Mentions:
1: women’s health strategy were temporarily paused in the initial phase of the pandemic; however, the Department - Link

Mentions:
1: about the challenges that we face, he buried a planned cut of £30 billion in resource spending for the Department - Link
2: However, in recognising that universal credit supports people on low incomes, the Department of Health - Link
3: Thirdly, a reassessment by finance teams in the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS of the - Link

Mentions:
1: Will the Minister and his colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care consider additional - Link
2: I very much welcome the fact that the Department of Health and Social Care invests £1 billion a year - Link

Mentions:
1: Officials from my Department and from the Department of Health and Social Care are working closely to - Link

Mentions:
1: I will work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to tackle drug and alcohol addiction - Link

Mentions:
1: The Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS are working closely with black, Asian and - Link
2: roundtable in September 2020, the race disparity unit, which reports to me, has been supporting the Department - Link
3: The DHSC has also set up regular interviews with clinicians for more than 20 ethnic minority newspapers - Link
4: I specifically raised with DHSC colleagues the point that people who are being removed from the frontline - Link
5: I am sure that Department of Health and Social Care Ministers will be able to provide a more extensive - Link

Mentions:
1: I will work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to tackle drug and alcohol addiction - Link

Mentions:
1: In Government terms, that takes in the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Digital - Link

Mentions:
1: Transport to provide Changing Places toilets at motorway services and the £2 million made available by the Department - Link

Mentions:
1: been rolled out splendidly, thanks to the hard work throughout the NHS and to the leadership from the Department - Link

Mentions:
1: That has to be lined up with the Department of Health and Social Care, and I have to do that at a time - Link
2: Again, working with DHSC, we were able, before covid came, to ensure that the advice and guidance given - Link

Mentions:
1: That is thanks to the dynamic work of the NHS and everybody in the Department of Health and Social Care - Link

Mentions:
1: Since the onset of the pandemic, some departments—not least the Department of Health and Social Care—have - Link
2: It is worth noting that, in the Session to date, Ministers for the Department of Health and Social Care—principally - Link

Found: Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re

Found: Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re

Found: Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald KCB, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care,

Found: Correspondence from Baroness Harding, Executive Chair, NHS Test and Trace, DHSC & David Williams CB,

Found: Correspondence from Public Accounts Committee Chair Meg Hillier to Sir Chris Wormald KCB Permanent Secretary, Department

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice he has received on reducing the risk of increasing covid-19 infection rates when schools reopen; and what the key recommendations of that advice were.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other Government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, and we continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

As new evidence or data emerges, the Department updates its advice accordingly to ensure that all our schools have the right safety measures in place. On 22 February 2021, we updated our guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

We know that the predominant new variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible. PHE advice remains that the way to control this virus is with the ‘system of controls’, even with the current new variants. The ‘system of controls’ measures outlined in our guidance create an environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. Schools need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent possible.

While it is not possible to ensure a totally risk-free environment, there is no evidence that children transmit the disease any more than adults. The Department recently published 'Evidence summary: COVID-19 - children, young people and education settings', which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf.

Based on the recent Office for National Statistics data, the risks to education staff are similar to those for most other occupations. This data can be found at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland/characteristicsofpeopletestingpositiveforcovid19inengland22february2021.

The Department will continue to keep our guidance and advice to schools under review to help ensure they remain as safe as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department issued to schools for the return of clinically extremely vulnerable students as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department for Education has worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England to develop our guidance, which can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

DHSC are the lead department on shielding and clinical vulnerability policy. We work closely with them on the policy for clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) staff and students. DHSC and PHE guidance for CEV people sets out which additional measures people in this group need to take: https://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.

The advice for pupils who have been confirmed as CEV is to shield and stay at home as much as possible until 31 March. They are advised not to attend school while shielding advice applies. The guidance for CEV individuals is advisory, although they are strongly advised to follow the advice in order to keep themselves safe.

Schools are required to provide remote education to pupils who are unable to attend school because they are complying with government guidance, as provided for in the Remote Education Temporary Continuity Direction. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-temporary-continuity-direction-explanatory-note.

As outlined in our guidance, where CEV individuals are shielding, it is important that schools put systems in place to keep in contact with them, offer pastoral support and check they are able to access education support.

CEV advice applies to individuals and not households. Those living with someone who is CEV, but who are not CEV themselves, can attend education, but they should ensure that they maintain good prevention practice in the workplace and home settings.

The Department has published information for parents and carers on remote education and on how they can best support their child while learning from home. This includes resources and advice to help parents and carers on how to establish a routine with their child, and how best to support mental health and wellbeing during this period: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19?priority-taxon=b350e61d-1db9-4cc2-bb44-fab02882ac25.

Additionally, we published information for parents and carers about attending schools, nurseries and colleges in the spring term 2021. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice has been made available to schools in areas with a high covid-19 infection rate on reopening.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

On 22 February 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed that, based on the Government’s assessment of the current data against its 4 tests for relaxing restrictions, it will be possible for children to return to schools from 8 March 2021. The latest data suggests that COVID-19 infection rates have fallen across all ages, including in children and young people.

Schools should continue to implement the system of controls. These are the measures that schools have been using since the start of the autumn term. We have strengthened the system of controls in secondary schools by recommending that staff and pupils wear face coverings anywhere in the school where social distancing is not possible. More information is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

Our programme of rapid COVID-19 testing is going to continue to be an important part of how we keep COVID-19 infection rates down within schools and across the wider community. Since January 2021, we have been delivering rapid testing kits to secondary schools and colleges to help identify pupils or staff who are infected with COVID-19 but may not yet show any symptoms. Pupils returning to secondary schools from 8 March will be strongly encouraged to take a rapid test for COVID-19 before their face-to-face teaching re-starts. Staff in both primary and secondary schools are now also going to be able to be tested twice a week, whether they are showing COVID-19 symptoms or not. This means that we can ask those with positive results to self-isolate and further reduce the spread of the virus.

In the event that COVID-19 restrictions in schools are needed to help contain the spread of the virus, the Government may ask schools to change how they are delivering education for a short period of time. To assist with this, on 22 February, we published a revised contingency framework, which outlines how schools should operate in the event of any restrictions. The contingency framework is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-contingency-framework-for-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings-excluding-universities#contingency-framework-principles.

The contingency framework is different from the processes for managing COVID-19 cases or outbreaks in individual schools and the process for alleviating operational challenges including staff shortages. Existing processes and roles for school leaders and Directors of Public Health in addressing those issues are unchanged.

