daily report monday, 13 july 2020 contents · 2020. 7. 13. · daily report monday, 13 july 2020...

Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 13 July 2020 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:43 P.M., 13 July 2020). For the latest

information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,

please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 8

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 8

Aerospace Industry and

Defence: Manufacturing

Industries 8

Aerospace Industry:

Coronavirus 8

Aircraft 8

Biofuels: Finance 9

Bounce Back Loan Scheme 9

Bounce Back Loan Scheme:

Fraud 12

Buildings: Heating 13

Businesses: Coronavirus 13

Clothing: Manufacturing

industries 15

Coronavirus Local Authority

Discretionary Grants Fund 15

Coronavirus: Disease Control 16

Entertainments: Coronavirus 17

Housing: Insulation 17

Industrial Strategy Challenge

Fund: Engineering 17

Meat: Coronavirus 18

Personal Care Services:

Coronavirus 18

Physiotherapy: Coronavirus 20

Physiotherapy: Sports 20

Place Advisory Group 21

Post Office: Subsidies 21

Renewable Energy: Heating 22

Research: Finance 22

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Grant Fund 24

Small Businesses:

Coronavirus 26

UK Research and Innovation 27

CABINET OFFICE 28

Average Earnings: Ethnic

Groups 28

Cabinet Office: Data

Protection 28

Constitution, Democracy and

Rights Commission 28


Employment: Ethnic Groups 29

Veterans: Civil Service 29

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS 30

Churches: Coronavirus 30

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

2 Monday, 13 July 2020 Daily Report

DEFENCE 30

Armed Forces: Recruitment 30

Army: Recruitment 31

AWACS: Procurement 31

Iraq: Detainees 32

Military Aid 33

Military Bases: USA 33

Ministry of Defence:

Employers' Liability 33

Ministry of Defence: Staff 34

Yemen: Armed Conflict 34

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 35

Business: Coronavirus 35

Casinos: Coronavirus 35

Cultural Renewal Taskforce 35

Digital Technology 36

Escape Rooms: Coronavirus 36

Football Association Premier

League 37

Gambling Act 2005 37

Inland Waterways:

Coronavirus 37

Music and Sports: Coronavirus 38

Music: Coronavirus 39

Swimming Pools: Coronavirus 39

Theatres: Coronavirus 40

EDUCATION 40

Academic Year: Free School

Meals 40

Adoption and Children

(Coronavirus) (Amendment)

Regulations 2020 41

Black Curriculum 41

Children and Young People:

Coronavirus 42

Children and Young People:

Internet 42

Children: Coronavirus 43

Covid-19 Education Catch-up

Fund 45

Doncaster Metropolitan

Borough Council: Computers 45

Foreign Students: Fees and

Charges 46

Free School Meals:

Immigrants 46

Free School Meals: Voucher

Schemes 46

Music: Education 47

National Careers Service:

Finance 48

Ormskirk School: Leasehold 48

Overseas Students: USA 49

Pre-school Education: Finance 50

Primary Education:

Coronavirus 50

Schools: Coronavirus 51

Special Educational Needs:

Speech and Language

Disorders 52

Supply Teachers: Coronavirus 53

Teachers: Recruitment 54

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 55

Air Pollution: Coronavirus 55

Air Pollution: Shipley 55

Animal Products: Trade 56

Barbecues: National Parks 56

Beverage Containers:

Recycling 57

Monday, 13 July 2020 Daily Report 3

Camping Sites: New Forest 57

Countryside: Climate Change 58

Fly-tipping and Litter: Fast

Food 58

Food: Exports 59

Hedges and Ditches 60

Industry: Pollution 60

Inland Waterways:

Coronavirus 61

Peat Bogs: Conservation 61

Peat Bogs: Fires 62

Sewage: Rivers 62

Tree Planting 63

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 63

Armed Conflict: Sexual

Offences 63

Bahrain: Capital Punishment 64

Chile: Riot Control Weapons 65

China: Human Rights 65

Climate Change 66

Corruption: Sanctions 67

Egypt: Torture 67

Foreign and Commonwealth

Office: Coronavirus 67

Foreign, Commonwealth and

Development Office: Non-

governmental Organisations 68

Gulf States: Political Prisoners 68

Human Rights: Sanctions 69

India: Coronavirus 70

Iran: Capital Punishment 70

Iran: Nuclear Power 71

Israeli Settlements 71

Kashmir: Politics and

Government 72

Operation Blue Star 72

Overseas Aid 73

Pakistan: Religious Freedom 73

Pakistani National

Commission for Minorities:

Ahmadiyya 74

Sanctions 74

Syria: Armed Conflict 75

Thailand: Coronavirus 76

USA: Coronavirus 76

Yemen: Coronavirus 76

Yemen: Military Intervention 77

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 78

Alcoholic Drinks: Age 78

Cancer: Health Services 78

Cervical Cancer: Screening 79

Children: Obesity 80

Cholesterol: Pharmacy 80

Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme 81


Coronavirus: Epidemiology 82

Coronavirus: Local

Government 82

Coronavirus: Protective

Clothing 82

Coronavirus: Vitamin D 83

Emergencies: Planning 83

Endoscopy: Staff 83

Exercise Cygnus 84

Fentanyl: Misuse 85

Health Services and Social

Services: Coronavirus 85


Health Services: Employment 85

Health Services: Immigrants 86

Healthy Start Scheme 86

HIV Infection 87

Hospital Beds: Coronavirus 87

Hospitals: Alcoholic Drinks 88

Influenza: Research 88

Influenza: Vaccination 88

Intensive Care: Hospital Beds 89

Manufacturing Industries:

Coronavirus 89

Meat: Coronavirus 90

Meat: Inspections 90

Movianto UK: Contracts 91

NHS: Anaesthetics 92

NHS: Coronavirus 92

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse 93

Nurses: Students 93

Ophthalmic Services 94

Opioids 94

Pharmacy 94

Pharmacy: Coronavirus 95

Pharmacy: Finance 96

Pharmacy: Registration 96

Prescriptions 97

Protective Clothing: Business 97

Protective Clothing: Exports 98

Protective Clothing: Imports 98

Protective Clothing: Local

Government 99

Protective Clothing:

Manufacturing Industries 99

Protective Clothing: Public

Transport 99

Public Health 100

Schools: Coronavirus 101

Smoking 101

Smoking: Public Health 102

Smoking: Young People 102

Surgery: Orthopaedics 103

HOME OFFICE 103

Animal Experiments:

Inspections 103

Asylum 103

Asylum: Contracts 104

Asylum: Finance 104

Asylum: Hong Kong 105

Asylum: Housing 106

British National (Overseas):

Hong Kong: S 106

Civil Partnerships: Video

Conferencing 106

Deportation: Undocumented

Migrants 107

Driving: Coronavirus 107

Dublin Regulations 107

Emergency Services Network:

Strathconon 108

Foreign Nationals:

Reoffenders 108

Forensic Capability Network 108

Forensicscience 110

Hate Crime: LGBT People 111

Immigrants 111

Immigration 112

Immigration Controls: Scotland 112

Immigration Officers:

Protective Clothing 113

Immigration: Enforcement 113


Immigration: Welsh Language 113

Innovation and Research 114

Interpol 114

Interpol: Finance 116

Marriage of Convenience 116

Offences against Children:

Internet 117

Offenders: Coronavirus 117

Offenders: Deportation 118

Offenders: Immigration 118

Osime Brown 119

Overseas Visitors 119

Passports: Applications 120

Prisoner Escapes 120

Refugees: Families 120

Social Distancing: Fixed

Penalties 121

Travellers: Caravan Sites 121

Undocumented Migrants 121

Undocumented Migrants:

English Channel 122

Visas 126

Visas: British National

(Overseas) 126

Youth Mobility Scheme 127

Youth Mobility Scheme:

Coronavirus 127

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 127

Coronavirus: Government

Assistance 127

Digital Technology:

Infrastructure 128

English Language: Education 128

Homelessness: Young People 129

Housing: Construction 129

Local Government Finance 130

Local Government Finance:

Coronavirus 131

Private Rented Housing:

Coronavirus 132

Public Lavatories: Coronavirus 133

Shrewsbury Town Council:

Shropshire Council 133

Town and Country Planning

(Control of Advertisements)

(England) Regulations 2007 133

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 134

Afghanistan: Land Mines 134

Developing Countries:

Sustainable Development 134

Foreign, Commonwealth and

Development Office: Disability 134

Government Departments:

Overseas Aid 135

Medicine: Research 135

Overseas Aid 136

Overseas Aid: Disability 136

Poverty 136

USA: Remdesivir 137

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid 137

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 138

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia 138

Riot Control Weapons: Hong

Kong 139

JUSTICE 139

HM Courts and Tribunals

Service: Equality 139

Legal Profession: Equality 140

Marriage: Humanism 141


Matrimonial Proceedings 141

Prisoners' Release:

Coronavirus 142

NORTHERN IRELAND 143

Elections: Fraud 143

Terrorism: Northern Ireland 144

PRIME MINISTER 144

Care Homes: Coronavirus 144

Property Development: Isle of

Dogs 144

SCOTLAND 145

Asylum: Temporary

Accommodation 145

TRANSPORT 145

A15: Dual Carriageways 145

Aviation and Shipping:

Exhaust Emissions 145

Aviation: Coronavirus 146

Cycling and Public Transport:

Greater London 146

Cycling and Walking: Oxford-

Cambridge Arc 147

Driving Licences: Older People 147

High Speed 2 Railway Line 147

Public Transport: Concessions 148

Railways: Commuters 148

Railways: Coronavirus 148

Renewable Transport Fuel

Obligation: Hydrogen 149

Shipping 149

Trains: Batteries and

Hydrogen 150

Travel: Coronavirus 150

TREASURY 151

Child Benefit 151

Companies: Coronavirus 151


Scheme 152


Scheme: Charities 153

Coronavirus: Screening 153

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme 153

Economic Situation:

Coronavirus 154

Finance: Coronavirus 155

Financial Services 155

Greenhouse Gas Emissions 156

International Monetary Fund:

Lebanon 156

Job Creation 157

Life Insurance: Mental Illness 157

Local Government Finance:

Coronavirus 158

Personal Income: Coronavirus 158

Personal Savings 160

Public Expenditure 161

Public Sector: Coronavirus 161

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small

Businesses 162

Self-employed: Coronavirus 162

Stamp Duties 163

UK Trade With EU: Export

Controls 163

Unemployment: Coronavirus 163

WORK AND PENSIONS 164

British National (Overseas):

Hong Kong 164

Employment 164

Employment and Support

Allowance 165


Employment Schemes: Young

People 165

Jobcentre Plus: Glasgow 166

Personal Independence

Payment: Coronavirus 166

Personal Independence

Payment: Medical

Examinations 167

Postal Services: Coronavirus 167

Social Security Benefits 168

Social Security Benefits:

Coronavirus 169


Ethnic Groups 169


Families 170


Medical Examinations 171

Soical Security Benefits:

Coronavirus 171

State Retirement Pensions:

Females 172

Universal Credit 172

Zero Hours Contracts:

Coronavirus 173

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 174

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 174

COVID - Update 174

HOME OFFICE 175

Immigration 175

TREASURY 176

Finance Bill 2020-21 L-day

update 176

Notes:

Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an

oral question and has since been unstarred.

8 Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020 ANSWERS

ANSWERS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Aerospace Industry and Defence: Manufacturing Industries

Jack Lopresti: [R] [71030]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what

discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the proposal submitted by ADS to the

Government to establish a supply chain fund to support businesses in the aerospace and

defence sectors; and if he will take steps to provide Government support for that initiative.

Nadhim Zahawi:

We are in regular discussions with aerospace companies and ADS Group, through

the Aerospace Growth Partnership, to consider what additional support the sector

might need.

We are supporting investment in innovation and competitiveness by small and

medium-sized businesses in the supply chain through our National Aerospace

Technology Exploitation Programme, Sharing in Growth, and SC21 Competitiveness

and Growth productivity programmes, which will receive over £135 million of public

funding.

Aerospace Industry: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: [71056]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his

Department is taking to support the financial recovery of the UK aerospace sector after

the covid-19 outbreak.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The aerospace industry is benefiting from the Government’s £330 billion of Covid-19

support, which includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The aerospace and

aviation sectors are also benefiting from support through UK Export Finance, the

Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, and grants for research and

development. We remain in active discussion with aerospace businesses, including

at sector level through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, to do all we can to help

industry through the Covid-19 pandemic and back to growth.

Aircraft


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to

the Answer of 23 June 2020 to Question 59434, what progress has been made in

assessing proposals for a scrappage scheme for older civil passenger aircraft; and if he

will make a statement.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-07-08/71030



Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020 ANSWERS 9

Nadhim Zahawi:

The initial proposal from industry for a scrappage scheme for older civil large

passenger aircraft was an outline. We assessed that it required further development

in order for us to properly consider its potential impact on the UK aerospace and

aviation industries. Discussions with industry are ongoing.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

discussions he has had with the aviation industry on plans for producing the world's first

net zero long-haul passenger plane; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The Aerospace Technology Institute research programme supports zero emission

aircraft research projects. We have held discussions with industry, including through

the Aerospace Growth Partnership, about accelerating the development of clean

aerospace technologies. Further discussion will take place through the Jet Zero

Council, which will bring together Ministers and airlines, airports, aerospace

manufacturers, fuel suppliers, academia, and environmental groups to provide

leadership and strategic direction to position the UK as a global leader in clean

aviation.

Biofuels: Finance

Anna McMorrin: [71134]


assessment he has made of the potential merits of retaining the requirement of minimum

energy efficiency standards for new biomass plants in future contract for difference

projects.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

In June 2018 the Government published Part A of the response to the December

2017 consultation on proposed amendments to the Contracts for Difference scheme.

This stated that the Government intended to require all dedicated biomass with CHP,

and energy from waste with CHP, schemes applying for new support contracts under

the Contract for Difference scheme to have a minimum overall efficiency of 70% (net

calorific value).

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

John McDonnell: [68647]


mechanisms he has put in place to monitor the operation of the Bounce Back Loan

Scheme.






To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what due

diligence assessment procedures have been put in place for the administering bodies of

applicants for a Bounce Back Loan.



procedures he has put in place to ensure probity in the administration of the Bounce Back

Loan Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully:

The British Business Bank (BBB) operates the BBLS via its group of accredited

delivery partners.

In order to become an accredited delivery partner, lenders must provide a detailed

submission, providing information on the applicant’s organisation and its intended use

of the BBLS. The BBB then conducts due diligence, assessing the applicant’s

business, governance, risk management and compliance frameworks.

Before being able to commence lending via the Scheme, a Lender will then be

required to complete a number of preparatory steps. Firstly, the BBLS Guarantee

Agreement must be signed by the Lender. This is a standard agreement, with limited

scope to negotiate changes. The BBB will then provide the Lender with training on

use of the BBB Reporting System, as well as general training and communications

materials on how the Scheme works.

Accredited lenders must provide records of all eligible transactions on the BBB

Reporting System in a timely and accurate manner in accordance with the guidance

issued. The BBB Reporting System records details, the amount and terms of the

lending, any extension of the terms of the lending, borrower default and claims

against the guarantee of all BBLS-supported facilities. Lenders are also subject to

periodic audits, whereby samples of transactions will be analysed during the audit to

check that Scheme eligibility rules and processes have been followed.

This reporting, alongside other information on the performance of the Scheme and

accredited lenders is fed into various governance fora including BBB, BEIS and HMT

officials, as well as regular briefings to BEIS and HMT Ministers. Statistics showing

the take up of the BBLS are published weekly by HM Treasury.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many

companies in receipt of a Bounce Back Loan have (a) ceased trading and (b) entered into

administration.

Paul Scully:

As of 5 July, over 1 million loans have been issued under the Bounce Back Loan

Scheme (BBLS), with a total value of £31 billion.





We are currently unable to provide a breakdown on the number of companies in

receipt of a Bounce Back Loan that have ceased trading and entered into

administration.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a)

financial and (b) security checks are made of (i) owners or (ii) directors of multiple

companies seeking loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme for each of the

companies in which they have a financial stake.

Paul Scully:

A single business will not be eligible for multiple Bounce Back Loans; however, an

individual who owns a number of separate businesses which do not fall under the

same group, may apply for a Bounce Back Loan for each separate business entity.

Business owners are required to self-certify that their business meets the eligibility

criteria for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). Any individual that knowingly

provides false information is at risk of criminal prosecution for fraud.

Applications from eligible borrowers will also be subject to customer fraud, Anti-

Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks.



loans have been issued under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the

value is of the loans granted under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.



average amount is of loans issued under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully:

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has been introduced to help small and

medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2000 and £50,000.

As of 5 July, 1,013,410 loans have been approved under the BBLS, with a total value

of £30.93 billion. Banks are reporting that the average loan is around £30,000.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a)

turnover and (b) number of employees is of companies awarded loans under the Bounce

Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully:

At this time, we are unable to provide a breakdown of the turnover and number of

employees at companies awarded loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme







(BBLS). We are working with HM Treasury and the British Business Bank to consider

what further data can be made available in the future.



companies in each (a) industrial sector and (b) region of the UK have been awarded a

loan under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully:

As of 5 July, 1,013,410 loans have been approved under the Bounce Back Loan

Scheme (BBLS), with a total value of £30.93 billion.

At this time, we are unable to provide a breakdown of lending or number of

applications by region or sector. The BBLS has been designed to be accessible

across the UK and lenders have been accredited across the UK’s nations and

regions.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he

has taken to prevent fraud in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.



mechanisms he has put in place specifically to detect fraud in relation to the Bounce Back

Loan Scheme.



discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the administering bodies for the

Bounce Back Loan Scheme on putting in place mechanisms and procedures to prevent

and detect fraud in that scheme.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether there

have been any reported incidences of fraud in relation to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.



current investigations into fraud there are in relation to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully:

The Government takes the threat of fraud very seriously and a range of measures

have been put in place to mitigate fraud and error risk for the loan schemes, including

data and intelligence sharing arrangements, enabling us to work together and target

known fraud threats.








At scheme design level, the rules of the scheme set out minimum standards in

relation to fraud which highlight action lenders are expected to take to identify

fraudulent applications. The British Business Bank’s (BBB) audit function enables

BBB to sample portfolios of lending to assess regularity and take action if required.

For the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), we continue to work extensively with

BBB and the lenders to strengthen the anti-fraud systems in place. For obvious

reasons, I cannot go into specific detail about measures either in place or in

development. For the same reason, it is not possible to release the number of

fraudulent applications or associated investigations.

Buildings: Heating

Owen Thompson: [70452]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what

reason he decided to restrict future funding support to heat pumps in smaller buildings.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

Heat pumps will play an important role in decarbonising heat in the UK. The Clean

Heat Grants scheme is focussed on supporting the installer base that will be required

to implement regulations to phase out the installation of high-carbon fossil fuel

heating off the gas grid. The Government is committed to doing this during the 2020s,

as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy. In order to target taxpayer funding most

effectively, we propose to introduce a 45kW capacity limit to focus this scheme on

smaller installations. This reflects evidence that the majority of heat pump

installations supported under the Renewable Heat Incentive have a capacity less

than or equal to 45kW.

The Clean Heat Grant has been designed as part of a broader package of measures

to support the decarbonisation of heat. Alongside the Clean Heat Grant scheme, the

Budget announced future support for large heat pump installations in heat networks

through the Green Heat Network Scheme. BEIS will consult on this scheme later in

the year. The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will also be open to large heat

pumps providing process heat. In addition, as part of the Summer Economic Update

made on 8 July, the government committed £1 billion of funding for the new Public

Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to upgrade public sector buildings, including schools

and hospitals. This forms part of the wider manifesto commitments to invest in low-

carbon heat and energy efficiency in buildings over the next decade.

Businesses: Coronavirus

Daisy Cooper: [70502]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to publish in

full the scientific advice underpinning the Government's policy on which businesses can

and cannot currently reopen following their closure due to the covid-19 outbreak.




Paul Scully:

The Ministerial Taskforces have been getting scientific input from Public Health

England (PHE), who have been directly involved in the taskforce meetings, helping to

resolve scientific issues as they draft the guidance. Each individual working group

which produced the guidance published on 11 May had active PHE presence, and

each set of guidance was produced in collaboration with them, the Health and Safety

Executive and other Departments. That model was followed for both the pubs and

restaurants, close contact services, and non-essential retail taskforces. The PHE staff

who have supported the BEIS taskforces are in regular direct contact with those

attending SAGE and have access to the PHE SAGE read-outs. They have

endeavoured to reflect closely the SAGE recommendations and have also been

responsible for putting some subjects pertinent to BEIS discussions to SAGE, such

as persistence of COVID-19 on surfaces, and consideration of social distancing

requirements under different scenarios. SAGE information is shared on its website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-

sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support

the Government plans to provide to those businesses that cannot currently reopen

following their closure due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully:

The Government’s priority has been to act to reduce the high levels of Covid-19

infection and this is the best way to support businesses. The sooner the spread of the

virus is controlled, the sooner businesses and communities can move towards

reopening.

The Government has introduced a comprehensive package of support to help

businesses during this difficult period. These include the small business grants, the

coronavirus loan schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, deferral of VAT

and income tax payment, and more.

As of 5 July, 1.1 million employers have taken advantage of the Coronavirus Job

Retention Scheme (CJRS), totalling claims of £27.4 billion and safeguarding 9.4

million jobs. The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has been

accessed by 2.7 million individuals .

Over 867,600 businesses have claimed £10.65 billion through the Small Business

Grant Fund (SBGF), and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF).

As of 5 July, 1.1 million businesses have accessed over £45 billion worth of

coronavirus loans, backed by Government guarantees. These range from loans of

£,2000, to £200 million.

There has been significant support to date, and there is still funding to be disbursed.

BEIS will continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, and business

representative organisations to understand whether there is additional need.



Ultimately it is only by controlling the virus that the lockdown can be lifted, allowing

businesses to re-open and operate more normally.

Clothing: Manufacturing industries

Andy McDonald: [70408]


has taken in response to the recommendations set out in paragraph 50 of the Sixteenth

Report of the 2017-19 Session of the Environmental Audit Committee entitled Fixing

Fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability, HC1952, to (a) pursue a more proactive

approach to the enforcement of the national minimum wage and (b) provide HMRC’s

National Minimum Wage team with greater resourcing to increase their inspection and

detection work with regard to workers in the garment industry receiving less than the

minimum wage and suffering serious breaches of health and safety law in their

workplace.

Paul Scully:

The Government is deeply concerned by the reports of illegal and unsafe working

conditions for textile workers in Leicester, especially in light of the recent increase in

COVID-19 infections.

The main labour market enforcement bodies (the HMRC National Minimum Wage

team and the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority), as well as the Police and the

Health & Safety Executive, have been working closely with Leicester Council to set

up the Leicester Compliance Task Force. The key aims of the taskforce is to address

broader labour market and health and safety issues by using local knowledge to

improve understanding of the exploitation risks, increase awareness, support victims

and ensure compliance.

Since 2017, a number of operations have been undertaken in the Leicester area

linked to potential exploitation, including underpayment of the minimum wage. Where

breaches have been found appropriate enforcement action has been taken, including

warning letters, recovery of unpaid wages, penalties, and director disqualifications.

The Government has more than doubled the budget for National Minimum Wage

compliance and enforcement to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in

2015/16. Increasing the budget allows HMRC to focus on tackling the most serious

cases of wilful non-compliance. It also increases the number of compliance officers

available to investigate minimum wage complaints and conduct risk-based

enforcement in sectors where non-compliance is most likely.

Coronavirus Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund

Dan Jarvis: [71054]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his

Department has to make further funding available for the coronavirus Local Authority

Discretionary Grants Fund.




Paul Scully:

The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for

businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption

caused by Covid-19. This package of support includes the Small Business Grant

Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). As of 5

July, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council have paid out over £41.8 million in

grants to 3,788 business premises under the SBGF and RHLGF.

On 1 May, the Government announced that up to £617 million has been made

available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary

grants. Under the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF), Barnsley

Metropolitan Borough Council have an additional £2.1 million to deliver to further

small businesses.

We appreciate that there is substantial demand for the LADGF, and the scheme will

not be able to support every business. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council will

need to manage their scheme to stay within their funding allocation and will have to

make choices about which businesses to prioritise.

Officials are keeping in close contact with Local Authorities to understand how the

schemes are rolling out and advising ministers on any additional support which could

be offered to help businesses and support local economies. No decisions have yet

been taken, but the level of demand will continue to be monitored.

Coronavirus: Disease Control


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will

publish (a) a timetable and (b) guidance for the re-opening of (i) beauty salons, (ii) nail

bars, (iii) tanning salons,(iv) massage studios, (v) reflexology centres, (vi) complementary

therapy centres, (vii) photography studios, (viii) tattoo studios, (ix) swimming pools, (x)

gyms, (xi) soft play centre, (xii) bowling alleys, (xiii) sports halls and (xiv) dance schools

that are currently unable to reopen following their closure due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully:

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, in his speech on 3rd July, stated that a

timetable for the reopening of closed sectors would be set out this week. The Prime

Minister was clear he can only lift those remaining, national restrictions as and when

it is safe to do so.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has now provided close

contact services in England, except Leicester, with the certainty they need to reopen

from Monday 13 July, subject to them following the COVID-secure guidelines.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has released new

guidance to enable competitive grassroots sport to be played – starting with cricket

from 11 July. DCMS also stated that outdoor pools can reopen to the public from 11

July followed by indoor gyms, pools and leisure centres on 25 July.



The Government will continue to work with those industries that are still closed to

understand how best to reopen them safely, at the right time, guided by science.

Entertainments: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: [67546]


is taking to support (a) night clubs, (b) music venues and (c) other businesses in the night

time service sector by providing financial relief commensurate with the longevity of the

period that they have had to remain closed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully:

The Government have put in place an unprecedented package of financial support to

help businesses, including those in the hospitality and leisure sector, with the support

they need during this difficult time of the covid-19 outbreak. Measures included

deferring VAT payments for 3 months to support businesses with cashflow during the

outbreak and extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October.

We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including music venues, as

soon as it is safe to do so. On 9 July, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced that from 11 July outdoor arts

performances – including theatres, opera, dance and music – will be able to resume

provided they are covid-secure.

Housing: Insulation

Sarah Olney: [68749]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate

he has made of the skills gap in the workforce required to retrofit the UK’s housing stock

with insulation; and if he will take steps to close that gap.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

A good supply of skilled workers is essential in order to meet our aspiration for as

many UK homes as possible to be EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-

effective and affordable. In 2018, the domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency

sectors employed 153,600 people, but many more will be required. The Government

has sponsored the development of Trustmark and PAS 2035 to ensure high

standards among energy efficiency installers. The Government is further funding six

local supply chain demonstration pilots to support development and training of the

supply chain for home energy retrofit. We will continue to work with installers and

training providers in order to grow the sector.

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: Engineering


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what

discussions he ahs had with the Prime Minister on the proposals put to the Government

to support the future of British engineering through the Brunel Challenge; and if he will

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance





take steps to provide support for the Brunel Challenge slingshot proposal put forward by

the UK aerospace, defence, maritime, automotive and atomic energy sectors.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The Government recognises the value of British engineering capability and

innovation. That is why we have already invested nearly £2 billion in the Aerospace

Technology Institute Programme, providing advice on market opportunities and

technology. We have also committed with industry around £1 billion through the

Advanced Propulsion Centre, to research, develop, and commercialise the next

generation of low carbon technologies to keep the UK at the cutting edge of low

carbon automotive innovations. We are also supporting the innovation of digital

design through the £147 million Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge.

At the last Budget, we set out plans for public investment in research and

development to reach £22 billion each year by 2024/25, which is a record increase in

spending.

As part of the upcoming Spending Review we will consider proposals for this

investment, of which the Brunel Challenge and slingshot is one of many.

Meat: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: [70496]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent

assessment he has made of the level of safety in the meat industry; what the evidential

basis is for the Government's policy on the risk of covid-19 infection among workers in the

meat industry; and what steps he is taking to protect those workers from that risk.

Paul Scully:

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a cross-

Government taskforce, and all partners are working collaboratively in that group.

The Health and Safety Executive - who are also a member of the Taskforce are

responsible for the health and safety of workers.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Matt Western: [67737]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his

Department plans to review the date for the reopening of (a) massage therapist, (b)

reflexology and (c) other therapeutic services as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are

eased.

Paul Scully:

We’ve now provided other close contact services like massage therapists,

reflexologists and other therapeutic services in England except Leicester with the

certainty they need to reopen from Monday 13 July, subject to them following the

COVID-secure guidelines.




We need to be confident services are able to reopen in a COVID-secure way for the

staff and customers. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and

our guidance has been developed with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and

the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and in

consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive

(HSE).

Mr Kevan Jones: [68671]


timeframe is for the reopening of beauty salons as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are

eased.

Paul Scully:

We have now provided other close contact services like beauty salons in England,

except Leicester, with the certainty they need to reopen from Monday 13 July, subject

to them following the COVID-secure guidelines.






(HSE).

Fleur Anderson: [70511]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make

an assessment of the feasibility of enabling beauty salons that have adequate (a) safety

measures and (b) personal protective equipment to re-open as the covid-19 lockdown

restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully:

We have now provided close contact services – like beauty salons – in England,



Naz Shah: [71075]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he

categorises aesthetics and wellbeing businesses in the beauty industry; what businesses

it categorises in the beauty industry; and what his timetable is for those businesses

reopening.

Paul Scully:

Government has published a list of business types that fall under the close contact

services guidance. All businesses that provide cosmetic procedures or treatments for

aesthetic and beauty purposes fall into the definition of a beauty salon.





We have now provided close contact services in England, except Leicester, with the



Physiotherapy: Coronavirus

Kate Osamor: [68740]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what

reason Soft Tissue Therapists are not able to return to work on 6 July 2020 as the covid-

19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully:

There is clearly a risk of greater transmission in close proximity services. That is why

we have had to phase their introduction. We had to make difficult choices to keep the

R rate below 1.

We’ve now provided close contact services like Soft Tissue Therapists in England,



Naz Shah: [71079]


discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the

reopening of soft tissue therapist businesses.

Paul Scully:

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial

Strategy discusses a wide range of topics and policy issues with ministers across

Government, including the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

We have now provided other close contact services like massage therapists,

reflexologists and other therapeutic services in England except Leicester with the



Physiotherapy: Sports

Luke Pollard: [67760]


evidential basis is for the decision to delay the reopening of sports therapists in England;

and what comparative assessment he has made between that evidence and that used by

the devolved Administrations to reopen sports therapists in Scotland, Wales and Northern

Ireland.

Paul Scully:

We’ve now provided close contact services, including sports therapists in England


to them following the Government’s COVID-secure guidelines.










(HSE).

Hairdressers were the initial phase of safely reopening close contact services, and

we are now assured that the necessary steps can be taken to reopen the rest of the

sector.

Place Advisory Group

Chi Onwurah: [68696]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the

Government plans to publish the (a) minutes and (b) outcomes of the ministerial-chaired

meetings with stakeholders in relation to the Place Advisory Group.

Amanda Solloway:

Discussions with the new Place Advisory Group will inform the development of the

ambitious new place strategy to be published in the autumn, as will further detailed

discussions with the scientific community, industry, and civic organisations from

across the country.

We will consider what material will be made public by the Group as part of the Terms

of Reference. We expect to finalise and publish the membership and Terms of

Reference for the Group in due course.

Post Office: Subsidies

Marion Fellows: [70439]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the

Government plans to make an announcement on its decision on the future of public

subsidies for Post Office Limited after March 2021.

Paul Scully:

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and

for small businesses across the UK, which is why we committed to safeguard the

post office network and protect existing rural services.

Successive Governments have invested over £2 billion in the Post Office network

since 2010. Looking at the future, the Government remains committed to ensuring the

long-term sustainability of the network and will continue working with Post Office Ltd

to achieve this. Future subsidy requirements will be considered within the

Government's fiscal framework.




Renewable Energy: Heating

Grahame Morris: [70384]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make

it his policy to include heat pumps in the Green Homes Grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the

Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support

homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their

properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green

economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of

measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.

Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before

the scheme’s full launch.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will

include ground source heat pumps in the Green Homes Grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the

Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support

homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their

properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green

economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of

measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.

Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before

the scheme’s full launch.

Research: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference

to the Policy paper, UK Research and Development Roadmap, published on 1 July 2020,

from which of his Department's budgets will funding be allocated to ARPA-style body to

boost transformative research in the UK.

Amanda Solloway:

We will invest at least £800 million to set up a unique and independent funding body

that will back breakthrough technologies and basic research by experimenting with

new funding models across long-term time horizons. We want to empower

researchers to lead the world in the creation of new technologies, so we are currently

in discussions with notable scientists and innovators to further develop and refine the

design of the body. The funding for the new body and how it is allocated will be





designed around the most appropriate model to deliver its vision, and the

Department’s funding for future years from 2021-22 on will be allocated via the

Spending Review.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he

plans to allocate additional funding to research departments at universities that are not in

receipt of a teaching excellence framework award.

Amanda Solloway:

Research funding allocations to universities from Research England are based

primarily on the performance of their research departments under the Research

Excellence Framework while project funding is allocated through competition, for

example from the Research Councils. Research allocations are made irrespective of

whether the university has been assessed through the Teaching Excellence and

Student Outcome Framework.

From the Autumn, Government will provide research-active higher education

providers across the UK with a package of support to sustain research capacity which

is at risk from income losses due to COVID-19, consisting of low-interest loans with

long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants. This

will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the

academic year 20/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity. In

order to be eligible, the provider in England must be an “Approved (Fee Cap)”

provider registered with the Office for Students and already in receipt of Research

England funding.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference

to the announcement entitled, Government to protect UK research jobs with major

support package, how many applications have been made for funding; and what

proportion of the £200 million has been allocated.

