Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
What steps her Department is taking to increase (a) broadband and (b) mobile phone coverage in rural areas.
Answered by Matt Warman
The government is committed to nationwide rollout of future proof, gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible. Improving mobile coverage in rural areas is also a priority. We are committed to extending geographic mobile coverage to 95% of the UK and we are considering all of the options available to facilitate this.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to increase the level of funding for schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We have committed an extra £14 billion to schools in England over the next three years. This will bring the schools budget to £52.2 billion in 2022-23. This will allow funding increases for all schools. In particular, every secondary school will receive a minimum of at least £5,000 per pupil next year, with every primary school getting a minimum of at least £4,000 from 2021-22. This is the largest cash boost in a generation and has only been possible because of our balanced approach to the public finances and careful stewardship of the economy since 2010.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
What steps he is taking to strengthen the Union.
Answered by David Mundell
Strengthening and Sustaining the Union is a key priority for the UK Government. This is why we have asked Lord Dunlop to carry out a review to ensure that we are working in the most effective way possible to realise fully all the benefits of being a United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229177 on visas: married people, if he will collate and publish figures for (a) the number of applications submitted under Appendix FM where the sponsor did not meet the financial requirement but argued that there were exceptional circumstances pertaining to their case and (b) the number of applications that were successful.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Information collected, collated and published in official statistics is kept under review, balancing user needs against burdens on suppliers, in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics, implementing the Statistics and Registration Act 2007 (copy available at https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/code-of-practice/the-code/).
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to take into account the skills and qualifications of non-EEA nationals applying for entry clearance under Appendix FM; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Whilst skills and qualifications of non-EEA nationals applying for entry clearance under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules are generally not taken into account, there is provision within the Rules that they can be where there are exceptional circumstances.
Paragraph 21A of Appendix FM-SE, inserted by HC 290, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc290-20-july-2017, sets out objective criteria by which decision makers will in such cases, assess an applicant’s relevant skills and qualifications within the context of previous or prospective employment or self-employment income.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in addition to recently announced humanitarian assistance, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the immediate and the long-term development needs in Zimbabwe are met after Cyclone Idai.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK has committed £2.45 million which will go towards supporting water and sanitation, child protection and cash grants in cyclone affected areas. In addition UK will continue to focus on poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance including helping people to cope with pre-existing drought and economic crisis.
In addition to the recently announced humanitarian assistance, UK Aid operates an extensive programme in Zimbabwe, working to support the poorest and most vulnerable as well as at the same time helping lay the foundations for a more prosperous, peaceful and democratic Zimbabwe, driving growth and poverty reduction. DFID’s priorities in Zimbabwe are:
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support climate change resilience programes in Zimbabwe after Cyclone Idai.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
UK Aid supports climate change resilience in 30 of Zimbabwe’s 59 rural districts. The UK is helping over a million people to cope with the effects of climate change through the adoption of more climate-resilient agricultural practices, diversifying livelihoods, and developing plans and policies for climate resilience.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce guidance on statutory firearms licensing.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government intends to launch a public consultation on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on firearms licensing before summer re-cess. The statutory guidance will be issued after conclusion of the consulta-tion, and will be informed by it.
The consultation will be open to the public, including representatives of the shooting community. The Home Office will absorb the costs of the consultation as part of its responsibility for firearms licensing policy.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans does he have to consult representatives of the shooting community to help ensure the effectiveness of licensing arrangements under statutory firearms licensing guidance.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government intends to launch a public consultation on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on firearms licensing before summer re-cess. The statutory guidance will be issued after conclusion of the consulta-tion, and will be informed by it.
The consultation will be open to the public, including representatives of the shooting community. The Home Office will absorb the costs of the consultation as part of its responsibility for firearms licensing policy.
Asked by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) steps he has taken and (b) resources he has allocated to open a public consultation on statutory firearms licensing guidance by July 2019.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government intends to launch a public consultation on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on firearms licensing before summer re-cess. The statutory guidance will be issued after conclusion of the consulta-tion, and will be informed by it.
The consultation will be open to the public, including representatives of the shooting community. The Home Office will absorb the costs of the consultation as part of its responsibility for firearms licensing policy.