Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of large solar farms on the habitats of rare species.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Planning applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects include a statutory requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment to be carried out and for the competent authority (decision-maker) to undertake a Habitats Regulations Assessment, which is published alongside the Decision Letter.

These assessments consider both the adverse and beneficial effects on designated habitats and rare species. Consultation is undertaken with the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Body such as Natural England and will include mitigation and compensation advice when necessary. Recent examples of environmental and habitats assessments for large solar farms demonstrate that there is often the opportunity to secure net gains for biodiversity.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of immigration on the length of waiting lists for social housing in (a) Horsham, (b) Chichester District and (c) Arun District.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department does not hold information on the immigration status of those on the waiting lists.

Local Authority Housing Statistics show that, at 31 March 2023, Horsham District Council had 740 households on the waiting list for social housing, Chichester District Council had 2,029 households on the waiting list, and Arun District Council had 1,732 households on the waiting lists.

Local Authority Housing Statistics also show that Horsham District Council has a local connection test in place to determine who qualifies for social housing, Chichester District Council has both a residency and local connection test, and Arun District Council has a residency test.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 2 August 2024 to Question 1990 on Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Public Appointments, for what reason the Answer was amended using the editorial process; and what the amendment was.

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

The answer was amended to correct an administrative error. The amendment corrected the exception number cited in the response - this was previously listed as exception 4, when it should have been listed as exception 1.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment in Arundel and South Downs constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

It is estimated that around 26,033 people in Arundel and South Downs constituency will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics and 22-23 for Winter Fuel Payments statistics (sources below).

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for Arundel and South Downs constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for Arundel and South Downs constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment claimants pre-policy change not claiming Pension Credit, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive Winter fuel payment. The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics.

Also, the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the Pensions Credit Awareness campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

The published Pension Credit figures refer to households rather than individuals, so the number of individuals claiming Pension Credit, will be higher. This means that the estimates provided above will overstate the number of pensioners affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.

In addition to that, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Sources:

The Winter Fuel Payments statistics are published here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit data is published here: Pension Credit – Data from May 2018

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the terms were for the secondment of Kate Owen as Interim Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission; and when the secondment will end.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The published Civil Service Commission 2022/2023 Annual Report shows the current Interim Chief Executive began the role on 15 May 2023. An external recruitment process to appoint a permanent Chief Executive was launched in May 2024 and is expected to conclude in September 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what policies the Civil Service Commission has in place to avoid conflicts of interest when investigating its sponsoring department.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010) to provide assurance that civil servants are selected on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and to help safeguard an impartial Civil Service. The Commission is independent of Government and of the Civil Service.

The Commission acts in accordance with its legislation and takes direction from the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the CSC’s Recruitment Principles and in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her oral contribution of 30 July 2024, Official Report, column 1194, what steps she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to amend social housing allocation policy to give priority to local residents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local councils already have necessary powers to give priority to local residents, and most are doing so. In March 2023, 89% of councils had a local connection test and/or a residency test in place.

Responses to the recent consultation on changes to social housing allocation tests made it clear that mandating a local connection test would not add to existing powers that councils have in any meaningful way and would only serve to remove vital flexibility to design and operate qualification tests in a way that best meets the needs of individual local areas.

The response is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-reforms-to-social-housing-allocations/outcome/government-response-to-the-consultation-on-changes-to-social-housing-allocation-tests.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions have taken place at (a) official and (b) ministerial level between the Propriety and Constitution Group and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on the establishment of the CSC’s review of appointments made by exception at delegated grades since 1 July 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Commission is the independent regulator of Civil Service recruitment and carries out its functions independently of Government and in line with the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

On Friday 30 August the Civil Service Commissioner wrote to departments, including the CO, to say that they would carry out a short review of appointments made by exception since 1 July.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the approvals process for the appointment of the Director General Digital Centre Design included the Civil Service Commission being informed of donations made by Public Digital Limited to the Labour party by (a) him, (b) Ministers in his Department, (c) civil servants in his Department and (d) another Department.