Amanda Solloway:

On 27 June, the Government announced two new support packages to protect

research jobs and ground-breaking research projects impacted by coronavirus:

• from this autumn, UK universities will be able to access a series of government

grants and long-term, low interest loans covering up to 80% of their income losses

caused by an expected decline in international students, ensuring that their crucial

research can continue.

• around £280 million government funding will be made available to universities

impacted by coronavirus, allowing them to continue developing ambitious and

innovative research projects.

The package includes funding for costed grant extensions for the outstanding

researchers funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National

Academies, whose projects have been seriously impacted by COVID-19.




It includes £180 million for UKRI, which will be awarded as a block grant allocation to

157 institutions. The allocation will be calculated pro rata to the total value of

payments that organisations are profiled to receive between 1 April 2020 and 31

March 2021, for competitively awarded grants with a planned end date during the

same time period.

Demand is expected to be high for the funding allocated by the National Academies,

and we are working with the Academies to develop delivery mechanisms.

The wider package of announcements will be available in the Autumn.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the

£100 million funding for Direct Air Capture R&D announced in the Plan for Jobs is part of

the £22 billion R&D funding announced in Budget 2020; and who will be responsible for

distributing that funding.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced up to £100 million for new research

and development of Direct Air Capture on June 30th. Part of this will be funded

through the more than £1bn announced in Budget 2020 by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr

Chancellor of the Exchequer for Net Zero Innovation to stimulate commercial activity

in this essential technology. As with the current £505 million Energy Innovation

Portfolio, this will be distributed by BEIS. The other part will be distributed by UKRI

under its Strategic Priorities Fund, to accelerate innovation by universities.

The new funding is part of the Government’s ambitious plans to increase public

research and development (R&D) investment to £22 billion per year by 2024 to 2025

announced in Budget 2020. Later this year, the Spending Review will provide the

opportunity for the government to set out further detail on the long-term priorities for

R&D investment as part of those plans.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund

Caroline Ansell: [68736]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether

English language schools are eligible for support through the Retail, Hospitality and

Leisure Grant; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully:

Businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail

Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March with a rateable

value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for the following cash grants per

property via the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). The Expanded

Retail Discount scheme is targeted at properties that are wholly or mainly being used:

• as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music

venues;

• for assembly and leisure; or




• as hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.

Guidance on the Expanded Retail Discount was published on 25 March 2020. Local

authorities are responsible for implementing the discount in line with the guidance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance

Officials are keeping in close contact with local authorities to monitor the progress of

the grant scheme and regarding the operation of the business rates system. Any

enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of, the RHLGF should be directed to the

relevant local authority.

On 1 May, the Government announced that up to £617 million has been made

available to local authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants

to support businesses based on local economic priorities and not directly tied to the

business rate system. Clearly, this funding is under pressure and local authorities are

to individually decide which businesses to support, within the eligibility criteria set by

Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-

guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding

ELT businesses and individuals within this sector continue to have access to a range

of additional support measures including, but not limited to:

• Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small

business rate relief or rural rate relief

• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small and micro enterprises

• VAT deferral for up to 12 months

• The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed

individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive

support with their tax affairs

• Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-

payment until June 30, 2020 – with the option for the Government to extend if

needed.

The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses

can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, and how to

apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.



local authorities have made Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant payments to English

language schools; whether his Department has contacted local authorities that have not

made those payments; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully:

As of 5 July, £10.65 billion has been paid out to over 867,600 business properties

under the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcoronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding&data=02%7C01%7CHazel.Rimmer%40communities.gov.uk%7C036b8e434b4b4987162608d821c8e1f6%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637296493947882517&sdata=k4an7yGNKg4Avz9xwuxeS959DPtuHlaKj%2FXL190Y6nA%3D&reserved=0



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https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fbusiness-coronavirus-support-finder&data=02%7C01%7CLocalEconomiesContingencyTeam%40communities.gov.uk%7C1f87c98638a14adad3aa08d81c35a687%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637290364037909306&sdata=IujgYU%2FDklMimkgdiQH%2B%2BJeUU%2BSeB%2FUAzzYiQViqHC0%3D&reserved=0



Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF). The grant schemes replicate the eligibility for the

specific rate relief schemes. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs,

having regard to the guidance issued by government, and to deliver grants to

businesses that are in scope. We do not hold sector-specific data from local

authorities on grant payments. We have, however, published a full breakdown of

grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-

authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

We are working closely with all local authorities to deliver remaining funding to

businesses that are in scope of the two schemes as quickly as possible, while

safeguarding public funds. As part of this, we have provided detailed guidance and

FAQs, regular briefings and one-to-one support from ministers and officials, as well

as a communications toolkit to help local authorities reach remaining businesses.

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Sir Mark Hendrick: [68666]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his

Department has to provide additional funding for schemes to support business affected

by covid-19 that are owned by (a) minorities and (b) women.

Paul Scully:

The Government is committed to ensuring people from all backgrounds and regions

benefit from the Government’s access to finance schemes. A diverse and inclusive

ecosystem is good for entrepreneurs, companies, investors, and society as a whole.

The Department’s Ministerial team is also actively engaging with the Black, Asian and

Minority Ethnic (BAME) business community on a regular basis to cover multiple

issues, including access to finance.

The Future Fund provides government co-investment to innovative businesses. As of

5 July, 376 convertible loans worth a total of £380 million have been approved under

the scheme. The British Business Bank (BBB) published diversity data for the Future

Fund on 23 June 2020, which showed that companies with BAME-only and mixed

ethnicity management teams accounted for over 55% of applications, valued at

£118.5m, and that 79% of funding had been issued to companies with mixed gender

management teams.

The Future Fund is also a signatory of the Investing in Women Code and encourages

co-investors to do the same.

The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme had delivered more than

73,600 loans to entrepreneurs by the end of May 2020, providing more than £609

million of funding. Of these, 40 per cent of these loans have gone to women, and 25

per cent of the total were to applicants from a BAME background.

The Government’s loan schemes to support businesses affected by Covid-19,

including the Bounce Back Loan schemes, are open to all businesses which meet the



eligibility criteria, including those owned by women as well as those owned by people

from a BAME background. We will monitor the implementation and take up of the

schemes.

UK Research and Innovation



proportion of the research and development funding that does not go through UK

Research and Innovation is allocated to universities.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate

he has made of the contribution of UK charities to UK university research and

development in each of the last three years.

Amanda Solloway:

Information on the scale and sources of research grant income secured by

universities is available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This

data is collected on an annual basis from higher education providers and is available

at https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/finances/income. Data for each of the

last three years is provided in the table below:

£’000 UK CHARITIES

UK CENTRAL

GOVERNMENT

BODIES/LOCAL

AUTHORITIES,

HEALTH AND

HOSPITAL

AUTHORITIES

UK CENTRAL

GOVERNMENT

TAX CREDITS

FOR

RESEARCH

AND

DEVELOPMENT

EXPENDITURE ACADEMIES*

HE FUNDING

BODIES

RESEARCH

GRANT

UK RESEARCH

AND

INNOVATION

(UKRI)

2016-17 1,187,550 1,006,732 24,748 88,251 399,706 ---

2017-18 1,231,617 1,088,512 15,283 98,986 390,215 3,513,571

2018-19 1,261,308 1,116,781 780 113,683 420,975 3,875,371

*The Royal Society, British Academy and The Royal Society of Edinburgh

In 2018-19, UKRI accounted for ca 70% of public funding for research from UK

sources.




CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings: Ethnic Groups

Neil O'Brien: [70490]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average gross hourly pay was of

people whose ethnicity was (a) white, (b) mixed, (c) Indian, (d) Pakistani/Bangladeshi and

(e) Black in each year since 1991.

Chloe Smith:

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

therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ70490.pdf]

Cabinet Office: Data Protection

Sir Edward Davey: [70973]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many data breaches his Department has

reported to the Information Commissioner in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith:

All Information Commissioner Office (ICO) recordable breaches are recorded by the

department and published in the Cabinet Office annual report. In the last five years, a

total of 7 breaches have been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office.

There have been 11 reportable incidents in the last 10 years.

2019/20 there were two breaches reported to the ICO


2017/18 there were three breaches reported to the ICO

2016/17 there were no breaches reported to the ICO


2014/15 there was one breach reported to the ICO





None of the reported breaches resulted in follow-up ICO action.

Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission

Wendy Chamberlain: [70499]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's timetable is for the

formation of the Commission on the Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights.






To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how the membership of the Commission on the

Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights will be determined.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the planned scope is of the Commission

on the Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights.

Chloe Smith:

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQs 1274-1279 on 13 January 2020.


Preet Kaur Gill: [68764]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will target (a) social distancing guidance

and (b) other key messages regarding the covid-19 outbreak to groups most likely to

breach Government guidance.

Julia Lopez:

The Government has developed a national cross-government campaign to increase

awareness of all COVID-related guidance and to provide information and

reassurance to the public. Insight has been used to ensure that the main public

information campaign reaches as many priority audiences as possible.

Employment: Ethnic Groups

Neil O'Brien: [70491]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the employment rate was of (a) women

and (b) men whose ethnicity was (i) white, (ii) mixed, (iii) Indian, (iv)

Pakistani/Bangladeshi and (v) Black in each year since 1991.

Chloe Smith:

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

therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Attachments:

1. UKSA's response - 70491 [PQ70491.pdf]

2. UKSA's supporting documents - 70491 [PQ70491.xls]

Veterans: Civil Service


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress his Department has made on

guaranteeing interviews for veterans applying to the civil service; and what the timeframe

is for the roll-out of the pilot scheme for that policy.

Johnny Mercer:

As part of the Government’s commitment to making the Civil Service a Great Place to

Work for Veterans any veteran applying for a Civil Service post will be interviewed, as







long as they meet the minimum criteria for the role. Veterans can already apply to

Civil Service roles and the addition of this scheme will further open up a broad range

of exciting opportunities in the Civil Service, alongside existing schemes such as the

Going Forward Into Employment Programme, and make it easier for the Civil Service

to benefit from the talents and skills that veterans have to offer. We are committed to

rolling out the pilot for this new scheme as soon as we can. Further details will be

announced in the usual way.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Churches: Coronavirus

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: [69712]

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church

Commissioners, what the timescale is for allowing churches to resume choir singing; and

what guidance will be published for churches on resuming choir singing safely during the

covid-19 outbreak.

Andrew Selous:

[Holding answer 9 July 2020]: The timescale for allowing churches to resume choral

singing is a matter for Public Health England and the Government. The Ministry for

Housing, Communities and Local Government published updated guidance on the 9

th July, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-

19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-

july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-

from-4-july

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Anthony Mangnall: [69707]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to (a) speed up and (b)

streamline the recruitment process of military personnel.

James Heappey:

The Armed Forces have recently introduced measures to improve recruiting

performance. These include improved candidate relationship management, a review

of medical procedures and policies, and prioritisation of recruitment for key areas.

Our re-joiner programmes also aim to expedite the return of skilled and experienced

personnel. Officer recruitment is healthy in all three Services and the Financial Year

19/20 has seen an improvement on the previous year in Other Ranks intake by 14%

for the Naval Service, 77% for the Army and 25% for the RAF. At Single Service

level, we are exploring initiatives to streamline and accelerate recruitment from

Commonwealth countries.




Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: [71115]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the career destinations were of recruits

who enlisted at the Army Foundation College but dropped out before completing Phase

Two training in each of the last five years for which data is available.

James Heappey:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton,

Kemptown (Mr Lloyd Russell- Moyle) on 27 February 2020 to Question 19893.

Attachments:

1. 19893 - Army Recruitment [Hansard Extract 27 February 20202.docx]

AWACS: Procurement


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant the Answer of 6 July to Question

67564 on AWACS: Procurement, whether all conversion work for E-7 Wedgetail aircraft

purchased by the UK will take place in Birmingham.

Jeremy Quin:

Yes. As announced by Boeing in May this year, a contract has been signed with STS

Aviation, based at Birmingham Airport, to carry out the modification of the base 737

Next Generation civil airliner into E7.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to

Question 67566 on AWACS: Procurement, whether he has plans to make a comparative

assessment of the costs of (a) support and (b) maintenance for the E-7 Wedgetail for the

US and the UK.

Jeremy Quin:

The Ministry of Defence is currently defining the support and maintenance

requirements for the RAF E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, and this will involve the evaluation of

a number of different options. It will also include a comprehensive investment

appraisal to demonstrate that whatever option is selected represents value for money

for defence and the taxpayer. While it is too early to provide any specific detail, there

are currently no plans for this work to be carried out in the US.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to

Question 67566 on AWACS: Procurement, for what reason his Department made the

decision not to make a comparative assessment of the cost of (a) support and (b)

maintenance work in the US and the UK for the E-7 Wedgetail contract prior to the award

of the main contract to Boeing.






Jeremy Quin:

It is common with acquisition projects of this scale and complexity for an incremental

approach to be adopted, with contracts for different elements of the project being

placed at the appropriate time to align delivery with capability requirement. As the

aircraft acquisition contract placed with Boeing in March 2019 did not include future

support and maintenance for the RAF E-7 Wedgetail fleet, there was no need to

undertake such an assessment at that time. That work is being carried out as part of

a different phase of the project.

Iraq: Detainees

John Healey: [70306]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to

Question 67536 on Ministry of Defence: Iraq Detainees, of the 1,000 civil claims in

connection with operations in Iraq, how many cases were brought after (a) three and (b)

six years, when calculated from the date the claim was issued, rather than the date the

claim was serviced.

Johnny Mercer:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 July 2020 to Question 67536.

We are unable to provide a complete response to this question, as we have not yet

finished calculating the time elapsed between the date of the alleged incident and the

date on which the claim was either issued or served in all cases. However, we can

say that at least 500 were brought more than six years after the alleged incident and

would have been caught by the longstop introduced in the Overseas Operations

(Service Personnel & Veterans) Bill; at least 250 were brought within three to six

years and would have been subject to the Courts discretion; and at least 40 were

brought within three years of the alleged incident.

Attachments:

1. 67536 - Iraq Detainees [Hansard Extracts.docx]


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to

Question 67536 on Ministry of Defence: Iraq Detainees, how many of the approximately

1,000 civil claims and 1,500 judicial reviews in connection with operations in Iraq, were

settled.

Johnny Mercer:

A claim is considered "settled" when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has agreed the

damages to be awarded to the claimant, and these and the associated legal costs

have been paid. I can confirm that, of the approximately 1,000 compensation claims

brought in connection with operations in Iraq, approximately 330 have been settled to

date and 217 have been either withdrawn or struck out. Discussions regarding the

resolution of the remaining 414 claims remain ongoing.




With regard to the approximately 1,400 judicial review claims, only a few were

resolved by the time Public Interest Lawyers went into administration in 2016. Under

a 2017 Court Order, unless the claimant revives their claim within three months of the

MOD notifying them that any investigations into their allegations are complete, any

remaining claims are to be automatically struck out. This process is ongoing.

Military Aid

Sam Tarry: [69743]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for which countries the armed forces provided

training for in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20; and which armed service provided the training

for each of those training programmes so provided.

James Heappey:

The information requested has been placed in the library of the House.

Attachments:

1. 69743 - List of Countries AF Training Provided to. [20200709 PQW_19-21_2020_07712

(1).xlsx]

Military Bases: USA

Alex Sobel: [68789]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to whom US bases (a) NSA/NRO Menwith Hill

and (b) the Joint Intelligence and Analysis Center at the US base at Croughton are

accountable to in the absence of meetings of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

James Heappey:

The United States Visiting Forces (USVF) are governed by NATO Status of Forces

Agreement of 1951 and the Visiting Forces Act 1952. The Ministry of Defence

continues to have oversight of activities at USVF bases in the UK, but does not

comment on specific matters of intelligence at military bases.

Ministry of Defence: Employers' Liability


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the civil claims filed against his

Department, under employers' liability, by serving armed forces personnel, veterans and

their families were issued after (a) three and (b) six years when calculated from either the

date of the alleged incident, or the date of knowledge of the incident, which ever is later,

since 2003.

Johnny Mercer:

Data has been provided for Employer's Liability claims brought by current and former

service personnel and their families since 1 May 2007 where a date of incident has

been recorded and the country of incident has been recorded as either Iraq or

Afghanistan. Date of knowledge is not recorded on the claims management systems.

522 civil claims have been identified and of these I can confirm that a) 357 were

brought within three years of the date of incident b) 125 were brought between three





and six years of the date of incident and c) 70 were brought more than six years after

the date of incident. The data is held in a number of case management systems each

recording data in a different way and it is not possible to answer the question put

which asks about Employer's liability in general without exceeding the costs limit.

Ministry of Defence: Staff


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's civilian staff will be

subject to the same provisions within the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and

Veterans) Bill as military personnel when posted overseas to support military operations.

Johnny Mercer:

The provisions in Part 1 of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and

Veterans) Bill will only apply to alleged offences committed more than five years ago

by current or former members of the UK Armed Forces, including Reserves, and

members of British Overseas Territory Forces when operating as part of UK Armed

Forces, on operations outside the British Islands.

Although Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civil Servants do deploy in support of our Armed

Forces during overseas operations, they are not generally deployed on the front line

of military operations and are not ordinarily exposed to the same risks and dangers

as Service personnel. As a result, the justification for the additional protection

provided by the statutory presumption against prosecution to Armed Forces

personnel would not be present in relation to Civil Servants.

The provisions on civil litigation in Part 2 of the Bill relate to claims brought against

the MOD, the Secretary of State for Defence, or any member of Her Majesty's forces

in connection with overseas operations. These provisions will apply to all claimants in

the same way.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Zarah Sultana: [68798]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents have been logged as

alleged international humanitarian law violations reportedly conducted by the Saudi-led

coalition in Yemen since March 2015.

James Heappey:

As at 4 July, the number of alleged instances of breaches or violations of

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen listed on the "Tracker" database

maintained by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is 535. Of these, 19 are duplicate

entries, which means that some incidents will have been recorded on more than one

occasion likely because of the incomplete nature of reporting.




DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Business: Coronavirus

Tracy Brabin: [66158]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish in full

the findings of his Department's Coronavirus Impact Business Survey.

Caroline Dinenage:

The purpose of the DCMS Coronavirus Business Survey is to assess the impact of

Covid 19 on DCMS sectors and the extent to which they have accessed government

support packages. DCMS has published selected headline findings, and we will

publish the detailed results in due course.

The survey was launched on 23rd April 2020 and closed on 22nd May 2020. The

survey was run simultaneously through DCMS stakeholder engagement channels

and via a YouGov panel. A total of 3,936 responses were received from DCMS

stakeholder engagement channels (2,369) and via YouGov (1,567).

Casinos: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: [69728]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he

has had with (a) the casino industry and (b) trade organisations on establishing safe

working practices to enable casinos in Blackpool to reopen.

Nigel Huddleston:

DCMS officials are in regular contact with Public Health England and the casino

sector to discuss the protections that are needed to allow casinos to reopen safely.

This includes arranging a visit for senior public health representatives to assess the

measures which are in place. I have spoken with representatives of the sector about

the impacts of closure, and the government is working to ensure casinos can open as

soon as the medical and scientific advice is that it is safe to do so.

Cultural Renewal Taskforce


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of

participants of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce's working groups are from a (a) BAME, (b)

disability and (c) other under-represented background.

Caroline Dinenage:

The Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and the Working Groups which support it, include a

wide range of relevant organisations and membership bodies to represent relevant

sectors. We have strived to ensure they are made up of a diverse variety of different

organisations that vary not only by size and scale, but which also represent a broad

range of views and backgrounds from across the country.






To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what tasks the

Cultural Renewal Taskforce is currently undertaking.

Caroline Dinenage:

The Cultural Renewal Taskforce has been working to support the renewal of DCMS

sectors and to help develop new COVID-19 secure guidelines for the reopening of

public places and businesses in these sectors, where and when it is safe to do so.

The focus of the Taskforce’s work is on:

• ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing

ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and

providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input;

• developing creative solutions, to drive the return of sectors whilst maintaining

consistency with the medical advice;

• agreeing and ensuring alignment of relevant sectoral guidance; and

• providing key sector stakeholders with a forum to support government work on

cultural renewal.

The Cultural Renewal Taskforce has met seven times between 22 May and 1 July,

and will continue to meet over the summer to support the progress towards the

reopening and recovery of DCMS sectors.

Digital Technology

Helen Hayes: [71113]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his

Department has to (a) publish a long-term, costed strategy on closing the digital divide

and (b) make that strategy available for consultation.

Caroline Dinenage:

I announced last month that the government will be publishing a new digital strategy

in the Autumn that reflects the new post-COVID reality. This will focus on growth and

using tech to power us out of the recession, to drive productivity and to create jobs in

all parts of our economy.

For the aspirations of this strategy to be delivered successfully, we recognise people

will need the capability and confidence to get the most out of an increasingly digital

world, and we welcome ideas for the strategy from stakeholders.

Escape Rooms: Coronavirus

Paul Bristow: [66992]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his

Department has provided (a) support and (b) guidance to escape room businesses during






Nigel Huddleston:

The Government’s economic support measures have helped a wide range of visitor

attractions through this crisis. Escape room businesses can continue to access

schemes such as the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-

Employed Income Support Scheme, the Bounce Back Loans scheme. Certain retail,

leisure and hospitality businesses are also eligible for business rates relief and

grants.

Indoor attractions will be permitted to reopen from 4 July, so long as they can do so in

line with COVID-19 Secure guidelines for the Visitor Economy. People should only

visit indoor attractions within their household group (or support bubble) or with one

other household (or support bubble).

We have worked very closely with the tourism sector to develop Covid-secure

guidance which will help visitor economy businesses reopen safely.

Football Association Premier League

Stephen Morgan: [68788]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his

statement at the daily press conference on 17 June, that all but five countries worldwide

broadcast the restart of the Premier League on 17 June 2020, which five countries did not

air the restart of the Premier League.

Nigel Huddleston:

We understand from the Premier League that broadcast rights to their matches have

been sold around the world, with only five countries not covered as of 17 June -

Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, the Philippines and Turkmenistan.

Gambling Act 2005

Ronnie Cowan: [69615]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department

plans to bring forward proposals on reform of the Gambling Act 2005.

Nigel Huddleston:

The government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to make

sure it is fit for the digital age. A timeline for the review and its scope will be

announced in due course.

Inland Waterways: Coronavirus

Michael Fabricant: [68663]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is

taking to support (a) heritage and (b) tourism on the inland waterways during the covid-19

outbreak; and if he will make a statement.





Nigel Huddleston:

We recognise that waterways businesses have been severely impacted by the

current crisis. My Department will continue to work closely with the Department for

Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to assess how we can most effectively

support heritage and tourism on inland waterways following COVID-19.

Waterways businesses and workers can access the Government’s comprehensive

economic support package, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the

Bounce Back Loans scheme. The £10 million Kick-starting Tourism Package will give

small businesses in tourist destinations grants of up to £5,000 to help them adapt

their businesses following COVID-19.

Through the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and its working groups, we have developed

COVID-secure guidance which will help heritage and tourism businesses reopen

safely.

VisitBritain have also introduced an industry standard quality mark that tourism

businesses - including those associated with waterways - can acquire if they are

compliant with COVID-secure guidance.

The £45m Discover England Fund encourages visitors to enjoy the West Midlands’

diverse waterways, including the Trent & Mersey Canal in Lichfield.

Music and Sports: Coronavirus

Dr James Davies: [68385]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward

proposals to grant (a) music venues, (b) community sporting venues and (c) semi-

professional sports clubs temporary charitable status for the purpose of donations during


Mr John Whittingdale:

It is not within DCMS’s gift to grant charitable status on a temporary basis and there

are no plans to widen the definition of charity. Some music venues, community

sporting venues and amateur sports clubs already qualify for charitable status and

can therefore benefit from gift aid on donations. In England and Wales, charitable

status is dependent on meeting the definition of a charity set out by Parliament in the

Charities Act 2011. The advancement of arts, culture or amateur sport for the public

benefit are determined to be charitable purposes within scope of the Charities Act

2011. To meet the definition of charity, organisations must exist for public benefit

rather than private benefit. Further detail is set out in the Charity Commission’s

Guidance on ‘Charitable Purposes’.

Arts and sporting organisations can benefit from the broad range of support the

Government has made available to support organisations through the crisis, including

the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. In addition to the £750 million funding

package the Government has provided specifically for voluntary, community and

social enterprise organisations, the Government has unlocked £150 million from

dormant bank and building society accounts, part of which will provide emergency



loans for civil society organisations and improve the availability of fair, affordable

credit to people in vulnerable circumstances.

The Government has also provided more targeted provision to support arts and

sporting organisations through the crisis. On the 5th July, the Government

announced a £1.57bn targeted rescue package to protect the arts, cultural and

heritage industry. This represents the largest one off investment in culture, and will

include investment in music venues to ensure future sustainability of the sector. Sport

England has provided up to £210m of funding to support community and grassroots

clubs facing financial challenges over the period of the COVID-19 crisis. This includes

£35m of public funding under the banner of Community Emergency Funding (CEF)

available to community clubs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charitable-purposes/charitable-

purposes#the-advancement-of-the-arts-culture-heritage-or-science.

Music: Coronavirus

Kerry McCarthy: [71001]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the

eligibility criteria for music venues applying for the £1.57 billion arts sector support

funding.

Caroline Dinenage:

On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion

support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus

pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range

of cultural and creative sectors.

We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop detailed

guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding. We will

publish this guidance as soon as possible in July.

Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

Dr Dan Poulter: [69518]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his

Department plans to take to allow private swimming pools that are available for public

hire to reopen safely as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions re eased.

Nigel Huddleston:

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and

children to be active. As announced on 9 July, from 11 July, outdoor swimming pools

will be able to open and from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including sports

halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will

be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and

follow Government guidance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charitable-purposes/charitable-purposes#the-advancement-of-the-arts-culture-heritage-or-science






The updated guidance can be found at the GOV.UK website and includes advice for

providers of pool, gym and leisure facilities on cleaning, social distancing, and

protection for staff to help venues get back up and running safely.

Theatres: Coronavirus

Mr Laurence Robertson: [70305]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the

Government's recently announced support for cultural, arts and heritage institutions,

which body will be responsible for ensuring that small provincial theatres receive that

funding; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage:

On 5 July, DCMS announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural

organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will

provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including

performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music

venues and independent cinema. This money will be spent across England, and we

want it to benefit local communities across the country.

The funds will be delivered by Arts Council England, Historic England, and the

National Lottery Heritage Fund working with the National Lottery Memorial Fund.

Further details, including eligibility and application processes, will be released later in

July.

EDUCATION

Academic Year: Free School Meals

Stuart Anderson: [68793]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made on

allocating funding through the Holiday Activities and Food scheme.

Vicky Ford:

The Holiday Activities and Food programme are integral to our approach to provide

healthy food to children over the summer. It will ensure thousands of disadvantaged

children have access to healthy meals and holiday activities in summer 2020 –

building on the success of the 2018 and 2019 programmes – and remaining

committed to supporting children and families through the disruption caused by

COVID-19.

On Monday 22 June the Department for Education published an announcement with

the details of the Holiday Activities and Food programme and the areas that were

successful in receiving the funding for 2020. Grant funding was allocated based on a

competitive bidding process. The successful bidders and areas are:

• StreetGames (Newcastle, North East region);

• Gateshead Council (Gateshead - North East region);

http://gov.uk/

http://gov.uk/




• Edsential (Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Wirral - North West region);

• Spring North (Blackburn with Darwen - North West);

• Leeds Community Foundation (Leeds and Bradford - Yorkshire & the Humber

region);

• Voluntary Action Sheffield (Sheffield - Yorkshire & the Humber region);

• Suffolk County Council (Suffolk - East of England region);

• Mayor’s Fund for London (Lambeth and Southwark - London);

• Tower Hamlets Local Authority (Tower Hamlets - London);

• The Romsey School (Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight -

South East region).

Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Tulip Siddiq: [70467]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to

Question 67720 on Children: Coronavirus, if he will publish the ongoing analysis of how

the Adoption and Children (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 are being used.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2020 to

Question 67720 on Children: Coronavirus, on what date he plans to seek permission to

make his statement to Parliament before the summer recess on the Adoption and

Children (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.

Vicky Ford:

I will make a statement to Parliament before summer recess on the Adoption and

Children (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020, which will be informed by the

department’s ongoing analysis of how the regulations are being used.

Black Curriculum

Ms Harriet Harman: [70951]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will implement the recommendations of

the Black Curriculum.

Nick Gibb:

The Department has responded directly to The Black Curriculum’s campaign. The

reply sets out in detail how the history curriculum already enables the teaching of

Black history, as do other curriculums across other subject areas.

The substance of our reply to The Black Curriculum is based on the national

curriculum’s history programmes of study, available at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-

programmes-of-study.




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study




The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the

Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set

out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The

Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and

expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what

they teach.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils should be taught about different

societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain,

and this can include the voices and experience of Black people. The flexibility within

the history curriculum means that Black British history can already be included.

Children and Young People: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who will be responsible for (a) setting up and

(b) managing the Parent and Pupil Online Panel to help monitor the effect of the covid-19

outbreak on children and young people.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how information from the Parent and Pupil

Online Panel will be used to inform education policy.

Nick Gibb:

Researchers at the Department for Education are currently developing a research

panel with pupils and parents. We will confirm how this will be set up and managed in

due course.

As is standard practice, the research data and analysis will be used to underpin

policy decisions and communications. Data from pupils and parents will also help us

monitor the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on these groups.

Children and Young People: Internet


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for how long his Department plans to pay for

internet access, through broadband or 4G routers, for children and young people eligible

for technology support.

Nick Gibb:

The Government has committed over £100 million to support vulnerable and

disadvantaged children in England to access remote education and online social care

services, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers.

Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and

disadvantaged children in year 10 do not have internet connections, we have

provided 4G wireless routers to them so that they can learn at home. The 4G wireless

routers will provide paid-for internet access for six months from when they are

delivered to the local authority or academy trust.





The Department has launched a service to provide children and young people free

access to BT wifi hotspots until the end of December – this date will remain under

review. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is

currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months.

We are currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to

access the internet through their network of BT wifi hotspots.

We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve

internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families. For families who rely

on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide

access to free additional data while COVID-19 requires children to learn from home

and more social care services are being delivered online.

Children: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his announcement in June

2020 that parents will not be fined for the non-attendance of children in school during the

covid-19 outbreak, what his policy is on the length of time that moratorium will be in

operation for.

Nick Gibb:

In March when the COVID-19 outbreak was worsening, we made clear no parent

would be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school.

Now the circumstances have changed and it is vital for all children to return to school

to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the outbreak on children’s

education, wellbeing and wider development.

This means that from the beginning of the autumn term, the usual rules on school

attendance will apply. This includes parents’ duty to ensure their child attends school

regularly, where the child is a registered pupil at school and they are of compulsory

school age, and the availability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices, in

line with local authorities’ codes of conduct.

Catherine West: [67722]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government has taken to

identify and protect children who may be at increased risk from safeguarding issues as a

result of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Vicky Ford:

Ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is a top priority for the

government. From the outset, we asked schools to remain open for children who are

vulnerable, as well as children of critical workers. This remains the case as some

year groups return to school.

The government has provided an unprecedented package of support for vulnerable

children, including:




• Over £3.2 billion so far, with a further £500 million announced on 2 July, bringing

the total to £3.7 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting

COVID-19 related pressures, including on children’s services.

• £1.6 million of funding for the NSPCC to help promote and expand their national

UK helpline which provides advice and guidance and support to adults reporting

safeguarding concerns. Since the start of the campaign on 4 May, the NSPCC

helpline has seen the number of calls and emails grow by 66% and has made over

9,000 referrals, with one out of every 9 referrals going to emergency services such

as the police and children’s social care.

• The Adoption Support Fund – £8 million to help families under pressure as a result

of the outbreak.

• The Innovation Programme – more than £12 million for 14 projects tackling

increased risk, for example from domestic violence and supporting teenagers at

risk of exploitation.

• See, Hear, Respond – £7 million partnership of national children’s charities and

local organisations to provide targeted support to vulnerable children, young people

and their families who are affected by COVID-19.

• Laptops and tablets for children with social workers and care leavers to help them

keep in touch with the services they need, as well as 4G internet devices for

connecting to the internet. As of 30 June, over 200,000 laptops and tablets and

over 47,000 4G wireless routers had been dispatched or delivered to local

authorities and academy trusts.

Our Regional Education and Care Teams are working with local authorities directly to

ensure the systems and processes for maintaining contact with vulnerable children

are robust in every local authority in England.

We have also made temporary legislative changes to help reduce pressure on the

system and enable children's services to continue to support vulnerable children

during these unprecedented times.

Our latest guidance on supporting vulnerable children and young people during the

COVID-19 outbreak was updated on 1 July and is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-

childrens-social-care-services.

The department has issued a suite of guidance to help and support schools and

colleges. This includes interim safeguarding guidance, which is clear that schools and

colleges should revise their child protection policies to reflect new arrangements. The

guidance sets out that it is important that all staff who interact with children, including

online, continue to look out for signs a child may be at risk. The safeguarding

guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-and-remote-

education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services



https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-and-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19




Schools and colleges should continue to have regard to statutory guidance, Keeping

Children Safe in Education, as per their legislative duty or funding agreement

requirements, or both.

Covid-19 Education Catch-up Fund

Nick Fletcher: [67816]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether academies attended by 16 to 19

year-olds will have access to the £1 billion support package to tackle the impact of lost

teaching time.

Nick Gibb:

The £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package is made up of £650 million to be shared

across state primary and secondary schools over the 2020/21 academic year, and a

National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million, which will increase access to high-

quality tuition for the most disadvantaged pupils over the 2020/21 academic year. We

will announce further details of how these will operate as soon as possible.

We are committed to supporting all children and young people to make up for time

spent out of education. We know that remote education has been working well for

many students in post-16 education, and we will continue to work with the sector to

establish the best way to support students to make up for the disruption due to

COVID-19.