Any decision that attendance at education or childcare settings should be restricted will not be taken lightly. The Department will work with other Government Departments, the Chief Medical Officer, the Joint Biosecurity Centre, Public Health England, the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Test and Trace and relevant local authorities to ensure the decision is informed by the available evidence and recent data. These will be ministerial decisions made on an area-by-area basis in the light of all available evidence, public health advice and local and national circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health and wellbeing of school and college students during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We know that the COVID-19 outbreak, and associated measures and restrictions, such as social distancing and school closures, will be impacting on the mental wellbeing of many people, including children and young people. The government has made student wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the support we have already put in place for schools, colleges and universities will be critical during this time.

The return to school for all pupils is being prioritised due to the significant and proven impact caused by being out of school, including on wellbeing. The support schools provide to their pupils as they return to face-to-face education should include time devoted to supporting wellbeing, which will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing recovery. The expectations for schools in this regard are set out clearly in the main DfE guidance to schools which also signposts further support, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

We are also providing support and training to schools through the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, a Department for Education-led initiative alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, Higher Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations. It is funding local experts to provide training, advice and resources for schools and further education providers to help support pupil and student, parent and carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience, and recovery considering the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. Over 90% of local authority areas in England have reported that they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and further education providers because of the Wellbeing for Education Return funding and have been continuing to do so remotely.

We have also put in place a £1 billion COVID “catch-up” package with £650 million shared across early years, schools and 16 to 19 providers over the 2020/21 academic year to support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

In addition to this, the return to school for all pupils from 8 March will be supported with a new £700 million package, which includes a new one-off Recovery Premium for state primary, secondary and special schools to use as they see best to support disadvantaged students. This will help schools to provide their disadvantaged pupils with a one-off boost to the support, both academic and pastoral, that has been proved most effective in helping them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-education-recovery-package-for-children-and-young-people.

For further education (FE) we are also committed to providing and signposting wellbeing guidance and support, and ensuring that specialist mental health support is available for all students and staff in FE who need it. The FE operational guidance includes a specific section on supporting the mental health of staff and students in addition to signposting providers to additional resources, such as webinars and online platforms. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision.

The department’s College Collaboration Fund (CCF) is a £5.4 million grant funding programme open to all statutory FE colleges, to be delivered in the financial year 2020/21. We particularly welcomed applications that address one of five specific quality improvement needs. Five of the funded projects are designed to provide remote/online mental health and wellbeing support to students and/or staff.

We have worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS), providing up to £3 million to fund the mental health platform Student Space in response to COVID-19, and have asked the OfS to allocate an additional £15 million towards student mental health, through proposed reforms to Teaching grant funding. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform designed to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and works alongside existing services. Ensuring students have access to quality mental health support is a top priority, which is why we asked the OfS to look at extending the platform. I am delighted they have been able to extend the platform to support students for the whole 2020/21 academic year.

For students that need specialist support the government continues to invest in and prioritise mental health. The NHS will receive around an additional £500 million this year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce.

The department and the Department of Health and Social Care have convened a Mental Health in Education Action Group. The purpose of the Action Group is to look across the age ranges at the impact of COVID-19 on children, young people and staff in nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities.

Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, appointed Dr Alex George (an A&E Doctor) as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to advise the government and raise the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in schools, colleges, and universities. As Youth Mental Health Ambassador, he will use his clinical expertise and personal experience to champion the government’s work on children’s and young people’s mental health and shape policy on improving support for young people in schools, colleges, and universities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the scientific basis is for his Department's guidance on the policy that it will not be mandatory for pupils to wear face masks when they return to school premises from 8 March 2021.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other Government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening of education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

Face coverings are not compulsory, and the recently updated guidance does not create any new legal obligations. They are recommended in some circumstances for public health reasons as advised by PHE, whilst some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings altogether. The same exemptions will apply in schools and childcare facilities, and staff and others should be sensitive to those needs.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around inside the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, the Department now also recommends that in schools where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance, as necessary.

In primary schools, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering and should not be asked to do so.

Schools should use standard behaviour management to enforce the system of controls, as necessary. No pupil should be denied education on the grounds that they are not wearing a face covering.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether headteachers can enforce the wearing of face masks by all (a) pupils and (b) school staff when school premises are reopened during the covid-19 outbreak from 8 March 2021.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other Government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening of education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

Face coverings are not compulsory, and the recently updated guidance does not create any new legal obligations. They are recommended in some circumstances for public health reasons as advised by PHE, whilst some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings altogether. The same exemptions will apply in schools and childcare facilities, and staff and others should be sensitive to those needs.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around inside the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, the Department now also recommends that in schools where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance, as necessary.

In primary schools, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering and should not be asked to do so.

Schools should use standard behaviour management to enforce the system of controls, as necessary. No pupil should be denied education on the grounds that they are not wearing a face covering.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) benefits and (b) harms of children wearing face masks in school; and if he will publish the scientific evidence upon which that assessment is based.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf

The Department has also published its evidence summary on COVID-19 – children, young people and education settings, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, the Department now also recommends that in those schools and colleges where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of COVID-19 droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.

The Department recognises that the wearing of face coverings may impact communication. However, on balance, increased use of face coverings will strengthen the current safety measures in place in schools and colleges and support the return to face-to-face education.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance at that point.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the scientific evidence which shows that mask wearing among school children prevents transmission of covid-19 in a real world setting.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf

The Department has also published its evidence summary on COVID-19 – children, young people and education settings, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, the Department now also recommends that in those schools and colleges where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of COVID-19 droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.

The Department recognises that the wearing of face coverings may impact communication. However, on balance, increased use of face coverings will strengthen the current safety measures in place in schools and colleges and support the return to face-to-face education.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance at that point.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure schools and colleges are adequately ventilated.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

At each stage of the Department's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. The Department has worked closely with other Departments, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, and to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

It is important to ensure that schools are well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.

Current evidence recommends that the way to control COVID-19 is the same, even with the current new variants. The PHE endorsed ‘system of controls’, in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak set out in our published guidance and which includes ventilation, continues to be the appropriate set of measures to take. These measures create an inherently safer environment for children, young people, and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. PHE keeps all these controls under review, based on the latest evidence. Schools therefore need to continue to fully implement these controls. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

Our guidance signposts to further advice from the Health and Safety Executive on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm.

