Tag: Chi Onwurah

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to rural broadband subscribers of paying separately for satellite broadband and telephony; and what the impact of such costs is on the rural economy.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Our Satellite Broadband Scheme offers homes and businesses in some of the most remote areas of the UK a subsidised satellite broadband connection if they are currently unable to obtain an affordable broadband service of at least 2 Mbps.

The benefits of broadband are clear – and that is why we have introduced this subsidised offer to meet the Universal Service Commitment – which gives a first year only subsidy for a basic package capped at £400.

The total number of premises eligible for the universal service commitment subsidy had been substantially reduced, from around 11% in 2010 to around 1% by the end of 2015, as a result of roll-out superfast broadband by the commercial sector and through publicly-funded programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many companies responded to his Department’s invitation to tender for the protection of tenancy deposit scheme; and how many of those companies were small or medium-sized businesses.

Brandon Lewis

The initial procurement exercise in 2006 inviting bids to run a custodial tenancy deposit scheme and up to three insurance tenancy deposit schemes received four bids. Two of the companies were small or medium sized businesses.

In 2015, the re-procurement exercise for a new custodial tenancy scheme also received four bids. Three of the companies were small or medium sized businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) the digital inclusion strategy and (b) other digital inclusion measures in each year since 2011.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, created under the last Government, is a multi sector strategy setting out a series of collective commitments for government and the private and voluntary sectors.

Increasing the level of digital engagement in the UK requires commitment from all sectors. To date, 93 organisations have signed up to collaborate with government departments and each other to increase digital engagement in the UK. A wide range of activities and programmes have been delivered by partners across the UK.

Government has invested heavily in basic digital skills; for example, BIS funds a programme to help people gain the skills needed to access employment, education and wider opportunities. In addition, last year Arts Council England oversaw government investment of £2.7m in free WiFi in libraries in England.

The Digital Engagement team moved to DCMS from the Cabinet Office in November 2015. Historically the team has been funded by different Departments. We anticipate DCMS’s contribution to staff costs during the last financial year to be approximately £200,000. The Digital Engagement team did not fund any specific digital inclusion measures between November 2015 and March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which suppliers are approved to install the service offered under the satellite broadband subsidy scheme; and what regulation those suppliers are subject to from BT on installation procedure.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Suppliers for the main scheme are as follows:

www.ibub.co.uk/satellitescheme/

www.europasat.com/lp/bduk-national/

www.broadbandwherever.net/BDUK

http://www.primetech-bduk.co.uk

www.digiweb.com/satellite/

http://avonlinebroadband.com/broadband-vouchers/

www.corsat.co.uk/bduk/

www.ruralbroadband.co.uk/bduk

www.notspotbroadband.com/grant-schemes/

http://toowayinfo.bentleywalker.com/bduk/

Suppliers for the supplementary scheme (which include fixed wireless providers) are as follows:

http://www.voip-unlimited.net/airwave-home/

http://www.juice-broadband.com/

http://lothianbroadband.com/

https://6ginternet.com/subsidy

https://www.wessexinternet.com/

https://wispire.co.uk/

www.ruralbroadband.co.uk/

www.quickline.co.uk/

www.notspotbroadband.com/

www.avonlinebroadband.com/

http://www.symmetris.co.uk/

www.bentley-walker.com/

http://b4rn.org.uk/

www.europasat.com/

http://www.securewebservices.co.uk/

www.satelliteinternet.co.uk/

www.digiweb.com/satellite/

www.broadbandwherever.net/home

The suppliers on the main scheme are contracted by BT as being able to provide satellite products through BT Wholesale. BT only contracts with suppliers who are able to demonstrate that they have a competent network of installers who are able to meet installation standards set out as part of the contract terms between supplier and BT.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data has been shared between Google DeepMind and the NHS; what plans there are for further data sharing under that partnership; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

In law, individual organisations providing National Health Service care are the legal data controllers for the information that they hold, and need to take the necessary action to prevent data from being accessed inappropriately. In addition, the proper use of informatics in medical research, diagnostics, treatment and condition management is central to the NHS’s ability to deliver safe and high quality patient care. There are national standards and protocols for monitoring and maintaining data security across the NHS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the (a) ownership and (b) control by patients of data relating to them.

Nicola Blackwood

Patients have the legal right to access their records. It is unacceptable in anything other than the most exceptional circumstances for health and care organisations to deny patients access to their health records.

The Government is committed to providing patients with online access to their records, without charge. By 2019 individuals will be able to write comments, preferences and upload information into their electronic records. By 2020, all care records will be digital, real-time and interoperable. The Department is currently consulting on the National Data Guardian’s recommendations for a new consent and opt-out model for information sharing in the health and care system, and following that consultation will implement new arrangements that will give patients greater control over who can access their records for purposes other than direct care.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the work of anti-racism groups in North East England and celebrate the support shown for migrants and refugees in Newcastle following the vote to leave the EU.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government welcomes local community initiatives that tackle hate crime and intolerance. In July, we published the cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan in which we committed Government to tackling all forms of hate crime including race hate crime. We are currently supporting True Vision, an on-line hate crime reporting site, as well as the Anne Frank Trust and Streetwise, who work in schools to tackle prejudice and intolerance. In addition, the Hate Crime Action Plan referred to ‘community-led solutions’ – a new initiative funded by the Home Office to explore innovative ways in which communities in the North East would be eligible to apply once the scheme is launched.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on the decision of the BBC to require registration for using iPlayer from 2017.

Matt Hancock

We have received no representations about this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government has taken to assess levels of awareness of the sensitivity of personal data and the importance of protecting such data among (a) consumers and (b) small businesses.

Matt Hancock

The Cyber Aware (formerly Cyber Streetwise) campaign aims to drive behaviour change amongst small businesses and individuals so they adopt simple secure online behaviours to help protect themselves from cyber criminals. Research carried out by the campaign found 41% of respondents were “concerned a lot” about their personal details being accessed without permission, whilst 48% were “concerned a little” and 11% were “not concerned.” 40% were “concerned a lot” about providing personal information via an email scam/phishing email and losing money, whilst 40% were “concerned a little” and 20% were “not concerned.”

The Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey states that 69% of businesses say cyber security is a high priority for senior managers. 36% of businesses say the main reason they invest in cyber security is to protect customer data and 34% of businesses have rules specifically around personal data encryption.

The Data Protection Act requires of businesses that “appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as the independent regulator of the Data Protection Act (DPA), conducts an annual tracker survey which measures individuals awareness of rights under the DPA and gauges individuals’ perceptions of the way organisations handle their personal information. The latest version, which can be found at www.ico.org.uk, states that 97% of respondents were aware of the Data Protection Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what safeguards are in place to avoid mistakenly withdrawing motor tax following erroneous or malicious notification of cars being exported or going off road.

Andrew Jones

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) requires specific information or documentation before it will process a notification that a vehicle has been exported or taken off the road.

In order to be able to make such notifications electronically (where such a service is available) a unique reference number from the vehicle registration certificate and/or vehicle excise duty renewal letter must be used. This helps to ensure that it is the registered keeper of the vehicle making the notification.

If the notification cannot be made electronically, the registered keeper must use the appropriate section of the vehicle registration certificate or write to the DVLA.

When the off road or export notification has updated the DVLA’s records, a refund of any remaining vehicle excise duty will be issued to the registered keeper. Unexpectedly receiving this payment should prompt the keeper to contact the DVLA if they did not make the notification themselves.