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council: Computers


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops were provided to

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council by his Department in response to the covid-19

outbreak.

Nick Gibb:

The Government has committed over £100 million to support vulnerable and

disadvantaged children in England to access remote education and social care

services, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers.

We are providing laptops and tablets to disadvantaged and vulnerable children who

would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10,

receiving support from a social worker or are a care leaver. Where care leavers,

children with a social worker at secondary school and children in year 10 do not have

internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers.

The Department has ordered over 200,000 laptops and tablets and allocated devices

to local authorities and academy trusts based on its estimates of the number of

eligible children that do not have access to a device. Local authorities and academy

trusts are best placed to identify and prioritise children and young people who need

devices. All local authorities and academy trusts can place orders for the devices

they need.




The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G

wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy

trusts as of 30 June, which can be viewed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-

progress-data. This includes 635 devices to Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

for children with a social worker and care leavers.

Foreign Students: Fees and Charges

Simon Baynes: [70523]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made

of the effect on the numbers of overseas students of the difference in tuition fees for

British nationals living in Britain and those who have lived overseas for longer than three

years.

Michelle Donelan:

To qualify for home fee status in England, a person must have settled status or a

recognised connection to the United Kingdom and meet the relevant ordinary

residence requirements. Most persons must have been ordinarily resident in the

United Kingdom and Islands or, in some cases, the European Economic Area or

Switzerland for the 3 years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their

course, excluding periods of temporary absence.

No assessment has been made of the number of British nationals who do not qualify

for home fee status in England by virtue of their residence.

Free School Meals: Immigrants

Stephen Timms: [70952]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria he plans to use to determine for

how long families with No Recourse to Public Funds will have access to free school

meals; and if he will make a statement.

Vicky Ford:

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we are temporarily extending free school meal

eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds.

The extension of free school meal eligibility to these groups will continue while the

COVID-19 outbreak impacts upon schools, and it includes access to the COVID

Summer Food Fund.

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [70409]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Jul 2020 to

Question 60772 on Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes, whether a child that becomes

eligible for free school meal vouchers during the summer period can be granted a

voucher for the remaining weeks.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data







Vicky Ford:

New applicants are eligible up to the end of a school’s summer term. If a school

receives a claim for an eligible child after the final ordering date of at least one week

before their school term ends but before the start of the school’s summer holidays, it

will be possible for the school to place an exceptional order for that child via the

Edenred system.

If families are facing hardship, they can access the Local Authority Emergency

Assistance Grant. Further government support is available for families struggling as a

result of the COVID-19 outbreak. If families need urgent help, they can contact their

local council to find out what services are available in their area:

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-help.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [71007]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to

Question 60716, how families of children who become eligible for free school meals

during the summer holidays will be able to claim the national school food voucher or

alternative from their school during that period.

Vicky Ford:

School offices will be closed during the summer holiday period. If families are facing

hardship, they can access the Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant.

Further government support is available for families struggling as a result of COVID-

19. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support.

If families need urgent help, they can contact their local council to find out what

services are available in their area.

Music: Education

Dame Diana Johnson: [63253]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a)

education providers undertake appropriate risk assessments in relation to teaching music

in education settings which are (i) shared with all staff and their representatives before

any individual can be required to return to work during the covid-19 outbreak and (ii) take

account of risks arising from (A) choirs and singing, (B) wind ensembles and (C) other

circumstances specific to music teaching and (b) no music teacher is penalised or suffers

detriment for raising or acting on health and safety concerns in respect of that outbreak.

Nick Gibb:

On 2 July we published guidance to help schools plan for a full return of all pupils in

September, which includes guidance on music lessons. Schools are advised to note

that there may be an additional risk of infection in environments where individuals are

singing, chanting, playing wind or brass instruments or shouting. This applies even if

individuals are at a distance. Schools should consider how to reduce the risk,

particularly when pupils are playing instruments or singing in small groups such as in

music lessons by, for example, physical distancing and playing outside wherever

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-help

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-help


https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support

https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support



possible, limiting group sizes to no more than 15, positioning pupils back-to-back or

side-to-side, avoiding sharing of instruments, and ensuring good ventilation. Singing,

wind and brass playing should not take place in larger groups such as school choirs

and ensembles, or school assemblies. The Department plans to publish further

guidance regarding music lessons shortly.

The guidance for full opening of schools in September can be read at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-

coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#introduction.

National Careers Service: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's policy

paper, A plan for jobs, published on 8 July 2020, how the additional £32 million for the

National Careers Service will be funded; and whether that funding will be used to

encourage STEM career paths.

Gillian Keegan:

HM Treasury will provide £32 million in additional funding to the Department for

Education over the next two years. The funding will ensure that 269,000 more people

in England will receive impartial and tailored information, advice and guidance to

meet their individual needs and circumstances within the context of current economic

circumstances.

The careers advice provided will draw on labour market trends and growth areas

including opportunities available in science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics (STEM) careers.

Ormskirk School: Leasehold

Rosie Cooper: [70354]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will place a copy of the lease pertaining

to Ormskirk School in the Library.

Nick Gibb:

Ormskirk School moved to its new accommodation in 2004. The land had been part

of the site of the former Cross Hall High School, a community school, and was

transferred by Lancashire County Council (LCC) in February 2006 to five named

individuals who were trustees of the Foundation Trust of the school. The Department

for Education was not party to that transfer.

The 2006 Charity Commission scheme for the Foundation Trust provides for the

Foundation Trust to retain the land for use as a voluntary school.

Copies of the title number LAN28839 are available on request from LCC or the

Foundation Trust and the Land Registry. A copy of the title has been shared with the

Department as part of the conversion of the school to become an academy.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#introduction






Overseas Students: USA

Emma Hardy: [70486]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the recent decision of the

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that international students offered only online

university courses in that country must leave the US, whether he plans to take steps to

encourage international students to study in the UK.

Michelle Donelan:

The government has been clear that our world-leading universities, which thrive on

being global institutions, will always be open to international students. Engaging

closely with the devolved administrations and the higher education sector, we are

working to reassure prospective international students that UK higher education is

‘open for business’, remains-world class and is a safe place to study. This includes

continued work with Study UK (the government’s international student recruitment

campaign led by the British Council), support for the sector-led #WeAreTogether

campaign and a package of bespoke communications that will directly target

prospective international students, making clear our world-leading offer.

We are also taking steps to promote the new graduate route, which will provide a

non-extendable period of leave to stay and work in the UK at any skill level. The

government announced on 1 July, as part of the new graduate route, that

international students who complete a PhD from summer 2021 can stay in the UK for

3 years after study to live and work. Students who have successfully completed

undergraduate and master’s degrees will be able to stay for 2 years. This represents

a significant improvement in our offer to international students and will help ensure

our higher education sector remains competitive internationally.

Furthermore, on 22 June, with my counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland and

Wales, I wrote to prospective international students to outline the support and

guidance available to international students who are considering studying in the UK

from the autumn: https://study-

uk.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/letter_to_prospective_international_students.pd

f. This letter reiterates a number of flexibilities that the government has already

announced for international students including, amongst other mitigations,

confirmation that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21

academic year provided that international students’ sponsors intend to transition to

face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow, and that international students

present in the UK before 6 April 2021 will be eligible for the graduate route if they

meet the other requirements of the route when it is introduced in summer 2021.

Guidance published on 24 March provides a temporary work-around for students who

need to undertake distance learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is reiterated

in guidance for short-term and Tier 4 students updated on 1 June:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tier-4-sponsors-migrants-

and-short-term-students.


https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/letter_to_prospective_international_students.pdf




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tier-4-sponsors-migrants-and-short-term-students




The government is also in discussions with Universities UK and other sector

representatives on a regular basis to ensure we are united in welcoming international

students to the UK. In particular, we expect international students to be appropriately

supported upon arrival by their chosen university during these unprecedented times –

especially those who will be subject to the 14-day self-isolation period.

The UK’s new International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, will assist with

opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, which will

include attracting international students to UK universities. Alongside Sir Steve’s

appointment, our review of the International Education Strategy this autumn will

respond to the new context and the challenges posed by COVID-19 across all

education settings to ensure we can continue to welcome international students in the

future.

Pre-school Education: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to increase funding in the

early years education sector.

Vicky Ford:

We are planning to spend over £3.6 billion on early education entitlements in 2020-

21. Future funding will be a matter for the next spending review.

The government is committed to supporting families with their childcare costs. Last

October, we announced increases in our hourly rates for the 2-year-old entitlement

and in most areas for the 3- and 4-year-old entitlement, effective from April of this

year.

We also announced that supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools will

continue until the end of the financial year 2020-21.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to pay local authorities their regular

instalments of Dedicated Schools Grant, including the early years block, as usual.

We continue to work closely with the early years sector to understand how it can best

be supported to ensure that sufficient childcare is available for those returning to work

now, and for all families who need it in the longer term.

Primary Education: Coronavirus

Darren Henry: [62658]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help

ensure that primacy school pupils can take part in physical education safely when they

return to school as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Nick Gibb:

The Department is working to ensure that schools are fully supported as pupils return

now and are able to give pupils opportunities to be physically active during the school

day. Schools are free to organise and deliver a PE curriculum that suits the needs of




all their pupils whilst following COVID-19 government guidelines. The latest guidance

for schools can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-

schools-and-other-educational-settings. The Government’s intention is for all children

to return to school from September and will publish guidance soon. The Department

is considering what further advice to provide on PE and school sport in that guidance.

The Department has worked closely with nurseries, schools, physical activity experts

and sport providers so that pupils who have not yet been able to return to school

have advice and resources to participate in regular exercise. The Department has

published online educational resources approved by subject experts for schools and

parents, to help children to learn at home; these resources include those for PE.

The Government remains committed to supporting schools to make good use of their

sports facilities and to promote physical literacy and competitive sport. We plan to

update the School Sport Activity Action Plan with longer-term proposals to support

schools and providers to work together to support children’s activity levels to continue

to rise after they return to school.

Schools: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: [64877]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made

of the potential merits of introducing a transition period for pupils returning to school

during the covid-19 outbreak in the autumn term so that they can focus on their well-

being alongside academic studies.

Vicky Ford:

The return to school is a vital factor in both the wellbeing and educational progress of

pupils - the two reinforce each other. We have encouraged schools to focus on

pastoral support as more pupils return to school this term. Children in Reception,

Year 1 and Year 6 are now able to return to primary school, and Year 10 and 12

pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary school. Primary schools

with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective

measures. We have also given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’

with all pupils during the summer term.

The department has now published detailed plans for all children and young people

to return to full-time education from September. The guidance highlights the particular

need to focus on pastoral support and mental wellbeing as a central part of what

schools provide, in order to re-engage them and rebuild social interaction with their

friends and teachers. This will involve curriculum provision as well as extra-curricular

and pastoral support, and our recently published relationships, sex and health

education training module will support teachers with preparation to deliver content on

mental health and wellbeing. The guidance for schools is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-and-colleges-to-reopen-in-full-in-

september.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-and-colleges-to-reopen-in-full-in-september





To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help mitigate the

loss of income from facility hire by schools during the covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Nick Gibb:

We recognise that over the last three months, schools will have lost income from

facility hire and this will put pressure on budgets.

Where schools have members of staff delivering services funded from self-generated

income, we have advised that they should first look to redeploy these staff or use

existing budgets to absorb the cost. After having looked at all other options, schools

have been able to consider using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The

Department has provided additional guidance for schools in this situation which can

be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-

for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-

support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care.

Special Educational Needs: Speech and Language Disorders

Geraint Davies: [70284]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that (a)

children’s early language and communication development and (b) the timely

identification and support for speech, language and communication needs are prioritised

in (a) local and (b) national covid-19 recovery plans.

Vicky Ford:

Supporting the most vulnerable children and young people, including those with

speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), is a priority for us, especially at

this time. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, educational settings have been asked

to ensure that vulnerable children and young people can attend where appropriate.

Local authorities are responsible for their own strategic planning and have statutory

requirements to offer SLCN provision where a child or young person requires it as

part of their education, health and care (EHC) plan. Since May, as a result of the

COVID-19 outbreak, it has been necessary to modify the duty on local authorities and

health commissioners so that they could use their ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure

or arrange the specified special educational and health care provision in EHC plans.

However, we are committed to removing these flexibilities as soon as possible and

my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has confirmed that, unless

the evidence changes, he will not be issuing further national notices to modify this

duty.

We have also been working to support early language and communication

development specifically. Since 2018, we have committed more than £60 million to

programmes to improve early language and literacy. We will work with the sector to

explore how best to continue to support children’s early development, including


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care






through the Early Years Foundation Stage reforms and the department’s Hungry

Little Minds campaign, which we will continue to use to provide support for parents to

develop their children’s early language and literacy .

More widely, we are ensuring that resources are available. We have announced a

package worth £1 billion to ensure that schools across England have the resources

they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time, with extra support for

those who need it most. £650 million will be spent on ensuring all pupils have the

chance to catch up and supporting schools to rise to the challenge. For pupils with

complex needs, we strongly encourage schools to spend this funding on catch-up

support to address their individual needs, which could include speech and language

therapy where appropriate. We will set out how this funding will be distributed

between individual schools shortly.

We will also roll out a National Tutoring Programme, worth up to £350 million, which

will deliver one-to-one tuition to the most disadvantaged young people. More details

are available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-

resources/national-tutoring-programme/.

We are providing the Oak National Academy with an additional £4.3 million to

produce another 10,000 lessons over the course of the next academic year. This

includes for the Oak National Academy's specialist curriculum, which includes speech

and language therapy.

Supply Teachers: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: [71154]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with supply

teaching agencies on (a) furlough and (b) income support for supply teachers over the

2020 summer holidays.

Nick Gibb:

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer

have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected

by COVID-19.

The Government has provided clear guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme in relation to agencies and agency workers. This guidance can be accessed

here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-

to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#agency-workers-including-those-

employed-by-umbrella-companies.

Schools are under no obligation to continue to pay supply teachers that they directly

hire or hire via agencies once the supply teacher’s contract has ended. Typically,

supply teachers are not contracted to work over the summer holidays when schools

are closed.

Supply teachers employed via an agency who had previously been furloughed via the

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for at least 3 consecutive weeks, taking place

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/




https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#agency-workers-including-those-employed-by-umbrella-companies





any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June, can continue to be furloughed until the

scheme ends on 31 October, so long as their employer chooses to continue to

furlough them.

Teachers: Recruitment

Afzal Khan: [61778]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) BAME, (b) women, and (c)

disabled teachers were recruited in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb:

The Department collects information on newly qualified teachers (NQTs) [1] entering

the workforce annually through the School Workforce Census. For entrants to be

counted they must be in the workforce as of the census day which falls in November

each year. Teachers that are recruited but leave before the census day are not

counted.

Table 1 shows the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of NQTs recruited since 2011

that identify as black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) or female.

School workforce data has only been collected since 2010, so only eight years of

data has been provided.

BAME teachers include all ethnic groups apart from the White ethnic groups (White

British, White Irish and White Other).

Reporting of disability status is relatively low in the School Workforce Census. Only

42 percent of entrant records in the November 2018 School Workforce Census

provide their disability status. As such, figures have not been provided.

Note that the data provided is from an internal analytical database which has

marginal differences to the total number of NQTs and Deferred NQTs in the official

publication due to using an updated methodology.

TABLE 1: FTE NQT ENTRANTS OVER CENSUS YEARS

Census Year FTE Female NQT

entrants

FTE BAME NQT

entrants

FTE NQT Entrants

2011 18,267 2,054 24,889

2012 21,204 2,445 28,665

2013 21,007 2,485 28,140

2014 21,902 2,681 29,255

2015 22,020 2,841 29,499

2016 20,970 3,095 28,257



TABLE 1: FTE NQT ENTRANTS OVER CENSUS YEARS

2017 19,483 2,915 26,272

2018 19,320 3,069 26,192

[1] Newly qualified teachers in this response include NQTs and Deferred NQTs

(delayed NQT year by a year after qualified teacher status obtained).

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: Coronavirus

Peter Aldous: [67630]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the potential implications for his air quality policies of the British Lung

Foundation’s survey of 4 June that found that one in six people with lung conditions

experienced reduced symptoms during the covid-19 lockdown; and what steps he is

taking to ensure that public health is central to his Department’s strategy on air pollution.

Rebecca Pow:

The Government is taking a proactive approach to understand the possible links

between air quality and COVID-19. That is why, with our Air Quality Expert Group

(AQEG), we ran a rapid Call for Evidence to ensure we can more fully understand the

impact that COVID-19 is having on air pollutant emissions, concentrations and

human exposure. This report was published on 1 July. We welcome the work of the

British Lung Foundation (BLF) and their survey was discussed at our recent round

table meeting with health stakeholders, including the BLF.

Improving air quality remains a top priority for the Government and, especially during

these unprecedented times, we will continue to take robust and comprehensive

action to improve air quality in the UK and minimise public health impacts.

Air Pollution: Shipley

Philip Davies: [71015]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 65969 on air pollution: Shipley, what assessment he

has made of the potential effect on air quality levels in Shipley of the proposed incinerator

at Marley, Keighley.

Rebecca Pow:

The Environment Agency (EA) assesses the emissions from new energy from waste

(EfW) plants as part of its permitting process.

The EA has assessed the impact of emissions from the proposed plant on air quality.

The permit assessment process includes a comparison of the maximum predicted




concentrations of different pollutants from the plant against the relevant air quality

standards, also taking into account the levels of background pollution already present

in the area. The EA will not grant a permit for an EfW plant if it could have a

significant impact on air quality.

The EA is currently carrying out a public consultation on this application and the

consultation documents contain the EA’s assessment of the emissions from the plant

and the measures proposed to regulate those emissions should the permit be

granted.

Animal Products: Trade


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the potential trade implications for the UK of a ban on the import of

hunting trophies while maintaining the export hunting trophies.


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will

make an assessment of the number of hunting trophies that may continue to be (a)

imported and (b) exported in the event of a ban being limited to only endangered or

threatened species.

Victoria Prentis:

A consultation and call for evidence on controls on the import and export of hunting

trophies to and from the UK were undertaken between 2 November 2019 and 25

February 2020. These sought evidence on the number of hunting trophies exported

from and imported into the UK, and the impact of any restriction on hunting trophies.

We are now reviewing the information received and we will publish a summary of

responses in due course on GOV.UK. The outcome of the consultation and the call

for evidence will inform our next steps and further work will be undertaken to make

relevant assessments dependent on the way forward identified.

Barbecues: National Parks

Mr Barry Sheerman: [67540]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is

taking to ensure that disposable barbecues are not used in national parks.

Rebecca Pow:

We are clear that everyone should follow the Countryside Code. A key part of

Government strategy is to get clear and consistent messages to the media and key

stakeholders which highlight the problem and promote better behaviour in the

countryside and encourage a partnership response.

There are existing powers in legislation which can be used by authorities to regulate

and prohibit the lighting of fires on Access Land in Areas of Outstanding Natural

Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks. Current ‘Byelaw’ legislation allows for local





authorities to restrict and enforce the use of disposable barbecues in parks and public

spaces. The Government has no plans for additional legislative proposals to

introduce a seasonal ban on the use of disposable barbecues.

Defra is working with AONBs, National Park Authorities and other Government

departments to promote a series of guidance videos to educate users about travelling

to and spending time outdoors safely in the wider countryside. This includes an

updated Countryside Code which advises not to have barbecues or fires. This

guidance is available at the following links:

Green space access:

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-

safely

The Countryside Code:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/the-countryside-code

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Paul Maynard: [69511]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to

introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles.

Rebecca Pow:

The Government committed in its manifesto to introduce a deposit return scheme

(DRS) for drinks containers. We are seeking powers to do so in the Environment Bill.

Since consulting on its introduction in 2019, the Government has been developing

proposals for a DRS using further evidence and ongoing engagement with

stakeholders. The Government plans to undertake a second consultation on a DRS in

early 2021. In preparation for that consultation, we are currently reviewing the

proposed timeline for its introduction.

Camping Sites: New Forest

Sir Desmond Swayne: [70281]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take

steps to ensure that campsites on Crown Land in the New Forest open in summer 2020;

and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow:

Camping in the Forest is an independent operator of campsites in Great Britain. It is

majority owned by the Camping and Caravanning Club. The decision not to open

campsites in the New Forest in summer 2020 was taken by the Camping in the

Forest business. Forestry England is disappointed in this decision and has been in

regular dialogue with CITF seeking the opening of the sites.

http://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-safely



http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/the-countryside-code

http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/the-countryside-code




Countryside: Climate Change

Dame Cheryl Gillan: [70945]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an

assessment of the implications for his policies of the CPRE report, Greener, better, faster:

countryside solutions to the climate emergency and for a green recovery, published in

July 2020.

Rebecca Pow:

I had the pleasure of speaking at the launch of the CPRE report, Greener, Better,

Faster in which the countryside is at the heart of a green recovery and a source of

climate change solutions.

While the world is rightly focused on tackling the immediate threat of coronavirus,

other great global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss have not

gone away. The Government remains committed to being a world leader on tackling

the environmental crises we face.

As we develop our mitigation plans, we will need to manage trade-offs with our other

objectives, for example, balancing land use change for mitigation purposes (e.g.

planting trees) with enhancing the natural environment and improving food security.

Our Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is the cornerstone of our new

agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM

is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year

Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, while supporting

our rural economy.

Farmers and other land managers may enter into agreements to be paid for

delivering the following public goods: clean air; clean and plentiful water; thriving

plants and wildlife; reduction in and protection from environmental hazards; beauty,

heritage and engagement with the environment; mitigation of and adaptation to

climate change.

Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change are important goals of the 25 Year

Environment Plan and important objectives of ELM. ELM could support this through

providing funding for land management activities that reduce greenhouse gas

emission and sequester carbon.

Adapting to the inevitable changes in our climate is also vital. While we continue to

reduce our contribution to climate change, we are also taking robust action to

improve the resilience of our people, economy and environment.

Fly-tipping and Litter: Fast Food

Tom Tugendhat: [69613]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings his

Department has had with fast food outlets on using vehicle recognition technology to print

number plates on take-aways, to make it easier to trace people guilty of littering and fly-

tipping.




Rebecca Pow:

Defra has not held meetings with fast food outlets specifically on using vehicle

recognition technology to print vehicle registration numbers on take-away packaging.

We do not think it would be appropriate to require take away vendors to implement

such a system due to the additional regulatory burden it would place on these

businesses. However, we strongly support voluntary initiatives to reduce littering and

we know that some fast-food outlets have piloted similar schemes with some

success. The success of any such scheme would be dependent on the willingness of

the local authority to follow up with enforcement. Local authorities have the autonomy

to decide how to prioritise their enforcement activities.

We believe that businesses should try to reduce the amount of litter their products

generate. The Litter Strategy sets out how we intend to work with the relevant

industries to tackle certain types of particularly problematic litter, including fast-food

packaging, smoking-related litter and chewing gum.

Our forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging will

require producers to cover the full net costs of managing packaging at its end of life,

including litter. We plan to undertake a second consultation on EPR for packaging in

early 2021. In preparation for that consultation, we are currently reviewing the

proposed timeline for its introduction.

Food: Exports

Jim Shannon: [68702]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions

he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that the (a) planning and (b) regulatory

frameworks support agri-food producers that want to increase the level of their exports.

Victoria Prentis:

The food sector is the UK's largest manufacturing industry, and a major contributor to

the UK economy. UK food and drink exports play an important part of the success of

the sector, and in 2019, UK food and drink exports were worth £23.7 billion - up 4.9%

from 2018.

The Government highlights the importance of our agriculture and food production in

the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF requires local planning

authorities to take into account all the benefits of the best and most versatile

agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be

necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference

to that of a higher quality. They should also consider the needs of the food production

industry, and any barriers to investment that can be resolved by planning.

The NPPF states that, to promote a strong rural economy, local and neighbourhood

plans should promote the development and diversification of agricultural and other

land-based rural businesses. Moreover, local planning authorities are asked to

encourage the reuse of brownfield land, provided that it is not of high environmental

value. This is to recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and to



maintain the strong protections in place for Green Belt and other designated

countryside.

Further longstanding support for farmers is provided by the rights to carry out various

types of agricultural development, as set out in the Town and Country Planning

(General Permitted Development) Order 1995.

Further demonstrating my department’s collaboration across Government, on 22

June 2020, we announced a ‘bounce back’ plan of trade measures for the agriculture,

food and drink industry. These are designed to help support businesses that have

been impacted by Coronavirus. These new strategic interventions were the product of

joined up engagement between the Department for International Trade (DIT) and

Defra.

The package offers immediate support to help businesses in the industry grow their

trade activity overseas. The measures support producers and manufacturers

throughout the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and has been developed with

input from trade associations, businesses and DIT’s regional and international

networks. They include the announcement of the first Defra Agri-Food Counsellor

serving the United Arab Emirates and wider Gulf Region, who will aid in addressing

regulatory barriers to export for our agri-food producers.

Hedges and Ditches

Mark Pritchard: [71017]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an

assessment of the potential merits of amending The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 to

strengthen protections for mature hedgerows of less than 30 years of age.

Rebecca Pow:

Under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 a hedgerow is deemed ‘important’, and is

protected, if it is at least 30 years old. Although there is local variation, research has

indicated that, nationally, over 70% of hedgerows in England and Wales are

'important' according to the criteria in the Regulations.

The Regulations therefore play a valuable role in providing statutory protection for a

large proportion of hedgerows in the countryside, with the risk of removal now

extremely low compared with when the Regulations came into effect. We consider

that the current level of statutory protection remains appropriate and have no plans to

amend the Regulations.

Industry: Pollution

Fiona Bruce: [71023]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take

steps to tackle problems associated with noise and dirt emanating from industrial units

located near to residential properties.




Rebecca Pow:

Owners of industrial, trade and business premises are expected to use the best

practicable means available to reduce noise, dust and other potential sources of

statutory nuisance emanating from their place of work in the first place. If this is not

happening then local authorities have powers through the Environmental Protection

Act 1990 to investigate and issue abatement notices to stop the problem from re-

occurring if they determine a statutory nuisance exists.

The current legislation provides local authorities with the necessary powers to deal

with these types of issues and there are no plans for legislative change at this

moment.

Inland Waterways: Coronavirus

Michael Fabricant: [68661]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to

the letter of 23 March 2020 to his Department from British Marine, Broads Authority and

Canal & River Trust and subsequent correspondence, what steps he is taking to allocate

£20 million covid-19 funding to support waterway businesses; and if he will make a

statement.

Rebecca Pow:

The Government has provided wide-ranging financial support across the whole

economy, particularly focusing on small and medium-sized businesses. These

include several loan schemes, such as: the 100% Government-guaranteed Bounce

Back Loan; support for self-employed people; the Local Authority Discretionary Grant

Fund to accommodate small businesses previously outside the scope of the business

grant funds scheme; and most recently a £10 million tourism ‘kick-start’ package to

help small businesses in our tourist destinations.

At this stage there is no specific sector support for the waterways, although we are

keeping all decisions under review. Further significant easing of Covid-19 restrictions

from 4 July should allow many waterways businesses to reopen to take advantage of

coming summer demand.

Peat Bogs: Conservation

Esther McVey: [69533]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent

assessment he has made of the environmental effect of restored peatland; and what

steps he is taking to ban the sale of peat.

Rebecca Pow:

Research has shown that restored peatland achieves a variety of natural capital

objectives, including carbon sequestration, water regulation and quality, optimising

biodiversity, preserving archaeology, and minimising wildfire hazards. A 2019 BEIS

report stated that a near natural bog can remove the equivalent of 3.54 tonnes of

carbon dioxide per hectare per year, and a near natural fen can remove 5.44 tonnes




of carbon dioxide per hectare per year. We are working towards reducing England’s

peatland annual greenhouse gas emissions through restoration, and the Government

has committed £640 million through the Nature for Climate Fund part of which will

deliver 35,000 hectares of peatland restoration by 2025.

The Government also continues to be committed to phasing out the use of peat in

horticulture in England. The biggest user of peat is the amateur sector and this is an

important part of our policy focus. We signalled to the industry that if we have not

seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020, then we would look at further

measures that could be taken, and we are currently considering what these potential

further measures could look like.

Peat Bogs: Fires

Debbie Abrahams: [67652]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring

forward legislative proposals to ban the burning of peatland in protected areas.

Rebecca Pow:

The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out burning of

protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. We are currently looking

at how legislation could achieve this and considering next steps. Real progress is

being made in promoting sustainable alternatives. We have urged landowners to

adopt these and continue to work with them constructively.

Sewage: Rivers


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent

discussions he has had with representatives of water companies on ending the practice

of overflow raw sewage being pumped into rivers; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow:

Combined sewer systems which collect waste water and rain water run-off account

for the majority of sewerage systems in England. Such systems have a finite capacity

and can be temporarily overwhelmed by significant rainfall. Sewer overflows are a

feature of these systems and are designed to act as a safety valve to allow the

excess waste water to discharge to local waters. This is to avoid waste water flooding

streets, homes and other properties, including the sewage treatment plants

themselves.

To prevent discharges, by the end of the year water companies will have installed

monitors on up to 13,000 of the 15,000 sewer overflows in England, with more

installations planned afterwards. These monitors will measure how often and for how

long overflows operate, helping inform where improvement works are required and

providing information to the public about spills. This information has been used to

help develop the environmental programme that the water companies will be

implementing over the next five years, which includes around £4 billion of investment




to reduce pollution from sewage. This environmental programme resulted from

discussions between Ministers and water companies.

In addition, the Environment Bill will place a statutory requirement on water

companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans, currently being

produced on a non-statutory basis. This will further help water companies identify

opportunities to better manage sewage discharges and tackle future risks.

Tree Planting


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps

he has taken to encourage tree planting throughout the UK to help carbon offsetting; and

if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a subsidy for the

provision of saplings to landowners to encourage tree planting.

Rebecca Pow:

Trees have a crucial role in the pathway to net zero, so the Government has

committed to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by

2025. As forestry is a devolved matter, we will work with the devolved administrations

to achieve this.

In England, we have launched a consultation on a new England Tree Strategy,

setting out proposals to plant more trees for the climate and nature. The Strategy will

support delivery of the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund, increasing tree planting

in England throughout this parliament.

This will build on our existing grants, such as Countryside Stewardship and the

Woodland Carbon Fund, which already support landowners to buy, plant and

maintain saplings, capturing carbon for years to come.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is

taking to improve the quantity and quality of evidence collected to secure prosecutions

related to sexual violence in conflict.

Nigel Adams:

The UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to tackle conflict-related sexual

violence through our Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). The UK

launched the draft Murad Code on documenting conflict-related sexual violence to

mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, on 19

June. Developed together with Nobel Peace Laureate and campaigner against sexual

violence, Nadia Murad, this code of conduct will respect survivors' rights and ensure

investigation of sexual violence crimes is safer, more ethical, and more effective. By




adhering to the Code, governments, international organisations, civil society, and

other actors will uphold international standards, which in turn will strengthen the

collection of evidence in order to secure prospections.

The Murad Code is part of the UK's commitment to strengthening justice for all

survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, also demonstrated by UK-funded efforts

of TRIAL International to improve access to legal support for survivors in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, and the work of UNITAD in gathering evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Hilary Benn: [70331]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make

urgent representations to the Government of Bahrain opposing the death sentences on

(a) Mohammed Ramadhan and (b) Hussain Moosa.

James Cleverly:

We are concerned by the death sentences handed to Mohammed Ramadhan and

Hussain Moosa. We continue to raise both cases at senior levels with the

Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes

the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We continue to

monitor their case, as it is taken to the Court of Cassation for final review.

Wayne David: [70335]


urgent representations to the Government of Bahrain on the death sentences imposed on

(a) Mohammed Ramadhan and (b) Hussain Moosa before their cases are considered by

the Court of Cassation in that country on the 13 July 2020.

James Cleverly:






Patrick Grady: [70438]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent

representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on (a) Mohammed Ramadhan,

(b) Hussain Moosa and (c) other prisoners facing death sentences in Bahrain.

James Cleverly:












representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on (a) Mohammed Ramadhan,

(b) Hussain Moosa and (c) other prisoners who have been sentenced to death in Bahrain.

James Cleverly:






Chile: Riot Control Weapons


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his

Department has taken to assess whether export licenses of (a) crowd control equipment

and (b) ammunition to Chile have resulted in a clear risk that the export might be being

used for internal repression.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the

Government has taken steps to review whether past export licenses of (a) crowd control

equipment and (b) ammunition to Chile are consistent with criterion 2 of the Consolidated

Criteria.

James Cleverly:

We continue to monitor developments in Chile closely. The UK Government

considers all our export applications thoroughly against a strict risk assessment

framework and keep all licences under careful and continual review as standard. We

rigorously examine each export licence application on a case-by-case basis against

the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Risks around

human rights violations or abuses are a key part of our assessment. The UK

Government does not approve export licences for equipment and technology where

we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.

China: Human Rights

Andrew Rosindell: [65959]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to

reports of the forced sterilisation of the Uighur people by the Chinese authorities, what

discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts on potential breaches of human

rights in that country.

Nigel Adams:

We are aware of reports that the Chinese Government is using forced sterilisation to

minimise Uyghur birth rates. These reports add to our concern about the situation in






Xinjiang. On 9 March, the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the human

rights situation in Xinjiang with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State

Councillor Wang Yi. Additionally I set out during an Urgent Question in the House of

Commons on 29 June, these reports add to our concern about the human rights

situation in Xinjiang and we are considering them carefully.

On 30 June, the UK read out a statement on behalf of 28 countries at the 44th

session of the UN Human Rights Council highlighting concerns about arbitrary

detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions in Xinjiang.

Climate Change

Olivia Blake: [70530]


the recommendation on page 26 of the Committee on Climate Change's 2020 Progress

Report to Parliament, published in June 2020, what plans he has to develop a plan to

address the scale of climate risk that the UK faces from climate change overseas.

James Duddridge:

Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today.

