Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
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 protect children online.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
Last year the government passed the groundbreaking Online Safety Act which will place much needed duties on tech companies to protect their users, especially children. We are focused on implementing the act as quickly as possible.
In January, the government introduced new offences to criminalise cyberflashing, fake news intended to cause non-trivial harm and other online abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service has already delivered the first conviction for cyberflashing, and it will not be the last.
On 8 May, Ofcom published its draft child safety codes. Once in force, these protections will significantly improve child online safety, ensuring companies shield children from harmful content, and stop their algorithms pushing inappropriate content at children.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps the Government plans to take through its role as penholder for Sudan at the UN Security Council to encourage international partners to support an immediate ceasefire in Sudan; and what assessment he has made of the impact of continued conflict on (a) the humanitarian situation in Sudan and (b) regional stability.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK uses its position as penholder at the UN Security Council on Sudan to increase pressure on the warring parties. On 8 March, the UNSC adopted UK-drafted Resolution 2724 calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access. On 27 February, we called for the Council to convene for a closed consultation responding to SAF withdrawing permission for the movement of aid into Sudan from the Adre border crossing. On 20 March, we also highlighted the OCHA White Note's clear warning that obstruction of humanitarian access is resulting in people in Sudan starving. On 19 April, the UK also called for an open briefing on the situation to mark the one-year point in the conflict at the UNSC.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will increase multi-year funding to support (a) the most food-insecure people in Sudan and (b) Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK provided £42.6 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Sudan in 2023-2024, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for nutrition activities and approximately £23 million to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund for multisector response, including a high proportion of food security interventions. We also helped those fleeing to neighbouring countries in 2023-24, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan and £15 million to those in Chad. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million, including funding to UNICEF to provide emergency and life-saving food assistance. The UK will also be working with the World Food Programme to assist in the provision of assorted food commodities to people in Sudan.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent steps he has taken to secure guarantees from participants in the Sudan conflict for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has pressed the warring parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, to protect civilians and to allow unrestricted humanitarian access, both cross-line and cross-border, so that aid can reach people in desperate need. On 8 March, the UK-led UN Security Council Resolution 2724 called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access. We welcome unified international messaging at the Paris Pledging Conference on 15 April - at which the UK was represented by Lord Benyon - as well as plans to re-start Jeddah talks in the next weeks to maintain pressure on the warring parties to facilitate cross-line and cross-border humanitarian access and a permanent ceasefire.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5.121, page 99 of the Autumn Statement 2023, what his planned timetable is for publishing a consultation on introducing a UK regime for captive insurance companies; what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Prudential Regulation Authority and (b) Financial Conduct Authority on the potential introduction of a captive insurance regime; and what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing such a regime.
Answered by Bim Afolami
As announced at Autumn Statement, the Government will consult on the design of a new framework for encouraging the establishment and growth of captive insurance companies in the UK. The consultation will launch in Spring 2024.
The consultation will test views on proposals to introduce an attractive and competitive new UK captive insurance regime that works for businesses. Key to this will also be proportionate regulation that maintains the UK’s high regulatory standards.
The Treasury will continue to work closely with the independent regulators as it considers the case for a UK captives framework.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish (a) available data from the Government-sponsored e-scooter trials on the (i) number and (ii) number per million kilometers travelled of people killed or seriously injured in e-scooter incidents and (b) equivalent figures for (A) bicycles, (B) legally registered powered two wheel motorbikes, (C) passenger cars and (D) commercial vehicles; and whether he holds such data for incidents involving e-scooters not included in the trials.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Out of millions of trips completed since e-scooter trials began, the vast majority of journeys have been completed safely.
From 2020, DfT has been monitoring the frequency of casualties involving e-scooters. The majority of DfT reported road casualty statistics are based on STATS19 data, the system through which the police report road casualties. STATS19 collects data on e-scooter casualties, including those using private scooters, with data published regularly in e-scooter casualty factsheets. The most recent e-scooter factsheet can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-e-scooter-factsheet-year-ending-june-2023/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-e-scooter-factsheet-year-ending-june-2023.
In addition, the Department routinely publishes data on casualties in reported road collisions using all other modes of road transport based upon data provided by police forces via the STATS19 system, including figures for bicycles, motorcycles, cars, HGVs and LGVs. A comparison of the casualty rates for different modes of travel can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/657c4a0983ba380013e1b610/ras0203.ods. Data from STATS19 (2022) found the severity of injuries for e-scooters and pedal cycles to be broadly similar. The most common injuries across both modes were abrasions, sprains, and bruising.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help prevent young people being groomed via the internet to commit crime.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)
We are committed to keeping children safe online and are delivering a number of initiatives that support that objective. For example, we are investing up to £145m over three years in our County Lines Programme to crack down on the county lines gangs exploiting our children and young people. Through this Programme we are developing a better understanding of how to disrupt online activity that is aimed at recruiting and exploiting children and young people.
The Online Safety Act 2023 is a key piece of legislation to keep children safe. There are a number of priority offences in the Act which relate to child criminal exploitation such as drug related offences, sexual exploitation and weapons and firearms supply offences. Technology companies must take proactive measures and use systems and processes to remove and limit people’s exposure to related content.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of people living in (a) tower blocks and (b) residential properties without a driveway own cars.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Department does not hold the information required to fully respond to this question. We do hold some data on parking facilities available to households and dwellings, published annually in Live Tables DA2201, DA2202, and DA2203 available online, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/amenities-services-and-local-environments.The Department does not collect data on households’ car ownership.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of households that own a car that do not have a driveway.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Department does not hold the information required to fully respond to this question. We do hold some data on parking facilities available to households and dwellings, published annually in Live Tables DA2201, DA2202, and DA2203 available online, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/amenities-services-and-local-environments.The Department does not collect data on households’ car ownership.
Asked by: Vicky Ford (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax revenue is accrued from VAT on public charge points in residential areas.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston
The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on public electric vehicle charging points. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.