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Written Question
Foreign Investment in UK: Science and Technology
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department supports foreign investment in science and technology by region.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Investment is at the very heart of the UK economy - it supports economic growth, creates jobs and enables improvements in productivity for new and existing firms. It is also essential for successful delivery of the Government's objective to make the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030.

The Department for Business and Trade promotes a range of investment opportunities across the science & technology sector. DBT works to attract foreign corporates to the UK, developing compelling investment propositions for DBT's international network to bring to prospective investors, this includes both sector-wide and place-based opportunities. DBT has dedicated based staff across the UK who work with the DAs/their agencies, wider DBT teams, Office for Investment and other UK government departments to deliver investment in priority areas, including science and technology. DBT teams work closely with partners to deliver events to attract investment, such as the Northern Ireland Investment Summit that was held in Belfast, September 2023.

The UK has 13 new Investment Zones which will benefit from £160 million each of Government funding to unlock foreign investment across priority sectors, especially science and technology, with a focus on driving innovation and creating quality jobs. These will be new hubs for investment and innovation across the UK and the funding spread over 10 years, will be spent on fiscal incentives and/or flexible spend to support attracting FDI. In line with the government's levelling up objectives, they are established in places with significant unmet productivity potential, where existing strengths and assets aligned to priority sectors can be leveraged to increase opportunities for local communities. Investment Zones will be established in partnership between central government, local government, research institutions and the private sector. The Investment Opportunity Fund is intended to double down on the objectives of Freeports and Investment Zones by providing a flexible, agile pot of funding that government can use to secure and respond to opportunities in these areas as they emerge.


Written Question
Homelessness: Finance
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Antony Higginbotham (Conservative - Burnley)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2024 to Question 17987 on Homelessness: Burnley, if he will provide a link to the relevant page on his Department’s website where allocations of grant funding to Burnley Borough Council are published; and whether his Department publishes information on other support provided to local authorities on gov.uk.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Burnley Borough Council have received £1,080,784 in Homelessness Prevention Grant funding since the first year of the grant, 2021/22. Burnley Borough Council have also been beneficiaries of up to £650,497 through direct allocations and as members of joint local authority bids in Rough Sleeping Initiative funding since they were first funded in 2020/21.

The funding allocations for the Homelessness Prevention Grant are published here: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24-2024/25. The funding allocations for the Rough Sleeping Initiative are published here:2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23-2024/25.

Policy, guidance, research and grant funding allocations for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping are published here Homelessness and rough sleeping - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Homelessness: Burnley
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Antony Higginbotham (Conservative - Burnley)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2024 to Question 17987 on Homelessness: Burnley, how much funding his Department provided to Burnley Borough Council through the (a) Homelessness Prevention Grant and (b) Rough Sleeping Initiative since 2019.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Burnley Borough Council have received £1,080,784 in Homelessness Prevention Grant funding since the first year of the grant, 2021/22. Burnley Borough Council have also been beneficiaries of up to £650,497 through direct allocations and as members of joint local authority bids in Rough Sleeping Initiative funding since they were first funded in 2020/21.

The funding allocations for the Homelessness Prevention Grant are published here: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24-2024/25. The funding allocations for the Rough Sleeping Initiative are published here:2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23-2024/25.

Policy, guidance, research and grant funding allocations for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping are published here Homelessness and rough sleeping - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Integrated Care Boards
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of integrated care board performance reports; and what discussions they have had with NHS England concerning that matter.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department undertakes regular discussion with NHS England on the performance and oversight of the integrated care boards (ICBs). Statutory ICBs were established on 1 July 2022 and since then they have made real progress in understanding the health needs of their populations, setting out their plans, developing the infrastructure needed for collaboration, and bringing health and social care organisations together to serve the needs of their communities.