The UK is committed to tackling climate change, which is why we bid to host COP26

in Glasgow in partnership with Italy. COP 26 must persuade a domestic and global

audience that the zero carbon economy is the growth story of the next ten years, that

this transition is irreversible and accelerating, and that it will be fair and inclusive. As

the first country to legislate to end our contribution to global warming, the UK is

leading by example as a global force for good.

COP26 is an international priority for FCO. The FCO is contributing to a strongly

coordinated cross-Government approach to ensure ambitious climate action across

the world, which protects the most vulnerable, while also addressing the scale of

climate risk that the UK faces from climate change overseas. The FCO and Cabinet

Office COP Unit are well integrated to ensure a coherent, well-coordinated diplomatic

effort. The FCO has also recently appointed four Regional Ambassadors to support

global engagement. The UK has c180 diplomats engaged globally on climate issues

and FCO Climate and Energy Attaché Network has expanded by 50 local staff in

FY19/20 to help deliver COP26.

Through this extensive diplomatic effort, bilateral and multilateral fora, working with

governments, businesses, and civil societies, we are calling for all countries to:

enhance greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments (known as "Nationally

Determined Contributions"); and bring forward long-term climate strategies. We are

also seeking to deliver campaigns on Adaptation and Resilience, Nature, Energy

Transition, Zero Emissions Vehicles, and Finance.



Corruption: Sanctions

Lisa Nandy: [70386]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to

extend the scope of the new Global Human Rights Sanctions regime to encompass

individuals and organisations guilty of corruption.

Nigel Adams:

On 6 July the UK Government established the Global Human Rights ('Magnitsky')

sanctions regime by laying regulations in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-

Money Laundering Act 2018. This sanctions regime will give the UK a powerful new

tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses by

stopping them from entering our country, channelling money through UK banks, or

profiting from our economy. As the Foreign Secretary announced to the House on

Monday, we are considering how a corruption regime could be added to this toolkit -

potentially drawing on the UN Convention Against Corruption, and practice under the

frameworks in jurisdictions like the US and Canada.

Egypt: Torture



representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on the alleged use of torture to

obtain confessions from detainees in that country.

James Cleverly:

We are concerned about reports of torture and mistreatment in detention in Egypt

and continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities. We have raised

these concerns in public, through the UN Human Rights Council and through the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Priority Country reports, and in

private in meetings with Egyptian Government representatives in London and in

Cairo.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Coronavirus



Procurement Policy Note 04/20: Recovery and Transition from COVID-19, published on 9

June 2020, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of maintaining the

provision of contractual relief as a result of covid-19 in line with Procurement Policy

Notice 02/20; which (a) companies and (b) work areas will be affected by changes to that

contractual relief; and what the timeframe is for proposals to change that contractual

relief.

Nigel Adams:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office previously considered and applied

Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 02/20 from end of March 2020 onwards. All Relief

measures agreed under PPN02/20 ended by 30th June 2020. Throughout the





aforementioned period any suppliers seeking financial relief have been risk assessed

by a dedicated team within the Commercial Directorate. Where relief has been

considered we have applied contract change practices to ensure measures are time

limited, offer transparency of costs and are able to transition to a new operational

approach for that contract. All relief measures sought under PPN04/20 are to be re-

assessed to test necessity and proportionality of relief to ensure maintenance of

critical services.

We are working in partnership with our suppliers to develop transition plans to exit

from any relief arrangements as soon as reasonably possible, including the

agreement of contract variations. By the end of Oct 2020 we expect suppliers to have

resumed services in line with new operational requirements and all associated relief

should end by this date. This is in addition to working with all our key suppliers to

review Business Continuity Plans in line with the impacts of COVID-19, potential

future waves, ensuring rapid payment of invoices to maintain cash flow and protect

services.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Non-governmental

Organisations

Dan Jarvis: [71057]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his

Department has to increase support to non-governmental organisations working on the

issues of (a) conflict, (b) climate change and (c) armed violence after the merger of his

Department with the Department for International Development.

James Cleverly:

The Government will continue its ongoing engagement with UK and international non-

Governmental organisations, including on issues relating to the creation of the

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The Integrated Foreign Policy

Review, which is expected to conclude later in the year, will define the Government's

ambition for the UK's role in the world and its outcomes will shape the objectives of

the new Department. Both the review and the merger are evidence of the Prime

Minister's commitment to a unified British foreign policy that will maximise our

influence around the world, including on conflict, climate change and armed violence.

Gulf States: Political Prisoners

Wera Hobhouse: [69639]


the letter of 23 June 2020 to him, from 10 hon. Members on securing the release of

human rights activists (a) Loujain AlHathloul in Saudi Arabia, (b) Ahmed Mansoor in the

UAE and (c) Dr Abduljalil AlSingace in Bahrain, what (i) public and (ii) private

representations he has made to his (A) Saudia Arabian, (B) Emirati and (C) Bahraini

counterpart on securing the release of (1) those people and (2) other people imprisoned

for peacefully opposing their governments.




James Cleverly:

We have raised the cases of Loujain al-Hathloul, Ahmed Mansoor and Abduljalil al-

Singace at senior levels with the Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini authorities respectively.

The UK urges all countries to comply with their human rights obligations. Our close

relationship with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain allows us to

discuss important issues such as human rights.

We consistently underline the importance of political freedoms globally. This includes

respect for the right to peaceful protest, the rule of law, and freedom of speech, the

press, and assembly. We continue to raise concerns about individual cases regularly.

Where the UK has cause for concern, we raise these concerns at official and

Ministerial level.

Human Rights: Sanctions

Lisa Nandy: [71039]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role

Parliament will have in (a) the identification of people liable for sanctions under the new

Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and (b) holding the Government to account on

the operation of that regime.

Nigel Adams:

Parliamentarians can continue to engage with the Government on designations via

the usual means, including by writing to the Foreign Secretary. All designations will

need to meet the legal tests as set out in the Sanctions Act, which includes ensuring

designations are underpinned by robust evidence. It is important to note that the

sanctions regime is not intended to target individual countries, but those who commit

serious human rights violations or abuses anywhere in the world.

As all Government business is accountable to Parliament the operation of the new

regime can be scrutinised by Parliamentarians. We will continue to report to

Parliament as required under Sections 30 and 32 of the Sanctions Act. Doing so

provides Parliament with regular moments where they may scrutinise the actions the

Government has taken in respect of human rights sanctions.

Lisa Nandy: [71040]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to enable

select committee chairs to request and receive reports from the Government on those

who may be liable for sanctions under the new Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.

Nigel Adams:

We recognise the range of views expressed by Parliamentarians on how the Global

Human Rights sanctions regime is being implemented, including on which targets

should be considered. Parliamentarians can continue to engage with the Government

via the usual means, including by writing to the Foreign Secretary. It is not

appropriate to speculate on potential designations, as to do so could undermine the

impact of designations when made. We will continue to report to Parliament as




required under Sections 30 and 32 of the Sanctions Act. Doing so provides

Parliament with regular opportunities to scrutinise the operation of human rights

sanctions.

India: Coronavirus

Imran Hussain: [69577]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK

nationals have been detained in India under Coronavirus laws in that country.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what consular

contact his Department has provided to UK nationals in India detained under Coronavirus

laws in that country.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his

Department is taking to ensure the safe return of UK citizens in India who have been

detained under coronavirus laws in that country.

Nigel Adams:

[Holding answer 9 July 2020]: We are aware that British Nationals have been

detained across India for breaching coronavirus lockdown laws. One has since

returned to the UK and we are in contact with all of the others. We have raised

individual medical and welfare concerns with the Indian authorities. Following the

conclusion of their legal cases, we will assist with their return to the UK.

Iran: Capital Punishment

Dr Matthew Offord: [68330]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what

representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the imposition of the death

penalty against Amir-Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi.

James Cleverly:

Iran's human rights record continues to be of serious concern to the UK. We remain

deeply concerned by Iran's failure to uphold its international legal obligations. The

continued use of the death penalty, weak rule of law and restrictions on freedoms of

expression are deeply worrying. It remains a long-standing policy of the United

Kingdom to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.

While we have not made representations on these particular cases, the UK regularly

raises human rights with the Iranian authorities at all levels. We unreservedly support

the right to peaceful protest, and we continue to take action with the international

community to press Iran to improve its poor record on all human rights issues.






Iran: Nuclear Power

Gary Sambrook: [68435]


he has made of the effect on the viability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of

Iran’s refusal to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to access

locations related to nuclear activity.

James Cleverly:

On 25 June, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors

adopted a resolution tabled by the E3 in response to Iran's denial of IAEA access to

two sites which were under investigation as part of Iran's implementation of its

Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. In denying access,

Iran is not adhering to its legally binding safeguards obligations. The resolution

reinforced the mandate of the IAEA Director General to continue his investigation,

and sent a clear message to Iran that it should cooperate fully with the IAEA. This

investigation is separate to Iran's non-compliance under the Joint Comprehensive

Plan of Action (JCPoA).

The Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement with France and Germany on 19

June that we remain committed to ensuring that Iran never develops a nuclear

weapon. Iran's reductions in compliance with the JCPoA raise serious proliferation

concerns, which is why the UK, with France and Germany, triggered the JCPoA's

Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) on 14 January 2020. We want to use the DRM

to resolve these concerns. The UK continues to work closely with all JCPoA parties to

find a diplomatic way forward.

Israeli Settlements



discussions he has had with his (a) Israeli and (b) US counterpart on Israel's potential

annexation of the West Bank.

James Cleverly:

The Prime Minister has conveyed the UK's opposition to unilateral annexation to

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on multiple occasions, including in a phone call on 6

July and a letter in June. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this message in his

introductory calls with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Gantz on 20 May and Foreign

Minister Ashkenazi on 2 June. The Foreign Secretary has also made clear our

opposition to annexation to the US. We continue to work closely with international

partners strongly advocating a two-state solution and encouraging a return to

meaningful negotiations. The Foreign Secretary did so most recently in a meeting

with French and German Foreign Ministers on 19 June, Egyptian Foreign Minister

Shoukry on 21 May and Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi on 28 May. The UK

position is clear: any unilateral moves towards annexation of parts of the West Bank




by Israel would be damaging to efforts to restart peace negotiations and contrary to

international law. We continue to urge Israel not to take these steps.



representations he has made to the Government of Israel on humanitarian access to all

parts of (a) the West Bank and (b) the Gaza strip in the event of annexation.

James Cleverly:

We are concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian

Territories, and caution against anything that could exacerbate this. Our priority and

focus is on preventing annexation. We continue to urge Israel not to take these steps.

The Prime Minister has conveyed the UK's opposition to unilateral annexation to

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on multiple occasions, including in a phone call on 6

July and a letter in June. The Prime Minister also urged Israel not to proceed in an

article in Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on 1 July. The Foreign Secretary

reiterated this message in his calls with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Gantz and

Foreign Minister Ashkenazi.

Kashmir: Politics and Government



representations to the UN Security Council to hold a meeting to call for India to comply

with international law on the Kashmir dispute.

Nigel Adams:

The longstanding position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting

political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

We encourage both sides to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions

to maintain regional stability.

Operation Blue Star

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [70483]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many

documents held by Government that were relevant to the 1984 attack on the Golden

Temple, Amritsar have been destroyed.

Nigel Adams:

No centrally held files, produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO)

South Asia Department or diplomatic network in India, that relate to the 1984 attack

on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, have been destroyed or identified for destruction

under the Public Records Act. The FCO reviews all of its files in compliance with the

Act and files of permanent historical value are transferred to The National Archives.





A wider check on the titles of destroyed files belonging to other FCO departments or

across wider government is not possible due to the disproportionate cost this would

incur because the information is not held centrally.

Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is

taking to ensure that the allocation and spending of Official Development Assistance is

(a) allocated and spent transparently and (b) used for the primary purpose of tackling

poverty and working towards (i) ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 and (ii) other global

goals.

James Cleverly:

To tackle poverty and advance our Global Britain objectives, the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes evidence-based spending decisions. The FCO is

fully committed to transparency and publishes on GOV.UK all the information on

Official Development Assistance (ODA) that can be released whilst safeguarding UK

national security, diplomatic relations and individual's personal information. Further

details on how the FCO allocates ODA funding, and the priorities it supports, can be

found on .GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/official-development-

assistance-oda--2.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Margaret Ferrier: [68719]


representations his Department is making to the Government of Pakistan regarding

freedom of religion and belief for minority communities in that country.

Nigel Adams:

We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and the

protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani

Government at a senior level.

Most recently, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised our

concerns about FoRB with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari,

on 5 June. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan raised our concerns about

FoRB with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 8 June. We will continue to urge

the Government of Pakistan at senior levels to guarantee the fundamental rights of its

citizens, regardless of their belief.

The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Rehman Chishti MP, has previously

met the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK to look at FoRB issues.




Pakistani National Commission for Minorities: Ahmadiyya



representations to the (a) Government of Pakistan and (b) Supreme Court of Pakistan to

help ensure that Ahmadi Muslims are represented within the Commission for Minorities

Rights while having the right to self-identify as Muslims.

Nigel Adams:

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by reports of discrimination and

violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the

Government of Pakistan to guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens, as laid

down in the constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards.

On 5 June, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, wrote to

Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, about the National

Commission on Minorities in Pakistan. He welcomed its establishment and

highlighted the importance of ensuring the new Commission is established in line with

the UN Paris Principles as it begins its important work, specifically focusing on its

independence, funding and membership. Our High Commissioner to Pakistan raised

these issues about the National Commission on Minorities with Dr Mazari in a

meeting on 8 June.

Sanctions

Lisa Nandy: [70387]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the process is

for drawing up the UK Sanctions List; which individuals and bodies can nominate people

and organisations for inclusion on that list; and who makes the final decision on which

people and organisations are included on that list.

Nigel Adams:

The UK Government publishes the UK sanctions list on GOV.UK website, which

provides details of those designated under regulations made under the Sanctions

Act. When the UK Government makes a decision to create, change or remove a

sanctions designation, it will update the UK sanctions list.

All designations will need to meet the legal tests as set out in the Sanctions Act,

which includes ensuring designations are underpinned by robust evidence. On

Monday 6 July, the Government published a policy note which sets out factors that

are likely to be relevant to designation decisions and an information note designed to

help NGOs engage with the regime. Parliamentarians can continue to engage with

the Government via the usual means, including by writing to the Foreign Secretary. It

is important to note that the sanctions regime is not intended to target individual

countries, but those who commit serious human rights violations or abuses anywhere

in the world.

As set out in the legislation, designation decisions are for the Secretary of State.




Syria: Armed Conflict

Mr David Davis: [70976]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his

policy that the activities of Kurdish fighters in Syria constitute terrorism.

James Cleverly:

The UK sees a clear distinction between the aims of the PKK, which we proscribed

as a terrorist organisation in 2001, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces

(SDF), the partner force of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Syria. We pay

tribute to the courage and sacrifices made by SDF in the fight against Daesh. We

continue to urge the Kurdish elements of the SDF to distance themselves from the

PKK and its terrorist activity. The UK also calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to

respect international law.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) financial,

(b) logistical and (c) military support has been provided by the Government to Kurdish

fighters in Syria.

James Cleverly:

As part of the Global Coalition the UK has provided military support, including

airstrikes, to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the Kurdish YPG are a

contingent part, in the campaign to remove Daesh from north-eastern Syria. We have

also provided humanitarian and limited stabilisation support to address the immediate

needs of the local population in areas under SDF control in north-eastern Syria. We

maintain political and diplomatic contact with a number of Kurdish groups to work

towards a political solution to the conflict.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his

Department has made an assessment of the lawfulness of actions taken by Turkish

forces in Syria and whether they are in breach of the UN Charter in terms of (a) unilateral

use of military force, (b) use of unlawful weapons including chemical weapons, (c) ethnic

cleansing and forcible displacement, (d) violence and atrocities against civilians, (e)

discrimination of Kurdish populations and (f) use of jihadist militias.

James Cleverly:

The UK made clear our opposition to the unilateral Turkish intervention in north-east

Syria in October 2019. We welcome the ceasefire currently in place in the north-east

and also acknowledge the important role Turkey has played in recent months to

secure a ceasefire in Idlib. We consistently reiterate the importance of all parties to

the Syrian conflict adhering to the current ceasefires and abiding by international law.

The UK continues to raise concerns with Turkey over reports of violations of

international law by Turkish backed forces in Syria, and to call for credible

investigations into alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in areas under

the control of armed groups supported by Turkey.





Thailand: Coronavirus

Daniel Zeichner: [70416]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria was

used to exclude Thailand from the list of countries exempt from quarantine measures.

Nigel Adams:

A list of countries and territories from which passengers arriving in England will no

longer have to self-isolate for 14 days was published on 3 July. This follows the

Government's first review of public health measures at the border, which were

introduced in June 2020. The Government has always been clear that any decisions

on border measures will be proportionate and science-led.

We are continuing to engage with all partners on all aspects of the global response to

the Coronavirus pandemic.

USA: Coronavirus



the US Administration's decision to purchase global supplies of Remdesivir for the

treatment of patients with covid-19, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to

have with his international counterparts on the need for global co-operation in tackling the

covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton:

The Coronavirus outbreak is the biggest public health emergency in a generation,

and needs a strong and coordinated global health response. Remdesivir has been

used in the NHS for some time as part of clinical trials, and as part of the Early

Access to Medicines Scheme to get COVID-19 treatments to patients who need

them. The NHS has sufficient stock of Remdesivir for patients who need it. Gilead

has also signed non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreements with generic

pharmaceutical manufacturers in Egypt, India and Pakistan, ensuring supply of

Remdesivir for 127 low-and middle-income countries.

The UK Government is working closely with our international partners, including the

United States, to deliver a robust global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our

Ministers and diplomatic network continue to galvanise international support and

financial commitments to support research, development and equitable access to

vaccines, including through the G7, G20 and other international fora.

Yemen: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: [R] [70470]


discussions his Department has had with the UN and regional partners in Yemen with the

aim of a repatriation flight for British nationals in Yemen who wish to return to the UK.





Gill Furniss: [R] [70471]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his

Department first became aware of British nationals in Yemen who wished to return to the

UK during the covid-19 pandemic; and where in Yemen those British nationals are.

James Cleverly:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) suspended its operations in Yemen in

2015. Since then our ability to offer consular assistance to British nationals in Yemen

has been extremely limited. Since March 2011, the FCO has consistently advised

against all travel to all parts of Yemen, and advised British nationals to leave the

country. However, where possible, the FCO remains committed to doing what it can

for those British nationals who remain in Yemen. Our consular team continues to

work around the clock to provide support, advice and information. British travellers

needing to speak to a consular officer should call the FCO in London on +44(0)20

7008 1500.

In light of the challenges following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and

subsequent restrictions put in place by the authorities in Yemen, FCO officials have

been in contact with 29 British nationals who have expressed a wish to return to the

UK since the start of the outbreak. These British nationals are spread across Yemen,

but most are located in Aden and Seiyun. Officials have worked with the UN and

regional partners to arrange departures to neighbouring countries, from where

onward flights to the UK have then been secured. To date, seven British nationals

have successfully left Yemen.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Caroline Lucas: [69512]


his Department has made of the recent airstrikes in Northern Yemen; and what steps he

is taking to support a ceasefire across Yemen.

James Cleverly:

The UK takes these alleged incidents extremely seriously. Whenever we receive

reports like this, we routinely gather information from all credible sources, including

from Non-Governmental Organisations and international organisations. We continue

to work to support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure the

parties' agreement to proposals for a nationwide ceasefire and a resumption of the

UN-led political process. Given the threat of COVID-19 it is important that the parties

continue to engage constructively with Griffiths's proposals. On 18 June, I spoke with

senior Yemeni leaders during a "virtual visit" and called for urgent action to secure

peace and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.




HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Alcoholic Drinks: Age


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had

with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to raise awareness of under age drinking.

Jo Churchill:

Public Health England (PHE) is working with other Government departments to help

prevent young people from developing alcohol and drug problems. This includes

supporting investment in programmes which have a positive impact on young people,

giving them the confidence, resilience and risk management skills to resist drug use.

PHE’s Rise Above, an online resilience building resource aimed at 11 to 16-year-

olds, provides resources to help young people develop skills to make positive choices

for their health, including alcohol use. The Rise Above website can be accessed at

the following link:

https://riseabove.org.uk/

PHE’s FRANK website and helpline provides impartial, reliable and confidential

information and advice about drugs and provides resource for young people, parents

and concerned others. The FRANK website can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/

The Department for Education’s statutory guidance ‘Relationships education,

relationships and sex education and health education’ will become mandatory in

September 2020. Through this, education on drugs, alcohol and tobacco will become

compulsory at state-funded primary and secondary schools. The statutory guidance

is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-

and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education

Cancer: Health Services

Christian Wakeford: [65036]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to support patients who are waiting for cancer (a) screening, (b) follow-up tests and

(c) treatment that has been postponed due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill:

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken a range of

actions to support patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS England and NHS

Improvement are working with providers to ensure that any screening appointments

that have been delayed due to the pandemic are rescheduled as soon as is safely

possible. Services are focused on restoring appointments for the highest-priority






https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education





patient populations first, including those already some way along the screening

pathway.

In addition, COVID-19 protected cancer hubs were set up in 21 Cancer Alliances

across England to provide cancer surgery and to keep patients safe during the

outbreak. Diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer has been ring-fenced so that

referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at

the earliest opportunity. Particular emphasis has been given to ensuring that patients

are confident and feel safe in accessing these services.

The National Cancer Director wrote to Cancer Alliances on 8 June to outline these

measures at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/06/C0511-

second-phase-of-nhs-response-to-covid-19-for-cancer-services-letter.pdf

Dr Philippa Whitford: [66073]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the letter of 29

April 2020 from the NHS Chief Executive and NHS Chief Operating Officer to the Chief

executives of all NHS trusts and foundation trusts et al, if he will publish data on the

extent of the backlog of cancer treatment during the period of the second phase of the

NHS's response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill:

Data on cancer referrals and treatments is collected and published by NHS England

and available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

Latest data available is April 2020, data for May 2020 will be published on 9 July

2020.

The National Health Service has continued to provide urgent and emergency services

throughout the outbreak and has run the ‘Open for Business’ media campaign to

encourage people with potentially serious health issues, such as cancer, to continue

to seek medical advice and attend essential appointments. Cancer Alliances and

Cancer Hubs have identified surgical capacity to meet demand for cancer services

and treatments at this time.

Cervical Cancer: Screening


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many smear tests were

conducted in each of the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill:

Information on cervical screening uptake rates is published quarterly by NHS Digital

and can be found on its website using the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/06/C0511-second-phase-of-nhs-response-to-covid-19-for-cancer-services-letter.pdf








https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cervical-screening-

programme/cervical-screening-programme-coverage-statistics-management-

information

The last available data, published 21 April 2020, pertains to Q3 2019-20. The next set

of data (Q4 2019-20) will be published in July 2020.

Children: Obesity


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has

taken to review the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on delivery of the Childhood Obesity

Action Plan.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 25 June 2020]: Through the three chapters of our childhood obesity

plan we are delivering a wide range of measures to help achieve our bold ambition to

halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between

children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030.

Public Health England led a rapid review to better understand how different factors

can impact on how people are affected by COVID-19. This includes analysis of age,

deprivation and obesity, where data was available. The review’s findings were

published on 2 June and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-

and-outcomes

Many of the measures in the three chapters of the childhood obesity plan will have an

impact on tackling obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks

industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting

promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits

and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.

We remain committed to reviewing what more can be done and will continue to

monitor progress and emerging evidence.

Cholesterol: Pharmacy

Lee Anderson: [64353]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the

publication of the NHS England review on making cholesterol lowering treatment

available directly from pharmacists.

Jo Churchill:

NHS England and NHS Improvement expect that the outcome of the review into

making high dose statins available direct from pharmacies will be made available

later in the year.

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cervical-screening-programme/cervical-screening-programme-coverage-statistics-management-information





https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes





Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Stella Creasy: [64908]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been

diagnosed as clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable and advised to shield

after the 10 June 2020 cut-off date for applying to the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) guidance and (b)

support is for people who have been advised to shield due to being classed as extremely

clinically vulnerable during the covid-19 outbreak and missed the 10 June 2020 cut-off for

applying to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 30 June 2020]: Only clinically extremely vulnerable people have

been advised to shield. For this cohort, the information requested is not available as

the data does not include the date when a person was added to the shielded patient

list.

Guidance detailing the support arrangements in place for those who are shielding is

set out at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-

extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-

extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

We have set out an unprecedented package of financial support to help the country

through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the clinically extremely vulnerable are able to

access these where eligible.



To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to

implement an elimination strategy in respect of covid-19.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 6 July 2020]: Total eradication of SARS-CoV-2 globally is unlikely

(unless there is some unexpected biological change in the virus). Elimination

nationally (i.e. bringing the number of locally acquired cases to zero) may be possible

transiently but is highly unlikely to be possible permanently. Though other countries

appear to have eliminated the virus locally, it is still early in the pandemic and the

virus is very likely to reappear in these countries. Instead of eradication/elimination, a

realistic public health goal would be to have very good control of transmission so that

the number of new cases, and therefore the disease burden, is very low.



http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19






Coronavirus: Epidemiology


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the estimated

R rate in the community is not reported separately from the rate in health and social care

settings at Downing Street briefings.

Jo Churchill:

The Government Office for Science currently publishes the latest estimate of the

United Kingdom-wide range for R on a weekly basis. The current range is estimated

to be 0.7-0.9 and is based on latest data available to determine infection and

transmission rates. Because outbreaks in care homes, hospitals and the community

are interlinked, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and its subgroups do

not calculate them separately.

Coronavirus: Local Government

Sir Christopher Chope: [44956]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the delivery of

supplies of personal protective equipment to local authorities under the Clipper system

has been delayed; and when those supplies will be available to all local authorities in

England.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 18 May 2020]: The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Portal

was rolled out nationally to general practitioners, small residential social care

providers (24 beds or fewer) and small domiciliary care providers (99 clients or

fewer). Over 21,000 providers throughout England have been invited to register and

order through the PPE Portal, delivering more than 15 million items of PPE. The PPE

Portal acts as an emergency top-up route for providers that cannot obtain sufficient

PPE through their usual wholesaler routes.

In addition, we have authorised the release of over 143 million items of PPE to local

resilience forums to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult

social care system and other frontline services, where providers are unable to access

PPE through their usual, or dedicated wholesaler routes.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) amount and (b)

value of personal protective equipment sent to the UK by foreign governments was in

2020.

Jo Churchill:

Twenty-one personal protective equipment (PPE) donations from foreign

governments have been received since 13 April 2020. This amounts to 34,341,800





items of PPE (as of 27 June). The value of these donations is estimated at

£18,288,438.

Coronavirus: Vitamin D

Neil Gray: [66868]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a)

commissioned and (b) undertaken an assessment of the scientific evidence in relation to

the effect of lower levels of vitamin D on susceptibility to infection with covid-19.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 6 July 2020]: Public Health England (PHE) commissioned the

Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition (SACN) to examine new evidence on

whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of Acute Respiratory Tract

Infections (ARTIs). SACN’s review concluded that evidence currently does not

support vitamin D supplementation to prevent ARTIs in the general United Kingdom

population. The review reiterates the importance of vitamin D for bone and muscle

health. This can be accessed at the following link:

https://app.box.com/s/g0ldpth1upfd7fw763ew3aqa3c0pyvky

PHE supported National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review

emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

NICE’s review concluded that there is currently no evidence to support taking vitamin

D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. This can be accessed at

the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/evidence/evidence-review-pdf-8777674477

Emergencies: Planning


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has

spent on civil contingencies preparedness in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar:

[Holding answer 7 July 2020]: As the Department’s preparedness strategy is multi-

faceted and involves many organisations and departments, including the National

Health Service, it is not possible to identify a single source of expenditure that

accurately represents our civil contingencies preparedness. Since 2016-17, NHS

England’s funding has increased every year in real terms. NHS England’s mandate is

£129.7 billion this year, reaching £137.5 billion in 2023-24.

Endoscopy: Staff

Sir Christopher Chope: [64846]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the national shortfall in medical staff able to provide elective endoscopy services; and




http://www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/evidence/evidence-review-pdf-8777674477

http://www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/evidence/evidence-review-pdf-8777674477




what steps he is taking to ensure that all NHS hospitals are urgently able to provide a six-

day elective service.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 30 June 2020]: The Cancer Workforce Plan (published by Health

Education England in 2017) includes a commitment to invest in 200 clinical

endoscopists by 2021 to support an increase in capacity for earlier diagnosis. This is

in addition to the commitment to train 200 clinical endoscopists by the end of 2018.

As at June 2020, 247 have either been trained or are currently in training.

We have now started to reset NHS services that were rightly suspended whilst we

dealt with the initial impact of COVID-19. Some of the most urgent treatments, such

as emergency and urgent cancer care, have continued to be delivered throughout the

outbreak.

On 29 April, Simon Stevens and Amanda Pritchard wrote to colleagues across the

National Health Service to set out the expectation that local systems and Cancer

Alliances continue to identify ring-fenced diagnostic capacity for cancer and sought

assurance from regional cancer Senior Responsible Officers that appropriate

arrangements were in place. On 8 June, further guidance was issued on the second

phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services.

Furthermore, the NHS England and NHS Improvement national cancer team is

supporting planning by providing analytical modelling about the local capacity

required to catch up on demand for diagnostics and acting as a central link to the

independent sector partnership so that local systems can be supported with

additional capacity where required.

Exercise Cygnus

Liz Twist: [62559]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which recommendations made

in the Exercise Cygnus report his Government plans to implement.

Jo Churchill:

The Government accepted all the recommendations from Exercise Cygnus. The

lessons identified from Exercise Cygnus have been incorporated into an ongoing

programme of work on our pandemic flu response plans.

The lessons learned from Exercise Cygnus continue to be considered by the

Government and a range of stakeholders, including expert advisory groups and local

emergency planners. We continue to work across Government and with key

stakeholders to develop coordinated multi-sector response plans for a future

influenza pandemic.





Fentanyl: Misuse


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of fentanyl

abuse have been recorded in the last five years.

Jo Churchill:

Information on the number of cases of fentanyl abuse is not collected centrally. The

Government closely monitors risk around the misuse of fentanyl. In 2018, Public

Health England produced guidance on incident planning for fentanyl or other potent

opioids arriving into the illicit drug market. The guidance is available at the following

link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fentanyl-preparing-for-a-future-threat

Health Services and Social Services: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: [48369]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much personal protective

equipment his Department delivered to (a) care homes, (b) domiciliary care

organisations, (c) district nurses, (d) NHS ambulance trusts and (e) GPs in each week

from 2 March 2020 to 4 May 2020.

Jo Churchill:

Since 25 February the Government has delivered over 2 billion items of personal

protective equipment (PPE) across the health and social care system within England,

plus tens of millions more will have been distributed by the devolved administrations.

This PPE is for frontline staff at care homes, home care providers and hospices as

well as to hospitals, ambulance trusts, general practitioner practices and pharmacists.

Over 143 million items of PPE have been made available to social care providers

through wholesalers. In addition to this, to date we have authorised the release of

over 139 million items of PPE to local resilience forums.

Health Services: Employment

Mark Tami: [64853]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he plans to

issue to employers on their responsibilities to support individuals who are advised to

continue shielding by their healthcare teams beyond 1 August 2020.

Jo Churchill:

Employers have a legal duty to make sure the workplace is safe for their employees,

including employees with disabilities and those who are clinically vulnerable or

clinically extremely vulnerable.

Guidance on working safely during the COVID-19 outbreak has been issued to help

employers in England make their workplaces COVID-19-safe for their employees,

visitors and customers. This is available at the following link:







www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

We are continuing to work across Government to ensure that clinically extremely

vulnerable people can return to work safely. Further guidance will be issued on 1

August 2020.

Health Services: Immigrants


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment

of the implications for his policies of the paper entitled, Healthcare access for children

and families on the move and migrants, published in BMJ Pediatrics Open on 13 April

2020.

Edward Argar:

As part of its ongoing policy responsibilities, the Department is considering the

Charging Regulations in relation to the most vulnerable in society, including children

and migrant pregnant women and new mothers. This includes ensuring the evidence

base is sufficient and up to date where necessary and consideration of relevant legal

duties, such as the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The Department has no plans to suspend the Charging Regulations or to launch an

independent review of their impact.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment

of the implications for his policies of the publication entitled, Patients not passports:

migrants’ access to healthcare during the coronavirus crisis, published by Medact,

Migrants Organise, and The New Economics Foundation in June 2020.

Edward Argar:

Regulations came into force on 29 January 2020 to add Novel coronavirus (2019-

nCoV) (now known as COVID-19) to Schedule 1 of the National Health Service

(Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. This means there can be no

charge made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis, or treatment, of COVID-19.

Patients that are known to be undergoing testing and treatment for coronavirus only

are not subject to Home Office status checks.

This information has been widely communicated to NHS staff and the public,

including a message published on Public Health England’s Migrant Health Guide,

which has been translated into 40 languages.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [65097]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of potential increased demand for the Healthy Start voucher scheme.

http://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

http://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19





Jo Churchill:

The Department is modelling the impact of the potential increase in demand for the

Healthy Start voucher scheme.

Healthy Start is a statutory scheme which we are committed to.

HIV Infection

Andrew Gwynne: [64859]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on

the HIV Expert Group and National HIV Action Plan, announced on 30 January 2019.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date the National HIV

Action Plan will be published.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the members are of the

National HIV Expert Group that is responsible for the National HIV Action Plan,

announced on 30 January 2019.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 30 June 2020]: Following the Secretary of State for Health and

Social Care’s announcement in January 2019, the National AIDS Trust and Terrence

Higgins Trust are leading an independent commission on ending new HIV

transmissions in England by 2030. The HIV Commission is chaired by Dame Inga

Beale and includes experts from public health and academic communities. This work

is being supported by Public Health England.