More generally, in 2018, the Department published Building Bulletin 101 (BB101), which is guidance for school design on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This guidance sets out the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines and Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 for indoor air quality. BB101 requires the indoor environment of new or refurbished school buildings to be monitored by recording temperature and levels of carbon dioxide.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s roadmap on easing lockdown restrictions announced on 22 February 2021, whether the Government plans to provide access to cost-effective covid-19 testing for (a) travel operators and (b) their customers in advance of international travel being permitted under the provisions of that roadmap.

Answered by Robert Courts - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector as a result of COVID-19 and is committed to tackling this virus while enabling a sustainable and responsible return to travel.

Travel operators can already benefit from access to rapid asymptomatic workforce testing. DHSC currently provide funding for businesses with more than 50 employees who cannot work from home. This funding has recently been extended to the end of June and covers guidance, training and test kits.

An online portal has also been launched to make it even easier for businesses in the private sector to get involved and find out more about offering rapid testing to their workforce. Organisations who are considering participation should register their interest on the portal before 31 March.

The Government will keep this under review as vaccine deployment continues and will investigate how asymptomatic testing could be used to support the recovery.

Although we understand that some travel is essential, most travel is undertaken by choice. It therefore would not be right to use public money to subsidise testing for travel. However, we expect the cost of tests to decrease in future as testing technology advances and the market expands.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to protect the safety of (a) frontline workers in the justice sector and (b) prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is very clear that our frontline staff are vital key workers, and they are going above and beyond the call of duty to keep the public, their colleagues, and service users safe . While we rightly celebrate our heroes in the NHS during this challenging period, our hidden heroes in the justice sector understandably can sometimes feel forgotten, and we extend our gratitude to all our leaders and staff for their bravery and dedication to public service.

The safety of our staff and service users remains our top priority. We are doing all that we can to be flexible and to support those who are more vulnerable to Covid-19, whether this be through age or an underlying health condition.

We continue to work with DHSC and the Welsh Government, to ensure that appropriate testing is made available to court, prison, and probation staff, to those service users in our care, and to those within our buildings.

In the prison system we continue to manage the risk to establishments through the use of cohorting and compartmentalisation, routine staff testing, and testing prisoners on both reception and transfer.  Social distancing and basic hygiene are also used to reduce transmission and we continue to provide access to cleaning and hygiene products in prisons. We are following the public health advice on the use of medical face masks alongside other items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where close contact is sustained, essential and unavoidable.  We also continue to operate reduced regimes, specifically designed with PHE, to reduce contact and support social distancing in prisons.

Probation staff and service users are already able to access testing as needed if they display any COVID-19 symptoms, and this will link them into the NHS Test and Trace system if they test positive.  We will continue to work with DHSC and Welsh Government, to ensure that appropriate testing is made available to probation staff and service users.  We have introduced regular asymptomatic testing of staff and residents in Approved Premises to limit the spread of the virus and protect the local NHS, and are rolling out lateral flow testing to all of our staff who cannot work from home.

In courts, we are spending £113m on a range of emergency measures to tackle the impact of COVID-19, and £142m to improve court and tribunal buildings and roll out new technology. This has enabled remote hearings where possible, and safety controls in every building for cases that need physical hearings. Safety controls include limitations on the number of people on sit, plexiglass screens, face coverings, and regular cleaning, to name just a few. Everything we do is kept under regular review and we continue to work closely with public health colleagues as part of that effort.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department had with (a) families of children with hearing problems and (b) groups representing them on the decision to make face masks compulsory in secondary schools from March 8th.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, we now also recommend that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in education settings.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under close review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children who are (a) deaf or (b) hard of hearing can access education when masks are introduced in classrooms from March 8th.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, we now also recommend that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in education settings.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under close review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the covid-19 advice on face coverings in educational settings, what steps he is taking to support students who rely on lip reading.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, we now also recommend that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in education settings.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under close review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will update guidance for schools and colleges on the use of face coverings when teaching deaf students.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, from 8 March, we now also recommend that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in education settings.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these precautionary measures for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community. These measures will be in place until Easter, and as with all measures, we will keep this under close review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of mental health services for students at university.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Minister of State (Education)

Protecting student and staff wellbeing is vital during these difficult times and it is important students can still access the mental health and wellbeing support they need. We recognise that many students are facing additional mental health challenges due to the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

It is for higher education (HE) providers as autonomous bodies to identify and address the needs of their student body and decide what mental health and wellbeing support to put in place. HE providers have a duty of care towards their staff and students, including legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010, to take all reasonable steps to protect the health and safety and welfare of students to prevent harm. HE providers are best placed to understand and cater for their student body including providing mental health support for lower-level needs.

The Department of Health and Social Care has overall policy responsibility for young people’s mental health. We continue to work closely with them to take steps to develop mental health and wellbeing support.

The government is committed, through the NHS Long Term Plan, to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by financial year 2023-24. This will see an additional 345,000 children and young people, and adults, able to access support through NHS-funded services. This year the NHS will receive around an additional £500 million, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce. More detail will be provided in due course.

We have also worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to provide Student Space, which has been funded by up to £3 million by the OfS. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform designed to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and works alongside existing services. I am delighted they have extended the platform to support students for the whole 2020/21 academic year.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support medical research charities through a life sciences-charity partnership fund.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)

The Government is aware of the challenges, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, that medical research charities are currently facing. We appreciate the globally recognised expertise of these charities, and the substantial contributions they make to our world-leading life sciences sector.

BEIS and DHSC regularly discuss the impacts of Covid-19 on charity-funded research with the Association of Medical Research Charities. We are continuing to engage with them and receive intelligence on the impacts facing the sector, such as the challenges facing fundraising activities.

The Government already provides significant funding to charities’ research, for example through Research England’s Quality Related (QR) charity support funding. This year charity QR will amount to £204m, to support charity funded research in universities in England and equivalent support is provided in Scotland through devolved funding arrangements.

The Government has demonstrated its ambitions for research by committing £14.6bn to R&D in 2021/22. This funding will support the life sciences sector within which Medical Research Charities operate alongside other research areas.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on support for paramedic students with health conditions to ensure they can complete their studies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Minister of State (Education)

The Government is keen to minimise disruption and has put in place specific measures for allied health profession students, like paramedicine, that includes ensuring that students on placement have access to broadly equitable support as for NHS staff, such as being classed as essential workers for the purpose of testing and access to travel, school and childcare places, and having access to appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for placement duties.

