Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Fabricant and Kevin Foster

Wednesday 23rd October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Foster]

I appreciate the constructive tone with which the hon. Gentleman has put his question. We look to publish the consultation itself over the coming months. We will be engaging with a range of stakeholders, including political parties, because we need to make sure that the system we come up with is not only robust, but fair, while also allowing those who just want to stand up for their own community and engage in our democratic process to do so without having to consult lawyers to take part.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

My hon. Friend will be aware that Facebook has recently withdrawn four different networks that were thought to have interfered with elections in the United States and Israel, and perhaps—we do not know—the United Kingdom. Does he think that is a good move or an irrelevant move by Facebook?

[Kevin Foster]

We certainly welcome any moves being taken by the social media giants to try to remove those who are looking to distort information or inappropriately influence elections. As part of the consultation we are taking forward, we will try to achieve some consensus about how we can have a modern and up-to-date set of rules that ensures people cannot go online to sidestep rules that are very strong in the physical world.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Fabricant and Kevin Foster

Wednesday 26th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Foster]

We will decide on the future of the UK shared prosperity fund, which I touched on earlier, through consultation and through the comprehensive spending review later this year. What would make a huge difference to roads in south Wales would be getting the M4 relief road back on track. If that was our decision, Wales would now be on the highway to the future; sadly, as it is a devolved one, it is now on the road to nowhere.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

9. Two years ago, there was no broadband at all in the Dysynni valley in Gwynedd, in the constituency of the right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts). Now, there is fibre going direct to premises, delivering a minimum of 75 megabits per second download. What more can the United Kingdom Government do to deliver high-speed broadband to rural Welsh businesses?

[Kevin Foster]

At the autumn Budget, we announced £200 million for the hardest to reach areas, and Wales will be included in the first phase of this work. Tomorrow, I will be in Wales with my counterpart in the Welsh Government talking about the north Wales growth deal, and digital connectivity is a key part of that. In addition to the funds in the growth deal, there will be £8 million from the local full fibre networks challenge fund to support increased connectivity.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Fabricant and Kevin Foster

Wednesday 24th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Foster]

In the last week we sat, the Scottish National party was praising the House of peers. This week it is calling for it to be scrapped again. The focus now, with the issues facing this country, is to get on with delivering a Brexit deal that works for the whole United Kingdom, rather than spend our time building constitutional grievances, as the separatists wish to do.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his appointment to the Front Bench and his outstanding responses so far. Notwithstanding any reservations we may have about the unelected place, is it not the case that on occasion, the standard of debate there can be a lot higher than here?

[Kevin Foster]

I thank my hon. Friend. I am sure that over his 27 years in this House he has seen plenty of very high-standard debates. In fact, he has contributed to raising that standard on many occasions. The House of Lords plays a special part in our constitution as a revising Chamber, subject, as always, to the supremacy of this elected House.