The HIV Commission will publish its recommendations later this year and the

Government will convene an expert group to develop an action plan to end new HIV

transmissions after it receives the recommendations. Membership of the expert group

and the publication date of the National HIV Action Plan will be announced in due

course.

Hospital Beds: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many private hospital beds

have been used since the start of the covid-19 outbreak; and what the cost is of each of

those beds per night.

Edward Argar:

[Holding answer 23 June 2020]: National Health Service patients are benefitting from

an unprecedented partnership with private hospitals in the United Kingdom as we

battle the COVID-19 outbreak. The NHS is accessing these facilities at cost, with

those costs judged by an independent auditor. Reimbursements to the independent

sector will be for reasonable and narrowly-defined costs only.






The latest collected information shows that over 215,000 patient contacts had taken

place under the contract. As lockdown eases and elective activity starts to resume

utilisation of the contract is increasing. It is currently not possible to estimate the cost

to the public purse.

Hospitals: Alcoholic Drinks


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions.

Jo Churchill:

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement, with

support from Public Health England (PHE), is helping acute hospitals with the highest

rates of alcohol harm to establish or improve specialist alcohol care teams.

PHE is supporting work to increase opportunities for the earlier detection of alcohol-

related liver disease in people drinking at or above high-risk levels. This includes

working with NHS England and NHS Improvement on a new commissioning for

quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme to incentivise increased cirrhosis and fibrosis

tests for alcohol dependent patients in acute and mental health services.

Influenza: Research

Derek Twigg: [64075]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his

Department holds on whether research has yet been completed on which influenza

viruses are expected to be most prevalent during winter 2020-21.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 29 June 2020]: Public Health England reports on international

surveillance in the Weekly National Flu Reports which can be found at the following

link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-national-flu-reports-2019-to-2020-

season

Based on the World Health Organization bi-weekly update, influenza A accounts for

the majority of influenza detections worldwide. Of the subtyped influenza A viruses,

influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 accounts for the majority of detections worldwide. However,

circulating strains change over the year and we cannot predict which strains will be

most prevalent in the United Kingdom this winter.

Influenza: Vaccination

Derek Twigg: [64074]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional steps he plans

to take in 2020 to increase the take up of the flu vaccine by at risk people.



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-national-flu-reports-2019-to-2020-season





Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 29 June 2020]: Public Health England is developing a marketing

campaign to encourage uptake of flu vaccination amongst those who are most at risk

of flu. This will be launched ahead of the flu vaccination season, which starts in

September each year. Pharmacies and general practices will offer vaccinations to at

risk cohorts and, in additional to provision of the vaccine in maternity departments for

pregnant women, NHS England and NHS Improvement are putting in to place plans

to optimise visits by vaccination teams to other clinical departments within hospital

trusts to encourage uptake of the vaccination.

Furthermore, the Annual Flu letter 2020/21 identifies the need for local plans to

deliver activities to encourage those in at risk groups to have the vaccine which is

available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm

ent_data/file/884718/Annual_flu_letter_short_2020_to_2021_v8__002_.pdf

Intensive Care: Hospital Beds

John Redwood: [65891]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many intensive care beds

the NHS has.

John Redwood: [65894]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current NHS intensive

care bed capacity is compared to January 2020.

Edward Argar:

The information is not available in the format requested.

Manufacturing Industries: Coronavirus

Ian Lavery: [51976]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many companies have (a)

contacted and (b) been engaged by the Government to assist with the manufacture of

equipment to help tackle the covid-19 outbreak in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c)

Northumberland and (d) Wansbeck constituency.

Jo Churchill:

We are building up United Kingdom manufacturing with signed contracts to

manufacture over 2 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) through UK-

based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons.

The Government is currently in contact with over 350 potential UK manufacturers.

Engineering efforts by small companies are being scaled up and we have already

taken delivery of products from new, certified UK manufacturers.

To date, we have authorised the release of over 139 million items of PPE to local

resilience forums to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/884718/Annual_flu_letter_short_2020_to_2021_v8__002_.pdf







social care system and some other frontline services, where providers are unable to

access PPE through their usual, or dedicated wholesaler routes.

Meat: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: [66810]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to investigate

the reasons for the number of covid-19 outbreaks in abattoirs and other meat processing

facilities.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 6 July 2020]: Public Health England (PHE) local health protection

teams respond to notifications of suspected outbreaks in meat processing plants

(including abattoirs) by undertaking a risk assessment, providing public health advice,

including on infection prevention and control and social distancing measures, and

advising on the testing of employees. In doing so, an assessment is made as to

whether transmission may be occurring in or outside the workplace.

An enhanced outbreak investigation protocol has been developed which will allow

PHE to further understand the factors relating to infection transmission in meat-

related food production and abattoir settings to ascertain potential routes of

transmission: within the workplace through a more detailed understanding of the

workforce, the working environment and working practices; staff and environmental

biological sampling; factors outside the workplace, such as transport arrangements,

housing, employment conditions.

Meat: Inspections


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of (a)

cysticercus tenuicollis, (b) cysticercus ovis, (c) hydatid cysts and (d) generalised

cysticecus ovis were identified at official post mortem inspection and prevented from

entering the food chain by officials working for and on behalf of the Food Standards

Agency performing meat inspections from 1 January 2014 to 1 June 2018.

Jo Churchill:

The Food Standards Agency holds the following data. For the period 1 January 2014

– 31 June 2018 the following instances were identified at post-mortem and prevented

from entering the food chain:

CONDITION NUMBER OF INSTANCES

Cysticercus Tenuicollis 4,544,896

Cysticercus Ovis 480,038

Hydatid Cysts 115,844

Generalised Cysticecus Ovis 5,946




Prior to 2016, the data for Cysticercus Ovis was not separated between generalised

C. ovis and localised C. ovis. The 225,251 instances between the period 1 April 2014

and 31 December 2015 have been included in the 480,038 figure.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many instances of faecal

contamination on meat carcasses and offal were identified at official post mortem

inspection and prevented from entering the food chain by officials working for and on

behalf of the FSA performing meat inspections from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2020.

Jo Churchill:

The Food Standards Agency does not separately record faecal contamination during

post-mortem inspection. All types of contamination (faecal, grease, wool, hair etc) are

recorded as contamination. The total number of instances of contamination that were

identified and prevented from the entering the food chain for the period requested

were as follows:

SPECIES NUMBER OF INSTANCES OF CONTAMINATION

Sheep 2,700,179

Cattle 931,683

Pigs 1,905,167

Movianto UK: Contracts


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 4

and 5 June 2020 to Questions 51733 and 51735 on Movianto UK: Contracts, what

discussions his Department has had with Movianto on establishing the value of its unpaid

(a) rent, (b) electricity, (c) rates, (d) water rates and (e) other the fixed costs since the

start of its contract for maintaining UK covid-19 pandemic supplies.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 4

and 5 June 2020 to Questions 51733 and 51735 on Movianto UK: Contracts, what recent

discussions his Department has had with Movianto on recouping payments made to the

company to cover fixed costs that it did not pay for the personal and protective equipment

storage sits at (a) Titan and (b) Haycock Green warehouses.





Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 1 July 2020]: Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL) hold the

contract with Movianto on behalf of Public Health England. SCCL have had

conversations with Movianto.

As a result of these conversations, the Department can confirm it has only paid for its

share of services provided by Movianto under the terms of the contracts it holds with

suppliers.

NHS: Anaesthetics

Stuart Anderson: [67764]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has

made to ensure that there are adequate supplies of anaesthetics to support local NHS

services (a) during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) after the end of the transition period.

Jo Churchill:

As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we

are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to access safe and effective

medicines, including anaesthetics. The Department is working closely with the

pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain

to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, and precautions are in

place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.

The United Kingdom is now in a Transition Period until 31 December 2020 after

leaving the European Union on 31 January on the basis of a deal. The issue that now

faces both us and the EU is what kind of trading relationship, and other forms of

cooperation, we will have in future. During this Transition Period, it remains our

objective to negotiate a future relationship with the EU and in our respective

published negotiating documents, we have both stated objectives to reach an

agreement on trade in goods. The UK’s published approach sets out how we want to

facilitate trade in medicinal products, and support high levels of patient safety.

NHS: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what directions he has given as

a result of the covid-19 pandemic under (a) section 253 of the National Health Service

Act 2006 (emergency powers), in addition to (b) the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and (c)

any other statutory provision.

Jo Churchill:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, under section 253 of the National Health

Service Act 2006, the Secretary of State directed NHS England to exercise the

commissioning functions of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to support the

provision of services by NHS bodies, commissioning health services from

independent providers to address coronavirus. Direction was also given to NHS

England to exercise CCG functions in relation to commissioning services from NHS




trusts and foundation trusts. These powers allowed for effective national crisis

management and the swift establishment of the Nightingale Hospitals by NHS

England. Direction was also given on providing for flexible provision of

pharmaceutical services and providing authorisation and consent for Government

Communications Headquarters to support the security of NHS and public health

service network and information systems.

The Secretary of State provided no direction under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

Direction was provided on other primary legislation, such as the COVID-19 Public

Health Directions 2020, made under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Constitution and Functions) and

the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Functions) Regulations 2013. These

Directions authorised COVID-19 data collection and analysis and the development of

information and communication systems to deliver services in connection with

COVID-19.

The Department has not as yet made any Directions under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse

Peter Gibson: [66202]


of the health effects of the misuse of nitrous oxide; and if the Government will bring

forward legislative proposals to regulate the sale of canisters of that product.

Jo Churchill:

No recent assessment of the health effects of nitrous oxide has been made. The

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs considered nitrous oxide in 2015 and

concluded that there is evidence that the use of nitrous oxide, other than in line with

designated guidance and for purposes other than for which it was manufactured, can

cause harm. Under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 it is an offence to supply

a psychoactive substance. Those who supply nitrous oxide who know, or who are

reckless as to whether, it will used for its psychoactive effect may be subject to a

maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

Nurses: Students


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, prior to student nurses taking

paid placements in the NHS as part of the recruitment measures to address the covid-19

outbreak what information was provided on the terms and conditions of those

placements; and what end date was included in that information.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: We are extremely grateful to all student nurses who

have supported the COVID-19 response, by opting into a paid placement for their

time in practice at the frontline during the pandemic.




NHS England has been funding the support to trusts where the contracts are held

and Health Education England (HEE) has been brokering appropriate placements

between the university and trust.

HEE published ‘Student Support Guidance during the COVID-19 Outbreak’ for

nursing and midwifery students in March 2020. It advised students undertaking a

placement that they would agree the exact nature of their role with the organisation in

which they would be working and have a contract that incorporated the terms of the

NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, plus any local agreements in place

in the organisation to which they were deployed. The guidance is available at the

following link:

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Student%20support%20guide%

20master%20.pdf

Ophthalmic Services



taking to ensure that the low vision service effectively supports people with low vision.

Helen Whately:

Low vision services are commissioned by CCGs in specific hospital settings.

Opioids


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has

had with the NICE on the (a) use of and (b) benefits of opioids.

Jo Churchill:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends opioids for

routine use where evidence supports this, such as in its guideline on palliative care

for adults: strong opioids for pain relief [CG140].

NICE is currently developing a guideline on the safe prescribing and withdrawal

management of prescribed drugs associated with dependence and withdrawal [GID-

NG10141], which will consider opioids, and on chronic pain: assessment and

management [GID-NG10069]. It also published guidance in April 2020 [NG163]

recommending that the use of an opioid and benzodiazepine combination could be

considered for some patients with COVID-19 to manage their symptoms.

Pharmacy

Alex Norris: [64296]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his

Department has held with representatives of the pharmacy sector on that sector's role in

the next phase of the response to covid-19; and what recent assessment he has made of

how pharmacies can support medicines safety and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Student%20support%20guide%20master%20.pdf







Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 29 June 2020]: Health Ministers, the Department and NHS England

and NHS Improvement have been in continued dialogue with representatives of the

pharmacy sector throughout the pandemic. Discussions are now focused on what we

can learn from the changes made, especially in primary care and the wider system,

during the pandemic and which of those changes we might want to embed.

The Government’s ambition on using community pharmacy to support urgent care

and medicine safety was set out in the five-year deal. We will continue to prioritise

and negotiate the services outlined in that agreement with the Pharmaceutical

Services Negotiating Committee in the light of the additional demands placed on the

health service by COVID-19.

Pharmacy: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans

to increase the level of long-term funding allocated to community pharmacies in response

to the covid-19 outbreak.



taking to ensure that the effectiveness of the community pharmacy sector to help reduce

the demand on (a) primary and (b) secondary care.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 29 June 2020]: The funding for National Health Service

pharmaceutical services provided by community pharmacies in England was set at

£2.592 million a year until 2023/24 through the five-year deal; a total of nearly £13

billion. The deal contains an annual review to ensure that the services commissioned

under the community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF) remain within that

financial envelope.

The five-year deal, published by the Department in July 2019, sets out an expanded

role for community pharmacy across prevention, urgent care and medicine safety. It

will provide accessible and convenient healthcare, allowing people to quickly access

a much wider range of services and health advice, in the heart of their community,

relieving pressure on general practitioner (GP) practices and other parts of the health

service, including secondary care.

In October 2019, we launched the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service,

which refers people with minor illness and urgent medicine needs direct from NHS

111 to community pharmacy as the first port of call. Pilots are currently running on

expanding this successful service to include referrals from GP practices. We will

evaluate these pilots and, if positive, negotiate new service specifications into both

the CPCF and the GP contract.




Pharmacy: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is

taking to ensure the financial sustainability of pharmacies.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 29 June 2020]: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

has a duty to ensure access, in England, to National Health Service pharmaceutical

services. These are commissioned from community pharmacies who are private

businesses. £2.592 billion a year was committed to the sector in the five-year deal

from 2019/20 to 2023/24 for the NHS pharmaceutical services they provide, a total of

nearly £13 billion. To maintain access in areas where there are fewer pharmacies or

higher health needs, additional payments, from within that funding, are made under

the Pharmacy Access Scheme to eligible pharmacies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, £350 million in extra advance payments have been

made to address cash flow, and support pharmacies in maintaining medicine supplies

and providing health advice. Additional payments above the £2.592 billion for

2020/21 have been made to support additional opening hours on Bank Holidays and

for a medicine delivery service to shielded patients. We continue to work with the

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to assess any additional COVID-19

related costs that it may be necessary to cover.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department

has made of the value of funding received by community pharmacists under the (a)

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and (b) the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Jo Churchill:

The Department has made no assessment of the take up of these loans by

community pharmacy. However, we have made extra advance payments of £350

million for National Health Service pharmaceutical services to support community

pharmacy through this period.

Pharmacy: Registration


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department

has made of the number of community pharmacists that have been re-registered during


Jo Churchill:

The Department does not hold the information requested.

The General Pharmaceutical Council holds data on the temporary register of all

pharmacy professionals which was created due to the COVID-19 outbreak.





However, the temporary register data does not contain information on how many of

those pharmacy professionals previously worked in community pharmacy or would

intend to work in community pharmacy if they returned to work during the COVID-19

pandemic.

Prescriptions

Jeremy Hunt: [66832]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions are

dispensed daily on average in (a) the community and (b) hospitals in England.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 6 July 2020]: The average number of prescriptions dispensed daily

in the community in England since April 2017 is shown in the following table.

TIME PERIOD TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS

AVERAGE NUMBER OF ITEMS

PER DAY

April 2017 - March 2018 1,106,431,880 3,031,320

April 2018 - March 2019 1,109,084,895 3,038,589

April 2019 - March 2020 1,132,043,733 3,093,016

Information for hospitals is not available in the format requested.

National Health Service prescribing and dispensing data for financial years 2017/18,

2018/19 and 2019/20 has been obtained from aggregated monthly Prescription Cost

Analysis data that is published on the NHS Business Services Authority website at

the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/prescription-cost-

analysis-pca-data

Protective Clothing: Business

Dr Lisa Cameron: [41067]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to

prevent companies profiteering from the supply of personal protective equipment during


Jo Churchill:

The Government has set up a personal protective equipment (PPE) sourcing unit to

secure new supply lines from across the world and published rigorous standards

against which we will buy. Maximising the central purchasing and supply of PPE

should prevent trusts needing to buy directly and so reduce the levels of profiteering.

Although the vast majority of firms are acting responsibly, the Competition and

Markets Authority has written to the small number of firms suspected of exploiting the

current COVID-19 situation for financial gain, and the Secretary of State for Business,


https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-data





Energy and Industrial Strategy met business and consumer representatives to

discuss what further action might be necessary to address the issue. The Department

for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to review the options open

for tackling profiteering.

Protective Clothing: Exports

Rachel Reeves: [39553]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many items of personal

protective equipment have been exported from the UK since 1 January 2020; and if he

will provide a breakdown of those items.

Jo Churchill:

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication

of data on United Kingdom imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC

releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in

Goods Statistics.

There is aggregated trade data available for personal protective equipment (PPE)

goods and for the periods requested on HMRC’s website, under ‘Build your own data

tables’. The site also contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract

trade data. This is available at the following link:

uktradeinfo.com

HMRC also maintains a list of COVID-19 products, including PPE goods, and their

commodity codes on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the trade data collected does not allow

HMRC to distinguish PPE goods classified under a particular commodity code from

any non-PPE goods classified under that same commodity code.

Protective Clothing: Imports

Gareth Thomas: [37399]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had

with Ministers of the Department of International Trade to help secure imports of (a)

surgical gowns, (b) masks and (c) other essential personal protection equipment for (i)

clinical staff and (ii) other key workers during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a

statement.

Jo Churchill:

Lord Deighton is leading the Government effort to expand the supply of personal

protective equipment (PPE) from imports from overseas and improving domestic

manufacturing capability.

We have set up a cross-Government PPE sourcing unit to secure new supply lines

from across the world and we have published rigorous standards against which we

will buy. Our teams across the world have ensured local sources are able to deliver

the products required. The Department for International Trade has also stood up a

global network to coordinate the PPE sourcing.


https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Pages/Home.aspx

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Pages/Home.aspx



Protective Clothing: Local Government

Steve Reed: [49702]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many individual items of

personal protective equipment have been delivered to local authorities through the

Clipper distribution system to date.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 June 2020]: The Government is working with e-commerce

expertise to roll out a new online portal to help primary care and small social care

providers to order critical personal protective equipment (PPE). The PPE Portal acts

as an emergency top-up route for health care providers that cannot obtain sufficient

PPE through their usual wholesaler routes.

All health and care providers should continue to use their usual wholesaler routes as

their primary access route for PPE, whether invited to register with the portal or not.

As of Tuesday 30 June, over 16 million items of PPE have been delivered via the

PPE Portal, with over 11,000 orders for PPE having been made.

Protective Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Thangam Debbonaire: [61533]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has

taken through monitoring to ensure that personal protective equipment used in the NHS

and social care sector is not manufactured in conditions that breach human rights.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 23 June 2020]: The Government has a robust triage process which

ensures that we discard orders that do not meet technical assurance standards,

commercial due diligence and checks for risk and fraud.

The Government ensures that the modern slavery clause is in our personal protective

equipment contracts and we undertake factory inspections to ensure compliance.

Protective Clothing: Public Transport

Sir John Hayes: [61424]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make and assessment

of the potential merits of removing the compulsory requirement to wear face coverings on

public transport.

Jo Churchill:

The Government has thoroughly assessed the merits of wearing face coverings on

public transport. We continue to follow scientific advice and recommend this in order

to protect the public against COVID-19.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advised that using cloth masks as a

precautionary measure could be at least partially effective in enclosed spaces like





public transport where social distancing is not possible consistently, creating a risk of

close social contact with multiple parties the person does not usually meet.

This advice does not replace or change existing advice on other measures – such as

hand washing, social distancing and self-isolation – which remain more important

(because of stronger evidence and larger effects).

Sir Mike Penning: [62346]


of the implications for people with anxiety and claustrophobia adhering to the mandatory

use of face coverings on public transport.

Sir Mike Penning: [62347]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue

guidance on exemptions for people that cannot wear a face covering on public transport

due to medical reasons.

Jo Churchill:

Whilst it is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport, we recognise that

reasonable measures are necessary for some people on health or disability grounds.

In the guidance published, we have listed cases in which exemptions could apply.

The guidance published online states that you do not have to wear a face covering on

public transport if you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability

that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering. In addition, you do

not have to wear a face covering on public transport if putting on, wearing or

removing a face covering would cause you severe distress.

Public Health


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government

has made on implementing the commitments set out in the 2019 Prevention Green

Paper; and what the timelines are for the full implementation of those commitments.

Jo Churchill:

The Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: Prevention in the 2020s’

outlined commitments with varying timelines, regarding the services we receive, the

choices we make and the conditions in which we live. The Green Paper consultation

closed on 14 October 2019 and attracted over 1,600 responses. The Government

response to the consultation, with more detail on progress against the Green Paper

commitments, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government

intends to publish the response in due course.





Schools: Coronavirus

Apsana Begum: [66991]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds

on trends in the level of acute respiratory outbreaks in schools among (a) Black, Asian

and minority ethnic pupils and (b) pupils with other protected characteristics; and if he will

make a statement.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 6 July 2020]: Data on the number and proportion of people recorded

within acute respiratory outbreaks in schools are not available in the format

requested.

Public Health England provides information on the number of acute respiratory

outbreaks in schools in its weekly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance

report, available to view at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/weekly-covid-19-surveillance-report-published

Smoking


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his

Department's consultation entitled Advancing our health:prevention in the 2020s, what

steps he is taking to ensure (a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark, (c) London and (d) England are

smoke-free by 2030.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 July 2020]: Local authorities are responsible for providing stop

smoking services and are working towards the commitments in the current Tobacco

Control Plan for England 2017-2022. Public Health England (PHE) provides tools

such as the online Local Tobacco Control Profiles that allows users to compare local

authorities in the region and benchmark local authorities against the England or

regional average. The tool is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/tobacco-control

Current smoking rates for 18 year olds and older in 2018 indicate Lambeth at 12.4%,

Southwark 14.5%, London region 13.9% and England 14.4%.

PHE and other organisations, including the Greater London Authority and NHS

England, are supporting a London-wide tobacco alliance to meet the smoking

reduction aspirations in ‘A Health and Care Vision for London’. The aim is for London

to become the first smoke free capital city before 2030. More information is available

on the Healthy London Partnership website at the following link:

https://www.healthylondon.org/vision/

The Government remains committed to its vision of smokefree 2030. We intend to

publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our










health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver

Smokefree 2030 after this.

Smoking: Public Health

Bob Blackman: [66027]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has

spent from the public purse on campaigns to promote the cessation of smoking in (a)

2018-19 and (b) 2019-20.

Jo Churchill:

Expenditure on smoking cessation promotion by Public Health England for the

periods of 2018-19 and 2019-20 are as follows:

2018-19: £2.16 million

2019-20: £1.78 million

The figures reference expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national press,

regional press, out of home (outdoor), cinema, social and digital advertising.

All figures rounded to the nearest £10,000 and do not include VAT.

Recruitment advertising and media partnerships are not included. Paid search is not

included.

Smoking: Young People


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his

Department's response to the potential funding options for programmes to reduce

smoking uptake amongst young people in the Advancing our health: prevention in the

2020s consultation, which closed on 14 October 2019.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 July 2020]: Reducing youth smoking rates is a key part of the

current Tobacco Control Plan 2017-2022 for England which aims to see the smoking

rate in 15 year olds reduced to 3% or less by the end of 2022. Youth smoking rates

are continuing to decline. In 2018, 5.3% of 15 year olds were regular smokers. 2% of

11-15 year olds were regular smokers, and 16% had ever smoked.

The Government remains committed to its vision of smokefree 2030. We intend to

publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our

health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver

smokefree 2030 after this.




Surgery: Orthopaedics

Tom Hunt: [67788]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of the importance of offering elective orthopaedic surgery close to

where people live in respect of the Government's response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar:

Any changes to NHS services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic should be

based on clinically-led decisions at the local level.

The National Health Service is working to separate COVID-19 and non- COVID-19

services, to minimise the risk of transmission.

HOME OFFICE

Animal Experiments: Inspections

Kenny MacAskill: [68795]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report

entitled, Animals in Science Regulation Annual Report (2018), for what reason there was

a reduction in the number of inspections of laboratories from 966 in 2017 to 653 in 2018.

Victoria Atkins:

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) undertakes a risk-based inspection

and assessment programme based upon consideration of the factors specified in

section 18 (2C) of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986. These are:

• the compliance history of an establishment;

• any information relating to potential non-compliance;

• the number and species of animals kept; and

• the number and type of regulated procedures carried out.

The annual number of inspections therefore depends on a range of factors; the most

significant of which are the size and complexity of the establishment and the type of

work that is carried out there.

There is no single reason why there was a reduction in the number of inspections in

2018.

Asylum


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applicants have

claimed asylum after entering the UK illegally in the last 10 years; how long on average

after entry each such applicant claimed asylum; how many of those applicants were

granted asylum; and how many unsuccessful applicants left the UK either voluntarily or

by enforced removal.





Chris Philp:

The Home Office are unable to state how many applicants have claimed asylum after

entering the UK illegally in the last 10 years or how long on average after each entry

each such applicant claimed asylum. The Home Office do not monitor cases on

method of entry.

The Home Office can state how many applicants have been granted asylum in each

of the last 10 years. This data can be found at Asy_02a (initial decisions on asylum

applications, by outcome), of the published Immigration Statistics March 2020:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-

2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlement

The Home Office also publishes data on how many unsuccessful applicants left the

UK either voluntarily or by enforced removal. This data can be found at Ret_04

(Returns from the UK, by nationality and type of return and asylum/non-asylum), of

the published Immigration Statistics March 2020:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-

2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlement

Asylum: Contracts

Neil Coyle: [71069]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an

assessment of the implications for her policies of the July 2020 Refugee Action report

entitled Wake Up Call and its finding that the transition from one set of Government

asylum contracts to another in 2019 caused delays in people accessing asylum advice

and resulted in inadequate support for people with newly granted refugee status.

Chris Philp:

We are currently reviewing this report and will respond to the authors in due course,

however we reject the suggestion that we provide inadequate support to asylum

seekers.

Asylum: Finance

Tahir Ali: [67767]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her

Department has made of the adequacy of the Asylum Support Rates in the context of the

covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp:

We have been reviewing the level of the cash allowances provided to asylum seekers

who would otherwise be destitute, as we do each year to ensure that they remain

capable of meeting their essential living needs (the legal test).

As a result of this work, the standard allowance has been raised to £39.60 per week

from £37.75 per week, an increase of around 5%. This increase is significantly higher




than the current general rate of inflation, which Office for National Statistics data

shows was only 0.5% in the 12 months period to May.

In addition to the allowance, we also provide free accommodation, with utilities and

council tax paid for and there is free access to the NHS and free access to education

for their children.

The UK has a generous record in supporting asylum seekers. Last year, we made

around 20,000 grants of asylum or protection (one of the higher figures in Europe), as

well as offered protection to 3,000 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children – the

highest number of any country in Europe. In addition, we have directly resettled

around 20,000 people from the most dangerous areas of the world (especially

Syrians) in the UK over the last 5 years. Finally, we spend around £14 billion per year

in Overseas Aid, helping millions of people around the world. This is the highest

amount of any country in Europe and we are the only G7 country to meet the 0.7% of

GNI Overseas Aid target.

Ruth Jones: [71159]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has

for continuing to support people in the asylum system during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp:

Any asylum seeker who would otherwise be destitute can obtain support under

section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 from the time they arrive in the

UK, until their claim is fully determined, and they have exhausted their appeal rights.

During the covid 19 outbreak we suspended cessations to cases where the asylum

claim had been determined. This is currently being reviewed.

A comprehensive cessation plan, on how to recommence support cessations is being

worked through with discussions with Local Authorities, Other Government

Departments and Stakeholders, which included members of the voluntary and

community sector.

We remain committed to working closely with the accommodation providers and

communicating with local authorities to relieve pressure and capacity as much as

possible and ensure that health guidance is being followed.

Asylum: Hong Kong

Lisa Nandy: [71041]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Hong

Kong have sought asylum in the UK from 21 May 2020 to 8 July 2020; and how many of

those applications for asylum have been granted.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics

Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-

quarterly-release




Data on the number of asylum applications and the initial decision on such

applications are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and

resettlement detailed datasets.

Data covering April to June 2020 will be published as part of the August release of

Immigration Statistics.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the

‘Research and statistics calendar’.

https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-

statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics

&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance

Asylum: Housing

Ruth Jones: [68792]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made

of the implications for her policies of the National Audit Office report on Asylum

accommodation and support published on 3 July 2020.

Chris Philp:

We are considering the National Audit Office report and it’s recommendations and will

respond in due course.

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong: S

Lisa Nandy: [71043]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether those individuals

accepted under the proposed bespoke immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas)

passport holders from Hong Kong will be required to pay the UK immigration healthcare

surcharge.

Kevin Foster:

It is right for those coming into the UK to contribute to the NHS for the brilliant

healthcare they receive. Income from the surcharge goes directly into supporting

NHS services.

Further details of the new immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) will be

released in due course.

Civil Partnerships: Video Conferencing

Darren Jones: [68415]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to issue revised

guidance on the resumption of in-person eligibility meetings for civil partnerships; and

what assessment she has made of the potential merits of facilitating those meetings

through the use of video-conferencing.

https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance








Kevin Foster:

The local registration service has been advised attesting civil partnership notices can

recommence where these can be safely delivered in line with public health and local

authority guidelines.

In accordance with legislation, meetings to complete the legal preliminaries of giving

notice for a civil partnership must be conducted in the presence of the relevant

authorised person.

Deportation: Undocumented Migrants


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with which countries the UK has

deportation agreements for the return of nationals found illegally in the UK.

Chris Philp:

To support the facilitation of removing those individuals with no right to remain in the

UK, the UK has formal returns or readmission agreements with the following

countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, China, Georgia, Hong Kong,

Iraq, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan,

Rwanda, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, South Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland,

Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam.

There are also formal returns arrangements for third-country nationals to other

European countries through the Dublin Regulations.

To all other countries to which returns are enforced, the Home Office utilises informal

bilateral processes.

Driving: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to

extend the date by which a person is required to complete their Safe and Considerate

Driving course during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kit Malthouse:

The management of the Safe and Considerate Driving Course (SCD) is an

operational matter for individual police forces and course providers. There are no

plans to change this. Due to the current coronavirus situation, this classroom course

has been cancelled until Monday 3rd August 2020 and replaced by a Digital Safe and

Considerate Course (iSCD).

Dublin Regulations


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Dublin III agreement

will be repealed with respect to UK law on 31 December 2020.





Chris Philp:

The Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 revokes the

Dublin Regulation. This legislation takes effect at the end of the Transition Period.

The Regulations contain a “savings provision” where a Dublin family reunion request

made before 1 January 2021 can still be processed after that date.

Emergency Services Network: Strathconon

Ian Blackford: [71074]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timescale is for the

Emergency Services Network and Extended Area Service mast in Strathconon becoming

operational.

Kit Malthouse:

The mast is part of the UK's Emergency Services Network (ESN), which is designed

to give our emergency services reliable communications coverage in more rural

areas across the whole of the country. We are focussing on completing the

infrastructures as soon as possible, but generally the sites will only be activated

closer to the time when they are needed, as there are significant operational costs

when the sites are live. The ESN Programme is currently looking at cases where

there may be a particular case for early activation due to community need, as well as

potential funding sources to enable this. In this instance the Programme is looking to

activate this mast ahead of ESN, timescales are still to be determined.

Foreign Nationals: Reoffenders


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department

holds on the number non-detained Foreign National Offenders who have gone on to re-

offend in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Philp:

Providing the information on the number of non-detained Foreign National Offenders

(FNOs) who have gone on to re-offend in the each of the last 10 years would require

a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate

cost.

The Home Office publishes the total number of FNOs living in the community. This

information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-may-

2020

Forensic Capability Network

Bambos Charalambous: [70472]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has

taken to support the Forensic Science Regulator’s accreditation timetable.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-may-2020






To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the Forensic Capability

Network has supported accelerated compliance with accreditation requirements for (a)

digital forensics and (b) crime scene investigation activities.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Forensic

Capability Network has made in developing a long-term commercial strategy so that all

digital forensic services can be provided by accredited sources.

Kit Malthouse:

The Government fully supports the Regulator’s timetables for accreditation. We

continue to encourage forensic science providers to adhere to these timetables and

will bring forward legislation to give the Regulator statutory enforcement powers at

the earliest opportunity.

We have supported the creation of the Forensics Capability Network (FCN) as part of

an £28.6m investment in forensic capability. The FCN is leading improvement in

quality standards and accreditation attainment through a number of workstreams.

These include Digital Forensics and Crime Scene Investigation activities and provide

practical support to enable the requirements of the Forensic Science Regulator

Codes to be met.

The FCN coordinates and aligns work across policing to improve quality standards,

share skills and best practice as well as developing a forensic market strategic plan

which will ensure police forces achieve and maintain high quality, sustainable

forensic services across all forensic disciplines. All of the digital work packages

identified in the plan will have the requirements of the Forensic Science Regulator

Codes embedded into its activities and deliverables.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Forensic

Capability Network has made in developing a workforce strategy to preserve and develop

skills across policing and the private sector.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 5 of the

2019 Implementation plan for the joint review of forensics provision, whether the

education programme for the wider CJS stakeholders as defined with the forensic

science capability roadmap has been established.

Kit Malthouse:

The Forensic Capability Network (FCN) has commenced work to develop and design

a Forensic Workforce Strategy. Engagement is under way across academia, policing,

forensic providers and the Chartered Society of Forensic Science.






Education and training will form an integral part of the Forensic Workforce Strategy,

which will also focus on recruitment, development, retention and planning for a

national police forensic workforce.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how may police forces have

voluntarily participated in the Forensic Capability Network.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has

established a specialist scientific team within the Forensics Capability Network.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a Chief Scientist role

has been established within the Forensics Capability Network.

