Asked by: Louise Jones (Labour - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of waste in his Department.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are committed to securing value for money for taxpayers and cutting waste. We have curbed the previous Government's out of control spend on consultants by nearly £300 million by stopping all non-essential Government consultancy spending this year. We have also better aligned spending to Departmental priorities by accelerating the retirement of ageing capabilities.
Asked by: Louise Jones (Labour - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on the roll-out of gigabit-capable broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Latest independent data shows that over 85% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection and we are committed to extending this to nationwide coverage by 2030 through Project Gigabit.
We will be taking steps to remove barriers to roll-out including trialling more flexible street-works permits next year; and I have been working with industry to secure commitments to greater sharing of ducts and poles.
Asked by: Louise Jones (Labour - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on increasing defence cooperation with Germany.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On 23 October 2024 the Defence Secretary, along with German Defence Minister Pistorius, signed the Trinity House Agreement on Defence co-operation between the United Kingdom and Germany. The agreement represents a significant milestone in the defence relationship between our two countries and underscores our shared commitment to maintaining peace and stability in Europe.