NHS England conducted an annual performance assessment of the ICBs for the 2022/23 financial year, from July 2022 to March 2023, and published the guidance Annual assessment of integrated care boards 2022-23: supporting guidance, for the ICBs. While conducting the assessments, NHS England considered how successfully each ICB: led the National Health Service within its integrated care system (ICS); performed its statutory functions; delivered on guidance set out by NHS England or my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding its functions, with a particular focus on the objectives set out in the priorities and operational planning guidance; and contributed to each of the four fundamental purposes of an ICS, which are improving population health and healthcare, tackling unequal outcomes and access, enhancing productivity and value for money, and helping the National Health Service support broader social and economic development.

These annual assessments included an assessment of how well the ICB performed the following specific duties, required under the terms of the NHS Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022:

- the duty to improve the quality of services;

- the duty to reduce inequality of access and outcome;

- the duty to take appropriate advice;

- the duty to facilitate, promote, and use research;

- the duty to have regard to the effect of decisions, also known as the triple aim;

- the duty to consult patients and the public about decisions that affect them;

- the financial duties; and

- the duty to contribute to wider local strategies.

NHS England published a summary of the assessment reports as part of its 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts. All ICBs also published their individual Annual Reports and Accounts for 2022/23, on their websites. The Department is working with NHS England on its approach to the annual performance assessment for 2023/24.


Written Question
Integrated Care Boards
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of integrated care boards in the financial year 2022–23.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department undertakes regular discussion with NHS England on the performance and oversight of the integrated care boards (ICBs). Statutory ICBs were established on 1 July 2022 and since then they have made real progress in understanding the health needs of their populations, setting out their plans, developing the infrastructure needed for collaboration, and bringing health and social care organisations together to serve the needs of their communities.

NHS England conducted an annual performance assessment of the ICBs for the 2022/23 financial year, from July 2022 to March 2023, and published the guidance Annual assessment of integrated care boards 2022-23: supporting guidance, for the ICBs. While conducting the assessments, NHS England considered how successfully each ICB: led the National Health Service within its integrated care system (ICS); performed its statutory functions; delivered on guidance set out by NHS England or my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding its functions, with a particular focus on the objectives set out in the priorities and operational planning guidance; and contributed to each of the four fundamental purposes of an ICS, which are improving population health and healthcare, tackling unequal outcomes and access, enhancing productivity and value for money, and helping the National Health Service support broader social and economic development.

These annual assessments included an assessment of how well the ICB performed the following specific duties, required under the terms of the NHS Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022:

- the duty to improve the quality of services;

- the duty to reduce inequality of access and outcome;

- the duty to take appropriate advice;

- the duty to facilitate, promote, and use research;

- the duty to have regard to the effect of decisions, also known as the triple aim;

- the duty to consult patients and the public about decisions that affect them;

- the financial duties; and

- the duty to contribute to wider local strategies.

NHS England published a summary of the assessment reports as part of its 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts. All ICBs also published their individual Annual Reports and Accounts for 2022/23, on their websites. The Department is working with NHS England on its approach to the annual performance assessment for 2023/24.


Written Question
Digital Technology: Disadvantaged
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department held discussions with (a) industry stakeholders, (b) local government and (c) third sector advocacy organisations before establishing an inter-ministerial group on tackling digital exclusion.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for coordinating HMG digital inclusion policy as part of its commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.

Digital inclusion is a cross-cutting issue that spans social engagement, education, employment, access to services and many more elements of everyday life. Responsibility for relevant policies, activities and budgets sit across government. For example, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is exploring options for funding research to improve the Government’s evidence base on digital exclusion.

We have and will continue to work with key stakeholders across Government on digital exclusion issues. Each department leads and owns relationships with stakeholders in their policy areas.

The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government, setting clear objectives, monitoring delivery, and engaging with relevant sector experts to seek input and advice.

The first ministerial group meeting took place in September 2023, chaired by the then Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully. Ministers attended from the Cabinet Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, and His Majesty's Treasury. We expect these departments to make up the core membership of the group, which will meet again in March 2024.


Written Question
Office for National Statistics: Databases
Tuesday 30th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a complete list of (1) data sets, and (2) projects which are currently active within the Office for National Statistics Integrated Data Service.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Clement-Jones

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

24 January 2024

Dear Lord Clement-Jones

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking if we will provide a complete list of (1) data sets, and (2) projects which are currently active within the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Integrated Data Service (IDS) (HL1623).

