Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 April 2019 on Access for All, HCWS1484, how many and what proportion of the projects awarded funding through the Access for All programme (a) have been and (b) are yet to be completed.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Approximately 45% of the current Access for All programme has entered into passenger service, with approximately 55% not yet complete although the majority of these are in construction.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation on transit passenger volumes.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Electronic Travel Authorisations deliver important security benefits. A blanket exemption to the ETA requirement for passengers transiting airside would fundamentally undermine the rationale of the scheme by creating a permission free route of travel into the UK which would be open to abuse.
The process for obtaining an ETA is quick and light touch, and the cost (£10 per application) is minimal compared to the overall cost of international travel. An ETA will be valid for two years, or until the expiry of the passport used to apply, and can be used for multiple trips during this period.
We will keep our position under review to monitor the impact on transit as the scheme is rolled out.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will reconsider the requirement for airside transit passengers to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation to travel through UK airports.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Electronic Travel Authorisations deliver important security benefits. A blanket exemption to the ETA requirement for passengers transiting airside would fundamentally undermine the rationale of the scheme by creating a permission free route of travel into the UK which would be open to abuse.
The process for obtaining an ETA is quick and light touch, and the cost (£10 per application) is minimal compared to the overall cost of international travel. An ETA will be valid for two years, or until the expiry of the passport used to apply, and can be used for multiple trips during this period.
We will keep our position under review to monitor the impact on transit as the scheme is rolled out.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
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 promote research links with Gulf States.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As outlined in the Science and Technology Framework, global collaboration is vital in supporting UK science and technology capabilities and my department is working to strengthen strategic partnerships with governments, industry and academia across the globe. Partnerships will differ in scope and depth but given the strong economic growth and expanding populations of the Gulf States they represent an outsize opportunity to benefit the UK and strengthen our science and technology systems.
Consistent with this, last month, I signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Research and Innovation (R&I) with Saudi Arabia – my first in the region - to help position the UK as a research and innovation partner of choice and create new opportunities for UK researchers and businesses.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people were subject to legal action for camping on National Trust property in each of the last five years.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS does not collect this information from the National Trust. It is an independent charity, not a departmental Arm’s Length Body. Queries on this matter are best passed to the National Trust directly.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people were fined for littering on National Trust property in the last five years.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS does not collect this information from the National Trust. It is an independent charity, not a departmental Arm’s Length Body. Queries on this matter are best passed to the National Trust directly.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help improve digital inclusion for people who are unable to access the internet.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that access to the internet is increasingly essential for full participation in society and has taken steps to ensure households across the UK are able to access fast, reliable mobile and broadband services.
The Government has worked closely with the telecoms industry to ensure superfast broadband connections extend to over 97% of the UK. Similarly, 4G mobile coverage is available to 99% of the population from at least one network provider. The Government is also investing £5 billion through our flagship Project Gigabit programme to bring gigabit broadband to reach hard-to-reach communities.
We recognise that infrastructure is only part of the story. To support those for whom cost may be a barrier, the Government has worked closely with the telecoms industry to ensure market provision of broadband and mobile social tariffs. These low-cost, commercial products are available from 28 different providers, across 99% of the UK and start at just £10 per month.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce key performance indicators for Highways England in the elimination of rubbish on the strategic roads network.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways are monitored against a performance indicator in the performance specification for the current Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2). This measures the percentage of the Strategic Road Network where litter cleansing is managed by National Highways which is either free of litter, refuse and detritus, or predominately free apart from some small items, in line with the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As part of developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), the Department for Transport is continuing to explore potential metrics for inclusion in the RIS3 performance specification, as was well as considering improvements to existing metrics, such as litter.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether offenders under the Ministry of Justice’s community payback project scheme have been used to remove litter from (a) A roads, (b) B roads and (c) motorways.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways worked with the National Probation Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, on the Community Payback Project and provided opportunities for litter picking at motorway service areas. Trial sites included Gloucester, Hartshead Moor, Chester and Leicester Forest East.
For health and safety reasons, National Highways is unable to facilitate offenders removing litter from Motorways or All-Purpose Trunk Roads.
B roads are a matter for each individual local authority and so this data is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 April 2019 on Access for All, HCWS1484, for what reason work to provide step-free access at Mill Hill Broadway has not yet started.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are many technical issues to overcome at this station, given it is located on the Midland Main Line and adjacent to the M1 motorway, all of which are currently under consideration.