Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Charity Commission on the potential merits of opening an investigation into the eligibility for charitable status of (a) Dar Alhekma and (b) the Abrar Islamic Foundation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Charity Commission for England and Wales ('the Commission') has a statutory function to identify and investigate misconduct and mismanagement in charities, and we are confident that it has the expertise to do so effectively. The Commission assesses concerns in accordance with its published regulatory and risk framework, and has a wide range of powers to investigate and remedy the abuse of charities. Any evidence that a registered charity is engaged in misconduct or mismanagement should be referred to the Commission.
The Commission has open regulatory compliance cases into both the Abrar Islamic Foundation and the Dar Alhekma Trust, and will determine if there is a need to take action. As a civil regulator, the Commission is not a prosecuting authority and any allegations of criminal conduct should be referred to the Police.
The Charity Commission has been clear that the promotion of extremist views in charities is unacceptable, and that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with mobile network providers to accelerate the delivery of the Shared Rural Network.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Shared Rural Network has already delivered substantial improvements to outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK.
I’m pleased to report to the House that 4G coverage across the UK now stands at 94.9% which is an increase from 91% in March 2020 when the Shared Rural Network was agreed.
This indicates the programme will deliver the overarching 95% coverage target ahead of its December 2025 target, enabling rural businesses and communities to thrive.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the level of inward foreign direct investment was in each of the last 10 financial years.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th September is attached.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) frequency and (b) quality of bus services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, and the government is committed to working at pace with local transport authorities, bus operators and passengers to ensure that our vital bus services truly reflect the needs of the local communities.
As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in Buckinghamshire. We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to mitigate the impact of population density on the allocation of road safety funding.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The allocation of general road safety funding does not take into account population density as a funding requirement unless specified. The majority of our funding for road safety improvements is based on collision data, including killed and seriously injured statistics as well as road length. Targeted road safety improvements are devolved to the local authorities.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to spend £8.3 billion on local roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network, and to enabling local highway authorities to fix up to a million more potholes a year. The previous government made a number of funding commitments, the affordability of each of which is being examined closely as part of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review the safety of (a) all-lane running and (b) smart motorways.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of everyone travelling on our roads is the Government’s priority, which is why we are committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. We will set out next steps on smart motorways in due course.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to respond to Hezbollah military activity against Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions and urge all parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. All sides must show restraint and work to prevent escalation. The Prime Minister spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 August. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Aragchi on 23 August, and with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer on 25 August. The Foreign Secretary has also had calls with other key partners including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE to press these messages. The Government will continue to support Israel's security and to urge Israel and Lebanon to engage with the US-led discussions to resolve their disagreements diplomatically and reach a political settlement.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to fund independent research into the potential safety implications of headlight glare.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Yes. The government is in the process of commissioning independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and help identify potential countermeasures.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Pavement parking: options for change, published on 29 June 2023.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2020, the Department undertook a public consultation on options for changing the way pavement parking is managed outside London. We are considering the views received to inform the Government’s next steps for pavement parking policy. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking