Written Statements

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

Thursday 18 May 2023

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Funeral and Related Events

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen)]

The death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 and the period of national mourning that followed was a moment of huge national significance.

During this period, many hundreds of thousands of people came in person to pay their respects, at the Lying at Rest in Edinburgh, the Lying in State in Westminster, as well as in London and Windsor for the state funeral on 19 September. Many more people also came out to support His Majesty The King and other members of the Royal Family as they travelled around the UK during this time.

The Government’s priorities were that these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public.

As Departments finalise their accounts ahead of publication in the coming months, the Government are now able to publish an estimate of the costs associated with delivery of these events by the main Government Departments and devolved Administrations involved, as follows.

Double Taxation Convention: San Marino

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Victoria Atkins)]

A double taxation convention with San Marino was signed in London on 17 May. The text of the convention is available on HM Revenue and Customs’ pages of the gov.uk website and will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The text of the convention will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid before the House of Commons in due course.

[HCWS782]

Announcing the Public Body Review of the British Tourist Authority

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

[The Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure (Sir John Whittingdale)]

Today we are announcing that the second stage of the public bodies review into the British Tourist Authority is under way.

The public bodies review programme delivers against the commitments made in the declaration on Government reform to increase both the effectiveness of public bodies and departmental sponsorship, making Government work better in service of the public. Public body reviews will be underpinned by broad minimum requirements covering efficiency, efficacy, accountability and governance. The review will follow guidance published in April 2022 by the Cabinet Office: “Guidance on the undertaking of Reviews of Public Bodies”.

The British Tourist Authority trades as both VisitEngland and VisitBritain, both of which are classed as executive non-departmental public bodies of DCMS. The British Tourist Authority was set up by the Development of Tourism Act 1969, with its main aim to support the development of Great Britain’s tourism industry.

The Department agreed to commence a full-scale review into the British Tourist Authority. Emir Feisal has been appointed as the independent lead reviewer to lead the review. He will work with a review team composed of officials from the Department. The review team has drafted the terms of reference for the review in consultation with the lead reviewer, the Department and the British Tourist Authority. These set the scope of the review and, among other things, will cover how the British Tourist Authority is supporting places across every part of the UK to develop and market a high-quality tourist offering, boosting jobs, and helping to level up the economy. In conducting the review, officials will engage with a broad range of stakeholders in the tourism sector across the UK.

As set out by the Cabinet Office guidance, the review will report to the Government, and the Government will publish the conclusions of the review alongside any departmental response in due course.

[HCWS780]

Children Missing Education

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

[The Minister for Schools (Nick Gibb)]

The Government are committed to ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to an excellent education.

The Department for Education has today launched a call for evidence on “Improving Support for Children Missing Education” in England, which is open until 20 July 2023. This builds on other policies to improve the lives of children, including the children’s social care implementation strategy and consultation “Stable Homes, Built on Love”, and plans to reform special educational needs provision via the “Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan”.

Children missing education (CME) are children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at school. CME are at significant risk of under- achieving and becoming NEET—not in education, employment or training—later in life. More immediately, they are also at significant risk of becoming victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation.

CME make up a very small minority of school-aged children and some will be missing education for a short period—for example, while they move between schools during the academic year. Children who miss longer periods of education present greater concerns, and it is especially important that these children can be effectively identified and supported.

The legislative framework places responsibilities for CME on parents, schools and local authorities. In 2016 the Department issued statutory “Children Missing Education” guidance that sets key principles to enable local authorities in England to carry out their legal duty to make arrangements for identifying, as far as it is possible to do so, CME. This guidance is available on gov.uk.

The “Improving Support for Children Missing Education” call for evidence seeks to strengthen the understanding of CME and the challenges that those responsible for addressing CME face. This call for evidence seeks comments, evidence and insight regarding:

How local authorities, schools and other agencies identify and support CME;

The challenges that the sector faces in identifying and supporting CME, and how these could be addressed; and

How best practice in identifying and supporting CME can be promoted.

Since autumn 2022, the Department has also been gathering aggregate, termly data on CME from local authorities in England on a voluntary basis. This data is helping the Government to improve our understanding of the CME cohort and the support that local authorities may need. Headline figures from the autumn 2022 and spring 2023 collection will be published today on gov.uk. These are experimental statistics and the quality of the data returns should improve over time.

[HCWS781]

Independent Reviewer of National Security Arrangements: 2022 Report

Thursday 18th May 2023 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Chris Heaton- Harris)]

The role of the independent reviewer of national security arrangements in Northern Ireland is to monitor compliance with annex E of the St Andrews agreement 2006, reviewing the relationship between MI5 and PSNI in handling national security matters.

Professor Marie Breen Smyth, the independent reviewer of national security arrangements in Northern Ireland, has sent me her report for 2022. What follows is a summary of the main findings of the report covering the period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. Professor Breen Smyth states:

“My contact with MI5 and the PSNI was largely conducted in person. I was given a clear insight of both the current direction, the prevailing budgetary conditions and the interaction between both organisations. The policy of wider collaboration and further community initiatives has continued.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the restrictions introduced by the UK government, the level of activity amongst terrorist and paramilitary groups abated somewhat. With the ending of restrictions and a return to previous levels of mobility and freedom of movement, that suppressive effect has ended and these groups have returned to their previous levels of operational activity.

Although the threat assessment for Northern Ireland was lowered in 2022 from Severe to Substantial, in their Fifth Report the Independent Reporting Commission pointed out that paramilitarism remains a clear and present danger. The threat from Dissident Republican (DR) groups remains a concern for law enforcement.

The two main loyalist groups, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) continue to operate, and sections of both groups, largely in the Belfast area, are involved in intimidation, criminality and violence.

The PSNI reported that work continued on broader communication and improving protocols between PSNI and MI5 in order to increase cooperation in releasing information whilst maintaining security protocols. Dialogue between the Human Rights Advisor to the Policing Board and MI5 has established a relationship of mutual understanding. Regular meetings and exchanges at a high level between PSNI and MI5 are noticeable and commendable.”

“My conclusions in relation to Annex E of the St Andrews agreement are as follows.”

To reinforce this comprehensive set of safeguards, the UK Government confirm that they accept and will ensure that effect is given to the five key principles, which the chief constable has identified as crucial to the effective operation of the arrangement:

a: All Security Service intelligence relating to terrorism in Northern Ireland will be visible to the PSNI

I am informed that the PSNI continues to have sight of all security service intelligence relating to NIRT. There is compliance.

b: PSNI will be informed of all Security Service counter terrorist activities relating to Northern Ireland

There are a number of processes in place to ensure that the PSNI is fully informed. There is compliance.

c: Security Service intelligence will be disseminated within PSNI according to the current PSNI dissemination policy, and using police procedures

This continues to be organisational practice. There is compliance.

d: The great majority of national security CHIS in Northern Ireland will continue to be run by PSNI officers under existing handling protocols

The PSNI and security service continue to work jointly on cases and arrangements for this continue to be jointly negotiated and agreed. There is compliance.

e: There will be no diminution of the PSNI’s responsibility to comply with the Human Rights Act or the Policing

PSNI continues to operate within the National Security arena in strict compliance with ECHR. There is compliance.

[HCWS783]