Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to help ensure that people who are not online have the choice of accessing public services (a) by phone, (b) by letter and (c) face-to-face.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline.
Government departments are already required by the Government's Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services. The wider public sector, including local government, is also encouraged to use the service standard, with some Local Authorities having committed to doing so via the Local Digital Declaration.
Government teams are assessed against Service Standard to ensure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills and/or confidence to use the internet.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it her policy to introduce funding for public bodies to ensure that they are able to provide offline options for all service users.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline.
Government departments are already required by the Government's Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services. The wider public sector, including local government, is also encouraged to use the service standard, with some Local Authorities having committed to doing so via the Local Digital Declaration.
Government teams are assessed against Service Standard to ensure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills and/or confidence to use the internet.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to introduce funding for public bodies to help ensure the provision of offline options for service users.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline.
Government departments are already required by the Government's Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services. The wider public sector, including local government, is also encouraged to use the service standard, with some Local Authorities having committed to doing so via the Local Digital Declaration.
Government teams are assessed against Service Standard to ensure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills and/or confidence to use the internet.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the prevalence of imported cellular internet of things modules in equipment used by the Prison Service; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of such equipment.
Answered by Edward Argar
The UK takes its national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure its critical infrastructure and resilience. For security reasons, we do not comment on specific prison security measures.
The National Security and Investment Act allows the Government to intervene where foreign direct investment is targeted at innovative UK companies. Where such investment is within critical sectors, it is mandatory to notify the Government and this is subject to thorough assessment by the national security community. The Procurement Bill will also provide powers for the Government to exclude and debar companies from public procurement where the Government assesses there to be an intolerable national security risk.
Additionally, the Government has taken specific action on Chinese-made devices on the Government estate. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement in November 2022 detailing instructions for departments to disconnect such surveillance equipment from core departmental networks, where it had been produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China. Government departments have been implementing these policies along with other protective security controls and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary.
The Ministry of Justice keeps the security issues associated with internet facing technology/components under close review as part of its overall approach to security, and in line with GSG, NPSA and NCSC guidance.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 July 2023 to Question 194820 on Smart Devices: China, which areas of the transport sector employ cellular internet of things module technology as of 22 November 2023.
Answered by Anthony Browne
A cellular internet of things (IoT) device can be considered to be a low-power device with long battery life, which sends small amounts of data on an infrequent basis. The UK’s transport sector currently employs only a limited amount of devices that match this specification. As mobile network operators upgrade their networks, new low-power wide-area networks are emerging that have been developed to enable a wide range of IoT devices and services as part of the continued development and roll out of 5G connectivity.
Lead Government Departments, informed by threat assessments from a range of organisations, are responsible for leading work to determine national security risks to critical national infrastructure in their sectors. This is done in collaboration with partners including the National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority as UK national technical authorities for cyber and physical security.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 July 2023 to Question 194820 on Smart Devices: China, which agency is responsible for monitoring the potential security threat posed by Chinese-made cellular internet of things modules in critical infrastructure.
Answered by Anthony Browne
Lead Government Departments, informed by threat assessments from a range of organisations, are responsible for leading work to determine national security risks to critical national infrastructure in their sectors. This is done in collaboration with partners including the National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority as UK national technical authorities for cyber and physical security.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with Cabinet colleagues on (i) accessible and (ii) affordable offline access to nationally-provided public services.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline. Government departments are required by the Government's Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services. Every service on GOV.UK must fulfil a requirement that is confirmed through service assessments.
The Service Standard requires government teams to make sure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills and/or confidence to use the internet.
Point 3 of the Service Standard requires Departments to provide a joined-up service that meets users’ needs across all channels, including online, phone, paper and face to face. Point 5 of the Service Standard requires Departments to make sure everyone can use the service.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to increase funding for digital inclusion and skills.
Answered by Paul Scully
Digital Skills
The Government recognises that digital skills are becoming ever more important in the economy. Last year, we launched the UK Digital Strategy, which set out our commitment to develop digital skills across the whole of the UK.
To grow the digital workforce in the UK, the government has introduced a range of interventions across the digital skills pipeline and at all levels. This includes ensuring there is a range of flexible courses available for people already in the workforce. As part of Skills for Life, the government launched Skills Bootcamps, which offer free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks, with a guaranteed job interview at the end. The Department for Education is increasing investment to up to £150 million this year.
To provide people with the opportunity to develop specialised AI and data skills, even for those who have no previous experience, the government has made a £30 million investment via two phases in AI and Data science conversion courses. The government is committed to ensuring the tech sector is diverse, which is why the government has funded scholarships for underrepresented groups to earn a masters degree on these courses, and has supported the Tech Talent Charter (TCC) since 2017.
Digital Inclusion
The government is committed to closing the digital divide and meeting our commitment that nobody should be left behind in the digital age. This directly supports the UK’s Digital Strategy and its “vision to enable everyone, from every industry and across the UK, to benefit from all that digital innovation can offer.”
Supporting people to engage in an increasingly digitalised world involves overcoming the barriers to access, skills, motivation and trust identified in the government’s digital inclusion strategy. A range of departments support the government’s approach to removing these barriers.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is tackling these issues by continuing to invest in digital infrastructure to broaden gigabit-capable and mobile-network coverage. To support low income households stay connected, the Government continues to work with telecoms providers to ensure market provision of low-cost broadband and mobile tariffs.
The Department for Education are providing access to essential digital skills courses through the Essential Digital Entitlement and the Adult Education budget. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are leveraging our national network of libraries to serve as an alternative point of internet access with in-person support. Department for Work and Pensions are referring claimants to essential digital skills courses to improve their chances of securing employment and supporting eligible claimants with the provision of devices and connectivity connection. Cabinet Office is setting an example by monitoring the accessibility of all public sector websites to make sure that everyone, including people with disabilities and impairments, can access public services.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the (a) prevalence of the use and (b) reliance on the supply of Chinese-made cellular internet of things modules in business infrastructure.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The UK takes its national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure its critical infrastructure and resilience.
The National Security and Investment Act allows the Government to intervene where foreign direct investment is targeted at innovative UK companies. Where such investment is within critical sectors, it is mandatory to notify Government and this is subject to thorough assessment by the national security community.
The Procurement Bill will also provide powers for the Government to exclude and debar companies from public procurement where the Government assesses there to be an intolerable national security risk.
Additionally, the Government has taken specific action on Chinese-made devices on the Government estate. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement in November 2022 detailing instructions for departments to disconnect such surveillance equipment from core departmental networks, where it had been produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China.
Government departments have been implementing these policies along with other protective security controls and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary. The Government keeps the security issues associated with internet facing technology components under close review as part of our overall approach to security, and in line with GSG, NPSA and NCSC guidance.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
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 monitor the potential threat posed by Chinese-made cellular internet of things modules on business infrastructure.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The UK takes its national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure its critical infrastructure and resilience.
The National Security and Investment Act allows the Government to intervene where foreign direct investment is targeted at innovative UK companies. Where such investment is within critical sectors, it is mandatory to notify Government and this is subject to thorough assessment by the national security community.
The Procurement Bill will also provide powers for the Government to exclude and debar companies from public procurement where the Government assesses there to be an intolerable national security risk.
Additionally, the Government has taken specific action on Chinese-made devices on the Government estate. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement in November 2022 detailing instructions for departments to disconnect such surveillance equipment from core departmental networks, where it had been produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China.
Government departments have been implementing these policies along with other protective security controls and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary. The Government keeps the security issues associated with internet facing technology components under close review as part of our overall approach to security, and in line with GSG, NPSA and NCSC guidance.