Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Major Conditions Strategy will tackle waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of arthritis.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Major Conditions Strategy will cover treatment and prevention for musculoskeletal conditions. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in the coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that music exports benefit from new UK trade agreements.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Business and Trade has engaged extensively with the music sector to inform our trade negotiations and to date we have been able to secure a number of commitments for the music sector. For example, with Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreements (FTA), the music sector will benefit from rules that ensure that data can flow freely between the UK and both countries.
Furthermore, the UK has secured commitments from Australia for continued discussions on measures to ensure adequate remuneration for music performers and producers and to tackle online infringement of intellectual property rights such as music piracy. We also secured a commitment from New Zealand to extend its copyright term of protection for authors and producers by 20 years. In our FTA with the EEA EFTA, we secured improved access for British touring artists into Norway supporting touring as live music generates vitally important revenue for UK artists and our economy.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Major Conditions Strategy will help tackle waiting times for mental health (a) counselling and (b) therapy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Major Conditions Strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. Interventions set out in the Strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system. An interim report will be published in the summer.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what public funding is available in Somerset to support the expansion of the electric vehicle charging network.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is accelerating the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure across the country by providing funding through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund and the Rapid Charging Fund (RCF).
Two local authorities in Somerset have already received funding from the ORCS scheme:
Other local authorities in this region are still able to apply to this fund.
The LEVI fund will support local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of charging infrastructure for drivers without off-street parking. The RCF will future-proof the electrical capacity at strategic locations to support ultra-rapid charging on route.
OZEV also offers a range of grants to support home, workplace and destination charging. This includes the EV Chargepoint Grant for owner occupiers of flats, renters and landlords, as well as for businesses through the Workplace Charging Scheme.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department’s contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole missile systems is due to expire.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile systems is due to expire in February 2025.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional (a) capability and (b) training capacities his Department has secured for Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Over the last five years, the largest single change in capability provision at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton is the re-introduction of the air to surface capability through introduction of the Martlet Missile System.
Training capacity provision at RNAS Yeovilton has remained consistent across the past five years.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on (a) the quality of services provided by banks to parish and town councils and to local charities and (b) the ability of parish and town councils and local charities to change their bank signatories.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There are no specific provisions related to the provision of banking services to local councils and charities in the Financial Services and Markets Bill.
Nevertheless, the Treasury recognises the challenges some charities and community organisations have been facing accessing and managing banking services. That’s why the previous Economic Secretary hosted a roundtable event last year, bringing together lenders and representatives from bodies representing these organisations to discuss this important issue. Lenders heard firsthand the problems many charities and community groups have experienced, and also used this opportunity to set out the products they offer, and the diverse range of factors charities and community groups need to consider in relation to banking requirements.
Banking and finance industry group UK Finance is now working with banks and sector representatives to identify any changes banks can make to simplify processes like changing signatories on accounts, and to produce guidance aimed at helping charities and community groups access and understand banking
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to Local Authorities to help them achieve their public transport objectives for bus services.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Government is providing over £1billion to 34 local transport authorities (LTAs), including combined authorities, to support the delivery of their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). Additionally, over £780m has been allocated through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) that will directly fund bus infrastructure.
In addition, £23m bus capacity funding was allocated to all LTAs in 2021/22 to support the development and delivery of their BSIPs and Enhanced Partnerships. A further £11m has been provided in 2022/23 for those LTAs that did not receive BSIP funding.
Since 1 January, the majority of single bus journeys in England outside London have been capped at £2 thanks to Government support via the Bus Fare Cap Grant. The initial phase of the scheme, through to 31 March, is backed by up to £60 million. On 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023.
We also announced a further, three-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG) to continue protecting vital bus services until 30 June 2023. This takes total Government funding that has been provided to over £2bn in emergency and recovery funding to the sector since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.
The Government pays over £200 million directly to bus operators every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to help keep fares down and maintain a larger network than would otherwise be possible. The Government also provides £42 million annually in BSOG funding to Local Transport Authorities.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on targeted energy support for families running lifesaving medical equipment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There have been no specific discussions. However, the Government’s cost of living support package currently delivers £15 billion worth of support measures to assist the most vulnerable with rising energy bills, including users of home medical equipment. In addition, certain specialised National Health Services, such as home Haemodialysis, do include the provision of financial support to offset energy costs sustained from running medical equipment at home. Home Oxygen Suppliers also reimburse cost of electricity required to run oxygen concentrator devices in homes, and this cost is passed onto integrated care boards as part of contractual arrangements.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that creators and performers receive a fair return from the income made from streaming music.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
A key priority for this Government is ensuring the music streaming market functions well and that creators and performers are properly remunerated. In response to the DCMS Select Committee’s inquiry into the Economics of Music Streaming, the Government launched a comprehensive programme of work focusing on the key issues identified.
This includes the establishment of expert working groups, chaired by the Intellectual Property Office, to develop industry-led solutions on metadata and transparency. These aim to bring improvements for creators and performers, including quicker and more accurate payments for songwriters and enhanced confidence in creators’ dealings with labels and publishers.
The Government encouraged the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) to conduct a market study into music and streaming services, which concluded in November 2022. The CMA found no suggestion that publishing revenues are being suppressed by distorted or restricted competition and that the overall share of streaming revenues enjoyed by publishers and songwriters has increased from 8% in 2008 to 15% in 2021.
We have also commissioned independent research into the impacts on creators, performers, and the wider industry of potential changes to copyright law in the areas of equitable remuneration, contract adjustment, and rights reversion. And the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has completed research into playlisting algorithms used by streaming services, which will be published shortly.
The Government also notes action taken by industry to improve remuneration for creators. The major record labels have committed to disregarding unrecouped advances in older contracts, meaning many artists are being paid from streaming for the first time. Many independent labels have gone further, leading the way by setting minimum digital royalty rates across new and existing contracts.
The work of the expert working groups is advanced, as is the research. Based on this, and the action taken by industry, the Government will be taking decisions on this work in the coming months.