Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure residents across West Yorkshire receive enhanced connectivity levels from broadband providers.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 98% of premises in the West Yorkshire County can access a superfast broadband connection. Additionally, 88% of premises are able to access a gigabit-capable connection, up from 12% in December 2019. There is a thriving market of over 100 providers investing nearly £40bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK.

As part of Project Gigabit, we recently announced a Project Gigabit contract in West Yorkshire and parts of North Yorkshire. This contract has a value of £60 million and will further extend gigabit-capable coverage to around 28,000 hard-to-reach premises.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure local authorities can finance the delivery of essential medical (a) devices and (b) services.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under their public health responsibilities, local authorities in England commission or provide a range of health services for their local populations. Some of these services are likely to involve the use of medical devices.

Public health funding to local authorities has increased each year over the Spending Review period. In 2024/25 the total Public Health Grant to local authorities will be £3.603 billion. In addition, we have provided additional targeted investment to local authorities in England for drug and alcohol addiction treatment and recovery, and services that support the best start in life, and from April 2024 we will double current investment in local authority stop smoking services, in support of our commitment to deliver a smoke-free generation.

This overall funding package will deliver a real-terms increase of more than 4% over the two years 2023/24 and 2024/25 in departmental funding allocated for local authority public health functions.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has held discussions with adult social care providers on potential future risks to the local financing of the provision of care.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Through the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25, we are providing over £1.5 billion in additional grant for social care compared to 2023-24. This is part of an above-inflation increase in Core Spending Power for local government from 2023-24 of up to £4.5 billion, or 7.5% in cash terms.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to help support people to submit objections to planning proposals for (a) the proposed installation of solar farms near Overton, Wooley and Kirkburton and (b) other proposed renewable energy projects on the green belt.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

This Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt. Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that structures that spoil the openness of Green Belt should be refused permission unless in very special circumstances.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to support local authorities to deliver adult social care.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Through the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25, we are providing over £1.5 billion in additional grant for social care compared to 2023-24. This is part of an above-inflation increase in Core Spending Power for local government from 2023-24 of up to £4.5 billion, or 7.5% in cash terms.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.