Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to financially support the South Atlantic Medal Association.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to provide financial support to the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982 (SAMA’82).

However, veterans who have been awarded the South Atlantic Medal are entitled to concessionary travel to the Falkland Islands via the South Atlantic Airbridge. Applications for this concession can be made through the SAMA’82 website: www.sama82.org.uk/flights/. Within the concessionary priorities which govern the allocation of seats, the MOD has allocated SAMA’82 travellers a higher priority than most categories of Regular serving members of the UK Armed Forces and entitled MOD Civil Servants and their families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that people with Down Syndrome can receive direct payments from local councils.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities should allow those drawing on care to receive their personal budget as a direct payment, where they are satisfied this would be suitable to meet their eligible care needs, and where they have capacity under the conditions of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act to make this request, and manage the direct payment either themselves, with aide from an authorised person, or through an authorised person acting on their behalf.

Additionally, under the Down Syndrome Act 2022, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is required to give guidance to the relevant authorities in health and social care on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. Officials are taking forward, as a priority, development of Down Syndrome Act guidance. We expect to publish the draft guidance for public consultation in the new year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to respond to the open letter by Clinically Vulnerable Families entitled Maintain Covid-19 Vaccine Access for All Clinically Vulnerable People, published on 19 November 2024.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We have received the open letter by Clinically Vulnerable Families on 14 November 2024, and will respond shortly.

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.

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.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage community organisations to register defibrillators onto the national defibrillator network.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether recipients of the community automated external defibrillator (AED) fund are required to register their AEDs onto the national defibrillator network.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether automated external defibrillators that are installed on Government buildings are registered with the national defibrillator network.

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.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to support the funding of uniformed youth organisations to (a) help tackle waiting lists and (b) expand volunteering opportunities for young people.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. This year, our department has funded eight uniformed youth organisations to help reduce waiting lists, create more spaces for young people, and offer new volunteering opportunities. Additionally, we are supporting key initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the #iwill Fund, and Adventures Away from Home, all aimed at creating opportunities for young people.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Civil Society Covenant Framework, published on 17 October 2024, what steps her Department is taking to engage with civil society on the development of the National Youth Strategy.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Civil Society Covenant will set out the terms of a new relationship between government and civil society through high level principles for an effective long term partnership between government and all of civil society. The complementary National Youth Strategy will be co-produced with young people and the youth sector. Both the Covenant and National Youth Strategy will be published in 2025.

Over the coming months we will be developing our plans for the National Youth Strategy, in partnership with young people and with organisations within the youth sector, including civil society organisations. In November we held a roundtable with young ambassadors from the #iWill movement and in early December we held a roundtable with young people in Bristol. In early 2025, we will be holding further youth-led roundtables and will set up a Youth Advisory Group to work alongside us.

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Found: Culture, Media and Sport Committee members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Dr Rupa Huq; Liz

Found: Culture, Media and Sport Committee members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Dr Rupa Huq; Liz

Found: Yours sincerely, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee 15 Addie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba, Mr James Frith, Dr

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba, Mr James Frith, Dr

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Zöe Franklin; Mr James

Found: Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ E: enquiries@dcms.gov.uk www.gov.uk/dcms Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: Vaughan Dr Beccy Cooper Adam Jogee Kim Johnson Christine Jardine Charlotte Nichols Dame Caroline Dinenage

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to examine the importance of built heritage in the UK and the barriers to its preservation.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee wants to give everyone across the world of culture, media and sport the chance to suggest themes or sectors that we should look into for a series of one-off sessions each year.