Health Education England (HEE) is working with system partners to ensure any impact on training and placements is minimised; including supporting universities to rearrange interrupted clinical placements and finding alternatives such as using simulation where that is appropriate.

We know that the health and wellbeing needs of students must be prioritised and NHS England & Improvement and HEE have been working closely with universities and placement providers to ensure students have the support they need, including access to NHS mental health support.

Ministers and officials from the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care have regular discussions on these issues.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what amount of expired Apprenticeship Levy funding has been reclaimed from each NHS foundation trust in the East of England.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As the NHS is made up of a large number of diverse employers, it is not possible to identify the amount of expired apprenticeship levy funds for the NHS in England as a whole. This information is therefore not held centrally.

Moreover, due to taxpayer confidentiality, we are unable to publish the amount that individual employers, including individual NHS Trusts, have contributed through the apprenticeship levy or the amount of funds that have been spent or have expired.

The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to use for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.

Employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many apprenticeships they offer and when they offer the apprenticeships. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to do so if they wish. Funds raised by the levy are used to support the whole apprenticeship system. This means that employers’ unused funds are not lost but are used to support apprenticeships in smaller employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training.

As we set out in the Spending Review, we will again be making available £2.5 billion for investment in apprenticeships in the 2021-22 financial year, which is double that spent in the 2010-11 financial year.

We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, employers and stakeholders to make sure the NHS is fully supported to recruit the apprentices it needs to deliver high-quality care. There are 74 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the health and science sector, including a complete nursing apprentice pathway from entry-level through to postgraduate level.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what amount of expired Apprenticeship Levy funding has been reclaimed from levy paying NHS organisations in England in 2019-20.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As the NHS is made up of a large number of diverse employers, it is not possible to identify the amount of expired apprenticeship levy funds for the NHS in England as a whole. This information is therefore not held centrally.

Moreover, due to taxpayer confidentiality, we are unable to publish the amount that individual employers, including individual NHS Trusts, have contributed through the apprenticeship levy or the amount of funds that have been spent or have expired.

The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to use for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.

Employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many apprenticeships they offer and when they offer the apprenticeships. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to do so if they wish. Funds raised by the levy are used to support the whole apprenticeship system. This means that employers’ unused funds are not lost but are used to support apprenticeships in smaller employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training.

As we set out in the Spending Review, we will again be making available £2.5 billion for investment in apprenticeships in the 2021-22 financial year, which is double that spent in the 2010-11 financial year.

We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, employers and stakeholders to make sure the NHS is fully supported to recruit the apprentices it needs to deliver high-quality care. There are 74 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the health and science sector, including a complete nursing apprentice pathway from entry-level through to postgraduate level.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 144715 on Homelessness: Coronavirus, if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and (a) Public Health England, and (b) NHS England on meeting the (i) care and (ii) covid-19 vaccination needs of vulnerable people experiencing homelessness during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Eddie Hughes - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department regularly engages with the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and NHS England on a range of issues including meeting the care and COVID-19 vaccination needs of vulnerable people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential effect of the proposed promotion restrictions on foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) on reformulation work being undertaken by food and drink manufacturers.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Regular discussions take place between officials and Ministers at Defra and the Department of Health and Social Care on the obesity strategy, including the impact of restrictions for promoting products high in fat, sugar and salt on reformulation efforts. We welcome the achievements food and drink manufacturers have made in reformulating products, and want to support industry to go even further to help meet our shared ambition of tackling obesity.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (b) Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government and (c) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the steps he plans to take to meet the target set by the Crime and Justice Task Force to get 75 per cent of prison leavers with an assessed substance misuse need to engage in treatment within three weeks of leaving prison.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Prime Minister’s Crime and Justice Taskforce (CJTF) was established last year to consider matters relating to the prevention of crime and the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System including combating drug misuse.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

In response to diverting people away from offending, the Ministry of Justice is strengthening out of court disposals by putting into legislation the framework for a nationally consistent two-tier system, based on that developed by the National Police Chief Council (NPCC).This involves close working with the Home Office, the NPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners who are involved routinely at both a strategic and working level.

Additionally, DHSC have received £80m to tackle drug misuse in 2021-22. The bulk of the funding (£65m circa) will be given to for local authorities via a specific grant allocation to support delivery of services specifically for the offender cohort. This funding will be used to introduce specialist criminal justice drug and alcohol workers who will be based in police stations, courts or prisons with a remit to identify and screen individuals in order to divert them into treatment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his timescale is for meeting the target set by the Crime and Justice Task Force to get 75 per cent of prison leavers with an assessed substance misuse need to engage in treatment within three weeks of leaving prison.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Prime Minister’s Crime and Justice Taskforce (CJTF) was established last year to consider matters relating to the prevention of crime and the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System including combating drug misuse.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

In response to diverting people away from offending, the Ministry of Justice is strengthening out of court disposals by putting into legislation the framework for a nationally consistent two-tier system, based on that developed by the National Police Chief Council (NPCC).This involves close working with the Home Office, the NPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners who are involved routinely at both a strategic and working level.

Additionally, DHSC have received £80m to tackle drug misuse in 2021-22. The bulk of the funding (£65m circa) will be given to for local authorities via a specific grant allocation to support delivery of services specifically for the offender cohort. This funding will be used to introduce specialist criminal justice drug and alcohol workers who will be based in police stations, courts or prisons with a remit to identify and screen individuals in order to divert them into treatment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Home Secretary, (b) the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, (c) National Police Chiefs’ Council and (d) other stakeholders on improving opportunities for diversion for people whose offending is linked to substance misuse.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Prime Minister’s Crime and Justice Taskforce (CJTF) was established last year to consider matters relating to the prevention of crime and the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System including combating drug misuse.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

In response to diverting people away from offending, the Ministry of Justice is strengthening out of court disposals by putting into legislation the framework for a nationally consistent two-tier system, based on that developed by the National Police Chief Council (NPCC).This involves close working with the Home Office, the NPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners who are involved routinely at both a strategic and working level.

Additionally, DHSC have received £80m to tackle drug misuse in 2021-22. The bulk of the funding (£65m circa) will be given to for local authorities via a specific grant allocation to support delivery of services specifically for the offender cohort. This funding will be used to introduce specialist criminal justice drug and alcohol workers who will be based in police stations, courts or prisons with a remit to identify and screen individuals in order to divert them into treatment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the (a) average and (b) longest time it has taken to (i) process a visa extension via the covid-19 auto-extension visa scheme and (ii) issue Biometric Residence Permit cards for eligible health professionals since March 2020.

Answered by Kevin Foster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested is not held in a publishable format and to gather it would attract a disproportionate cost.

The latest published migration statistics can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2020

The available published data shows the numbers of visas granted in each work route but does not provide any data on the specific numbers that have been granted on this scheme nor the number of Biometric Residence Permits issued by UKVI.

We are keeping all measures under review and we will continue to work closely with the DHSC to ensure individuals working in the health and care sector are fully supported.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the level of compliance of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers covid-19 guidance on ventilation in buildings.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992, as amended, requires employers to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air in the workplace. In common with a lot of health and safety legislation, this is a goal setting requirement and therefore does not prescribe how to meet this duty.

As each workplace is different, it is the responsibility of the employer to determine how to achieve this requirement and implement the appropriate measures.

To assist employers the Health and Safety Executive updated their guidance on ventilation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2020. The guidance provides simple ways to identify areas of the workplace that may be poorly ventilated and provides steps that can be taken to improve ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature. It refers those with complex ventilation system, to the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) website.

The CIBSE covid-19 guidance on ventilation in buildings.is a best practice guide primarily intended for application in non-domestic buildings and it specifically excludes health care and hospital buildings, advising that NHS and PHE guidance should be sought.

The relevant guidance for healthcare providers is contained in the Engineering Health Technical Memoranda best practice guidance published by the Department of Health and Social Care (Estates and Facilities Division). The documents give comprehensive advice and guidance to healthcare management, design engineers, estates managers and operations managers on the legal requirements, design implications and maintenance of specialised ventilation in all types of healthcare premises.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that schools are adequately ventilated to make them covid-19-secure when school pupils return on 8 March 2021.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

At each stage of the Department's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. The Department has worked closely with other Government departments, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, and to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

It is important to ensure that schools are well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.

Current evidence recommends that the way to control COVID-19 is the same, even with the current new variants. The PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ which have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak set out in our published guidance, which includes ventilation, continue to be the right measures to take. These measures create an inherently safer environment for children, young people, and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. PHE keeps all these controls under review, based on the latest evidence. Schools therefore need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

Our guidance signposts to further advice from the Health and Safety Executive on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to accelerate vaccination programmes for personnel involved with Carrier Strike Group deployment to ensure that deployment is not delayed.

Answered by James Heappey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The priority for the administration of the COVID vaccine has been defined by the Department of Health and Social Care. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has determined the overarching priority order for administration of the vaccine. However, we are clear that Service personnel should not be disadvantaged by their operational deployments causing them to miss their turn for vaccinations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has provided modelling on recent trends in food consumption to support the development of (a) the Government’s obesity strategy and (b) plans for the restriction of the advertising and promotion of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As a nation we are consuming too much sugar and too many calories. We are therefore encouraging industry to shift the balance of promotions and advertising to healthier options. The Government's response to the consultation on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt and the accompanying impact assessments was published on 28 December 2020. The Government's response to the consultation on advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar and accompanying impact assessment will be published shortly. Defra has not undertaken its own modelling or impact assessments to support the development of the obesity strategy policies, but we work closely with DHSC to ensure their evidence is robust.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of restrictions proposed by the Government on the promotion of foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt on (a) all and (b) SME manufacturers of those foods.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As a nation we are consuming too much sugar and too many calories. We are therefore encouraging industry to shift the balance of promotions and advertising to healthier options. The Government's response to the consultation on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt and the accompanying impact assessments was published on 28 December 2020. The Government's response to the consultation on advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar and accompanying impact assessment will be published shortly. Defra has not undertaken its own modelling or impact assessments to support the development of the obesity strategy policies, but we work closely with DHSC to ensure their evidence is robust.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure university students who are required to extend finishing their studies to autumn 2021 as a result of the covid-19 outbreak receive additional financial support for tuition and living expenses.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Minister of State (Education)

It is a key priority of the government to ensure that as many students graduate on time this year and we are working closely with other government departments including the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure this.

We also recognise that this is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the higher education (HE) sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. If providers are unable to facilitate good online or in-person tuition, they should seek to avoid charging students for any additional terms they may need to undergo as a consequence – avoiding effectively charging them twice.

Eligible full-time undergraduate students whose universities require them to extend their studies in the current 2020/21 academic year up until 31 August 2021 will qualify for means-tested long courses loans for the additional period of study to help them with their living costs.

Eligible full-time students who will need to retake either all or part of a year of study in the academic year 2021/22 from September 2021 onwards, may qualify for additional tuition fee loan support for their repeat study in the academic year 2021/22. Full-time undergraduate students qualify for fee loan support for the length of the course, plus one extra year if needed, less any years of previous study. A further year of fee loan support in addition to the standard entitlement can be paid in certain circumstances where students need to repeat a year of their current course for compelling personal reasons (which may include reasons associated with the COVID-19 outbreak). In addition, eligible students will qualify for partially-means tested loans for living costs for a repeat year or part-year of study.

Universities and other HE providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees within maximum fee limits set by regulations. In deciding to keep charging full fees, HE providers will of course want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.

It is a registration condition of the Office for Students (OfS) that HE providers must deliver well-designed courses that provide a high-quality academic experience for all students and enable a student’s achievement to be reliably assessed. If HE providers are unable to facilitate good online or in-person tuition, they should seek to avoid charging students for any additional terms they may need to undergo as a consequence, avoiding effectively charging them twice. Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the HE provider and student.

The government has been clear that universities are expected to maintain quality and academic standards and the quantity of tuition should not drop. Universities should seek to ensure all students, regardless of their background, can access their studies remotely. The OfS monitors online teaching to ensure standards are met, and there is an established process in place for students with concerns about their education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support nurseries in Bolton to reduce transmission of covid-19; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising nursery staff in the covid-19 vaccination rollout.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are grateful to early years staff as they continue to provide support to children and families during the period of national lockdown.

The department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’, and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, children and parents.

As new evidence or data emerges, the department updates its advice accordingly to ensure that all our settings have the right safety measures in place. The latest guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

The ‘system of controls’ measures outlined in our guidance create an environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. Settings therefore need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent possible, including the new advice that face coverings are recommended in early years settings for staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the government on which vaccine/s the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. The JCVI will provide advice on the next phase of the vaccine rollout. The government is committed to offering every adult a dose of the vaccine by 31 July 2021.