The IDS currently has 92 datasets ingested into the service. These datasets are available to accredited analysts and researchers from both the government’s analytical function and the wider research communities.

In terms of analysis taking place within the service, there are currently 15 live analytical projects within the IDS. While this is the number of live projects, there are other analysis proposals at a conceptual or approvals stage that will support policy development.

Future information on analyses and data will be made available in due course to ensure continued transparency of data and analysis within the IDS, in line with other Trusted Research Environments, such as the ONS’s Secure Research Service.

To ensure full transparency, a complete list of data sets and projects are listed in Annex A and Annex B respectively.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Annex A:

A complete list of datasets which are currently within the Integrated Data Service.

Data Set Name

Valuation Office Agency (VOA)

Pluto Business to Business Matrix

Energy Performance Certificate

Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)

Standard Industrial Classification/Standard Occupational Classification (SIC/SOC) References

Annual Population Survey

Business Register Employment Survey

ONS Births

ONS Deaths

GP Registration aggregate count

Aggregate Age/Sex counts for mid-year pop stats

Aggregate Age/Sex count for mid-year internal migration

Aggregate Age/Sex counts for UK regular Forces and Gurkhas

Aggregate Age/Sex counts for by prison, age and sex

Personal Demographics Services – Flag 4 National monthly July 2022

Statistical Population Dataset v4.1

Long Term International Passenger Survey (IPS)

Dynamic Population Model (DPM) International Emigration monthly

International Immigration monthly

Integrated Data Asset – Energy Performance Certificates

Integrated Data Asset – Ordnance Survey Private Outside Space

Integrated Data Asset – Land Registry Price Paid

Geographical Look ups

Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) Attribute Data

Population Statistics; Synthetic

Regions (December 2019) England Boundaries Generalised Clipped (BGC)

Census 2021 – MVP

Labour Force Survey UK – People

Labour Force Survey UK – Household

Labour Force Survey UK – Longitudinal

Business Enterprise R&D (BERD)

Business Structure Database (BSD)

Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)-Census 2011

Update to Births

Update to Deaths

Redelivery of Census 2021 (extra variables)

Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES)

General Practitioner Episodes Statistics (GPES)

Census 2021 linked to Labour Force Survey (LFS)

ONS Mortality

Indices of Depravation

Mid-Year Population Estimates

Small Area Population Estimates

Business Register Employment Survey (BRES Un indexed)

Census 2011 Origin Destination EW

ONS Geography Boundary Products

ONS Geography Products

Aggregated Workplace Zone Geography

Census 2011 Output Tables

Census 2011 Output Tables Long

England Wales Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Lookup

National Travel Survey Data

Census 2021 Output Tables

Census 2021 Output Tables Long

OpenStreet Map Data

DfT Origin Destination Pairs

Bus Timetable Data

Journey Times to Key Services

Trip End Model Program

International Passenger Survey (IPS)

(Nomis – Claimant accounts

Nomis – Jobseeker allowances

Nomis – Population estimates

Nomis – Annual Business Inquiry

Nomis – Business Register Employment Survey (BRES)

UK Small Area gross value added (GVA) estimates

Police Crime Data

Synthesizing Census Data

Business Enterprise Research and Development - Great Britain

Monthly Business Survey - UK

International Trade in Services - UK

Annual Foreign Direct Investment Survey - UK

Annual Purchases Survey - UK

Quarterly Capital Expenditure Survey - UK

E-commerce Survey - UK

UK Manufacturers’ Sales by Product Survey

COVID-19 Vaccine Opinions Survey - England

Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy Survey - UK

Census 1991 Individual - Great Britain

Census 2001 Individual - UK

Effects of Tax and Benefits - UK

Foreign Direct Investment - UK

Mergers & Acquisitions Survey - UK

Public Health Research Database

General Lifestyle Survey – Great Britain

Monthly Business Survey for Construction and Allied Trades GB

Labour Force Survey Longitudinal, Household & Personal - UK

Business Register Employment Survey (BRES – Indexed against Business Index only)

Annual Acquisition and Disposals of Capital Assets Survey - UK

Census 1991 Household - Great Britain

Annual Survey of Goods and Services - UK

Census 2001 Household - UK

Annex B

A complete list of projects which are currently active within the Integrated Data Service.

