Written Statements

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Written Statements

Tuesday 3 November 2020

Insolvency Service Performance Targets 2020-21

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Paul Scully)]

My right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate Change and Corporate Responsibility (Lord Callanan) has today made the following statement:



I have set performance targets for the Insolvency Service for the financial year 2020-21. The Insolvency Service is the Government agency that delivers public services to those affected by financial distress or failure by providing frameworks to deal with insolvency and the financial misconduct that sometimes accompanies or leads to it.

The Insolvency Service aims to deliver economic confidence through a fair corporate and personal insolvency regime which gives investors and lenders confidence to take the commercial risks necessary to support economic growth. It has a crucial role to play in supporting businesses and individuals in financial difficulty or facing redundancy owing to their employer’s insolvency.

In 2020-21 and beyond the Insolvency Service will be critical in giving confidence to the UK’s businesses, investors and employees following the impact of covid-19. I have set measures and targets at a level which will drive the Insolvency Service to deliver its essential services effectively for its stakeholders. These measures include:

Inclusive Transport Strategy: Year 2 Update

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

Today is “Purple Tuesday”, a day dedicated to ensuring that the needs of disabled people, as valued consumers, are properly recognised and that they receive the best levels of customer service.



As the Minister with the Department for Transport responsible for accessible transport, I am determined that the transport network deliver an equally first-class experience to disabled people. The challenges disabled people face when using our transport system are well documented, and while good progress has been made, I recognise there is still more to do.



I want to see continued steps being taken to improve disabled people’s experience accessing transport. I also want to see our ambition for a fully inclusive and accessible transport network by 2030, with assistance if infrastructure remains a barrier, realised. I am equally determined that the current pandemic and its aftereffects will not limit our ambition to achieving this.



Thus, I am pleased to help mark “Purple Tuesday” by announcing further progress on delivering our inclusive transport strategy.



The strategy was published in 2018 setting out an ambitious programme for transforming the transport system, and today I am publishing a report detailing what has been delivered in the past two years. In the last year we have, for example, published a passenger rights toolkit, which provides guidance to maritime operators on how to comply with passenger rights regulations; and launched the “It’s everyone’s journey” public awareness campaign.



Alongside the update on the inclusive transport strategy, I am also announcing:



Details of the first set of operators who have successfully applied to the inclusive transport leaders scheme, which allows operators to receive formal recognition for the positive actions they are taking to improve disabled passengers’ experiences of using the transport system, and to encourage others to follow.

A disability equality awareness training package that we are making available, free of charge, for all transport operators. This will ensure that all transport operators, big and small, can access a common standard of disability training for their staff; and

A funding competition, which will enable businesses to bid for grant funding to develop products or services that will improve the travel experience for disabled people.

I am grateful to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and representatives of disabled peoples’ organisations who continue to hold both myself and the Department to account for the delivery of the inclusive transport strategy, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as the strategy enters its third year.



Copies of this letter and the report on the progress of the inclusive transport strategy have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS551]

Minimum Income Floor

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey)]

After careful consideration of the ongoing public health situation and the national working environment, the current easement of the suspension of the minimum income floor in universal credit that was due to expire on 12 November 2020 will be extended to the end of April 2021.

Regulations will be laid and made prior to 12 November 2020.

[HCWS552]