We continue to work with the early years sector to understand how they can best be supported to ensure that sufficient safe, appropriate and affordable childcare is available for those who need it now, and for all families who need it in the longer term.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed (a) advertising and (b) promotional restrictions on foods high in fat, salt or sugar on the structure of the UK advertising market.

Answered by Caroline Dinenage - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

My department and the Department of Health and Social Care have carefully considered all views and potential impacts of advertising and promotional restrictions on foods high in fat, salt or sugar, inclusive of sponsorship and outdoor advertising. This includes feedback from a wide range of experts and stakeholders on specific policy proposals and in response to our public consultations.

The final impact assessment on mandating calorie labelling of food and drink in out-of-home sector is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903712/Calorie_Labelling_-_Impact_Assessment.pdf

The final impact assessments on the proposals to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) by location and by volume is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/restricting-promotions-of-food-and-drink-that-is-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt

The developmental impact assessment on further advertising restrictions on TV and online was published alongside the 2019 consultation on this policy. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

An evidence note was published alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for HFSS products. This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

A consultation proposing a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar closed on 22 December 2020 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/introducing-a-total-online-advertising-restriction-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss

We will publish the final impact assessment on further advertising restrictions on TV and online alongside the full response to the consultations shortly.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed (a) advertising and (b) promotional restrictions on foods high in fat, salt or sugar on (i) sponsorship (ii) outdoor advertising.

Answered by Caroline Dinenage - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

My department and the Department of Health and Social Care have carefully considered all views and potential impacts of advertising and promotional restrictions on foods high in fat, salt or sugar, inclusive of sponsorship and outdoor advertising. This includes feedback from a wide range of experts and stakeholders on specific policy proposals and in response to our public consultations.

The final impact assessment on mandating calorie labelling of food and drink in out-of-home sector is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903712/Calorie_Labelling_-_Impact_Assessment.pdf

The final impact assessments on the proposals to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) by location and by volume is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/restricting-promotions-of-food-and-drink-that-is-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt

The developmental impact assessment on further advertising restrictions on TV and online was published alongside the 2019 consultation on this policy. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

An evidence note was published alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for HFSS products. This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

A consultation proposing a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar closed on 22 December 2020 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/introducing-a-total-online-advertising-restriction-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss

We will publish the final impact assessment on further advertising restrictions on TV and online alongside the full response to the consultations shortly.

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what (a) policies and (b) grant and funding programmes her Department has introduced to provide support to individuals and organisations in response to the covid-19 outbreak; and what funding has been allocated to each of those programmes in the 2020-21 financial year.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Trade)

Through Project DEFEND, my Department has led cross-Whitehall efforts on securing critical supply chains, working alongside industry to ensure diversification of supply for the most critical of goods that are imported into the United Kingdom.

This has led to great successes, such as sourcing almost 31 billion items of PPE internationally, which were then procured by the Department of Health and Social Care and have been crucial to the country’s Covid-19 response.

Our network of International Trade Advisors has stepped up and supported business with advice throughout the pandemic too. Through Britain’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance, we have guaranteed bank loans, improving access to working capital and helping businesses to cope with temporary disruption to payments or in their supply chain.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department plans to make available to schools to encourage the uptake of mental health leads and mental health support team roles in schools as proposed by the 2017 Green Paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs are intended to provide early intervention on mild to moderate issues, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The first 25 trailblazer sites, delivering 59 MHSTs (covering approximately 4% of the country) were announced in December 2018. A further 57 sites were confirmed in July 2019 and started developing 123 MHSTs during 2020. More teams have been commissioned to begin training in the academic year 2020/21. These teams will become operational once the training of new Education Mental Health Practitioners completes. Training will be completed as soon as circumstances allow, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The department is also committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health are identified and implement effective processes for ensuring that they receive appropriate support, both to treat specific issues and appropriate pastoral support to keep them engaged in education where they are receiving or have had specialist treatment. MHSTs will be able to support leads with whole school approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the delivery of specific training for senior leads, as we decided to prioritise providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges will face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are reviewing how to provide training for senior leads, building on the wider recovery offer. In the interim, we know that mental health leads will want to consider their whole school/college approach to supporting students as they return to settings. The Wellbeing for Education Return training, which has been available during the COVID-19 outbreak, will support this by giving staff increased confidence to support their colleagues, children and young people, and local knowledge so that they know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed. Schools can also draw on existing guidance and evidence that we have already made available to support effective whole school approaches. This includes Public Health England guidance on whole school approaches and wellbeing measurement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing) and our Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2) and this advice aims to help schools to support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.

In addition, in September 2020, the department made health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing; pupils will be taught how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support, amongst many other mental health-related topics. We published the mental wellbeing module ahead of the other Relationships, Health and Sex Education modules to make sure that teachers felt confident to address the mental wellbeing needs of their pupils.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication of the Government’s Roadmap out of Lockdown, if his Department will provide ventilation units for every classroom.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

At each stage of the Department's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. The Department has worked closely with other Government departments, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, and to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The Department also works closely with the NHS Track and Trace and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and following their research the Department issued guidance on keeping spaces well ventilated. There are a number of tools, beyond ventilation, to reduce airborne transmission of COVID-19 (including engineering interventions), and research on these technologies is ongoing.

The findings from all this developing work will, in due course, inform our guidance and standards for school buildings.