Project Title

Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) - ONS/HMT levelling up

Testing Bayesian methods for Demographic Accounting

Exploring Census 2021 Data to identify specific industry sectors or economic activity groups that require further analysis

Describing the interaction of climate and health in global official statistics.

Evaluating placed based programmes (DLUHC / ONS project)

Count of usual resident stratified by sex, age, ethnic group and deprivation for various geographies in England

Energy Efficiency of Housing

Exploring the health drivers of economic inactivity

Intermediate Consumption

Producing estimates of school aged children, by Local Authority, and pupil characteristics

Mobility and Geospatial Programme

Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities Subnational Expenditure by Local Authority District

Synthesizing the Census for and in the IDS

Differences between Census 2021 and ONS household surveys in relation to the estimates of Welsh language ability

XGOV Levelling-up analysis


Written Question
Intelligence Services and Police: Recruitment
Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that recruitment to (a) police and (b) security services are promoted positively; and what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice on an effective approach to this issue.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Government fully supports the excellent work that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) undertakes to keep people in Northern Ireland safe.The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland retains responsibility for national security in Northern Ireland, therefore he and his officials are in regular contact with the Chief Constable of the PSNI, regarding a variety of matters. However, as justice and policing are areas of devolved responsibility, it is necessary that oversight and decisions on PSNI recruitment are carried out by locally-elected politicians.

Across England and Wales, the Government delivered a successful campaign to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023. This was facilitated by a national recruitment campaign based on research and insights, showing that people are attracted to a career in policing by the variety of the role, and the ability to help local communities. The campaign was also supported by the creation of the Join the Police website, which promotes policing careers and provides a source of helpful information for candidates. This website remains available to anyone interested in joining the police.

It is the policy of successive UK governments not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security. This includes recruitment to the intelligence agencies.


Written Question
Television: Rural Areas
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)

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 ensure access to digital terrestrial television in rural communities.

Answered by John Whittingdale

The Government remains committed to digital terrestrial television (DTT), the technology which underpins Freeview. Millions of households across the UK rely on DTT, particularly rural communities and older people.

While Freeview currently reaches nearly 99% of UK households, good terrestrial television signals may not be available to all households due to a number of factors such as local topography and spectrum availability. In these cases, Everyone TV – the organisation responsible for the day-to-day running of Freeview – advises that viewers consider other options to access free-to-air television such as the satellite service Freesat, which has total coverage in the UK.

The Government recognises the crucial role that DTT services such as Freeview play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available and free-to-air to all audiences. For these reasons, we have legislated to secure the continuity of DTT until at least 2034.

We have also recently launched a major research and engagement programme looking at how UK audiences will get their TV in the decades to come, including digital terrestrial television (DTT), satellite, cable, and online.

Before any decisions about the future of terrestrial television are made, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.


Written Question
Dementia: Research
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with dementia are routinely offered the option of taking part in research.

Answered by Will Quince

The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia. Join Dementia Research (JDR), delivered by the Department via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer Scotland and Alzheimer’s Research UK, is our main tool for enabling people to register their interest in dementia research and be matched to trials. The goal is to improve participation and diversity in dementia research by making it possible for anyone who wants to be involved in dementia research to get the chance to do so.

To increase uptake and awareness of research opportunities, the NIHR is undertaking several actions, including, direct text messaging from general practitioners to patients at selected sites across England, establishing links with NHS Memory Services and other care networks to integrate discussion of JDR into their processes, working with the NHS Admiral Nurses to develop training materials to support healthcare professionals when discussing research with patients and working to establish a national network of local JDR champions who will build on relationships with local organisations, charities and local groups representing under-represented communities to engage people with JDR.