Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 3rd March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

3. What assessment he has made of the level of uptake of the satellite broadband voucher scheme in Lancashire.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

We are making great progress on superfast roll-out. We have reached almost 4 million premises, and it is going extremely well.

[Andrew Stephenson]

I welcome the Government’s commitment to spreading faster broadband to rural areas, but my constituents have found it difficult to find information about the voucher scheme. Will my hon. Friend commit to working with Lancashire County Council and Broadband Delivery UK to ensure that households that could benefit from satellite broadband are made aware of that important scheme?

Data Breaches (Consumer Protection)

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Andrew Stephenson

Monday 26th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

Given that the right hon. Gentleman has been gracious enough to commend the Government for investing money in this area, let me meet him half way. Of course Ministers meet across Departments—a number of Departments have relevant interests in this area—and we will always consider what more can be done. I will certainly take the right hon. Gentleman’s advice and ensure that Ministers meet across Departments to consider how we can co-ordinate our action more effectively.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

I welcome what the Minister has said because it underlines the importance of cyber-security skills to our whole economy. Will he join me in congratulating Training 2000, which is currently establishing an institute of cyber-security in my constituency? That will provide cyber-security apprenticeships, along with a range of other courses for small and medium-sized businesses in my area.

[Mr Vaizey]

I certainly join my hon. Friend in commending Training 2000. There are around 14 cyber-security clusters throughout the United Kingdom, and the Government continue to support this important industry.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 26th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

This week we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Jennie Lee’s first White Paper on the arts, and I am pleased that 50 years later we continue to support the arts, particularly in education. The Education Secretary did not say what the hon. Gentleman claims that she said; she said that for too long people had thought that science had held back their careers. She has praised arts education and she is giving a very important speech on cultural education next week. The hon. Gentleman is invited.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Does the Minister agree that cultural education is vital for our children and that, under this Government, we have raised the status and standing of arts GCSEs and A-levels so that they are genuinely worthwhile qualifications?

[Mr Vaizey]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is why we have seen an increase in the number of students taking arts GCSEs, for example.