Kit Malthouse:

The Forensic Capability Network (FCN) is operated by policing on behalf of all 43

police forces in England and Wales. It aims to increase efficiency, quality and to

manage demand. It has enabled all police forces to work with it, including through

national incidents such as the response to Covid-19, where a national contingency

plan has been enacted and national co-ordination of the supplier market is required.

The FCN has established a specialist scientific team, to identify and exploit future

scientific opportunities. More information can be found here:

https://www.fcn.police.uk/pillars/fcn-science

The ‘Office of the Chief Scientist’ is being established by the FCN. Its role is set out in

the FCN Prospectus which can be read here:

https://www.fcn.police.uk/sites/default/files/2019-09/FCN%20Prospectus_0.pdf

Forensicscience


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms of reference are

for the Forensics Policy Steering Group.

Kit Malthouse:

The Forensics Policy Steering Group was dissolved in 2019 and replaced by the

Criminal Justice Board Forensics Sub-Group. The Sub-Group operates on behalf of

the Criminal Justice Board to provide high-level leadership and oversight of forensic

science in the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

The Sub-Group is jointly chaired by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice,

bringing together stakeholders from across policing and the CJS to ensure that

forensic science capability and delivery is effective for all relevant parties.






Hate Crime: LGBT People


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department

has made of the number of instances of (a) hate crime, (b) serious violence and (c)

malicious communications directed at BAME LGBTQ+ youth in the last 12 months.



has made of the number of instances of (a) hate crime, (b) serious violence and (c)

malicious communications directed at trans youth in the last 12 months.

Kit Malthouse:

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of hate crime offences

recorded by the police in England and Wales, including a breakdown of those

motivated by hatred of the racial, sexual orientation or transgender background of

victims. The latest ‘Hate Crime, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin is available

here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2018-to-

2019

However, from the information we hold it is not possible to identify the number of

instances of hate crime, serious violence or malicious communications directed

specifically at BAME LGBTQ+ youth or trans youth.

Immigrants


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who originally

entered the UK on a study visa were part of the post 2008 migration refusal pool in the

third quarter of 2019.



entered the UK on a work visa were part of the post 2008 migration refusal pool in the

third quarter of 2019.



entered the UK on a family-related visa were part of the post 2008 migration refusal pool

in the third quarter of 2019.



entered the UK as dependants of people coming to the UK on non-visitor visas were part

of the post 2008 migration refusal pool in the third quarter of 2019.



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2018-to-2019








Chris Philp:

We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, we are unable to

provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Immigration


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her

Department has not published an estimate of the total number of people without leave to

remain in the UK since 2005.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish an

estimate of the total number of people without leave to remain in the UK.

Chris Philp:

By its very nature, it is not possible to know the exact size of the illegal population

(including those without leave to remain in the UK) and so we do not seek to make

any official estimates of the illegal population. The Government is focused on making

it harder for people to enter and live in the UK illegally whilst ensuring those who

have the right to reside in the UK can do so. Exit checks introduced in April 2015 will,

over time provide more detailed insights into the behaviour of migrants and how they

comply with the restrictions placed upon their length of stay in the UK, but the data

obtained does not provide the total number of illegal migrants currently in the UK. In

June 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a note on ‘measuring

illegal migration’

(https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/inte

rnationalmigration/articles/measuringillegalmigrationourcurrentview/2019-06-21).



holds on the number of people with no right to remain in the UK who had their status

regularised in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office has no published data to answer this question. The information is

not readily available nor held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate

cost.

Immigration Controls: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: [904613]

What recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposed points-

based immigration system on the economy of Scotland.

Kevin Foster:

This Government will introduce a points-based immigration system that works in the

interests of the whole of the United Kingdom, including Scotland.






Our future system is designed to drive up wages and productivity across the UK and

allow us to bring in the most talented while responding to public concerns about

immigration .

Immigration Officers: Protective Clothing

Patrick Grady: [71095]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is mandatory for

immigration enforcement officers to wear face masks when attending people's homes.

Chris Philp:

Under our safe systems of work, guidance issued to Immigration

Enforcement officers states that for all encounters in any operational setting, when

officers encounter or are likely to encounter any unknown person where

maintaining social distancing of 2 metres is unlikely and physical barriers are not

present, officers must apply a disposable facemask.

Immigration: Enforcement


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons there was a

reduction in the net budget for immigration enforcement between 2015-16 and 2019-20;

and what assessment her Department has made of the effect on immigration

enforcement of the change in the level of that budget.

Chris Philp:

In accordance with all other government departments, the Home Office continually

looks for ways to reduce costs, so as to improve efficiency and deliver better value for

money for taxpayers.

Immigration Enforcement has been able to significantly reduce costs whilst not

adversely impacting upon our core ability to tackle illegal migration by implementing a

long-term rationalisation of the immigration detention estate and introducing new,

more efficient, technology.

Immigration: Welsh Language



of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the immigration

rules to ensure that Welsh language skills are awarded equal points as English.

Kevin Foster:

We recognise the rich and unique contribution the Welsh Language makes to our

United Kingdom as a whole.





We are assessing the potential merits of amending the Immigration Rules to include

recognition of Welsh Language Skills in our immigration system and will provide our

conclusion in due course.

Innovation and Research


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made

by the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice on establishing an effective co-ordination

and oversight mechanism to serve the research and development spectrum in the UK.

Kit Malthouse:

My officials have been working closely with colleagues across Government and the

forensic science sector to improve co-ordination and oversight of Research and

Development across the Criminal Justice system. A Science for the Justice System

Advisory Group has been established, working with a UKRI project to devise options

for future mechanisms to effectively and efficiently coordinate forensic science in the

UK.

Initial consultation with key stakeholders has identified common areas of research

need and the group will continue to work with UKRI and the research community to

identify how research can better meet different forms of user need.

Interpol

Christine Jardine: [70478]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a Minister in her

Department has responsibility for matters in relation to Interpol.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the UK Government's

policy is on the (a) appointment of officials and (b) election of officials to Interpol from

countries that do not comply with the Red Notice and diffusion system.



of the potential merits of convening a meeting of nations to consider the abuse of Red

Notices and diffusions issued by (a) Interpol and (b) member States.

James Brokenshire:

Matters in relation to Interpol are the responsibility of the Home Office.

The Government strongly supports Interpol in its efforts to improve the safeguards it

has in place to protect human rights and preclude interventions or activities of a

political, military, religious or racial character.

The Government views any allegation of misuse of Interpol’s systems very seriously

and works closely with Interpol to ensure the legitimacy of the Red Notice system.






All Red Notices are subject to review by a multidisciplinary Notices and Diffusions

Task Force in Interpol prior to publication to ensure legal compliance and prevent

abuse of Interpol systems. The Home Office supports Interpol’s commitment to

ensuring the legitimacy of the Red Notice system and in November 2019 seconded a

senior lawyer to Interpol to support the work of the Taskforce.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has

had with the Secretary General of Interpol on the abuse of Red Notices and diffusions.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister in her

Department has responsibility for issues relating to Interpol.



of the potential merits of recommending to Interpol that they include in their strategic

framework for 2021-24 further reform of Red Notices and diffusions.

James Brokenshire:

As Minister for Security I have overall responsibility for the UK’s engagement and

relationship with Interpol.

The Government strongly supports Interpol in its efforts to improve the safeguards it

has in place to protect human rights and preclude interventions or activities of a

political, military, religious or racial character.

The Government views any allegation of misuse of Interpol’s systems very seriously

and will continue to work closely with Interpol to ensure the legitimacy of the Red

Notice system. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards

and will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to Interpol as necessary.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she had

has with her (a) US, (b) Canadian, (c) New Zealand, (d) EU, Japanese and (e) South

Korean counterparts on priorities for Interpol’s strategic framework for 2021-24.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had

with his counterparts in the (a) the US Administration (b) Canada Government, (c) New

Zealand Government, (d) Australia Government, (e) EU member states, (f) Japan

Government and (g) South Korea Government on a successor to the President of

Interpol.

James Brokenshire:

The Interpol Strategic Framework 2021-24 is currently under development by

Interpol, and following its completion it will be shared with Interpol’s 194 members.







Therefore, as yet no discussions have been had with the members identified within

the question but engagement with members will be undertaken in the future.

Due diligence is undertaken by the UK Government into individuals seeking election

to the Interpol Presidency and Home Office officials have discussed with officials in

other countries prospective candidates for the role.

Interpol: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria are for the

allocation of statutory funding to Interpol.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria are for the

allocation of voluntary funding to Interpol.

James Brokenshire:

The criteria for the allocation of statutory funding to Interpol are set out in the

Financial Regulations of Interpol and Resolution of the General Assembly GA-2018-

87-RES-14. The criteria is based on a scale that is set by the United Nations.

Additional financial contributions are covered by Articles 38-40 of the Interpol

Constitution as well as Article 51 of the General Regulations.

Marriage of Convenience


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of suspected

sham marriages were received from superintendent registrars in each of the last five

years.

Kevin Foster:

Reports of suspected sham marriage were reported to the Home Office by

Superintendent Registers, on 2,791 occasions in financial year 2015/16, 2,960 in

2016/17, 2,677 in 2017/18, 3,246 in 2018/19 and 2,918 in 2019/20.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people found to have

participated in sham marriages were removed from the UK in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp:

To maintain the highest standards of accuracy, the Home Office prefers to refer to

published data, as this has been subject to rigorous quality assurance under National

Statistics protocols prior to publication.

Information about those removed from the UK who have participated in sham

marriages is not available in our published data.

Our published data on returns is available at the following link:






https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-

march-2020/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned

Offences against Children: Internet

Chris Elmore: [67729]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made

of the level of threat related to online child sexual abuse during the covid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Atkins:

Based on reporting from law enforcement partners and expert opinion, our

assessment suggests the risk of online abuse has increased. We continue to develop

our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on child sexual abuse, gathering input

from law enforcement, safeguarding leads, charities, international partners and other

colleagues. We are working with all our partners to strengthen this assessment and

deliver a whole system response.

The Government is committed to tackling online child sexual exploitation and abuse

and recognises that whilst there are huge benefits to being online in order to stay

connected to family and friends during this period, many parents may feel concerned

about the activities and content their children are accessing. We have published

Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-

keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-

keep-children-safe-online) for parents and children outlining resources to help keep

children safe from different risks online, including online grooming, and where to go to

receive support and advice.

In May, the Government pledged more than £76 million extra funding to support the

most vulnerable in society during pandemic. The funding has been made available for

charities to support survivors of abuse, including child sexual abuse.

Recognising the impact of the current situation, the Prime Minister hosted the

government’s first Hidden Harms virtual summit. It was attended by over 70

representatives from across government, the NHS, law enforcement, charities and

frontline services, as well as survivors of hidden harms. The summit was an

opportunity to share emerging best practice at the local and national level and identify

areas to go further over the coming months.

Home Office Ministers have met the Internet Watch Foundation, children charities,

the tech industry and other parties on the threat during the pandemic, including

writing to industry partners on countering online child sexual exploitation and abuse

during the pandemic.

Offenders: Coronavirus

James Grundy: [904600]

What steps her Department is taking to remove foreign national offenders from the UK

during the covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned






Chris Philp:

Foreign national offenders who abuse our hospitality should be in no doubt of our

determination to deport them.

We continue to remove where there are available routes and by charter flight

operations.

Offenders: Deportation


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration offenders

excluding failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders have been removed from

the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of

those so removed first arrived in the UK on a student visa.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on the number of returns from the UK in the

‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’

(https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release).

Data on the number of Returns (of which deportations are a subset) are published in

table Ret_D01 of the Returns detailed datasets

(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets).

The term 'deportations' refers to a legally-defined subset of returns which are

enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s

removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported

is not separately available and therefore the published statistics refer to all enforced

returns.

Please note that only some of those returned will have previously entered the UK

illegally; others may have entered legally, for example those who enter on a visa and

overstay their period of valid leave and are therefore not separately identifiable in the

data.

Information on the number of individuals returned who first arrived in the UK on a

student visa would require a manual check of individual records which could only be

done at disproportionate cost.

Offenders: Immigration


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration

offenders, excluding failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders, have been

removed in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of

those first arrived in the UK on a student visa.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on the number of returns from the UK in the

‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’





Data on the number of Returns (of which deportations are a subset) are published in

table Ret_D01 of the Returns detailed datasets

(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets).

The term 'deportations' refers to a legally-defined subset of returns which are

enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s

removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported

is not separately available and therefore the published statistics refer to all enforced

returns.

Please note that only some of those returned will have previously entered the UK

illegally; others may have entered legally, for example those who enter on a visa and

overstay their period of valid leave and are therefore not separately identifiable in the

data.

Information on the number of individuals returned who first arrived in the UK on a

student visa would require a manual check of individual records which could only be

done at disproportionate cost.

Osime Brown

Naz Shah: [71080]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will revoke the deportation

order of Osime Brown in light of Mr Brown's learning disabilities, mental ill health and lack

of family network in Jamaica.

Chris Philp:

Foreign national offenders should be in no doubt of our determination to remove

them. Since 2010 we have removed more than 53,000 FNOs.

It would be inappropriate to comment on this case while legal proceedings are

ongoing

Overseas Visitors



has made of the number of visitors who were allowed to visit the UK without a visa for up

to six months and who were not recorded as leaving on time in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c)

2018 and (d) 2019.

Chris Philp:

We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, and we are unable

to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.




Passports: Applications


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is

taking to reduce the time taken to process passport applications and tackle the current

backlog.

Kevin Foster:

HM Passport Office continues to operate at a small percentage of its usual staffing

levels so its people can continue to socially distance while on site in line with public

health guidance, yet it has been rapidly acquiring additional office space, and since

23 March has so far added 172 COVID-secure desks.

Additionally, HM Passport Office is part way through developing a new system which

digitises applications, including the supporting documentation, which will substantially

increase the ability of staff to process applications from home. Currently, about 40%

of passport applications are being processed through this system and, for those

simplest cases where checks upon the application can be fully completed with

minimal manual intervention, they are being processed quickly.

Prisoner Escapes


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the size of the reporting

population under her Department's Reporting and Offender Management process was in

the latest quarter for which figures are available; and how many people in that population

were declared to have absconded.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office does not hold the information you have requested in a reportable

format. Reporting as a condition of bail was paused on 23 March 2020 in line with

PHE advice. Since closing to the public, we have embarked on a programme of

contact with those required to report using telephone, SMS and email. The size of the

reporting population is not regularly published under national statistics because it

tends to continually fluctuate.

Refugees: Families

Ruth Jones: [71158]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to amend

the Refugee Family Reunion rules to allow more families to safely reunite in the UK.

Chris Philp:

The Government already provides a safe and legal route to bring families together

through its family reunion policy. This allows a partner and children under 18 of those

granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit

before the sponsor fled their country.





Our family reunion policy has reunited many refugees with their family members; over

29,000 family reunion visas have been granted over the past five years, with more

than half issued to children. Expanding the rules could lead to more people coming to

the UK who do not themselves need protection, reducing our capacity to assist the

most vulnerable.

Social Distancing: Fixed Penalties

Justin Madders: [70428]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fixed penalty notices

have been issued under regulation 7 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)

(England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 for gathering in a group of more than

six persons.

Kit Malthouse:

The NPCC have made data on compliance publicly available on their website and

continue to update this regularly.

The latest data, which covers the period 27 March to 22 June, shows a total of 34

FPNs have been issued to individuals who have contravened the requirement to not

participate in an outdoor gathering of more than six people.

Latest data can be found here - https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/statistical-

update-on-number-of-lockdown-fines-given-by-police-1

Travellers: Caravan Sites


What plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a new offence of

intentional trespass to help prevent unlawful traveller encampments.

Kit Malthouse:

Although the majority of travellers obey the law, we recognise that unauthorised

encampments can cause significant distress.

We consulted on measures to enable the police to tackle unauthorised encampments

more effectively and will publish a response to the consultation in due course.

Undocumented Migrants



holds on the number of detected attempts of people trying to enter the UK by clandestine

in 2019 (a) in the back of lorries or in lorry containers, (b) in small boats via the English

Channel and (c) entering via the Common Travel Area.







holds on the number of detected attempts of people trying to enter the UK by clandestine

in 2019 from (a) France and (b) Belgium.

Chris Philp:

Border Force does not routinely publish this level of data on clandestine entry or

attempts to enter the UK.

Border Force continues to work closely with partners in the UK and overseas to strike

people smuggling at the source – identifying and dismantling the organised crime

groups that facilitate illegal immigration. They use an array of search techniques

including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners -

as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and

tobacco.

Additionally, the UK works abroad to reduce factors that may push or force people to

attempt such journeys - through creating jobs, tackling modern slavery, providing

education and delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance in response to conflicts

and natural disasters.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel



holds on the number of people who have entered the UK after crossing the English

Channel in small boats in the last five years.

Chris Philp:

Information regarding the number of migrants who have crossed the Channel via

small boat, can be found using the following links:

https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-

affairs/Correspondence-17-19/19-03-05-Letter-from-Sir-Philip-Rutnam-KCB-

Permanent-Secretary-Home-Office-Migrant-boats-in-the-channel.pdf

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/

home -affairs-committee/the-work-of-the-home-secretary/oral/103955.htm

In April a parliamentary question was tabled by Tracey Crouch MP asking the UK

government how many people have crossed the English Channel to enter the UK in

January to March of 2020. The answer to this question can be found on the

parliament website at the following link:

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-

statements/written-question/Commons/2020-04-20/37575/

The Home Office also provides information on topical subjects via a blog posted on

gov.uk:

https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/03/05/media-factsheet-small-boats/



https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/19-03-05-Letter-from-Sir-Philip-Rutnam-KCB-Permanent-Secretary-Home-Office-Migrant-boats-in-the-channel.pdf




http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home%20-affairs-committee/the-work-of-the-home-secretary/oral/103955.htm



https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.uk%2Fbusiness%2Fpublications%2Fwritten-questions-answers-statements%2Fwritten-question%2FCommons%2F2020-04-20%2F37575%2F&data=02%7C01%7CYasmin.Jaouane%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7Cbbd771ca35c645310d5608d81dc92b39%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637292097130335203&sdata=owoz8FIrkAaDt3SYBfrZAknlS99sm9x4Ld%2Be%2Bfj6184%3D&reserved=0






The Government is working flat out to put a complete stop to these crossings, and all

attempts to reach the UK clandestinely and action is being taken on a daily basis.

The National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and the UK

Police are working closely with French authorities to crack down on the criminals who

facilitate the crossings.

This law enforcement response is delivering results. French law enforcement

prevented over 1000 people from crossing by small boats in April and May 2020.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who entered

the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2019 are now housed under

the seven regional Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seekers

housed in dispersed accommodation, by local authority, in the Immigration Statistics

release, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-

resettlement-datasets#asylum-support.

Breakdowns of asylum claims by method of arrival or type of claim are not routinely

published.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants who arrived

in the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2019 were returned to EU

states under (a) Article 13(1) and (b) Article 13(2) of the Dublin rules.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under

the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’


Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin

Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are

published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets

(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-

datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of

the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.

Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being

transferred under the Dublin Regulation

Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the

‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all

available data on asylum and resettlement.


‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-





&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).

Full guidance on Dublin III Regulation was published on 30/04/2020 and can be

found via the link below:


ent_data/file/882400/Dublin-III-regulation-v3.0ext.pdf

Information regarding how many inadmissible decisions (Article 13.1 and Article 13.2)

based on the concept of safe third country, first country of asylum and which

designated safe third country those decisions relate to is not recorded or held in a

reportable format.

Full guidance on which asylum claims must be treated as inadmissible was published

in October 2019 and can be found via the link below:


ent_data/file/835342/Inadmissibility-guidance-v4.0ext.pdf

Attachments:

1. Summary tables [Copy of asylum-summary-sep-2019-tables.xlsx]


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal immigrants

who entered the UK by boat across the English Channel have been returned to France.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under

the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’


Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin

Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are

published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets

(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-

datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of

the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.

Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being

transferred under the Dublin Regulation

Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the

‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all

available data on asylum and resettlement.


‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-


&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).

Full guidance on Dublin III Regulation was published on 30/04/2020 and can be

found via the link below:




ent_data/file/882400/Dublin-III-regulation-v3.0ext.pdf

Attachments:

1. Summary Tables [pq 68331 summary tables.xlsx]


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken by

the National Crime Agency with its French counterparts to (a) increase surveillance, (b)

step up patrols and (c) target organised criminal gangs orchestrating the transportation of

people across the English Channel by boat.

Chris Philp:

The National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and the UK

Police are working closely with French authorities to crack down on the criminals who

facilitate the crossings. There is a UK-France Coordination and Information Centre

opened in Calais which opened in November 2018 to co-ordinate:

1. Preventing attempts to cross and prosecuting criminals who facilitate it;

2. Exchanging real-time intelligence between UK and French agencies;

3. Preventing threats to public order and cross-border infrastructure; and

4. Providing joint analysis of cross-Channel traffic flows.

This law enforcement response is delivering results. French law enforcement

prevented over 1000 people from crossing by small boats in April and May 2020.

In 2019, Immigration Enforcement made 418 arrests, leading to 203 convictions for a

total of 437 years. Out of these, 259 arrests and 100 convictions were for people

smuggling. Immigration Enforcement carried out 841 disruptions against organised

crime gangs and individuals engaged in organised immigration crime, 404 of which

were related to people smuggling. So far in 2020, 21 people smugglers have been

convicted and put behind bars as a result of Immigration Enforcement investigations,

with more investigations underway.

Jack Brereton: [904603]

What steps her Department is taking to stop migrants crossing the English Channel

illegally.

Chris Philp:

We have a duty both to protect our borders and prevent loss of life. That’s why we

are doing everything we can to stop these dangerous Channel crossings and bring to

justice the criminals behind this evil trade.

No one should be making these dangerous and illegally-facilitated crossings. France

is a safe country with a well-run asylum system.

The National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and UK Police

are working closely with French authorities to stop ruthless criminals who facilitate the




crossings, putting lives at risk. A UK-France Coordination and Information Centre was

opened in Calais in November 2018 to co-ordinate law enforcement activity.

Visas

Ian Murray: [70383]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16

June 2020 to Question 57177 on Visas, whether she plans to introduce a further

extension of visas for people that are unable to travel home after 31 July 2020.

Kevin Foster:

The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by

the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise further adjustments are likely to be required to

cater for all scenarios, and we are working to ensure people are not unduly affected

by circumstances beyond their control.

The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK

at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-

temporary-uk-residents.

This is being kept under review, including whether further extensions will be

necessary. We will confirm the position for those affected shortly.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Caroline Nokes: [67628]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to start

accepting applications from BNO passport holders wishing to come to the UK on a five-

year visa with the right to work.

Caroline Nokes: [67629]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether British Nationals

Overseas passport holders from Hong Kong will be able to travel to the UK and make an

in-country application for a five year visa enabling them to work in the UK.

Kevin Foster:

As announced by the Foreign Secretary on 1st July, a new bespoke immigration

route will allow BN(O)s to apply to come to the UK without the current 6 month limit,

granting them 5 years limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the

UK, after which they may apply for settled status and a year later citizenship. This is a

special bespoke set of arrangements, developed for the unique circumstances we

face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong.

The new route will be implemented in the coming months, with further details to be

announced in due course on the simple, streamlined application process which will

have no quota on numbers.


http://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents






Youth Mobility Scheme

Catherine West: [67721]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to

publish further guidance for people on Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visas that have been

extended to 31 July 2020 who may be unable to leave the UK by that date.

Kevin Foster:

There is not yet a date for when further guidance will be published on extensions

beyond 31 July, as work is ongoing. The latest information can be found on GOV.UK

at:

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-

temporary-uk-residents



cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these to ensure people are not

unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Youth Mobility Scheme: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to

extend the stay of Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa holders as a result of the covid-19 oubreak.

Kevin Foster:

The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK

at:

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-

temporary-uk-residents.

This advice is being kept under review.



cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these to ensure people are not

unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Coronavirus: Government Assistance

Jon Trickett: [69446]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how

many and what proportion of people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable had

registered for Government coronavirus support for the clinically extremely vulnerable as

of 13 May 2020.





Christopher Pincher:

341,463 clinically extremely vulnerable individuals had registered to request support

with food and/or basic care as at 13 May 2020, using either the website

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable or dedicated call center

helpline. Everyone who has requested support with food has had their data passed to

supermarkets for access to priority delivery slots. There are around 2.2 million

clinically extremely vulnerable individuals in England, and the vast majority of those

registering their needs do not request support.

Digital Technology: Infrastructure



much of the £900 million for shovel ready projects will be spent on digital infrastructure in

(a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.

Mr Simon Clarke:

Through the Getting Building Fund we are investing £900 million in a wide range of

infrastructure projects to stimulate job creation, and support economic recovery. We

have provided all Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships

with a funding allocation and are working with them over the coming weeks to agree

the projects which the Fund will support so that delivery can get underway as soon as

possible.

English Language: Education



many local authorities have paid English Language Schools Business Rate Relief; what

discussions he has had with representatives from local authorities that have not paid that

relief, and if he will make a statement.

Mr Simon Clarke:

The Department does not hold information on the number of local authorities that

have granted business rates relief in respect of particular types of properties.

The Department published guidance on the expanded retail discount on 25 March

2020. The guidance states that eligible properties are those used as shops,

restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; those

used by visiting members of the public for assembly and leisure; or hotels, guest &

boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to

decide whether properties, including English language schools, fall within these

categories.




Homelessness: Young People


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

plans his Department had to provide additional funding to help end youth homelessness.

Luke Hall:

This Government implemented the Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious

reform to homelessness legislation in decades, which placed new duties on local

housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s

homelessness. means that many more young people who may not previously have

been eligible for support, are now being helped to prevent homelessness before it

occurs.

The Act also places a duty on public bodies, including Children’s Services, Youth

Offending Institutions and Youth Offending Teams ensuring better partnership

working with local authorities to prevent youth homelessness.

We have also put in place bespoke support for local authorities through our

Homelessness Advice and Support Team, which includes dedicated youth

homelessness advisor roles that have a commitment to work with local authorities to

proactively promote positive joint working across housing authorities and children’s

services, offering training, advice and support to all local authorities. Alongside this,

the department has funded St Basil’s, a specialist youth homelessness charity, to

develop and disseminate best practice pathways for preventing youth homelessness,

as well as running the annual Youth Homelessness Parliament, giving young people

a voice on the issues that affect them.

The Youth Advisers are working closely with local authorities on the particular

challenges that young people and care leavers are facing during COVID-19.

Government has also provided significant additional funding to support people

sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough during the pandemic. At the beginning of

the crisis, our priority was to urgently bring vulnerable people inside so they could self-

isolate and stop the virus spreading. We backed this with £3.2 million in emergency

funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers, and a further £3.7

billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19, including supporting

homeless people.

On 24 June we announced that we are providing local authorities with a further £105

million to enable them to best support the 15,000 people placed into emergency

accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Housing: Construction

Stephen Timms: [70287]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he

plans to publish his Department’s response to the consultation on permitted development

rights.





In August 2019, a joint consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and

Local Government and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was

launched to consider amending permitted development rights to support increased

mobile coverage and 5G deployment.

The consultation closed on 4 November 2019. The Government is considering the

replies and will issue a response in due course. Subject to the outcome of this

consultation, if the proposals are taken forward, we anticipate undertaking a further

consultation on the detail of those proposals.

Local Government Finance



plans he has to provide additional long-term support to local authorities facing funding

shortfalls.

Mr Simon Clarke:

Councils across the country are supporting communities, protecting the most

vulnerable and helping the NHS in our efforts to combat Covid-19. In order to meet

additional cost pressures, the Secretary of State announced further measures as part

of a comprehensive package on 2 July. The package included an additional £500

million of support for councils for the coming weeks and months of recovery. This is in

addition to the £3.2 billion already announced, taking the total unringfenced funding

given to councils to help with the additional costs of coronavirus to over £3.7 billion.

In total, the Government has provided £5 billion in cashflow measures and almost

£28 billion in additional funding to councils, businesses and communities to ensure

they can meet the unique pressures that the Covid-19 pandemic has placed upon

them.

The Secretary of State has also announced measures to address lost income,

including:

• a co-payment scheme to cover irrecoverable Sales, Fees and Charges income in

20/21 with the Government covering 75 per cent of losses beyond 5 per cent of

planned income;

• phased repayment of Collection Fund deficits over the next 3 years; and

• a commitment to determine what support is needed to help councils meet the

pressures of irrecoverable tax income at the Spending Review.

The Spending Review, later this year, will be the opportunity to look at funding for

local government in the round, and we will communicate our plans for 2021-22 as

early as we can through the provisional local government finance settlement. We will

continue to engage councils on our approach to the next financial year.





steps his Department is taking to financially support local councils ahead of the 2020

spending review.

Mr Simon Clarke:

On 2 July, we announced a further £500 million in unringfenced grant funding for

local authorities to meet pressures they are facing in response to the coronavirus

pandemic. Alongside this, we announced a co-payment scheme to cover

irrecoverable sales, fees and charges income in 2020-21 and confirmed that we will

extend the period over which councils can manage shortfalls in local tax income

relating to 2020-21, from 1 to 3 years. This is on top of £3.2 billion of unringfenced

funding already provided, together with various measures to support councils in

meeting cashflow issues, and takes the total package of support across Government

for councils, communities and businesses to nearly £28 billion.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus



estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that plan to issue s114 notices

during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke:

The Department recognises the additional costs and pressures on finances councils

are facing as a result of the current Covid-19 crisis. We have made £3.7 billion

available to local authorities through an un-ringfenced grant so they can address

pressures they are facing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic; this includes £500

million of additional funding announced by the Secretary of State on 2 July. The

Government also announced a further component of its comprehensive approach to

support councils in addressing their income losses, including a co-payment scheme

to cover irrecoverable sales, fees and charges income in 20/21. We also confirmed

that we will extend the period over which councils must manage shortfalls in local tax

income relating to 2020-21, from 1 to 3 years, and we will announce further details of

how we will support local authorities to manage tax losses at the comprehensive

spending review later in the year.

The Department continues to engage regularly with the local government sector,

which includes our ongoing financial monitoring survey and direct contact with

councils and their representatives, local Leaders and Chief Executives. If the Section

151 officer of a council judges that the council is unable to set or maintain a balanced

budget, they must consider the possibility of a Section 114 notice. We have worked

closely with CIPFA who have temporarily amended their guidance on the use of

Section 114 notices to further encourage local authorities to make contact with the

Department in the first instance to advise of any immediate financial concerns.




Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: [68799]


plans he has to prevent the eviction of private tenants after 23 August 2020.


To help prevent tenants getting into financial hardship or rent arrears, the

Government has put in place an unprecedented support package. This includes

support for business to pay staff salaries, as well as boosting the welfare system

with over £6.5 billion. These significant financial measures will help support tenants to

continue to pay their living costs, including rental payments.

Landlords must follow strict procedures if they want to gain possession of their

property, depending on the  type of tenancy agreement  in place and the terms of it.

This currently includes providing tenants with at least 3 months notice.

My Department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary on

arrangements. These include new rules, to ensure that when the suspension of

possession proceedings ends, the courts are better able to address the need for

appropriate protection of all parties, including those shielding from coronavirus. This

is to ensure that judges have all the information necessary to make just decisions

within the current legislative framework and that the most vulnerable tenants will get

the help they need.



guidance he plans to provide to landlords of clinically vulnerable tenants, who are

currently in the shielded category, on accessing rental properties to carry out routine

inspections and repairs after 1 August 2020 .


The advice for those shielding is due to be relaxed from 31 July 2020, so that from 1

August 2020, individuals in the clinically extremely vulnerable group will no longer be

advised to shield. From 1 August 2020, the guidance given to the clinically extremely

vulnerable group is due to be in line with advice currently given to the clinically

vulnerable group.

Currently, the Government guidance is that no repair or maintenance work should be

carried out in any household where an individual is being shielded, unless that work

is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household.

From 1 August 2020, advice for those currently in the clinically extremely vulnerable

group is due to be relaxed, allowing tradespeople to carry out routine inspections and

repairs in households that were previously shielding. It is important that inspections

and repairs are carried out in accordance with the latest guidance on working safely

in people’s homes. Where these visits occur, landlords and tenants should work

together to make prior arrangements to ensure that social distancing is maintained,

and appropriate hygiene measures are followed.


https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fprivate-renting-tenancy-agreements%2Ftenancy-types&data=02%7C01%7CSarah.Moore%40communities.gov.uk%7C9b4ee5b69a8f42fa3de308d7d7e1ce7e%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637215237139003643&sdata=ScFKdZh5MD7uuIM%2FjGdefxhb5BBSjx1gMON%2FCwQPGRE%3D&reserved=0

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fprivate-renting-tenancy-agreements%2Ftenancy-types&data=02%7C01%7CSarah.Moore%40communities.gov.uk%7C9b4ee5b69a8f42fa3de308d7d7e1ce7e%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637215237139003643&sdata=ScFKdZh5MD7uuIM%2FjGdefxhb5BBSjx1gMON%2FCwQPGRE%3D&reserved=0



Published guidance will be updated accordingly.

Public Lavatories: Coronavirus



steps his Department has taken to issue guidance on safely reopening public toilets to

enable people with (a) inflammatory bowel disease and (b) other hidden disabilities to feel

comfortable leaving home as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Mr Simon Clarke:

Public hygiene is of the utmost importance, especially during the coronavirus

pandemic, and enabling access to toilets safely is vital. Closed toilets may

disproportionately impact certain groups who for health reasons rely on access to

public toilets to leave their homes. Government has made clear through COVID-19

guidance that public toilets, portable toilets and toilets inside premises should be kept

open and carefully managed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. The

guidance outlines measures such as signs to promote good hygiene, providing

suitable handwashing and hand drying facilities, and increasing frequency of cleaning

facilities. The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government and the Minister

for Environment recently wrote to local authorities urging them to reopen public

toilets. The letter also highlighted the disproportionate impact closed toilets may have

on certain groups who for health reasons rely on access to public toilets to be able to

leave their homes.

