Tag: Chi Onwurah

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) funding his Department is undertaking and (b) projects his Department has planned as part of the Government’s Digital Inclusion Strategy.

Justin Tomlinson

There are a number of projects in the Department that include elements of Digital Inclusion. The funding for these projects is agreed at the appropriate time during the project’s lifecycle.

Every DWP digital transformation project is designed around user needs. In researching these needs throughout the projects’ development we determine the volumes and requirements of those people who are not digitally included, and ensure that there are solutions in place to cater for them.

IT access will be available to those without it in Jobcentres and through partner organisations such as libraries as well as through other local providers. Universal Credit provides support for those without digital skills to gain them.

DWP is also partnered with many third party organisations with an aim to raise digital capabilities within the Department and across the UK. One such partnership is with Barclays, with whom we have run a joint exercise, pairing their Digital Eagles with our Business Coaches, as well as evaluating the usefulness of their Digital Driving Licence in identifying digital capability gaps and requirements amongst DWP’s employees.

DWP is a contributory Department in the Digital Friends initiative. This initiative is intended to up-skill staff within the Department and in wider society through sharing existing digital skills with colleagues, friends, family and neighbours.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the level of mobile telephone coverage available to train passengers in tunnels; how that matches his Department’s coverage targets; whether his Department classifies such coverage as in-building coverage; and what steps he is taking to improve that coverage.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Department for Transport is leading work on improving mobile coverage on the rail network and my department is working closely with them. A joint Call for Evidence was issued in June and responses received are currently being analysed.

This complements the ongoing improvements to mobile coverage arising from the Government’s landmark agreement with mobile network operators in 2014, to provide coverage to 90% of the UK landmass, and the licence obligation on Telefonica to provide indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises by 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Prime Minister, when he plans to respond to the letter he received from the charity Memorial 2007 in May 2015 on funding for the Enslaved Africans Memorial in Hyde Park.

Mr David Cameron

My office has no record of a letter to me from the charity Memorial 2007 in May 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to publish (a) a formal response to and (b) the submissions received by his Department concerning the Dual Mandate consultation issued on 24 March 2015.

Nick Boles

The consultation document A dual mandate for adult vocational education was published in March 2015 by the previous government.

A formal response will be published in due course. The Department may, in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, make available, on public request, individual responses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with (i) telecoms companies, (ii) consumer groups and (iii) other interested parties regarding nuisance calls in the last 12 months.

Mr Edward Vaizey

It is unacceptable for consumers to be harassed by nuisance calls, and the Government takes this issue very seriously. We have strengthened the law and made it easier for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to take enforcement action, and have removed the fine cap for clamping down on those breaking the rules. We will soon be launching a consultation on proposals to legally mandate Calling Line Identification (CLI) for all direct marketing calls. We are encouraging the development of more innovative products to help consumers block unwanted calls, and have launched a competition fund with Innovate UK to achieve this.

Over the last 12 months the Secretary of State has had regular meetings with stakeholders covering various issues including nuisance calls. The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy held a nuisance calls roundtable with a range of stakeholders including telecommunication companies, consumer groups and other interested parties. Officials hold regular meetings with stakeholders including Which?, Ofcom and the ICO.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what data his Department collects on nuisance calls.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Informaion Commissioner’s Office collects data on nuisance calls and publishes it on its website athttps://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the £840 million funding for his Department’s National Cyber Security Programme has been disbursed to projects exclusively for (a) small businesses and (b) consumers.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) is a comprehensive five-year, £860 million programme which aims to protect and enhance the UK, tackle cyber crime and make the UK one of the safest places in the world to do business online. The cross-Government programme is led by the Cabinet Office, with support from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, the Home Office, the security & intelligence agencies and many other Government departments. As such, investment which provides benefits for small businesses and consumers is spread across a wide range of projects and workstreams, as much of the work in the programme meets multiple objectives. A significant proportion of the £860 million is therefore invested in work to protect small businesses and consumers. This includes, but is not restricted to, approximately £14m for projects exclusively for small businesses and consumers, plus over 10% of the NCSP budget to date to build law enforcement capabilities, which includes supporting businesses and the public to stay safe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) funding his Department is undertaking and (b) projects his Department has planned as part of the Government’s Digital Inclusion Strategy.

Nick Boles

a) The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) currently funds a programme through the Tinder Foundation with the aim of equipping up to 1m adults with the basic digital skills, motivation and confidence to go online, be digitally capable and to be safe online. The contract was awarded by open competitive tender in October 2014 and has a maximum value of £15m. This addresses Action 2 of the Digital Inclusion Strategy 2014 (to establish a quality cross-government digital capability programme).

In addition the adult skills budget managed by the Skills Funding Agency continues to support learners to increase skills, competence and knowledge including basic digital skills and capabilities as called for under Action 1 of the Strategy.

b) There are no other projects currently planned.