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

The Director General, Digital Centre Design was appointed in line with Civil Service Recruitment Principles and the Civil Service Commission was provided with the relevant background information requested, including the Director General’s previous work roles, when approving this temporary appointment.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which team in the Cabinet Office discharges statutory or contractual duties owed to Cabinet Office employees by the Cabinet Office as their employer whilst they are on secondment to the Civil Service Commission.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Staff recruited by the Civil Service Commission are employed by the Cabinet Office and seconded to the Commission for the duration of the time in their role. The Civil Service Commission is independent; its staff operate under the direction of the First Civil Service Commissioner and the Civil Service Commissioners.

As Cabinet Office employees, staff in the Civil Service Commission are subject to Cabinet Office contractual terms and conditions (for example in relation to salary and leave entitlements) and are supported in the application of these by the Cabinet Office's corporate functions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the role of the Propriety and Constitution Group is in his Department’s relationship with the Civil Service Commission.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010). The Commission is independent.

The Cabinet Office, through the Propriety and Constitution Group, sponsors the Civil Service Commission and has appropriate sponsorship arrangements in place to carry out this function whilst safeguarding its independence. The governance and accountability arrangements for the Commission are set out in its ‘Governance Statement’ in the latest Annual Report and Accounts, which can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-commission-annual-report-and-accounts-202223

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the manufacture of low earth orbit satellite manufacturing in the UK.

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

The UK has helped pioneer the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite sector through support to highly innovative companies such as SSTL, Clyde Space and Open Cosmos, all of which have been supported by different Government mechanisms.

Government continues to support this fast-moving sector, including through the UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) scheme, which supports high volume satellite production.

The UK Space Agency also contributes funding to the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. ARTES contributes to UK LEO satellite manufacturing by supporting technology and business development in the ground, space, and network segments.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help provide supplemental broadband coverage via satellite in rural areas.

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

The vast majority of premises are expected to be covered by commercial activity or Project Gigabit. However, we do accept there will be a small number of premises not connected and we are considering alternative technologies to improve connectivity for these populations, such as fixed wireless access.

The satellite market is developing at pace, with significant changes to terminal equipment, speeds and service packages expected in the coming years, including new suppliers entering the market via the launch of new satellite constellations. Over 40,000 people in the UK have taken up a LEO satellite broadband service, and it is clear it has the potential to play a significant part in improving rural connectivity. We continue to monitor the development of this market.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to promote direct to device mobile connectivity from satellites.

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

Although this is a nascent field, government recognises the emerging potential of direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, in particular in hard to reach or remote areas.

Ofcom has recently published a call for input on the potential supply of and demand for D2D.

To support the building of UK capability in D2D technologies, the UK Space Agency is supporting UK companies to apply for European Space Agency funding for D2D research & development. UK Research and Innovation’s £70m Future Telecoms Technology Missions Fund also includes a research mission on the integration of non-terrestrial and terrestrial communications networks, which is relevant to the development and deployment of these technologies.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to continue the work of the AI Opportunity Forum.

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

The AI Opportunity Forum was established in January 2024 to run until the summer. Driving AI adoption across the private and the public sector is a government priority. In July 2024, the AI entrepreneur, Matt Clifford, was appointed to develop the AI Opportunities Action Plan. This will include actions designed to boost the responsible adoption of AI across all parts of the economy.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when Innovate UK will commence its next funding round.

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

Innovate UK’s funding competitions are published on the Innovation Funding Service at https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/search. This includes current active competitions and those due to launch shortly.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of future water supply shortages in West Sussex.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a supply of wholesome water under the Water Industry Act 1991 and associated water quality regulations. Companies must ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency and are required to plan to provide alternative supplies in the event of a loss of normal supply. As set out in Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) 2022, in the event of an unavoidable failure of piped supply, water companies must ensure that a minimum supply is provided by alternative means. The Drinking Water Inspectorate lead on assurance and enforcement of SEMD.

Water companies have statutory requirements to consult, publish and maintain Water Resources Management Plans, which set out how they will provide secure water supplies for at least twenty-five years into the future. We expect Southern Water to consult on a revised draft plan later this month. The draft plan will be assessed by water regulators, including the Environment Agency and Ofwat to ensure Southern Water make appropriate improvements.

Subject to an eight-week consultation on changes to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, Government proposals will increase – and in most cases double – reimbursement which water company customers are entitled to when key standards are not met by water companies, including in incidents of supply interruption.

Found: Griffith M  P Minister of State Minister for Science, Research and Innovation From 13 November 2023

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