Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support local journalism.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The Government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers and other news outlets as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. They play an essential role in holding power to account, keeping the public informed of local issues and providing reliable, high-quality information.

Amid an evolving media landscape and changes in consumer behaviour, we are working to support journalism and local newsrooms to ensure the sustainability of this important industry. We are introducing a new, pro-competition regime for digital markets. The regime, which aims to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms, will help rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms on which they increasingly rely. This will make an important contribution to the sustainability of the press.

Additionally, our support for the sector has included the delivery of a £2 million Future News Fund, the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and our work through the Mid-Term Review of the BBC Charter to encourage greater collaboration and transparency from the BBC in the local news market and other markets in which it operates. The BBC also supports the sector directly, through the £8m it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

We are also reducing regulatory burdens on commercial radio providers, and strengthening requirements on the provision of local news through the Media Bill to ensure commercial radio continues to provide high quality local journalism.

We continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining news journalism.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support agricultural businesses to access finance from banks.

Answered by Bim Afolami

The Government recognises the vital role of agricultural businesses across the UK, and it is important they can access the finance they need.

The government’s Growth Guarantee Scheme supports smaller businesses, including agricultural businesses, to access the finance they need to invest and grow. The scheme extends the support previously offered under the Recovery Loan Scheme and provides a 70% government guarantee on lending to UK small and medium-sized enterprises. The scheme supports a wide range of products provided by different lenders such as loan terms, overdrafts, asset finance, invoice finance and asset-based lending.

The government has also supported farmers to adapt to the agricultural transition by providing them with free business advice. Advisers offered one to one consultations, farm visits and free workshops that helped support farming businesses to improve their financial viability, which will have made it easier for them to access finance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help preserve access to banking on high streets.

Answered by Bim Afolami

It is important that all customers have appropriate access to banking and cash services and the Government is monitoring this situation closely.

Guidance from the FCA expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place alternatives, where reasonable. Alternative options to access everyday banking services on the high street include via the Post Office or Banking Hubs. Banking Hubs are an industry initiative to enable customers of participating banks to access cash and banking services in shared facilities.

UK Finance confirmed 225 Banking Hubs will be announced by the end of 2024. Furthermore, following my recent discussions with the UK high street banks, participating firms have also committed to improving Hubs by standardising the services available between firms, ensuring that customers do not require their own digital device to bank, trialling a ‘customer liaison service’ and trialling Saturday openings. The banks have agreed to keep services under review to ensure their effectiveness for all customers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will continue the (a) Hospital Rebuilding Programme and (b) implementation of Community Diagnostic Centres.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that strategic, value for money investments in capital projects are critical to providing good quality care. Specific commitments regarding the future of existing capital programmes are subject to the next Spending Review, with timescales for this not yet confirmed.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked for an urgent report on the degree to which the New Hospital Programme is funded, and a realistic timetable for delivery. He will consider this carefully then report back to patients, clinicians, and local communities to confirm any revision to the schedule.

The National Health Service is committed to rolling out additional diagnostic tests and scans from a network of 160 Community Diagnostic Centres across the country by March 2025, as part of the NHS’s Elective Recovery Plan published in 2022.

It is unacceptable that some patients have been waiting over six weeks for a diagnostic test. The Government will support the NHS in increasing diagnostic capacity, to meet the demand for diagnostic services, as a priority. Specific programmes of funding to support this are subject to the upcoming Spending Review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Community Diagnostic Centre at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping will go ahead as planned.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

West Essex Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) is not yet fully open and is planned to be completed by summer 2025. Currently, St Margaret’s Hospital is being funded to deliver additional out of hours and weekend activity while work on completion of the CDC continues.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to consult local communities on (a) definition of the green belt and (b) planning reforms.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has set out changes to how we plan for the homes we need and in relation to grey belt and the Green Belt as part of the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework launched today.

Found: Temporary Chair Resolved , That Dr Neil Hudson take the Chair of the Committee for the subsequent

Found: Tuesday 17 May 202 2 Members present Geraint Davies, in t he Chair Barry Gardiner Dr Neil Hudson

Found: be grateful if yo u woul d pass on my thanks to the Committee , and particularl y to the Cha ir, Dr Neil

Found: Q411 Dr Neil Hudson: Thank you very much for being before us today.