Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Jesse Norman
(i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022
(a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022.
(b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on two occasions and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on one occasion during this time.
ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022
a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on three occasions and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on 2 occasions during this time.
iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022
a) The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2022.
b) The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser met with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) on one occasion, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister Harrison) on two occasions and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Karl McCartney) on one occasion during this time.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Cabinet Office draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings (a) they and (b) other Ministers in their Department have had with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (i) 1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022, (ii) 1 March to 31 May 2022 and (iii) 1 June to 31 August 2022.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what groups will be eligible under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme when applications reopen.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will provide up to 20,000 women, children, and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK over the coming years.
Under the first year of Pathway 3 of the ACRS, we will offer resettlement places to up to 1,500 people from the three identified cohorts (British Council and Gardaworld contractors and Chevening alumni). This includes the principal and their eligible family members in Afghanistan and the region.
The online referral process for this pathway closed on 15 August 2022. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will be in touch with those eligible to support them through the next steps.
Beyond the first year of Pathway 3, the Government will work with our international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk. Further information on future years will be made available in due course.
Further information on ACRS Pathway 3 in the first year can be found here:
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will open for the next round of applications.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will provide up to 20,000 women, children, and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK over the coming years.
Under the first year of Pathway 3 of the ACRS, we will offer resettlement places to up to 1,500 people from the three identified cohorts (British Council and Gardaworld contractors and Chevening alumni). This includes the principal and their eligible family members in Afghanistan and the region.
The online referral process for this pathway closed on 15 August 2022. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will be in touch with those eligible to support them through the next steps.
Beyond the first year of Pathway 3, the Government will work with our international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk. Further information on future years will be made available in due course.
Further information on ACRS Pathway 3 in the first year can be found here:
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued under the Homes for Ukraine scheme to date in each parliamentary constituency.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukrainian Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, divided by each local authority can be found in published data on the GOV.UK webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-numbers-of-visa-applications)
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to sponsor Ukrainian refugees have been made under the Homes for Ukraine scheme to date in each parliamentary constituency.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukrainian Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, divided by each local authority can be found in published data on the GOV.UK webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-numbers-of-visa-applications)
Asked by: Greg Clark (Conservative - Tunbridge Wells)
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 taking to help ensure that (a) telecoms and (b) network providers meet Ofcom's requirement to have at least one solution that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has issued guidance to telecoms companies to explain how they can meet their regulatory obligations following the transition from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to IP-based telephony.
It is ultimately the role of Ofcom to ensure telecoms companies and network providers are compliant with this guidance, however, both DCMS and Ofcom meet regularly with telecoms companies and network providers to understand their migration processes and ensure that they meet their regulatory obligations.