Alberto Costa

Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.

More than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to connect over a million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband, predominantly in rural areas. This includes a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire with the supplier CityFibre, benefitting the South Leicestershire constituency.

Through the Shared Rural Network, 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including communities in rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. A significant amount of UK research funding UK goes to underpinning technologies (e.g. cell-based assays and computer modelling) that have the potential to deliver 3Rs advances in the use of animals in science and other money supports research relevant to reducing animal use.

The Government invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs is currently undergoing a five year funding review that will determine future allocation of resources.

The Secretary of State and I have separately met with the Chair and Director of the British Museum. The position of the Parthenon Sculptures was one of a number of issues discussed on both occasions.

I also met Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni on 4 November for a meeting regarding tourism, and she briefly raised the Parthenon Sculptures.

Decisions relating to the care and management of the Parthenon Sculptures are a matter for the British Museum Trustees, acting within the law.

I refer the hon. Member for South Leicestershire to the answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23775.

The department reviewed the abatement provisions as part of scheme reforms introduced in 2015 and removed abatement applying to any service accrued under the career average scheme that was introduced.

The abatement provision applies to pension accrued in the final salary section of the scheme only. The final salary section is closed to any further accrual, and all active members have now transitioned to the career average scheme.

Retired teachers are able to return to the profession and accrue further pension.

There are no plans to review the abatement provisions again.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England.

Further information on this will be published in due course.

Under The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations, environmental permits for quarries issued by local authorities must already include emission limit values, monitoring requirements and other controls for particulate matter and other air pollutants.

The Quarries Regulations 1999 require operators of quarries to take necessary measures to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the quarry and its plant are designed, constructed, equipped, commissioned, operated and maintained in such a way that persons at work can perform the work assigned to them without endangering their own health and safety or the health and safety of others. The duty holder for the quarry is required to ensure that risks and exposure to harmful substances are adequately controlled.

The Rail Minister met with CrossCountry in August. It is subject to a Remedial Plan that runs until March 2025. CrossCountry reinstated its full timetable from 10 November.

Officials meet CrossCountry regularly to discuss operational issues including progress with the Remedial Plan. CrossCountry will continue to be very closely monitored against the contractual benchmarks that are set out in its National Rail Contract.

On 27 April 2023, the remainder of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022 was commenced, and the Department designated the use of a database, which previously operated on a voluntary basis supported by the Local Government Assocation, for the purposes of this Act. The Act mandates the use of a national database in England to record every decision to refuse, revoke or suspend a taxi or private hire vehicle driver licence due to safeguarding, road safety or discrimination concerns.

Pensioners who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit, and who live in a care home are not entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment. This is because most will have their care and accommodation costs met by the Local Authority.

For purposes of Winter Fuel Payments, a care home is defined by section 3 of the Care Standards Act 2000 in England (Care Standards Act 2000) or Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 in Wales (Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016). Assisted living accommodation does not fall under this definition.

Calls to 999 are triaged to ensure the sickest patients get the fastest response. Suspected sepsis is generally allocated a Category 2 response. This category of response is for emergency incidents that require urgent assessment and rapid transportation.

The Government has committed to returning ambulance response time performance to the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. As a first step the Health Secretary has commissioned Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of National Health Service performance, which is due to report in September 2024. We will continue to support the public in accessing the NHS treatment and advice that best meets their needs.

Through the UK legislation, the government requires the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to be delivered for non-human primates (NHPs) in scientific research. When there is no alternative to using NHPs in scientific procedures, the Government is committed to high standards of welfare and refinement.

The Government is therefore keen to continue to take steps to ensure that NHPs used in Great Britain are from self-sustaining colonies, or are second-generation bred in captivity. The Government intends to publish strengthened policy, based on the Animals in Science Committee recommendations, later in 2025.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will be able to apply for further permission to remain in the UK through a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme due to open in early 2025. The new route will provide an additional 18 months’ permission.

The scheme will provide the same rights and entitlements as the existing Ukraine Schemes, to access work, benefits, healthcare and education. Further details on eligibility and application processes will be available before the scheme opens.

We continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to communicate these changes to landlords and employers, to support the stability of Ukrainian guests in these areas.

The Employer’s guide to right to work checks and the Landlord's guide to right to rent checks have been updated to reflect employment and renting of Ukrainian nationals. Updates have included advising of schemes which are now closed, and changes made to the Homes for Ukraine scheme which means some visa holders, who applied to the scheme after the 19 February 2024, will have 18 months permission to remain in the UK.

Under the qualifying criterion for the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan and the Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan), locally employed civilians working for the 908 Labour Support Unit, and other Afghan locally employed civilians, are not eligible for either Medal.

Whilst we value greatly the support provided by locally employed civilians, the long-established position is that local nationals are not eligible for UK medallic recognition, and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to recommend that this position is reviewed.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.

By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.

By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.

By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

The government encourage water companies and other infrastructure providers to work proactively with local planning authorities to identify where supporting infrastructure will be required to meet the demands of new development.

On 23 October, the government announced an independent commission to review the water sector regulatory system and make recommendations to reform the water sector regulatory framework in England and Wales. The review is expected to report next year, and we will carefully consider its findings.