delivering quicker routes, easing delays, and reducing harmful emissions.

Areas of progress

Free route airspace (initiative 2) was implemented in Scotland in 2021 and remains on track for deployment in Q1 2023 across south-west England and Wales. This will see airlines being able to fly more direct routes in upper airspace, reducing aviation’s carbon emissions, and will save 12,000 tonnes of CO2 a year—equivalent to the power used by some 3,500 family homes.

The airspace classification review (initiative 10) has made significant progress with the publication of the findings into the review of the Cotswold region. This work has identified where airspace can be opened up for all airspace users to use (e.g. general aviation).

Under the deployment of electronic surveillance solution (initiative 11), the Department for Transport and the CAA established the Surveillance Standards Task Force, developing national, voluntary specifications for electronic conspicuity. This is a key enabler in the refreshed AMS, bringing together current and new airspace users, such as drones, in order to promote a safe and integrated lower airspace.

Areas assessed as having major issues

There are a number of initiatives assessed as having “major issues”, in part because of covid-19 recovery and the complexities of the airspace changes in the London cluster. However, formal acceptance of the Airspace Change Organising Group’s masterplan iteration 2 in January 2022 was a critical milestone. This was enabled in part by £9.2 million Government funding. Iteration 3 will be published later this year following a number of public engagement exercises.

Of the six initiatives requiring attention, timescales and delivery plans have been reassessed and re-baselined as a result of publication of the refreshed AMS.

I will place a copy of the airspace modernisation strategy 2023 progress report in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS177]

DVLA and VCA Business Plans 2024-25

Thursday 31st October 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

I am pleased to announce the publication of the 2024-25 business plans for two of the Department for Transport’s motoring agencies: the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency.

Each agency’s business plans sets out:

The key business priorities that each agency will deliver and any significant changes they plan to make to their services, and;

The key performance indicators, by which their performance will be assessed.

These plans allow service users and members of the public to understand the agencies’ plans for delivering their key services and managing their finances.

The business plans will be available electronically on gov.uk and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency 2024-25 business plan will be published separately as we continue to work with them on measures to drive down practical driving test waiting times.

[HCWS183]