Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the migration of analogue phone lines to digital voice over internet protocol on elderly people in Gosport.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises that some customers may face heightened risks during the migration from the analogue landline network to voice over internet protocol and my officials and I have worked hard since the election on mitigating risks to vulnerable people across the country. On 18 November 2024, the Department published guidance for communication providers on how to identify and support these customers when their landline migrates.
The Department also published a checklist of activities that communication providers must take before migrating customers to voice over internet protocol without their active consent. We expect providers to meet the safeguards set out in this checklist to keep customers safe throughout the migration.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to run an awareness campaign for the switchover from analogue to digital phone lines.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is supporting plans put forward by major communication providers to run an awareness campaign, paid for by industry, for the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration to digital landlines. The campaign will be launched in 2025.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help increase (a) survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) the availability of defibrillators in Gosport.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the new Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.
The defibrillators provided through this scheme are required to be registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text message notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.
The Department does not hold data on the availability of AEDs in the Gosport area, nor does it hold data on AEDs installed in Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit.