Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on (a) West Worcestershire rural broadband projects numbers 50348, 47608 and 35185 and (b) vouchers requested but not issued to broadband projects in West Worcestershire.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The three specific projects referred to are associated with Openreach’s Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) Scheme which they operate all over the UK. Openreach use this scheme as an aggregation platform to gather initial contact details and ‘pledges’ (in their terminology) for communities who want to improve their broadband. Since the launch of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) in 2018, Openreach has encouraged communities in eligible areas to use the voucher funding provided by the Government to contribute towards the cost of installing the network to rural communities.
Openreach have provided proposals for these three projects to Building Digital UK (BDUK), who are working closely with Openreach to progress them as soon as possible. Upon receipt in each case, the details of the project, including the beneficiaries involved and funding information, are reviewed by BDUK to confirm these are all correct and the project is compliant. Once these checks have been satisfactorily completed the vouchers will be issued.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what advice he received from the Chief Medical Office on preventing amateur choral singing in groups of more than six people under covid-19 restrictions; and what plans he has for that advice to be reviewed.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across the Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 290901, on Malvern Hills Trust, what plans he has to amend the governance provisions of the Malvern Hills Trust to make that trust subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Department has no plans to make the Malvern Hills Trust subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Malvern Hills Trust recently consulted publicly on proposals to amend its governance provisions and will set out its next steps in due course. The Department is in discussion with the Charity Commission and the charity on the most appropriate means of taking the changes forward and ensuring Parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using the Charity Commission Section 72 mechanism to consolidate the five Acts of Parliament governing the Malvern Hills Trust into one new piece of legislation.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Where a charity is established or governed by statute, its governing Act(s) of Parliament can be amended by a scheme made by the Charity Commission under section 73 of the Charities Act 2011. Such a scheme is given effect by a Statutory Instrument, subject to Parliamentary approval. This procedure is considered to be simpler, cheaper and quicker than pursuing a new Private Bill to make the changes.
My officials have held constructive discussions with the Charity Commission and the Malvern Hills Trust, which is seeking a scheme under section 73 of the Charities Act 2011 to modernise and consolidate its governance provisions. The Trust is currently consulting on its proposals.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using the Charity Commission Section 72 mechanism to consolidate the five Acts of Parliament governing the Malvern Hills Trust into one new piece of legislation.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.