Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many emergency services masts are planned for construction in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency; and what steps she is taking to ensure that mobile phone services are provided from all four mobile network operators at emergency services network sites.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
In delivering the Emergency Services Network (ESN), the mobile network operator EE will deliver up to 291 new mast sites. Government will deliver approximately 230 further sites (known as the “Extended Area Services” (EAS) sites) in the most remote and rural areas of Great Britain. Under the terms of the State Aid decision for ESN, any ESN site where EE offers a commercial service must be made available to the other UK mobile operators and interested parties to provide their own a service on an equal and non-discriminatory basis. The purpose of EAS is to deliver a ‘blue-light’ communications service. The service it will provide is based on road coverage and it has been this requirement which has driven the selection of sites across the country. Site selection criteria for commercial services is done on a different basis; and consequently, there is a variation in the basic requirement of EAS and those of commercial operators.
The Home Office led Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP), does recognise the need to exploit the sites being built in the EAS for wider commercial use. ESMCP has been in discussion with the governments of Wales and Scotland, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and has agreed to build these sites, wherever possible, to a design specification that can be readily enhanced to allow site-sharing with commercial operators.
For the Westminster Constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, there are currently up to 5 proposed new EE sites in the constituency and the EAS project intend to build twelve new EAS radio sites. In addition, three existing Airwave masts are under consideration, subject to a feasibility investigation. Delivery of these sites is subject to planning permission and the acquisition of land.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, within what time period after the UK leaves the EU it will assume control of its exclusive economic zone and become an independent coastal state under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK will automatically assume control of its Exclusive Economic Zone and become an independent Coastal State on the day that it leaves the European Union.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing a new regulatory framework for food safety after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Mowat
Departments are currently working to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the European Union will have across a number of areas, including understanding any cost implications for the regulatory framework. Options for the future post-exit regulatory framework are being developed that will not compromise the consumer protection or increase burdens on businesses.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with representatives of the European Food Safety Authority on its future remit in the UK.
Answered by David Mowat
The Government has not yet had any discussions with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on its future remit in the United Kingdom. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Food Standard Agency and other Government Departments/bodies currently work with the EFSA on a range of issues including public health, food safety, plant and animal health and welfare. Government departments are working together to ensure that we will continue to have a collaborative relationship with the EFSA post-exit and that UK risk management decisions will continue to be based on robust scientific evidence.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to outline options for the replacement of the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Mowat
Departments are currently working together to understand the impact that withdrawal from the European Union will have across a number of sectors and cross-cutting areas, including the European Food Safety Authority. Options for the future of risk assessment in the United Kingdom are being developed but it is not possible at this time to give an indication of when these options can be shared.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on how the Government's industrial strategy will support food producers.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at ministerial and official level, to ensure the industrial strategy supports the agri-food sector.
The agri-food sector contributes £110 billion per year to our economy and is a big employer in every region of the UK, so is well placed to support growth across the whole country. We will be working with the agri-food sector to develop an industrial strategy that delivers a world-leading food, farming and fishing nation that grows more, sells more and exports more food around the world.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the strategic priorities are for his Department's social media campaigns on Scotland's trade with the rest of the UK.
Answered by David Mundell
Recent data released by the Scottish Government shows that Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK is worth 4 times that of trade with the rest of the EU.
This is a fact-based, information-led campaign, to inform people about the important trading relationship that Scotland and the rest of the UK enjoy, and the relative scale of Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK as compared to its trade with the rest of the EU.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what funds his Department has allocated for social media campaigns on platforms such at Twitter and Facebook.
Answered by David Mundell
Digital activity, including social media campaigns, are funded through the Scotland Office programme budget. This is published in the annual report and accounts, a link to which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2015-16--2
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to promote Scottish exports to countries outside of the UK in April 2017.
Answered by David Mundell
As we prepare to leave the European Union, we want to send a message to the world that the UK and Scotland remain open for business, and free to shape our own ambitious trade and investment opportunities across the globe.
Earlier this month, I took that message to Burma and Singapore, promoting Scotland’s business interests and exports, including with the energy, financial services and whisky sectors. The Scotland Office will continue to work with the Department of International Trade and other UK Government departments to promote the UK and Scotland to the world.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the status of the 1964 London Fisheries Convention after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
We are looking very carefully at the London Fisheries Convention. As the Prime Minister told the House on 29 March, we hope to be able to say something about this soon.