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Written Question
Semiconductor Devices: Supply Chains
Wednesday 27th April 2022

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions the Government has had with relevant counterparts on the resilience of international supply chains of semiconductors.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the importance of semiconductor technology to the global economy. Semiconductors are a fundamental enabling technology for electronic devices and there is significant attention being paid to the sector internationally, not least because a confluence of unexpected events have caused a global chips shortage with global ramifications. The supply chains for semiconductor products are incredibly complex, spanning a large number of countries and the government understands the potential for future disruptions to the supply chain.

This is an inherently international challenge, and the government is working with like-minded international partners and industry stakeholders from across the world to review its approach to the semiconductors sector. We are considering how best to mitigate the risk of future disruption to technology supply chains, and ensure that the UK can continue to get access to the chips it needs.


Written Question
Islamic Centre of England
Thursday 11th November 2021

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is undertaking an assessment of the validity of the charitable aims and objectives of the Islamic Centre of England.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Charity Commission is the independent registrar and regulator for charities in England and Wales. Any evidence that a registered charity is not pursuing its charitable purpose should be referred to the Charity Commission.

In June 2020, the Charity Commission exercised its power under section 75A of the Charities Act 2011 to issue an Official Warning to the Islamic Centre of England as it found the trustees had failed to discharge their legal duties towards the charity, which resulted in misconduct and/or mismanagement. The Charity Commission has an open and ongoing regulatory case into the charity to follow up on compliance with the requirements of the Official Warning.


Written Question
National Trust: Finance
Tuesday 2nd April 2019

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide a costed list of central government grants made to the National Trust in each year since 2010.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The National Trust is an independent charity and therefore does not receive regular grant-in-aid from central Government. Instead, it may receive adhoc payments for specific projects to benefit its estate and/or the wider historic environment. Some of Government’s arm’s length bodies also provide grants to the National Trust for specific projects, such as over £35million in grants given to the National Trust by National Lottery Heritage Fund since 2010.


Written Question
Mobile Phones: Radio Frequencies
Thursday 15th December 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 3.20 of the Autumn Statement 2016, what her timetable is for (a) tackling network not spot zones and (b) national roll-out of 5G.

Answered by Matt Hancock

At 2016 Autumn Statement, the Government announced £1bn of new funding to boost the UK's digital infrastructure, including a programme of testbeds and trials to support the deployment and development of 5G. Further detail will be set out at Budget 2017 alongside a new 5G strategy, to ensure that the UK is able to maximise the opportunities from 5G leading to widespread deployment as soon as it is commercially viable.

To tackle mobile not-spots, the Government locked in £5bn industry investment with each mobile operator having a licence obligation to provide coverage to at least 90% of UK landmass by end 2017. Additionally O2 has a licence obligation to provide indoor 4G coverage to 98% of premises, also by the end of 2017. These obligations will be enforced by Ofcom who will have a new power, under the Digital Economy Bill, to fine operators if they fail to meet these targets.


Written Question
Historic Buildings: Flags
Monday 13th June 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that landmarks in the stewardship of English Heritage fly the Union flag in place of the organisation's house flag.

Answered by David Evennett

The English Heritage Trust flies its house flag at its historic sites to help visitors identify its properties. Where properties have more than one flagpole, they are encouraged to fly the Union flag. On certain important occasions, including on the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen (21 April) and Remembrance Day, the Union flag is flown from all sites with flagpoles.


Written Question
Monuments: Flags
Monday 7th March 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he made of the flag flying policies adopted by other European states in respect of national monuments in developing his policy on that matter.

Answered by David Evennett

No specific assessment has been made of the policy adopted by other European states in respect of national monuments. The decision as and when to fly flags is largely a decision for individual organisations.


Written Question
Monuments: Flags
Monday 7th March 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will request that English Heritage flies the Union Flag over national monuments in its custody in place of its own house flag on each day of the week.

Answered by David Evennett

There is not an intention to request changes to the English Heritage Trust’s flag flying protocol. Where English Heritage Trust sites, particularly those with military or royal connections, have more than one flagpole, the flag flying policy states that the Union Flag should be flown daily.


Written Question
Monuments: Flags
Monday 7th March 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons English Heritage flies its own house flag over national monuments in its custody in preference to the Union Flag.

Answered by David Evennett

The English Heritage Trust flies its house flag at its historic sites as an important way for visitors to identify its properties. Where properties have more than one flagpole, they are encouraged to fly the Union flag. To mark certain important occasions, flag flying protocol may vary, including on the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen (21 April) and on Remembrance Day when the Union flag is flown from all sites with flagpoles.


Written Question
Public Libraries: Closures
Wednesday 24th February 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) rural and (b) urban public libraries have closed in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) England in each year since 2000.

Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot

The Department does not commission information relating to the closure of rural and urban libraries. Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. My Rt Hon Friend will note that the number of library service points in the Wilshire Library Authority has increased from 34 in 2000, to 36 in 2015. Meanwhile, in Labour-run Wales, the number of library service points in the same period dropped from 321 to 274.

31 March

Total service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in England

Total service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in Wiltshire Library Authority

2000

3,501

34

2001

3,497

34

2002

3,504

34

2003

3,510

35

2004

3,524

35

2005

3,474

35

2006

3,500

36

2007

3,494

36

2008

3,469

37

2009

3,451

37

2010

3,428

37

2011

3,393

37

2012

3,243

37

2013

3,181

36

2014

3,142

36

2015

3,076

36


Written Question
Openreach
Tuesday 9th February 2016

Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on which dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met with BT to discuss separating Openreach from its parent company.

Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot

This is a matter for the independent telecoms regulator, Ofcom, who is currently reviewing the markets for digital communications in the UK and is due to report at the end of this month. Government has no role in this process.