Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of AI generated deepfakes on elections in the UK.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government works continuously to understand, assess and address the risks presented by emerging and critical technologies. To date, the Cabinet Office has drawn on a significant range of analysis to inform Government understanding of the risks associated with Artificial Intelligence and the UK elections; we continue to coordinate with other Lead Government Departments.
We keep our assessments of these issues under constant review. For example, in the lead up to the AI Safety Summit, a suite of products was published by the Government to help inform the public and Summit participants of our assessment of the risks and opportunities associated with the use of AI. The risk to the information environment was included within this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frontier-ai-capabilities-and-risks-discussion-paper.
More broadly, the security of elections is considered a priority task across HMG and touches on work being undertaken by the Defending Democracy Task Force, DSIT and within the National Security Secretariat in Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with terrestrial TV broadcasters on free to view broadcasting of international football matches involving each of the home nations.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government believes that certain sporting events of national interest should be shown on free-to-air television rather than behind a paywall, so that they can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible. That is why we have the listed events regime.
In determining what events form part of this regime, a balance between accessibility and the ability of sporting organisations to generate revenues from commercial broadcast arrangements to invest in the development of their sports from the grassroots up. The Government believes that the current list strikes an appropriate balance, and has no current plans to undertake a full review of the events on the list.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on taking steps to support (a) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and (b) Forth Green Freeport.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Both Green Freeports are receiving significant support from UK and Scottish Governments, including access to £1 million capacity funding for each Green Freeport, dedicated expertise and advice from the Freeports Consultancy Hub and support from officials from both UK and Scottish Governments.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) encourage investment to help develop the UK's capacity to manufacture advanced agrochemicals at scale and (b) help support agrochemical exports.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) promotes the UK advanced agrochemical investment offer globally, whilst supporting existing investors to succeed and expand in the UK. DBT helps advanced agrochemical businesses to grow their business overseas by providing guidance and support, removing barriers and helping them to secure benefits generated by new free trade agreements. This includes Syngenta for example, who operate a factory in the Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with radio teleswitch service providers on the continuation of that service after March 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) is an industry-run service. Discussions are ongoing between industry parties and RTS providers to secure its operation into 2025, beyond the end of the current contractual period ending March 2024.
The Government expects energy suppliers to upgrade households with RTS to smart meters in good time in advance of the switch off. Households should contact their energy supplier to arrange their upgrades as soon as possible so they can continue to benefit from multi rate tariffs.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2023 to Question 543 on High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of tax revenue received from the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge since 2020-21.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government believes in having a fair taxation system which allows individuals to keep more of what they earn. The Government also needs to manage the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way in order to protect our vital public services. In 2020-2021 (the latest year that data is available), 99.7% of those liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) paid income tax at the higher rate or above, and 88% of Child Benefit claimants were unaffected by the HICBC. The Government therefore currently considers that maintaining the threshold remains appropriate, but will keep this threshold under review in line with all other tax policy.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Government of Bahrain on the detainment of Sayed Ahmed al-Abar.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not had recent discussions about this individual case with the Government of Bahrain. However, Bahrain is well aware of the UK's long-standing policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, in all countries, as a matter of principle. During Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review in November 2022, the UK recommended an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty and has continued to discuss this with the Government of Bahrain.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to increase funding for the fire and rescue service.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 18 December 2023, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published the Provisional Local Government Financial Settlement 2024/25. The settlement sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities in England will see an increase in core spending power of £79.1m (4.7%) when compared to 2023/24. This Settlement will be followed by the usual period of consultation, to which I would encourage the sector to respond.
Funding for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is a matter for the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Prime Minister plans to respond to the letter of 27 November 2023 from the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk and Lord Scriven on Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As stated in the answer of 7 December 2023, Official Report, House of Lords, PQ HL571, this is a matter for the Conservative Party, rather than the Government.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory obligation requiring the fire and rescue service to respond to major flooding and other extreme weather events.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Please note that fire and rescue is a devolved issue in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Home Office is only able to comment on fire and rescue services in England.
A statutory duty for firefighters to respond to flooding is unlikely to make a significant difference to the Fire and Rescue Services, which already provide effective response to flooding incidents. This has been consistently demonstrated through the excellent response of Fire and Rescue Services to a range of incidents including the flooding associated with recent Storm Babet (October 2023).
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 makes provision for Fire and Rescue Services to respond to all kinds of emergencies, without providing specific duties for each type of incident.
Furthermore, the Government provides the Fire and Rescue Service with additional resource to tackle flooding via the provision of High-Volume Pumps and Water Rescue Assets. [Note: Water Rescue Assets are Defra Funded].