Shrewsbury Town Council: Shropshire Council

Daniel Kawczynski: [71016]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

make a financial assessment of the effect on value for money for the public purse of

merging Shrewsbury Town Council with Shropshire Unitary Authority.

Mr Simon Clarke:

Shrewsbury Town Council was set up when the unitary Shropshire Council was

established in 2009 and currently is responsible for such matters as the town market,

street lighting, and public toilets. If local people believe these responsibilities would

be better exercised by Shropshire Council, it is open to them to petition that Council

to undertake a community governance review to consider a recommendation that the

Town Council be dissolved.

Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations

2007

Andrew Rosindell: [69474]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether

he plans to amend the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England)

Regulations 2007, (Amendment 2b).






We have no plans to amend the Town and Country Planning (Control of

Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 at this time

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Land Mines

Dan Jarvis: [71058]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department

plans to (a) review the funding strategy for de-mining in Afghanistan through the UN and

(b) commit to holding the United Nations Mine Action Service to the same level of scrutiny

as de-mining non-governmental organisations.

Nigel Adams:

The current Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Mine Action

Service (UNMAS) in Afghanistan runs until the end of March 2021. We are currently

reviewing our approach to Mine Action in Afghanistan beyond March 2021.

We remain committed to holding all Mine Action partners to the same level of

scrutiny, in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. UN partners are asked to provide

frequent, detailed evidence that demonstrates progress and value for money for the

UK taxpayer. UNMAS meets regularly with DFID officials to review results and

discuss actions to mitigate programme risks.

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps she has

taken to uphold the UN Global Goals promise to leave no-one behind.

Wendy Morton:

The UK Government is committed to playing its part in Global efforts to achieve the

SDGs and leave no one behind. Through both our COVID-19 response and in our

future plans, we will continue to pay particular attention to the needs of the most

vulnerable. We are working hard to ensure the needs and priorities of women and

girls, people with disabilities, and vulnerable and at-risk groups in the crisis are met in

the global response to the pandemic.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Disability


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to

implement the Department's disability inclusion strategy in the new Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Office from September 2020.





Wendy Morton:

This Government is committed to supporting a long-term movement for change on

the neglected global issue of disability inclusion. The Government remains steadfast

in its commitment to this agenda.

The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy is

expected to conclude later in the year, which will define the Government’s ambition

for the UK’s role in the world and its outcomes will shape the objectives of the FCDO.

Both the review and the merger are evidence of the Prime Minister’s commitment to a

unified British foreign and development policy that will maximise our influence around

the world, including on disability inclusion.

Government Departments: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to

commission a future review of the transparency of Official Development Assistance

spending by all Government departments.

Wendy Morton:

The UK is globally recognised for its expertise and transparency in aid spending. We

are committed to improving transparency of aid globally and maintaining our high

standards for overseas spending. We will continue to be accountable to parliament

and to taxpayers for how we spend UK aid.

Medicine: Research

Mr Virendra Sharma: [71018]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department

has to develop guidelines on how to ensure a public return on public investment on

biomedical Research & Development investments in advance of the merger of her

Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

James Duddridge:

DFID routes ODA funding for research into the development of drugs, vaccines and

other medical tools, through Product Development Partnerships and other not-for-

profit organisations. Product Development Partnerships are not for profit

organisations that are jointly created and funded by international institutions, national

governments, private foundations and industry. These act as platforms to bring

together the best scientific expertise alongside resources, to prevent and address

diseases that affect low and middle-income countries. Whereas industrial Research

and Development is mostly driven by profit - Product Development Partnerships are

primarily driven by patient needs and de-link the cost of a new product from the cost

of its development. These third-party organisations have the expertise to ensure that,

once developed, products are affordable and accessible to provide low and middle-

income countries with the tools they need to tackle diseases in their country,




maximising the public return on our health Research and Development investments.

No additional guidelines are considered necessary.

Merging the Departments will bring together the best of what we do in aid and

diplomacy and ensure that all of our national efforts including our aid budget and

expertise are used to make the UK a force for good in the world. The work of UK Aid

to reduce poverty will remain central to the new department’s mission.

Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she plans to take

to help ensure that future (a) development and (b) humanitarian spending is in line with

the Leave No One Behind principle and reaches (i) people with disabilities and (ii) others

in the most vulnerable category.

Wendy Morton:

The UK is proud of its strong record on inclusive development and protecting the

most vulnerable, and this Government remains steadfast in its commitment to this

agenda.

In co-hosting the Global Disability Summit two years ago, the UK demonstrated its

leadership on disability inclusion and the principle of Leave No One Behind.

The vital work of UK aid to reduce poverty and protect vulnerable groups will remain

central to the new FCDO’s mission. The Integrated Review of Security, Defence,

Development and Foreign Policy is expected to conclude later in the year, which will

define the Government’s ambition for the UK’s role in the world and its outcomes will

shape the objectives of the FCDO. Both the review and the merger are evidence of

the Prime Minister’s commitment to a unified British foreign and development policy

that will maximise our influence around the world.

Overseas Aid: Disability


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Official

Development Assistance spending of Government Departments will be reported against

the OECD-DAC disability marker after September 2020.

Wendy Morton:

The UK will continue reporting the disability policy marker in the official development

assistance OECD-DAC annual data return after September 2020.

Poverty


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she made an

assessment of the potential effect on the health and well-being of people classed as living





in extreme poverty of the merger of her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan:

The merger of the Department for International Development and the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office will enable us to bring together our international efforts; will

strengthen our ability to contribute to the global recovery from COVID-19; and allow

us to seize opportunities which arise as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and

host COP26 next year. The UK will continue to play a leading role on global health

and is committed to achieving the health-related global goals, including ending the

preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns and children by 2030.

USA: Remdesivir


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has

made of the US Administration's decision to purchase global supplies of Remdesivir for

the treatment of patients with covid-19 on equitable access to covid-19 treatments for

countries in the Global South.

Wendy Morton:

Supply of Remdesivir will be made possible for 127 low and middle-income countries

through Gilead’s non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreements with generic

pharmaceutical manufacturers in Egypt, India and Pakistan, ensuring equitable

access to treatment. The UK supports voluntary approaches to sharing intellectual

property such as non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreements, which promote

access whilst retaining the incentives needed for further innovation.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has

made of the level of the funding gap for the UN Global Humanitarian Response for

Yemen; and what steps her Department is taking to help (a) close that gap and (b) meet

the humanitarian need in Yemen.

James Cleverly:

We are extremely concerned about the lack of funding for the UN’s humanitarian

response in Yemen, which is constraining the UN’s ability to address the devastating

humanitarian situation, now being compounded by COVID-19.

In response, the UK has committed £160 million for the current financial year, the

third highest pledge at the 2020 Yemen Humanitarian Pledging Conference. We have

already disbursed 32% of this funding and will have disbursed over 50% by the end

of July.

Our new funding aims to provide support to at least 300,000 vulnerable people each

month to help buy food and household essentials, treat 40,000 children for




malnutrition and provide 1 million people with improved water supply and basic

sanitation.

We are also actively encouraging international donors to urgently provide funding to

the UN humanitarian response ahead of Yemen’s expected COVID-19 peak in late

July.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she

has made of trends in the level of demand for humanitarian assistance in Yemen in the

next six months.

James Cleverly:

The UK is extremely concerned that Yemen’s devastating humanitarian crisis,

already the world’s largest, is set to further deteriorate given the onset of COVID-19.

24 million were already in need of humanitarian assistance and COVID-19 is now

spreading rapidly. UK funded modelling predicts that there are now over 1 million

infections and in a worst-case scenario, there could be between 62,000 and 85,000

deaths.

Alongside the significant direct impacts of COVID-19, the virus is exacerbating

existing humanitarian needs. Getting accurate data on the level of need in Yemen is

very challenging, but we expect that forthcoming food analysis will project a further

deterioration in the situation with even more people in need over the coming months.

At the same time, the UN's ability to respond is severely constrained by a short fall of

over one billion in funding this year. The UK will continue to urge other donors on the

need to urgently provide funding to the UN. Donors should pledge more and disburse

quickly ahead of Yemen’s expected COVID-19 peak of late July.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [71133]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Minister in her Department

was responsible for the approval of any arms export licences for (a) Saudi Arabia and (b)

its coalition partners from 17 July 2016 to 9 January 2018.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena:

My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade is ultimately

responsible for decisions on all strategic export licences.

Her predecessor, my Rt Hon. Friend for North Somerset, held the post during the

dates referred to.




Riot Control Weapons: Hong Kong

Tom Randall: [71191]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department authorised

the sale and export of (a) tear gas, (b) rubber bullets and (c) riot gear to Hong Kong in the

last 24 months.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena:

My Rt Hon. Friend for South West Surrey, then Foreign Secretary, announced on 25th

June 2019 that we would not issue any further export licences for crowd control

equipment to Hong Kong unless we were satisfied that concerns raised about human

rights and fundamental freedoms have been thoroughly addressed. Further, I can

confirm that there are no extant licences for crowd control equipment to Hong Kong.

HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about

export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK. These

reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by

destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of

the items covered by these licences. This information is available at:

gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

The most recent publication will be on 14 th July 2020, for licences issued up to the

end of March 2020.

JUSTICE

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Equality


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential

merits of undertaking equality impact assessments for staff returning to work with HM

Courts and Tribunal Service which take into account an employee's protected

characteristics.

Chris Philp:

HMCTS have comprehensively assessed risk to staff and users and are ensuring the

safety of anyone who comes into our buildings by applying published court and

tribunal coronavirus safety controls. These have been endorsed by Public Health

England and Public Health Wales. Additionally, a process for checking compliance at

each site is in place, with controls reviewed and monitored at each court and tribunal

building.

Following the recent publication of additional PHE guidance, ‘Beyond the Data’

HMCTS are conducting specific recorded conversations for any individuals of BAME

ethnicities, colleagues who are over 70 or male colleagues of working age. This has

formed part of the current return to work process and will require individuals to self-

identify as being from one of the specified groups. For individuals who are already in

the workplace, this has formed part of their 4 weekly Keeping in Touch conversation


http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data

http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data



with their line manager. The tool is being used with Line managers to capture and

record what additional support or interventions are being considered to ensure

colleagues feel comfortable and safe in the workplace. HMCTS HR will continually

review the tool and its suitability, in line with central Civil Service Employee Policy

guidance.

Our priority is to keep all court users safe and we staff for their service during this

unprecedented public health emergency.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has undertaken an equality impact

assessment of the risk assessment tool for bringing staff back into work at HM Courts

and Tribunal Service.

Chris Philp:

HMCTS have comprehensively assessed risk to staff and users and are ensuring the

safety of anyone who comes into our buildings by applying published court and

tribunal coronavirus safety controls. These have been endorsed by Public Health

England and Public Health Wales. Additionally, a process for checking compliance at

each site is in place, with controls reviewed and monitored at each court and tribunal

building.

Following the recent publication of additional PHE guidance, ‘Beyond the Data’

HMCTS are conducting specific recorded conversations for any individuals of BAME

ethnicities, colleagues who are over 70 or male colleagues of working age. This has

formed part of the current return to work process and will require individuals to self-

identify as being from one of the specified groups. For individuals who are already in

the workplace, this has formed part of their 4 weekly Keeping in Touch conversation

with their line manager. The tool is being used with Line managers to capture and

record what additional support or interventions are being considered to ensure

colleagues feel comfortable and safe in the workplace. HMCTS HR will continually

review the tool and its suitability, in line with central Civil Service Employee Policy

guidance.

Our priority is to keep all court users safe and we staff for their service during this

unprecedented public health emergency.

Legal Profession: Equality


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department is doing to tackle the

diversity gap in the upper levels of the legal profession.

Alex Chalk:

The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government. Statutory

responsibility for encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal

profession sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the oversight regulator, the

Legal Services Board (LSB). Ministry of Justice Ministers encourage the sector to




ensure it more closely represents the diverse society it serves through ongoing

engagement with the regulators and the legal profession.

In 2017 the LSB published revised guidance for legal services regulators for

encouraging a diverse workforce, and introduced new transparency duties at firm and

chambers level to monitor and publish diversity statistics. In 2019 the LSB published

a summary of the progress of regulators against four diversity outcomes, which

showed positive examples of a new approach to diversity, but also areas where

further action is required.

Marriage: Humanism

Hywel Williams: [70334]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has been made on

granting legal recognition to humanist marriages; and whether he has made an

assessment of the potential merits of enabling Senedd Cymru to legalise humanist

marriages in Wales.

Alex Chalk:

The Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission will conduct a

fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England

and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to

make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious

belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all

marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government looks forward to

publication of the Law Commission’s consultation paper in September and, following

the final report, will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission's

recommendations.

Marriage law remains a reserved matter.

Matrimonial Proceedings

Jane Hunt: [69747]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions his Department has

had with (a) the Family Justice Council and (b) other stakeholders on the use of Mesher

Orders in divorce cases.

Alex Chalk:

There is guidance on Mesher Orders within the Family Justice Council’s Guidance on

“Financial Needs” on Divorce (April 2018 – 2nd edition.). This was produced following

the Law Commission’s recommendation in 2014 that the Family Justice Council

prepare guidance on “financial needs” on divorce. The Department has not had

recent discussions with the Family Justice Council or other stakeholders about

Mesher Orders.

During the passage of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill through

Parliament, the Government committed to set up a Lord Chancellor’s working group

to conduct a review of the law of financial provision on divorce. This review will be led




by the evidence, which is yet to be gathered, on whether there are problems with the

current law and, if so, how these might be addressed. The Ministry of Justice is now

considering terms of reference and membership of the working group. The

Government will seek to ensure that the working group has a balance of members

from across different professions.

Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of people who have been

released early from prison as a result of the covid-19 outbreak were convicted of serious

violent crimes.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with prison

governors on the early release of prisoners as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prisoners released early

as a result of the covid-19 outbreak were managed by (a) Community Rehabilitation

Companies and (b) the National Probation Service on release.

Lucy Frazer:

On 4 April, the Ministry of Justice announced the End of Custody Temporary Release

scheme (ECTR). This scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two

months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the

national approach to managing public services during this challenging period.

No prisoners released under the ECTR scheme have been convicted of serious

violent crimes as offenders serving sentences for violent crimes are not eligible for

this scheme.

Further information can be found in the published guidance on gov.uk


ent_data/file/881061/end-custody-temporary-release.pdf

All offenders released on ECTR are subject to electronic monitoring, which is in place

before they are released from custody. Offenders released under ECTR are not

subject to statutory probation supervision. However, upon release Community

Rehabilitation Companies will deploy Through the Gate staff to ensure each offender

has a nominated offender manager to remain in contact with for the duration of the

temporary licence.

In addition to ECTR, prisoners in the following groups will merit consideration for

compassionate temporary release on a Special Purpose Licence:

a. Pregnant women

b. Prisoners with their babies in custody




https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881061/end-custody-temporary-release.pdf




c. Those defined by the NHS guidelines as ‘extremely vulnerable’ to Covid-19

Prisoners who are eligible and who meet the criteria above can apply for release on

temporary licence (ROTL). A Special Purpose Licence is one of the provisions of the

existing ROTL Policy Framework. Only those prisoners who pass a rigorous risk

assessment and approval process, which includes input from Community Offender

Managers, the police and other statutory agencies where appropriate will be

released. These Covid-19 releases under Special Purpose Licence will involve some

prisoners who would not in normal times be released on temporary licence, but for

whom it may be appropriate in these unique circumstances.

Further information can be found in the published guidance on gov.uk


ent_data/file/881060/covid19-use-compassionate-rotl.pdf

All prisoners released on a Covid-19 Special Purpose Licence are subject to

supervision and support from the prison by their Prison Offender Manager and in the

community by their assigned Community Offender Manager. Some prisoners are also

subject to a daily curfew and GPS tagging as part of their individual risk management

plan.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service provides ongoing support to

establishments including direct conversations with governors where required.

Guidance has also been issued to governors to support them and their staff in the

delivery of the early release schemes.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Elections: Fraud


To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has held discussions with

the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland on ensuring that safeguards are in place to tackle

electoral fraud throughout the UK.

Mr Robin Walker:

Electoral policy for all elections in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of

State for Northern Ireland, and the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is an

independent appointment made by him.

Northern Ireland Office Ministers and officials meet with the Chief Electoral Officer to

discuss a range of electoral issues, including the safeguards that are in place to

tackle electoral fraud.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881060/covid19-use-compassionate-rotl.pdf





Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Simon Hoare: [70461]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to Written Statement

WS168 made on 18 March 2020, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to

tackle the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Mr Robin Walker:

The Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the

legacy of the troubles which focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and

ensures that Northern Ireland veterans are treated as fairly as those who served

overseas. We are committed to making progress on this as quickly as possible.

PRIME MINISTER

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Hilary Benn: [70982]

To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his comments made on a visit to East

Yorkshire on 6 July 2020, what procedures were being referred to in relation to care

homes not following procedures during the covid-19 outbreak.

Boris Johnson:

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to the Leader of the Opposition on 8

July, Official Report, Cols 963 and 964.

Property Development: Isle of Dogs


To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions (a) he, (b) his advisers and (d) Departmental

officials have had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local

Government and his (i) advisers and (ii) Departmental officials on the Westferry

Printworks development.


To ask the Prime Minister, whether (a) he, (b) his advisers or (c) his Departmental

officials have had a discussion with a representative of Thorncliffe Communications on

the Westferry Printworks development project.

Boris Johnson:

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 3 June 2020 to Questions 52440, 52441,

52442, 52443, and my answers of 3 June 2020, Official Report, Col 843 and of 17

June 2020, Official Report, Col 802.

Neither I nor No10 officials have had contact with the applicant or his representatives

in relation to this planning application or appeal.






SCOTLAND

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Mhairi Black: [69592]

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has made to Cabinet

colleagues in relation to people in Scotland who are in temporary accommodation

provided by Mears Group and funded by the Home Office.

Iain Stewart:

The Secretary of State for Scotland is in contact with the Prime Minister and Home

Secretary on a range of immigration issues of importance to Scotland.

Just like everyone else in the country, asylum seekers have been asked to stay in

their accommodation to help in the fight against Coronavirus, which has increased

the amount of accommodation needed to do so safely. The use of contingency

accommodation is an exceptional response to exceptional circumstances.

Since the start of the current pandemic, the Home Office has been in daily contact

with service providers to ensure that the Government continues to meet its statutory

obligation to house destitute asylum seekers and to ensure that all contracted support

services are delivered and service users are housed safely. As we emerge from

lockdown measures, work has begun in Glasgow to move people out of hotels back

into longer term accommodation.

TRANSPORT

A15: Dual Carriageways

Sir Greg Knight: [70332]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will put in place plans to dual sections of

the A15 north of Lincoln to support economic development within the Humber sub-region;

and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Maclean:

The A15 north of Lincoln is the responsibility of local highway authorities –

Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council. It is for those authorities

to prioritise areas of their networks for improvements, and to seek funding, if required.

Government announced last month £4.5m towards the A15 (North) Asset Renewal

project. This will resurface a section of the existing carriageway, reducing the need

for disruptive road repairs and helping to support economic development within the

Humber sub-region.

Aviation and Shipping: Exhaust Emissions


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the recommendation on

page 22 of the Committee on Climate Change's 2020 Progress Report to Parliament,





published in June 2020, whether he plans to formally include international aviation and

shipping emissions within UK climate targets when setting the sixth carbon budget.

Rachel Maclean:

Emissions from these sectors are a global problem requiring a global solution, and it

is vital that we find an answer that reduces emissions globally - rather than simply

displacing emissions elsewhere across the world.

The UK will continue to lead the way to secure a solution that reflects the truly

international nature of these sectors, and we are minded to include the targets in

legislation subject to future progress in the International Maritime Organization and

International Civil Aviation Organization.

Last year, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws to require the UK to

bring its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Ian Murray: [71024]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to establish an air

bridge for tourists between the UK and Thailand.

Kelly Tolhurst:

Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have

worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the

steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping

to open our travel and tourism sector.

Although Thailand was not included in the travel corridors announced on 3 July, the

Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant

review. The next formal review will be on 27 July 2020.

Cycling and Public Transport: Greater London


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase (a) cycling

and (b) the use of public transport in (i) Camberwell and Peckham and (ii) London.

Rachel Maclean:

The Government has agreed a £1.6 billion funding and financing package for

Transport for London to enable them to continue to transport passengers safely

across London, supporting the capital’s gradual recovery from COVID-19.

The Department is committed to increasing cycling and walking as a way of enabling

more people to move around safely while maintaining social distancing. This will help

to relieve pressures on public transport as well as delivering other benefits.

Southwark Council received a £100,000 tranche 1 allocation from the Active Travel

Fund in June 2020 to support the installation of temporary projects for the Covid-19




pandemic and will shortly have the opportunity to make a further bid for tranche 2

funding.

Cycling and Walking: Oxford-Cambridge Arc


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Cycle and Walking Investment

strategy funding has been allocated to the Oxford to Cambridge Arc since 2018.

Chris Heaton-Harris:

Government funding for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS)

includes ringfenced and non-ringfenced funds. On the 7th February 2020 the

Department published the first CWIS report to parliament which provides details of

the funding that has been made available to all local authorities for cycling and

walking under various funding streams.

In 2018/19 the Oxford to Cambridge Arc local authorities received a total of

approximately £2 million of ringfenced funding from the Access Fund, Bikeability and

the Cycle Safety Fund. Bedford, Peterborough and Northamptonshire also received

support to develop Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPS). Cycling

and walking funding figures for 2019/20 are not yet available. In the current financial

year, the Government is also providing £225 million of funding to combined

authorities and local transport authorities under the Emergency Active Travel Fund:

details of allocations to all authorities are available via gov.uk.

Driving Licences: Older People

Dan Jarvis: [70405]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that drivers

aged over 70 are able to drive whilst their licences are being renewed by the DVLA.

Rachel Maclean:

The quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence at 70 is to use the Driver and

Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service at www.gov.uk/renew-driving-

licence-at-70.

Drivers who have made an application to renew their driving licence may be able to

continue to drive while their application is being processed, provided they meet

certain criteria. More information can be found online at

www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-

with-dvla

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: [70943]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether HS2 Ltd will use bentonite in the

construction of High Speed Two Phase one.



http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla





Andrew Stephenson:

As was stated in response to a previous question on this subject (160054) from the

Honourable Member in July 2018, Bentonite is proposed to be used in the

construction of the diaphragm walls for the 5 intermediate shafts in the Chilterns. If

necessary, and only when the Environment Agency is satisfied with HS2 Ltd’s final

approach, Bentonite may be used in other locations to minimise the impact of

tunnelling on existing infrastructure.

Public Transport: Concessions


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of

young people under 18 in low income families in (a) Camberwell and Peckham and (b)

London who will have their free tube and bus travel suspended.

Rachel Maclean:

The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport

for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to

facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary

suspension of free bus travel for under 18s.

The Department is working closely with TfL, the Department for Education and

London Councils on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised. Any child

eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 will still receive

this. The Department is also completing an Equality Impact Assessment, which will

consider whether there are further categories of children that should receive free

transport.

Railways: Commuters


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect

of changing work patterns on commuter behaviour on the train network.


The Government recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental

change in working patterns and that this could have long-term effects on commuter

behaviour. In order to support a green recovery and new working patterns, the

Department is working with industry to explore already available options for flexible

commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as

useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Railways: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to invest in

technology to assist with implementing social distancing on trains.






Train operators have taken a range of actions to encourage social distancing on

trains, including the deployment of additional staff to assist passengers, new signage

and frequent announcements on trains and in stations. The rail industry has also

made a journey-planner app available to help train passengers identify quieter

services and therefore better maintain social distancing.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: Hydrogen


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the

potential merits of extending the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to include

hydrogen.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with

Cabinet colleagues on reviewing and updating the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

Rachel Maclean:

Renewable hydrogen supplied in the UK is eligible for support under the Renewable

Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a certificate trading scheme. It is categorised as a

development fuel, which potentially benefits from a higher tradeable certificate value.

The Department regularly monitors and reviews the RTFO to ensure it delivers cost

effective carbon savings. Any future legislative proposals to amend the RTFO are

subject to consultation and so would be subject to collective ministerial agreement.

Shipping

Mike Kane: [71068]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial and other support he plans to

provide to Maritime UK’s regional cluster development programme to enable coastal

towns and cities to capitalise on global maritime sector growth opportunities.

Kelly Tolhurst:

It is our belief that no other country globally can currently match the UK’s strengths in

its maritime clusters. The Government recognises the significant role that clusters

have in the regional and national economy, and also our international

competitiveness. Therefore, in our ground-breaking Maritime 2050 strategy, we

committed to promoting and enhancing our clusters in London and across the

country, in places like Southampton, Liverpool, the Tyne, and across Scotland.

We are working closely with Maritime UK, including its Regional Council, as we look

to support the sector’s future recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are

working to identify where existing Maritime 2050 recommendations should be

prioritised and the case for new ones where needed. Working together we can

identify how best to continue to support the development and growth of our maritime

clusters and the important role they play in our coastal communities and regions. The





Department intends to publish a route-map setting out our post-Covid-19 plan later in

the year.

Trains: Batteries and Hydrogen


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he is making on the phasing

out of diesel rolling stock and its replacement with battery and hydrogen powered trains.


The Government supports use of battery and hydrogen powered trains on the railway

to help deliver our target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The

Department is working with Network Rail and the rail industry to determine which

parts of the network will be best suited to electrification, and which to those

alternative technologies. This work will support the Department’s Transport

Decarbonisation Plan, to be published at the end of this year.

The Government is supporting development of battery and hydrogen technology

through innovation funding and research, including work on safety and wider issues

that will have to be considered to allow the smooth entry into service on the network

of battery and hydrogen trains.

Travel: Coronavirus

Louise Haigh: [71102]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had with the Northern

Ireland Executive prior to the publication of the Written Statement of 6 July 2020,

HCWS338 on Travel Corridors.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the list of countries exempted

from quarantine restrictions announced in the Written Statement of 6 July 2020 on Travel

Corridors, HCWS338 was shared with the Northern Ireland Executive.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department provided the

Northern Ireland Executive with the evidence submitted by the Joint Biosecurity Centre in

relation to travel corridors in advance of the Written Statement of 6 July 2020, HCWS338

on Travel Corridors.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Government engaged with the Devolved Administrations at regular intervals as

the policy on travel corridors developed, including daily meetings between officials.

Evidence from the Joint Biosecurity Centre was also shared ahead of the public

announcement on 3 July and Written Ministerial Statement on 6 July.

The Government is committed to working closely with the devolved administrations to

ensure a coordinated approach on Travel Corridors across the United Kingdom.







To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the list of countries that the

Government asked the Scottish Government to agree to categorising as low risk on 2

July 2020 was different to that announced on 3 July 2020.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Government shared the list of the countries it intended to exempt from the

requirement for passengers to self-isolate with the Devolved Administrations at

regular intervals as the policy developed. An updated country list was shared with the

Devolved Administrations on 3 July, ahead of the public announcement.

The Government will keep the conditions in these countries and territories under

review. If they worsen we will not hesitate to reintroduce self-isolation requirements.

The Government will continue to work closely alongside the Devolved Administrations

on this policy.

TREASURY

Child Benefit

Afzal Khan: [69666]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has

made of the potential merits of increasing the value of child benefit.

Afzal Khan: [69673]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment his Department has

carried out on the potential merits for BAME women of increasing child benefit.

Steve Barclay:

Child Benefit rates were raised in line with inflation in April 2020.

This was alongside the government’s significant package of welfare support in

response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which is estimated by the to be worth £8bn this

year. This includes: an up-to £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard

allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element; a relaxation of earnings rules for

self-employed Universal Credit claimants; and an increase in the Local Housing

Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30th

percentile of market rents.

Companies: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies incorporated outside the

UK have received assistance through the (a) Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, (b)

ability to defer VAT, (c) Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme and (d) Covid-

19 Corporate Financing Facility.






Kemi Badenoch:

The Government has published aggregate application and approval figures on the

Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) since 10 May but

does not hold specific information relating to individual companies who have

accessed these schemes. HMRC publishes weekly management information on the

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and monthly management information on

VAT deferrals. On 11 June HMRC published the Official Statistics for the Coronavirus

Job Retention Scheme which included a breakdown of recipients by sector, but not

individual organisations or companies. The Bank of England is responsible for

publishing data on the Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), including a list

of organisations or companies who have made applications.

The Government does not collect data on how many companies incorporated outside

of the UK have received assistance through CJRS, VAT deferral, CLBILS or CCFF.

However, as laid out in the guarantee agreement, all firms borrowing through CLBILS

must be engaged in trading activity in the UK at the Initial Drawdown Date and the

finance facility must be used to support their trading activity in the UK. Compensation

from the CJRS goes directly to the pockets of UK based workers and any VAT

deferred must be repaid to HMRC by the end of the financial year.

All firms applying to the CCFF must meet a test applied by the Bank of England to

show that they make a material contribution to the UK economy, including when

incorporated overseas. Since 4 June the Bank of England have been publishing the

names of companies with commercial paper currently outstanding through the CCFF.

This is a unique level of transparency, equivalent schemes in the Eurozone and

United States do not publish the names of scheme users.

Government support is aimed at businesses in genuine need. Our current measures

are well-targeted at such businesses, bearing in mind the need to act very quickly to

deliver this unprecedented package. We expect everyone to act responsibly and in

the spirit of the package, and only claim and use support as intended.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Ronnie Cowan: [70441]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC has issued to businesses

on placing employees on temporary contracts for services on the Coronavirus Job

Retention Scheme.

Jesse Norman:

Guidance has been issued for employers with employees on temporary contracts and

was most recently updated on 1 July 2020. The guidance can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-

use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Further guidance has been provided for employers to calculate an employee’s usual

hours, including those who are paid by reference to services performed. This can be

found under the ‘work out your employee’s usual hours if they are paid per task or



piece of work done’ section of the following guidance which was most recently

updated on 1 July 2020: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/steps-to-take-before-

calculating-your-claim-using-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Charities


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that charities that

provide residential trips for school children are eligible for extensions to the Coronavirus

Job Retention Scheme provided to the tourism and leisure sectors.

Jesse Norman:

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until October and the

Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extensions or changes

to the scheme, including to the tourism and leisure sectors.

It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable

way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to

provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.

Coronavirus: Screening

Ben Lake: [70477]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason a covid-19 test provided by an

employer to an employee as part of their work will be treated by HMRC as a benefit in

kind and will therefore be taxable; and whether that treatment will apply to tests provided

by employers in Wales.

Jesse Norman:

The Government is introducing an income tax exemption and National Insurance

(NICs) disregard to ensure that coronavirus antigen testing provided by an employer

to employees outside the Government’s national testing scheme will not attract tax

and NICs liabilities. The new exemption will apply across the United Kingdom for the

current tax year 2020-21.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential

merits of extending the Eat Out to Help Out period in areas that experience a local lock-

down for all or part of August 2020.

Jesse Norman:

As announced at the Summer Economic Update, this scheme will run for the month

of August and is designed to encourage people to return to eating out, while also

supporting the recovery of the hospitality sector.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/steps-to-take-before-calculating-your-claim-using-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme







However, the Government acknowledges the potential for any future local lockdowns

to affect how consumers and businesses benefit from the scheme, and so will be

keeping this under careful review.

Economic Situation: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contingency plans his Department have

made to support the economy in the event that a second wave of covid-19 requires a

reintroduction of lockdown restrictions.

John Glen:

In March 2020 the Government put in place strict social distancing measures to slow

the spread of the Coronavirus so that the NHS would not be overwhelmed. Alongside

this, the Government introduced an unprecedented package of support for

businesses and individuals, including the CJRS which has helped 1.1 million

employers across the UK furlough 9.4 million jobs.

The Government has set out a phased, cautious approach to reopening our

economy, so that we do not risk a second peak of the virus. The Government has

produced COVID-19 secure practical guidelines to support businesses to reopen and

for workers to feel confident, safe and empowered to return to work. Public Health

England, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and NHS Test and Trace constantly monitor

levels of infection across the country, and will work with local authorities to implement

additional measures if needed.

The Chancellor has announced further support for those sectors hardest hit, with a

£1.57 billion package for the arts, and a cut in VAT to 5% for accommodation,

attractions and the hospitality sector, and on 8th July set out a package of measures

to support jobs across the UK, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep

furloughed workers and a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create hundreds of

thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people.

Sir Charles Walker: [71005]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) financial and (b) economic modelling

his Department is undertaking to assess the effect of the Government's guidance on (a)

travelling, (b) social distancing and (c) social gatherings during the covid-19 outbreak on

the UK economy; and if he will make statement.

John Glen:

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK economy and the

Government has taken swift action to deliver unprecedented rescue packages.

While the actions we have taken have come at significant fiscal costs, the costs of

inaction would have been far higher.

Treasury officials undertake a wide range of internal analysis to support policy

development and advice to ministers. However, the Treasury does not publish


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-to-working-safely

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-to-working-safely



forecasts of the economy or the public finances. Indeed, the Office for Budget

Responsibility are the UK’s official forecasters.

We continue to monitor the impact of the policies to tackle Covid-19 as circumstances

develop. The Chancellor will set out further details on his plans for sustainable and

balanced fiscal policy at the next Budget, as the economic and fiscal outlook

becomes clearer.

Finance: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of

people in financial difficulty who are not eligible for any of the Government's support

schemes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Christian Wakeford: [70537]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government is putting in place to

help the 3 million people who are not entitled to Government covid-19 support.

Dr Philippa Whitford: [71071]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase eligibility for

(a) people and (b) business not eligible for the Government's financial support measures

during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of

the most generous of its kind in the world, taking unprecedented steps to support

families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job

Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS),

this package includes Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax

deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.

This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net to help those

through this outbreak who are unable to access other forms of support. The

temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing

Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor, and making

Statutory Sick Pay easier to access.

