Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish a breakdown of (a) average download speeds in megabits per second, (b) the level of availability of superfast broadband and (c) the level of availability of gigabit-capable broadband in each constituency in (i) England and (ii) Wales as of 21 October 2024.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Information on connectivity on a constituency-by-constituency basis across the UK is available from the local broadband tracker on ThinkBroadband: https://labs.thinkbroadband.com

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department takes to verify the qualifications of newly hired officials.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury recruitment campaigns use Success Profiles which is the recruitment framework used within the Civil Service. HM Treasury consider what skills a candidate will need to demonstrate in order to be successful and advertise vacancies with a clear person specification. Candidates are assessed through a robust assessment process consisting of a review of application forms and finally an interview where the Success Profiles are explored and tested. A leadership assessment and / or a Staff Engagement Panel is included for Senior Civil Service vacancies in addition to the application form and interview. All recruitment into HM Treasury vacancies abides by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

HM Treasury verify employment history of individuals against HM Revenue and Customs records. In cases where there is limited employment history, HM Treasury collect personal references.

Where an advertised role requires an essential qualification, this is included within the advert and candidates are asked to declare that they meet the qualification criteria when applying. If they do not meet the qualification criteria, they are unable to apply for the role.

Where a qualification is a prerequisite to an appointment, candidates present their original qualification certificates at interview stage to enable the department to verify their eligibility for the role.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department takes to verify the professional experience set out in the applications of newly hired officials.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury recruitment campaigns use Success Profiles which is the recruitment framework used within the Civil Service. HM Treasury consider what skills a candidate will need to demonstrate in order to be successful and advertise vacancies with a clear person specification. Candidates are assessed through a robust assessment process consisting of a review of application forms and finally an interview where the Success Profiles are explored and tested. A leadership assessment and / or a Staff Engagement Panel is included for Senior Civil Service vacancies in addition to the application form and interview. All recruitment into HM Treasury vacancies abides by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

HM Treasury verify employment history of individuals against HM Revenue and Customs records. In cases where there is limited employment history, HM Treasury collect personal references.

Where an advertised role requires an essential qualification, this is included within the advert and candidates are asked to declare that they meet the qualification criteria when applying. If they do not meet the qualification criteria, they are unable to apply for the role.

Where a qualification is a prerequisite to an appointment, candidates present their original qualification certificates at interview stage to enable the department to verify their eligibility for the role.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his Department's budget for technical support services is for this financial year.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We have interpreted this as Digital technical support services, which are in the order of £0.8m for DSIT.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department’s Commercial Pipeline for October 2024, published on 22 October 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate technical support during the life of the Service Desk contract.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The re-procurement of the Service Desk has been included in the Department’s Commercial Pipeline as potential activity. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology makes no commitment that the requirement will be procured. Activity to assess value for money and merits of providing the service in-house will be carried out through a Delivery Model Assessment, in accordance with Government Sourcing Playbook and Department’s Commercial Assurance Process. This activity has recently commenced, and the assessments have not been completed. Any resulting contract would be supported by contractual performance mechanisms to ensure adequate technical support throughout the life of the contract.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department’s Commercial Pipeline for October 2024, published on 22 October 2024, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of providing the Service Desk contract in-house.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The re-procurement of the Service Desk has been included in the Department’s Commercial Pipeline as potential activity. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology makes no commitment that the requirement will be procured. Activity to assess value for money and merits of providing the service in-house will be carried out through a Delivery Model Assessment, in accordance with Government Sourcing Playbook and Department’s Commercial Assurance Process. This activity has recently commenced, and the assessments have not been completed. Any resulting contract would be supported by contractual performance mechanisms to ensure adequate technical support throughout the life of the contract.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department’s Commercial Pipeline for October 2024, published on 22 October 2024, what assessment he has made of the value for money of the contract for re-procurement of the Service Desk.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The re-procurement of the Service Desk has been included in the Department’s Commercial Pipeline as potential activity. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology makes no commitment that the requirement will be procured. Activity to assess value for money and merits of providing the service in-house will be carried out through a Delivery Model Assessment, in accordance with Government Sourcing Playbook and Department’s Commercial Assurance Process. This activity has recently commenced, and the assessments have not been completed. Any resulting contract would be supported by contractual performance mechanisms to ensure adequate technical support throughout the life of the contract.