Current evidence recommends that the way to control COVID-19 is the same, even with the current new variants. The PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ which have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak set out in our published guidance, which includes ventilation, continue to be the right measures to take. These measures create an inherently safer environment for children, young people, and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. PHE keeps all these controls under review, based on the latest evidence. Schools therefore need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

Our guidance signposts to further advice from the health and safety executive on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Government plans to introduce mental health leads and mental health support team roles in schools which are to be supervised by NHS Children and Young People NHS staff as proposed by the 2017 Green Paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs are intended to provide early intervention on mild to moderate issues, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The first 25 trailblazer sites, delivering 59 MHSTs (covering approximately 4% of the country) were announced in December 2018. A further 57 sites were confirmed in July 2019 and started developing 123 MHSTs during 2020. More teams have been commissioned to begin training in the academic year 2020/21. These teams will become operational once the training of new Education Mental Health Practitioners completes. Training will be completed as soon as circumstances allow, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The department is also committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health are identified and implement effective processes for ensuring that they receive appropriate support, both to treat specific issues and appropriate pastoral support to keep them engaged in education where they are receiving or have had specialist treatment. MHSTs will be able to support leads with whole school approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the delivery of specific training for senior leads, as we decided to prioritise providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges will face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are reviewing how to provide training for senior leads, building on the wider recovery offer. In the interim, we know that mental health leads will want to consider their whole school/college approach to supporting students as they return to settings. The Wellbeing for Education Return training, which has been available during the COVID-19 outbreak, will support this by giving staff increased confidence to support their colleagues, children and young people, and local knowledge so that they know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed. Schools can also draw on existing guidance and evidence that we have already made available to support effective whole school approaches. This includes Public Health England guidance on whole school approaches and wellbeing measurement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing) and our Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2) and this advice aims to help schools to support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.

In addition, in September 2020, the department made health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing; pupils will be taught how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support, amongst many other mental health-related topics. We published the mental wellbeing module ahead of the other Relationships, Health and Sex Education modules to make sure that teachers felt confident to address the mental wellbeing needs of their pupils.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training and support his Department plans to make available for members of staff in order for them to qualify for mental health support team roles in schools as proposed by the 2017 Green Paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs are intended to provide early intervention on mild to moderate issues, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The first 25 trailblazer sites, delivering 59 MHSTs (covering approximately 4% of the country) were announced in December 2018. A further 57 sites were confirmed in July 2019 and started developing 123 MHSTs during 2020. More teams have been commissioned to begin training in the academic year 2020/21. These teams will become operational once the training of new Education Mental Health Practitioners completes. Training will be completed as soon as circumstances allow, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The department is also committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health are identified and implement effective processes for ensuring that they receive appropriate support, both to treat specific issues and appropriate pastoral support to keep them engaged in education where they are receiving or have had specialist treatment. MHSTs will be able to support leads with whole school approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the delivery of specific training for senior leads, as we decided to prioritise providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges will face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are reviewing how to provide training for senior leads, building on the wider recovery offer. In the interim, we know that mental health leads will want to consider their whole school/college approach to supporting students as they return to settings. The Wellbeing for Education Return training, which has been available during the COVID-19 outbreak, will support this by giving staff increased confidence to support their colleagues, children and young people, and local knowledge so that they know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed. Schools can also draw on existing guidance and evidence that we have already made available to support effective whole school approaches. This includes Public Health England guidance on whole school approaches and wellbeing measurement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing) and our Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2) and this advice aims to help schools to support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.

In addition, in September 2020, the department made health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing; pupils will be taught how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support, amongst many other mental health-related topics. We published the mental wellbeing module ahead of the other Relationships, Health and Sex Education modules to make sure that teachers felt confident to address the mental wellbeing needs of their pupils.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to support children’s mental health when schools reopen as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We know that the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated measures and restrictions, such as social distancing and school closures, will be impacting on the mental wellbeing of many people, including children and young people. The government has made student wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the support we have already put in place for schools, colleges and universities will be critical during this time.

The return to school for all pupils is being prioritised due to the significant and proven impact caused by being out of school, including on wellbeing. The support schools provide to their pupils as they return to face-to-face education should include time devoted to supporting wellbeing, which will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing recovery. The expectations for schools in this regard are set out clearly in the main Department for Education guidance to schools which also signposts further support, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

We are also providing support and training to schools through the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, a Department for Education-led initiative alongside Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Higher Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations. It is funding local experts to provide training, advice and resources for schools and further education providers to help support pupil and student, parent and carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience, and recovery in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. Over 90% of local authority areas in England have reported they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and further education providers because of the Wellbeing for Education Return funding and have been continuing to do so remotely.

We have also put in place a £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package with £650 million shared across early years, schools and 16-19 providers over the 2020/21 academic year to support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

In addition to this, the return to school for all pupils from 8 March 2021 will be supported with a new £700 million package, which includes a new one-off Recovery Premium for state primary, secondary and special schools to use as they see best to support disadvantaged students. This will help schools to provide their disadvantaged pupils with a one-off boost to the support, both academic and pastoral, that has been proved most effective in helping them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department for Education and DHSC have convened a Mental Health in Education Action Group. The purpose of the action group is to look across the age ranges at the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on children, young people and staff in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities.

Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, appointed Dr Alex George (an A&E Doctor) as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to advise government and raise the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in schools, colleges and universities. As Youth Mental Health Ambassador, he will use his clinical expertise and personal experience to champion the government’s work on children’s and young people’s mental health and shape policy on improving support for young people in schools, colleges and universities.

In the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with DHSC and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children and young people’s mental health is supported in schools and colleges following crisis intervention or inpatient provision.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs are intended to provide early intervention on mild to moderate issues, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The first 25 trailblazer sites, delivering 59 MHSTs (covering approximately 4% of the country) were announced in December 2018. A further 57 sites were confirmed in July 2019 and started developing 123 MHSTs during 2020. More teams have been commissioned to begin training in the academic year 2020/21. These teams will become operational once the training of new Education Mental Health Practitioners completes. Training will be completed as soon as circumstances allow, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The department is also committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health are identified and implement effective processes for ensuring that they receive appropriate support, both to treat specific issues and appropriate pastoral support to keep them engaged in education where they are receiving or have had specialist treatment. MHSTs will be able to support leads with whole school approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the delivery of specific training for senior leads, as we decided to prioritise providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges will face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are reviewing how to provide training for senior leads, building on the wider recovery offer. In the interim, we know that mental health leads will want to consider their whole school/college approach to supporting students as they return to settings. The Wellbeing for Education Return training, which has been available during the COVID-19 outbreak, will support this by giving staff increased confidence to support their colleagues, children and young people, and local knowledge so that they know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed. Schools can also draw on existing guidance and evidence that we have already made available to support effective whole school approaches. This includes Public Health England guidance on whole school approaches and wellbeing measurement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing) and our Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2) and this advice aims to help schools to support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.

In addition, in September 2020, the department made health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing; pupils will be taught how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support, amongst many other mental health-related topics. We published the mental wellbeing module ahead of the other Relationships, Health and Sex Education modules to make sure that teachers felt confident to address the mental wellbeing needs of their pupils.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure that all schools have adequate ventilation in place to enable the return of all pupils to schools from 8 March 2021.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

At each stage of the Department's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department has listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. The Department has worked closely with other Government departments, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, and to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

It is important to ensure that schools are well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.