Now, the Government’s new Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This

plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic

recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the

forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.

Financial Services

Bob Blackman: [71033]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to

Question 64077, what assessment he has made of the importance of the exchange rate






margin as calculated from the European Central Bank (ECB) rate in providing clarity for

people sending bank transfers abroad; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to

require that margin to be calculated from a live publicly available interbank rate rather

than the ECB rate to ensure that transparency provisions will continue to work effectively

in UK law after the end of the transition period.

John Glen:

Further to my response of 3 July 2020 to Question 64077, before the end of the

Transition Period, the Government will bring forward secondary legislation under the

EU Withdrawal Act 2018 to ensure that the provisions of the Cross Border Payments

Regulation which require transparency of currency conversion fees and charges for

credit transfers, continue to work effectively in UK law after the end of the Transition

Period.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Nickie Aiken: [69687]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the potential merits of applying a net-zero test to proposed (a) spending and (b) taxation

in support of the Government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net

zero by 2050.

Kemi Badenoch:

The Government continues to work towards achieving the long-term changes in our

economy that are necessary to achieve net zero by 2050. The Treasury is conducting

a review into how the transition over the next 30 years will be funded and where the

costs will fall. This will include principles to guide decision-making. In parallel, we are

committed to applying an ambitious carbon price from 1 January 2021 and are

legislating to establish a UK Emissions Trading System as well as a Carbon

Emissions Tax. HM Treasury’s world-leading Green Book guidance on appraisal and

evaluation provides detailed advice for valuing the costs and benefits of interventions,

including climate change mitigation and other environmental impacts.

International Monetary Fund: Lebanon

John Howell: [71019]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to

Question 68305 on Loans: Lebanon, what risks of misuse the International Monetary

Fund has identified for loan packages to Lebanon; and what plans he has for conditions

on lending relating to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

John Glen:

The IMF must establish adequate safeguards for use of its resources, consulting and

updating the Board of Directors, as its policy develops. Safeguards can include for

example: strengthening auditing or procurement rules, and wider Central Bank

reform. The UK uses its seat on the IMF Board, in conjunction with other board




members, to help ensure that programme conditions are consistent with the IMF’s

mandate.

There have not been formal discussions at the IMF board on Lebanon, though the

IMF’s spokesman has said recently that “there is significant scope to strengthen the

transparency and accountability of economic policies, and public sector entities.”

Job Creation


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of

new jobs that will be created as the result of announcements made in the summer

economic statement on 8 July 2020.

John Glen:

The Plan for Jobs makes available up to £30 billion to support the recovery, and

support jobs. The £2 billion Kickstart Scheme will create hundreds of thousands of

new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across Britain. The Government has said

there will be no cap on the number of places available, and urges employers to hire

as many Kickstarters as possible.

Other elements of the Plan will help to support jobs, too. The Government expects

the Green Homes Grant, together with the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

and the Social Housing Decarbonisation, to support around 140,000 green jobs, and

cutting VAT to 5% on eligible services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors

will help protect 2.4 million jobs.

The Government is also supporting firms who keep their furloughed workers on, with

a £1,000 bonus for each furloughed employee who is still employed by the end of

January next year. And the Government is supporting all unemployed people to find

jobs by providing £1.2 billion to significantly enhance and expand work search

support this year in Great Britain, including to double the number of work coaches to

27,000.

Life Insurance: Mental Illness

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [71066]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Prudential

Regulatory Authority on the provision of life insurance for people with diagnosed mental

health conditions.

John Glen:

The Government is determined that all insurers should treat customers fairly.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is responsible for the prudential regulation

(the amount of capital that must be held) of a number of financial service providers,

including insurers, while the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets the conduct

standards required of insurance firms in relation to their business. The FCA requires

firms dealing with all customers, including those with mental health issues and other




vulnerabilities, to act honestly, fairly and professionally in accordance with their

customers' best interests; to pay due regard to the interests of their customers and

treat them fairly; and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair

and not misleading.

Where the FCA becomes aware that firms are treating customers, including

customers with vulnerabilities such as mental health issues, unfairly, they will

consider this on a case-by-case basis and use the full range of regulatory and

supervisory powers to put things right.

The FCA has placed access and vulnerability at the core of its Mission and Business

Plan. In July 2019, the FCA launched a consultation on guidance for firms on the

treatment of vulnerable consumers, including those with mental health conditions.

The FCA planned to issue a further consultation on the Guidance in early 2020, but

this was postponed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. It will now be published later this

year.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary

of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the effect of the covid-19

outbreak on local government finances.

Steve Barclay:

I refer the Honorable Member to the answer I gave on 8th July:

The Government has provided over £3.7bn in additional grant funding to Councils in

England to help them respond to pressures across all their services as a result of

Covid-19. The Government has also announced a major new scheme to reimburse

councils for their income losses during the pandemic, and is allowing councils to

spread their tax deficits over three years rather than the usual one. These measures

represent a comprehensive package of support for councils as they respond to

Covid-19.

Personal Income: Coronavirus

Sarah Owen: [71166]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to charts 1a and 1b of his

Department's publication, Impact of Covid-19 on working household incomes:

distributional analysis as of May 2020, published on 8 July 2020, if he will publish tables

containing the data that is represented in those charts.

Jesse Norman:

The requested data is set out in Tables 1.A and 1.B below.

Table 1.A: Percentage change in household income, by working household net

income decile, as of May 2020




EQUIVALISED NET

INCOME DECILE

EARNIN

GS AND

JOB

LOSSES

HYPOTHETICA

L EARNINGS

LOSSES FOR

FURLOUGHED

EMPLOYEES IN

THE ABSENCE

OF THE CJRS

EXISTING

TAX AND

WELFARE

STABILISE

RS

CORONAVIRU

S JOB

RETENTION

SCHEME

(CJRS)

SELF-

EMPLOYMENT

INCOME

SUPPORT

SCHEME

(SEISS)

COVID-19

ADDITIONAL

WELFARE

SUPPORT

OVERALL %

CHANGE IN

WORKING

HOUSEHOLD

NET

INCOMES

FROM

FEBRUARY

2020

Bottom

Decile

-11.4% -17.5% 2.7% 14.0% 9.6% 6.1% 3.4%

2 -10.7% -18.2% 3.5% 14.5% 6.1% 3.3% -1.5%

3 -8.6% -21.6% 2.3% 16.9% 5.9% 1.6% -3.4%

4 -8.7% -22.5% 2.6% 17.4% 4.8% 0.9% -5.5%

5 -9.3% -20.2% 2.8% 15.4% 4.3% 0.4% -6.6%

6 -9.6% -21.1% 2.8% 16.0% 4.6% 0.2% -7.1%

7 -10.3% -20.5% 3.4% 15.3% 4.6% 0.2% -7.3%

8 -11.6% -20.3% 4.2% 14.7% 3.9% 0.1% -9.0%

9 -11.4% -15.8% 4.4% 10.6% 3.8% 0.0% -8.4%

Top

Decile

-18.2% -13.9% 9.9% 6.7% 1.4% 0.0% -14.1%

All

working

househol

ds

-12.0% -18.4% 4.7% 13.0% 4.1% 0.7% -7.9%

Table 1.B: Change in household income, £ per week, by working household net

income decile, as of May 2020


EQUIVALISED

NET INCOME

DECILE

EARNINGS

AND JOB

LOSSES

HYPOTHETICAL

EARNINGS

LOSSES FOR

FURLOUGHED

EMPLOYEES IN

THE ABSENCE

OF THE CJRS

EXISTING

TAX AND

WELFARE

STABILISERS

CORONAVIRUS

JOB

RETENTION

SCHEME

(CJRS)

SELF-

EMPLOYMENT

INCOME

SUPPORT

SCHEME

(SEISS)

COVID-19

ADDITIONAL

WELFARE

SUPPORT

OVERALL

CHANGE IN

WORKING

HOUSEHOLD

NET

INCOMES

FROM

FEBRUARY

2020

Bottom

Decile

-£42 -£64 £10 £51 £35 £22 £12

2 -£52 -£88 £17 £70 £29 £16 -£7

3 -£48 -£121 £13 £95 £33 £9 -£19

4 -£55 -£142 £16 £110 £30 £6 -£35

5 -£67 -£144 £20 £111 £31 £3 -£47

6 -£77 -£169 £23 £128 £37 £1 -£57

7 -£95 -£189 £32 £142 £42 £2 -£68

8 -£120 -£210 £43 £152 £40 £1 -£93

9 -£135 -£186 £52 £125 £44 £0 -£99

Top Decile -£330 -£251 £178 £122 £25 £1 -£255

All working

households

-£102 -£156 £40 £111 £35 £6 -£67

Personal Savings


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the

average level of savings accumulated by households in the UK.

John Glen:

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish data on the ratio of household saving

to total available household resources. The latest data indicate that the household

saving ratio was 8.6% in Q1 2020, compared to 6.6% in Q4 2019.

The Bank of England publish monthly data on changes in households’ deposits.

Households’ deposits increased by £25 billion in May following large increases in

March and April. This compares with an average monthly increase of £5 billion in the

six months to February.



Public Expenditure

Dawn Butler: [70340]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse was of (a)

policies and (b) other work started by the previous Administration between 2016 and

2019 which were cancelled by the Government when it was formed in December 2019.

Steve Barclay:

The Government is delivering the Manifesto on which it was elected in December

2019.

This set out the costs of the government’s policy agenda, including the

implementation of the 2019 Spending Round.

Subsequently, the government published Spring Budget 2020 and its Plan For Jobs

which set out the costs of subsequent policy announcements.

We will set out plans for future years at a Budget and Spending Review in the

Autumn.

Public Sector: Coronavirus

Damien Moore: [69660]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support his Department has

allocated to (a) NHS and (b) public sector staff who have been asked to shield during the

covid-19 outbreak.

Steve Barclay:

Where individuals have been advised to shield, guidance available on gov.uk should

be followed wherever possible. Employers are expected to support staff to safely

shield.

Those working for fully funded public sector organisations, including those that need

to shield, should be paid as normal out of existing budgets.

Arrangements should have been made to facilitate working from home wherever

possible, and reprioritisation and redeployment should be considered to minimise

issues with service delivery.

In public sector organisations not fully funded by public grants, where working from

home has not been possible, shielding staff were eligible for furlough, and the

scheme continues to support them. In all instances, CJRS claims should remain

proportionate to the impact on revenue disruption, and those that need to shield

should be furloughed before other staff. It should be noted that from 1 July,

employees can only be furloughed if they have completed the minimum 3-week

furlough period between 1 March and 30 June.

Similarly, guidance issued by NHS England states that staff will continue to receive

full pay for any period in which they are required to self-isolate as a result of public

health advice.




The Chancellor has been clear that the NHS will receive as much funding as needed

to manage the Covid-19 outbreak, with £31.9 billion of support now approved for

health and care services.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small Businesses

Hywel Williams: [70993]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to undertake an independent

quality assurance review of RBS Global Restructuring Group's treatment of SMEs.

John Glen:

The fact that there were areas of widespread inappropriate treatment of firms by RBS

GRG is clearly unacceptable. RBS rightly apologised for these mistakes, and set up a

scheme to compensate victims. This scheme has, to date, paid out [£150] million to

complainants.

This complaints process, overseen by Sir William Blackburne, adds a robust,

transparent and independent step to the complaints process, should SME customers

who were in GRG wish to complain about their treatment or challenge the bank’s

decision on a previous complaint.

Therefore the Government will not establish an independent quality assurance

review.

Self-employed: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will create a dedicated covid-19 hardship

fund for sole traders and other self-employed people ineligible for the Self-Employment

Income Support Scheme.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support people who

are newly self-employed who started a business after April 2019 and do not qualify for the

Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to support limited company

directors who take a large part of their income in dividends and do not qualify for the Self-

Employment Income Support Scheme.

Jesse Norman:

Self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, are eligible for the Self

Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) if they have submitted their Income

Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19, continued to trade, and

have been adversely affected by COVID-19. To qualify, their self-employed trading

profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to their non-trading income.






Individuals who are not eligible for the SEISS may benefit from other elements of the

unprecedented financial support provided by the Government. This package includes

Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, and other

business support grants. On 8 July, the Government introduced the new Plan for

Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and

protecting jobs.

Stamp Duties

James Murray: [71171]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's policy paper

of 8 July 2020 entitled, A Plan for Jobs 2020 and the estimated £3.8 billion cost of the

temporary reduction in Stamp Duty Land Tax set out in Table 1: Plan for Jobs policy

decisions of that policy paper, what estimate he has made of the proportion of that sum

that will benefit (a) first-time buyers, (b) existing owner-occupiers moving home, (c) buy-

to-let investors, (d) people buying second homes and (e) overseas buyers.

Jesse Norman:

This information is not readily available.

UK Trade With EU: Export Controls

Ian Blackford: [71073]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on tariff payments for non-vat

registered businesses that export directly to customers in the EU at the end of the

transition period.

Jesse Norman:

Following the end of the transition period, there will be no tariffs on the export of

goods from the UK to the EU, or any other country. This is irrespective of whether the

exporter is VAT registered or not.

Unemployment: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to tackle potential increases

in unemployment once the Government’s furlough scheme ends.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has a broad set of policies in place to support businesses and

individuals during COVID-19. The Government has designed the next stage of the

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) by balancing the need to protect jobs

against the need to restart the economy as the Covid-19 backdrop improves. The

CJRS scheme must be temporary and the Government must ensure people can get

back to work when it is safe to do so and get the UK economy up and running again.

The Government has recently announced its Plan for Jobs. In it, in order to protect

workers and encourage employers to minimise redundancies, the Government





introduced a Jobs Retention Bonus. This will ensure that UK employers will receive a

one-off bonus of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31

January 2021.

The Government has also announced unprecedented support to help unemployed

people in Great Britain find a job. The Government is providing £1.2bn to significantly

expand and enhance work search support, including doubling the number of work

coaches, additional investment into the Flexible Support Fund to provide direct

support at a local level, and using externally contracted provision to expand support

even further.

Recognising that young people are particularly at risk, the Government has also

launched a new £2bn Kickstart Scheme, creating hundreds of thousands of new, fully

subsidised jobs for young people across Great Britain, as well as a guaranteed

foundation of support to all 18-24 year olds on Universal Credit in the Intensive

Worksearch group, through its new youth offer.

In England, the Government will also support people to build the skills they need to

get into work, including by providing funding to triple the number of traineeships and

sector-based work academy placements, new payments to employers to hire

apprentices, and new funding to expand the National Career Service.

In addition to what is outlined in the Plan for Jobs, those who struggle to find work for

a longer period will also benefit from a new, large-scale employment support offer.

Further details will be announced shortly.

WORK AND PENSIONS

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong

Lisa Nandy: [71042]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether individuals and

dependants accepted under the proposed bespoke immigration route for British Nationals

(Overseas) passport holders from Hong Kong will be eligible for (a) universal credit, (b)

pension credit, (c) child benefit, (d) personal independence payment, (e) carer's

allowance and (f) other mainstream benefits.

Justin Tomlinson:

Further details of the new immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) will be

released in due course.

Employment


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 3.2 of

the Government's policy paper, A plan for jobs, published on 8 July 2020, if she will

publish further details on how the Government plans to deliver a new online, one-to-one

job finding support service.




Mims Davies:

The Job Finding Support package will be an on-line service providing tailored one-to-

one support to help people who have recently lost their job to increase their

employability and provide links with suitable employers.

We are considering options to provide additional provision for Job Finding Support

through a contracted provision. This would be subject to a commercial exercise that

will be carried out as a fair and open competition to select a provider who will be

working alongside Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches. We will publish more details

shortly.

Employment and Support Allowance


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long an employment and

support allowance decision is valid for.

Justin Tomlinson:

An award of income-related ESA will be an indefinite award but it’s continued receipt

is subject to the claimant meeting all the conditions of entitlement, and in particular

that they continue to have, or be treated as having, Limited Capability for Work

(LCW) or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA).

An award of contributory ESA is for a period of 12 months except where the claimant

has LCWRA. Where the claimant continues to have or is treated as having LCWRA

the award will be indefinite subject to the claimant meeting all the conditions of

entitlement.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Alison Thewliss: [71092]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether young people in receipt of

universal credit will be sanctioned if they do not take up a place on the Kickstart jobs

scheme.

Mims Davies:

A personalised, tailored claimant commitment is agreed between the work coach and

the claimant. They will only set reasonable requirements, based on the claimant’s

circumstances and the local/national public health guidelines. Further details about

the Kickstart Scheme will be set out in due course.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether young people who are

medically shielding from covid-19 will be required to take up a place on the Kickstart jobs

scheme.

Mims Davies:

Those who have declared a health condition that restricts their ability to work,

including those who are shielding and clinically extremely vulnerable, will not be





required to be available for work. Further details about the Kickstart Scheme will be

set out in due course.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what conditions will be placed on

employers participating in the Kickstart jobs scheme to protect the employment conditions

of workers aged 25 and over.

Mims Davies:

The Kickstart scheme will protect the employment conditions of workers aged 25 and

over. Jobs available to young people, aged 16-24, will be new jobs - with the funding

conditional on the employer demonstrating these jobs are additional. Further details

about the Kickstart Scheme will be set out in due course.

Jobcentre Plus: Glasgow


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Jobcentre Plus staff will

be recruited in Glasgow in response to the Chancellor’s statement of 8 July 2020; and at

which Jobcentres will they be located.

Mims Davies:

It is too soon in the recruitment process to be able to identify how many of the new

work coaches will be allocated to each city or location. However, Scotland plans to

recruit c450 new work coaches between now and the end of October in the first wave

of recruitment. Further planned recruitment later in the year will grow these numbers.

Recruitment will be targeted based on local demand, plus current available and

emerging estate space and Job Centre operating model changes.

Personal Independence Payment: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: [70406]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to

increase personal independent payment in line with the temporary increase in universal

credit during the covid-19 outbreak.

Dan Jarvis: [70407]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is

taking to provide additional financial support to personal independence payment

claimants with cancer during the covid-19 outbreak.

Justin Tomlinson:

The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and

effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during

the pandemic. Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a tax-free extra costs benefit

worth up to £151.40 a week, was not subject to the benefits freeze and was most

recently uprated by 1.7 per cent from 6 April.






PIP can be paid in addition to other financial support that those with a health

condition or disability may be eligible for such as Employment and Support

Allowance, Universal Credit, additional amounts and premiums paid within the

income-related benefits, Carer’s Allowance or financial help with NHS travel costs.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made in

evaluating the findings of her Department’s pilot on video recording personal

independence payment assessments.

Justin Tomlinson:

The evaluation of the VR pilot has shown the importance of improving trust and

transparency in the assessment process, and DWP remains committed to this. We

had begun work to develop an approach to provide consistency for claimants across

audio recording of Work Capability Assessments and PIP assessments. However,

due to the impact of Covid-19, staff across DWP have been redeployed to support

claimants and as a result, this work has been paused.

Postal Services: Coronavirus

Tahir Ali: [R] [67765]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department

has made of the safety of postal workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies:

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities (LAs) are jointly

responsible for health and safety regulation of Royal Mail’s activities. Broadly, HSE

regulate larger distribution centre and mail delivery activities and LAs regulate Post

Offices and delivery offices/sorting centres.

HSE has carried out assessment of compliance at individual locations around the

country and through liaison with Royal Mail’s Global Director for Compliance and

Sustainability. Complaints (referred to as ‘concerns’ by HSE) have been raised about

the management of Covid-19 risks at Royal Mail sites, and HSE responds to any

concerns notified by Royal Mail’s workforce by assessing Royal Mail’s risk controls

against the standards set out in government guidelines addressing social distancing,

handling mail, cleaning, and hygiene.

As part of HSE’s assessment of compliance, investigation of these concerns have

involved a mixture of visits to premises and contact through email or telephone.

Where improvements in the measures to protect workers from Covid-19 have been

identified, HSE staff have secured compliance with the law by providing advice or

writing to Royal Mail to require improvements.

HSE has advised LAs to ensure a coordinated approach in applying consistent and

proportionate standards to securing compliance against Covid-19 risks in Royal Mail

premises




Social Security Benefits

Seema Malhotra: [69561]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department’s policy is on

length of time to be allocated to benefit claimants for (a) first claimant commitment

interviews, (b) work search reviews and (c) work-focused interviews; and whether those

time allocations have changed from 1 July 2020.

Mims Davies:

[Holding answer 9 July 2020]: As we re-introduce claimant commitments we are

initially conducting these interviews by phone and testing a 30-minute commitment

appointment. We will evaluate this testing and as with all policies we will keep this

continually under review. Jobcentre Plus offices continue to remain open to help

vulnerable claimants who may not be able to access support through the phone or

their journal.

The work search reviews will continue with the timings of the existing intervention

regime where work coaches have the option to pick from a range of appointment

lengths.

The Department is continually assessing the service being offered to customers and

we continue to keep staff numbers under review as part of our response to the impact

of COVID-19 on the labour market. We are rapidly making provisions to return to

face-to-face appointments with work coaches to support jobseekers as part of our

reopening on jobcentre’s in line with public health guidance across the country.

We have already committed to increasing the number of Work Coaches and Case

Managers and recruitment is already underway.

Kate Osamor: [69632]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were claiming (a)

job seeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) income support at

the time at which the £20 uplift was made to universal credit.

Mims Davies:

National Statistics for claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support

Allowance and Income Support is published quarterly and the latest available

information up to November 2019 can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

The statistics for the number of people claiming these benefits to February 2020 and

to May 2020 will be published in August and November 2020 respectively.

Statistics for claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance is published monthly by the Office

for National Statistics on the NOMIS website, and the latest data to May 2020 can be

found at:








https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/

Guidance for users can be found at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Neil Gray: [70412]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June

2020 to Question 62431 on the suspension of benefits conditionality, how her Department

will determine what a reasonable claimant commitment is in the new normal.

Neil Gray: [70413]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June

2020 to Question 62431 on the suspension of benefits conditionality, who will determine

whether a claimant commitment is reasonable for the new normal.

Mims Davies:

All requirements in the Claimant Commitment will be set in discussions with

claimants, who will take ownership of planning how they will meet the requirements

and ultimately secure employment. These requirements will be agreed by both the

work coach and claimant and will be reasonable taking into account current

circumstances.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the emergency £20

top-up given to universal credit recipients in response to the covid-19 outbreak was not

extended to people receiving employment and support allowance and personal

independence payment.

Justin Tomlinson:

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Welfare Delivery,

my Hon. Friend Will Quince on 29 June 2020 to Question UIN 57361.

Social Security Benefits: Ethnic Groups

Afzal Khan: [69667]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her

Department has made of the effect of the two-child limit in relation to benefits on BAME

families.

Will Quince:

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I provided to Question 7121 and 7122

on 28 January 2020 –











https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-01-23/7121/




Afzal Khan: [69668]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her

Department has made of the effect of the benefits cap, by ethnic group.

Mims Davies:

The Department cannot precisely quantify the proportion of households by ethnic

group that are affected by the benefit cap since recording of ethnicity on benefits

administrative data is voluntary and, as such, not sufficiently reliable.

However, the 2016 published Impact Assessment of the benefit cap can be found

here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-

assessment-for-the-benefit-cap

Social Security Benefits: Families

Dan Jarvis: [71055]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is

taking to provide additional financial support to bereaved families where the principal

earner has died as a result of covid-19.

Mims Davies:

DWP has a range of financial support available for bereaved families.

Bereavement Support Payment provides short-term financial support to working age

people whose deceased spouse or civil partner has paid sufficient National Insurance

contributions. It is intended to help with the immediate costs of bereavement and can

be paid to both widows and widowers. Recipients with children can receive an initial

payment of £3,500 and up to 18 monthly payments of £350, whilst those without can

receive an initial payment of £2,500 and up to 18 monthly instalments of £100. It is

not taxable and is paid on top of any income-related benefits the household receives

thus not disadvantaging low income families. It can be paid regardless of whether the

surviving spouse or civil partner is in work.

The Funeral Expenses Payments scheme provides an important contribution towards

the cost of funeral for claimants in receipt of certain income based benefits or tax

credits. The Funeral Expenses Payment pays for the necessary costs of a funeral

including the burial or cremation fees in full and in April 2020 the additional element

that can help with other costs, such as a coffin or the services of a funeral director,

was increased from £700 to £1000.

For those that need support for ongoing living costs, from 6 April 2020 the

Government increased the standard allowance in Universal Credit by £86.67 per

month (equivalent to £20 per week) for one year on top of the planned annual

uprating. This additional increase means that claimants may be up to £1040 better

off, depending on their circumstances. This applies to all new and existing Universal

Credit claimants.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap





Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Neil Gray: [70410]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of

medical assessments for (a) personal independence payment (b) employment and

support allowance and (c) universal credit have been (i) paper-based and (ii) telephone-

based, since her Department’s suspension of face to face medical assessments on 17

June 2020.

Neil Gray: [70411]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many medical assessments

for (a) personal independence payment (b) employment and support allowance and (c)

universal credit were (i) paper-based and (ii) face-to-face based, prior to her

Department’s suspension of face to face medical assessments on 17 June 2020 in the

most recent period for which data is available.

Justin Tomlinson:

The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would

incur disproportionate cost.

The available information on completed work capability assessments for Employment

and Support Allowance, for January to March 2020 and April to June 2020 will be

published in September 2020 and December 2020 respectively, on Stat-Xplore here:


The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) clearances made

each month from April 2013 – April 2020 split by geographical area (local authority

and parliamentary constituency) and by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was

awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) for both new claims and reassessed claims, can

be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html

Soical Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Jonathan Reynolds: [71044]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to

publish data on the number of claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and

(b) universal credit who have been sanctioned during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies:

During the outbreak of Covid-19, we took the decision to temporarily suspend the

requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in UC,

New Style JSA and ESA, old-style JSA and ESA, and IS. They continued to receive

benefits as normal and they were not sanctioned for not taking part in appointments

with Jobcentres.











From the 1st July, we reintroduced the requirement for claimants of UC, NS and

Legacy JSA to accept a claimant commitment as part of any new claim and for

existing claimants to have an updated claimant commitment in place. Work Coaches

will work to ensure that commitments made by claimants are tailored and include

easements where appropriate, allowing them to continue to adhere to continuing local

and national public health advice in regards to Covid-19 whilst also doing what they

can to engage with the labour market.

Sanctions statistics on those people claiming Employment Support Allowance and

Universal Credit are published quarterly and can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jobseekers-allowance-sanctions

Additional breakdowns of the figures can be found at:


Guidance for users is available at:


The statistics for February to April 2020 will be published in August 2020.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Sir Roger Gale: [70947]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate

of the number of job vacancies that will be created in the event that the WASPI

generation of women are permitted to retire immediately and on full pension.

Guy Opperman:

No such estimate has been made.

Universal Credit


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for changing

universal credit systems and processes to reflect the ruling by the Court of Appeal on 22

June 2020 on the need to take account of the day that a monthly salary is paid.

Will Quince:

I refer the Rt.Hon Member to the answer I gave on 1 July 2020 to Question UIN

63208:




To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has

taken to financially support universal credit claimants during the five-week waiting period

for their first payment.














Will Quince:

Nobody has to wait five weeks for a payment under Universal Credit. New Claims

Advances of up to 100% of potential entitlement can be requested at any point in the

first assessment period. Advances are a mechanism to provide support during the

first assessment period, allowing claimants to receive 13 payments over 12 months

with up to 12 months to repay the advance.

Dave Doogan: [71890]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any applicant in receipt of

universal credit who was previously in receipt of legacy benefits has successfully

reapplied for universal credit.

Will Quince:

Yes - claimants who were previously in receipt of legacy benefits who migrated to

and were awarded Universal Credit can re-apply for Universal Credit if that award has

ended. Universal Credit will then be re-awarded if they meet the conditions of

entitlement.

Zero Hours Contracts: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she will take to support

workers on zero-hour contracts who are not working as a result of the covid-19 outbreak

and are unable to qualify for universal credit because they are considered to have

employment.

Will Quince:

It is wrong to say that workers on zero-hour contracts, who are not working as a

result of the covid-19 outbreak, are unable to qualify for Universal Credit because

they are considered to have employment.

Universal Credit is payable in and out of work including for those working zero-hour

contracts, part-time or temporary jobs.

The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the

actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.

Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and

also allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month. This means that if a

claimant’s income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their

Universal Credit.

The Chancellor has also confirmed that, depending on their status, workers on zero

hour contracts may be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and we

would urge people to explore this avenue too.



174 Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020 WRITTEN STATEMENTS

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

COVID - Update

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Oliver Dowden):

[HCWS357]

I would like to update the House on the next steps in delivering the UK Government’s

COVID-19 recovery strategy.

These important steps forward have been made possible by the continued efforts of

businesses and the public to comply with COVID-19 Secure guidelines and clinical advice

on testing to protect against resurgences. While there remains a long way to go in

tackling this virus, we continue to head in the right direction.

The Business Secretary and I have worked with industry and public health experts to help

the remaining sectors and activities to become COVID-secure, and reopen as soon as

possible.

Following this work, I can confirm that as of 11 July organised outdoor grassroots team

sports and participation events are now able to restart, starting with cricket. Team sports

will only be able to resume once the relevant sports’ bodies guidance has been reviewed

by Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.

Outdoor performances with an audience are now able to take place, as of 11 July, subject

to social distancing. We will also pilot a number of indoor performances to look at how we

can confidently usher socially-distanced audiences indoors as soon as possible.

Rehearsals and performances for broadcast are already permitted, and dance studios

can already reopen for professional dancers and choreographers.

New regulations allow some additional businesses and venues to reopen. This includes

outdoor swimming pools and water parks from 11 July; and salons, nail bars, spas,

massage parlours, tattoo parlours, and body and skin piercing services from 13 July.

Although these businesses and venues are permitted to open, treatments carried out in

the highest risk zone, the area directly in front of the face, are advised against at this

stage.

The changes outlined above will not apply in Leicester and businesses there will not

reopen. This is in line with current easing of restrictions in the rest of the country.

From 25 July, we will allow the safe and COVID-Secure reopening of indoor swimming

pools, gyms, fitness and dance studios, leisure centres, and other indoor sports venues

and facilities (as long as the evidence continues to support our doing so). This will be

enabled through a separate set of amendments to the regulations.

We must continue to proceed carefully to make sure that there is not a second peak. The

changes set out above will be conditional on our ability to control the virus and respond

effectively to outbreaks. The government will measure the effect of changes but will

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Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 175

reapply restrictions if that is what the situation requires, as we have had to do in

Leicester, and we will work with local councils which have a high prevalence of COVID-19

to create guidance reflecting where further business openings could be delayed.

Everybody must play their part in observing and complying with COVID-19 Secure and

social contact guidelines to keep the virus under control and maintain our recovery.

Publicly available government guidance is being published and updated on GOV.UK and

by sector bodies.

HOME OFFICE

Immigration

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel): [HCWS355]

In 2016, and again in 2019, the British people voted to take back control of our borders

and introduce a new points-based system that will work for the whole of the UK. The

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill delivers on these

votes by ending the automatic right to live and work in the UK for EU migrants from 1 st

January 2021.

In February I set out the vision for a fairer, firmer, skills-led immigration system. The

system will play a key part in our long-term approach to the labour market and in our

response to the coronavirus pandemic.

At a time where an increased number of people across the UK are looking for work, the

new points-based system will encourage employers to invest in the domestic UK

workforce, rather than simply relying on labour from abroad.

But we are also making necessary changes, so it is simpler for employers to attract the

best and brightest from around the world to come to the UK to complement the skills we

already have.

We know this new immigration system and approach to the labour market will mean

changes in the way businesses operate and recruit. Today I am laying before the House

a command paper (CP 258) providing further detail on the points-based system, covering

the main economic migration routes for those wishing to work or study or set up a

business in the UK, to help both employers and applicants prepare and adapt for the

changes ahead. Copies will be available from the Vote Office.

It will be simpler for businesses to access the talent they need as we have removed the

Resident Labour Market Test, lowered the skills and salary threshold, and removed the

cap on skilled workers.

The skilled worker route gives employers flexibility by allowing applicants to trade points if

they have relevant qualifications or work in a shortage occupation. We have

commissioned our independent migration experts to produce a shortage occupation list,

so that the Government can work with sectors to fill roles quickly where shortages may

occur.


176 Daily Report Monday, 13 July 2020 WRITTEN STATEMENTS

We will be introducing a new-fast track Health and Care Visa. This will make it easier and

quicker for talented global health professionals to work in our brilliant NHS and in eligible

occupations in the social care sector. The visa fee will be reduced and health

professionals applying can expect a decision on whether they can work in the UK within

just three weeks, following biometric enrolment. We will exempt frontline workers in the

health and social care sector and wider health workers from the requirement to pay the

Immigration Health Surcharge.

Our Global Talent route launched earlier in the year encourages highly skilled individuals

to come to the UK and provides a fast track route for top scientists and researchers.

To ensure our world-leading education sector remains competitive in a changing global

market, we are refining the student route and launching a Graduate route in Summer

2021. The student route will be streamlined for sponsoring institutions and applicants,

and the graduate route will help retain the brightest and the best students to contribute to

the UK post-study.

Our new system sends a message to the whole world that Britain is open for business,

but on our terms.

TREASURY

Finance Bill 2020-21 L-day update

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Jesse Norman): [HCWS356]

The Government will introduce the Finance Bill following the next Budget.

In line with the approach to tax policy making set out in the government’s documents ‘Tax

Policy Making: a new approach’, published in 2010, and ‘The new Budget timetable and

the tax policy making process’, published in 2017, the Government is committed, where

possible, to publishing most tax legislation in draft for technical consultation before the

legislation is laid before Parliament.

The Government will publish draft clauses for the next Finance Bill, which will largely

cover pre-announced policy changes, on Tuesday 21 July 2020 along with accompanying

explanatory notes, tax information and impact notes, responses to consultations and

other supporting documents. All publications will be available on the gov.uk website.


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