Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on its plans for an outside-in strategy to build full-fibre networks in rural areas.
Answered by Margot James
Work has already started to build full fibre networks in rural areas, with up to £700 million allocated by Government for rollout up until the end of 2021.
The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review identified that around 10% of premises would not get full fibre commercially by 2033, largely in rural and remote areas. To reach the Government’s targets for nationwide full fibre coverage by 2033, these areas will require additional funding of around £3 billion to support investment, ensuring delivery in the final 10% occurs alongside commercial rollout.
Funding already committed to these areas includes around £200 million from the BDUK Superfast programme, which is building on the 96% superfast coverage in the UK, and now rolling out full fibre connections.
The Local Full Fibre Networks programme (LFFN) is designed to stimulate commercial investment in full fibre networks in both rural and urban locations across the whole of the UK. LFFN will have invested almost £300 million across the UK by the end of the programme in 2021.
At Budget 2018, a further £200 million was allocated from the National Productivity Investment Fund, for the 2 year Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme starting in April 2019.
Longer-term options for funding rural connectivity under the Outside-In approach will be determined as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding his Department has allocated to subsidise full-fibre networks in rural areas.
Answered by Margot James
Work has already started to build full fibre networks in rural areas, with up to £700 million allocated by Government for rollout up until the end of 2021.
The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review identified that around 10% of premises would not get full fibre commercially by 2033, largely in rural and remote areas. To reach the Government’s targets for nationwide full fibre coverage by 2033, these areas will require additional funding of around £3 billion to support investment, ensuring delivery in the final 10% occurs alongside commercial rollout.
Funding already committed to these areas includes around £200 million from the BDUK Superfast programme, which is building on the 96% superfast coverage in the UK, and now rolling out full fibre connections.
The Local Full Fibre Networks programme (LFFN) is designed to stimulate commercial investment in full fibre networks in both rural and urban locations across the whole of the UK. LFFN will have invested almost £300 million across the UK by the end of the programme in 2021.
At Budget 2018, a further £200 million was allocated from the National Productivity Investment Fund, for the 2 year Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme starting in April 2019.
Longer-term options for funding rural connectivity under the Outside-In approach will be determined as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is tacking to tackle the level of nuisance calls from foreign call centres.
Answered by Margot James
We have been clear that there is no place for nuisance calls in our society and we continue to work on practical solutions to this problem.
In December 2018, we introduced new rules that enable company directors to be held personally liable for the nuisance calls their company makes. These rules apply to international marketing calls made on behalf of UK companies.
We also secured over £600k in the Autumn Budget which we have used to provide vulnerable people with call blocking devices. This measure has protected the most vulnerable in society from nuisance calls scams including those originating from overseas call centres.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for the independence of the media of the recommendations of the Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media's November 2018 report .
Answered by Margot James
The Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media provided recommendations to the High Court of Tynwald. Responding to the recommendations is a matter for the Isle of Man Government. The UK government will engage with the Isle of Man Government on these issues where appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to respond to the Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media's November 2018 report; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
The Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media provided recommendations to the High Court of Tynwald. Responding to the recommendations is a matter for the Isle of Man Government. The UK government will engage with the Isle of Man Government on these issues where appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the Government's policies of the recommendations made by the Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media in their November 2018 report; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
The Isle of Man Tynwald Select Committee on Public Service Media provided recommendations to the High Court of Tynwald. Responding to the recommendations is a matter for the Isle of Man Government. The UK government will engage with the Isle of Man Government on these issues where appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage tourism in the north of England.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, which it does through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. There are a number of projects in the £40m Discover England Fund which are based in the north of England, including two which aim to make Manchester a gateway to England: London and Manchester: Gateways to England and Growing Manchester as an International Gateway to the North.
The Coastal Communities Fund has funded 48 projects worth £54 million in the Northern Powerhouse area since 2012. At least two thirds of this expenditure has been awarded to projects supporting tourism and the visitor economy.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will take steps to encourage more foreign tourists to visit the north of England.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, which it does through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. There are a number of projects in the £40m Discover England Fund which are based in the north of England, including two which aim to make Manchester a gateway to England: London and Manchester: Gateways to England and Growing Manchester as an International Gateway to the North.
The Coastal Communities Fund has funded 48 projects worth £54 million in the Northern Powerhouse area since 2012. At least two thirds of this expenditure has been awarded to projects supporting tourism and the visitor economy.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support research developments on artificial intelligence in the UK.
Answered by Margot James
AI and data-driven research is a priority for government, and is critical to responding to the AI and Data Grand Challenge outlined in the Industrial Strategy. The Autumn Budget announced£75m specifically for AI and Data – including 450 additional AI research PhD places by 2021, and a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation looking at issues around data, including use for AI – a world-first. An overall increase in £4.7bn R&D funding by 2021, including money made available through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, will also stimulate AI-based solutions – for example through the Robotics and AI Extreme Environments programme. Government continues to fund primary research in computer science and data analytics through the research councils, and from 1 April, UK Research and Innovation. The joint DCMS/BEIS Office for AI will work with a new AI Council on skills, technology adoption and AI workforce diversity.