Current evidence recommends that the way to control COVID-19 is the same, even with the current new variants. The PHE endorsed ‘system of controls’ which have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak set out in the Department’s published guidance, which includes ventilation, continue to be the right measures to take. These measures create an inherently safer environment for children, young people and staff, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. PHE keeps all these controls under review, based on the latest evidence. Schools therefore need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

Guidance signposts to further advice from the Health and Safety Executive on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring the wearing of protective masks in schools by (a) pupils and (b) staff.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

The Department continues to work closely with other government departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

As new evidence or data emerges, the Government updates its advice accordingly to ensure that all schools and colleges have the correct safety measures in place.

On 22 February 2021, the Department published 'Evidence summary: COVID-19 - children, young people and education settings' which includes a section on face coverings. It can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf.

We know that the predominant new variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible but the way to control this virus is the same, even with the current new variants. We are recommending additional precautionary measures during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community.

The Department has published updated guidance for schools and colleges which includes a section on face coverings and takes effect from 8 March 2021. It can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.

As our updated guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, we now also recommend that face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This applies to those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate. The same exemptions should be applied in schools, and we would expect teachers and other staff to be sensitive to those needs.

These measures will be in place until Easter. We will keep this under review and update guidance at that point.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that mental health issues in children and young people are being (a) identified and (b) addressed where appropriate by schools and colleges before crisis intervention is required.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

To expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs are intended to provide early intervention on mild to moderate issues, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole-school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The first 25 trailblazer sites, delivering 59 MHSTs (covering approximately 4% of the country) were announced in December 2018. A further 57 sites were confirmed in July 2019 and started developing 123 MHSTs during 2020. More teams have been commissioned to begin training in the academic year 2020/21. These teams will become operational once the training of new Education Mental Health Practitioners completes. Training will be completed as soon as circumstances allow, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The department is also committed to provide training for senior mental health leads in all state-funded schools and colleges in England. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school/college approach to positive mental health are identified and implement effective processes for ensuring that they receive appropriate support, both to treat specific issues and appropriate pastoral support to keep them engaged in education where they are receiving or have had specialist treatment. MHSTs will be able to support leads with whole school approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the delivery of specific training for senior leads, as we decided to prioritise providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges will face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are reviewing how to provide training for senior leads, building on the wider recovery offer. In the interim, we know that mental health leads will want to consider their whole school/college approach to supporting students as they return to settings. The Wellbeing for Education Return training, which has been available during the COVID-19 outbreak, will support this by giving staff increased confidence to support their colleagues, children and young people, and local knowledge so that they know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed. Schools can also draw on existing guidance and evidence that we have already made available to support effective whole school approaches. This includes Public Health England guidance on whole school approaches and wellbeing measurement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing) and our Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2) and this advice aims to help schools to support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.

In addition, in September 2020, the department made health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools. In health education, there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing; pupils will be taught how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and where and how to seek support, amongst many other mental health-related topics. We published the mental wellbeing module ahead of the other Relationships, Health and Sex Education modules to make sure that teachers felt confident to address the mental wellbeing needs of their pupils.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that armed forces personnel receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Answered by Baroness Goldie - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Defence is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and other Government Departments to ensure that Armed Forces personnel receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest practical opportunity, in line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Those in healthcare roles and individuals most at risk from complications of COVID-19 are being offered the vaccine first.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Combat Medical Technicians are currently on standby to assist with vaccinations in the event that the Department of Health and Social Care submit a Military Aid to Civilian Authority request.

Answered by James Heappey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As at 23 February, 220 Combat Medical Technicians (CMTs) are supporting vaccination tasks as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 250 additional CMTs are held at readiness.

Defence has also been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on a programme of training for general duties personnel to bolster the number of qualified vaccinators we could provide should further support be requested.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many covid-19 vaccinations the armed forces have carried out since the start of the covid-19 vaccination roll out.

Answered by James Heappey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Data on the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations is collated by the Department of Health and Social Care to which Defence does not have access.

The Ministry of Defence does not collect data on vaccinations given by its personnel.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 17 November 2020, (b) 6 January 2021 and (c) 3 February 2021 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay, constituency case reference JB30050.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has transferred the hon. Member’s correspondence to the Department of Health and Social Care for response.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of public health grants in 2021-2022.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Ministers and officials in my department regularly engage with counterparts in DHSC, Treasury and local authorities on matters relating to local authorities’ finances.

Government has released further details of the £3 billion in additional COVID support for 2021-22. This is additional to the £8 billion already allocated to councils since the start of the pandemic.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school pupils (a) are eligible to take part in the mass asymptomatic covid-19 testing programme in schools, (b) have parental consent to take part in the scheme and (c) do not yet have parental consent and are unable to be tested under the scheme.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

To date, all secondary and college pupils are eligible to take part in the Mass Asymptomatic Testing Programme. Regarding consent, schools and colleges are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools and colleges share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of clear face masks in schools to allow deaf children to be able to better communicate in those settings during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Guidance for schools for the period of national lockdown can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

The Department has published updated guidance on face coverings in education from 8 March 2021, which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.

As our updated guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are taught, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, we now also recommend that face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. We are recommending this precautionary measure for a limited time during this period of high COVID-19 prevalence in the community.

In primary schools, face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This applies to those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate. The same exemptions should be applied in schools, and we would expect teachers and other staff to be sensitive to those needs.

Transparent face coverings which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be more effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 than not wearing a face covering at all.

We continue to work closely with Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care and stakeholders across the sector to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice

These measures will be in place until Easter. We will keep this under review and update guidance at that point.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of classifying taxi drivers as key workers.

Answered by Rachel Maclean - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) define “Critical worker” occupations. Transport workers currently defined as “critical workers” include those who keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response and EU transition; those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass; and those constructing or supporting the operation of critical transport and border infrastructure through which supply chains pass.

The government is committed to keeping taxi drivers safe, and has published safety guidance specifically for owners, operators and drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-taxis-and-phvs).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Government in Gibraltar to assist their covid-19 recovery.

Answered by Wendy Morton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has agreed a £500 million loan guarantee, enabling the Government of Gibraltar to borrow at preferential rates, to fund its Covid-19 support measures. Furthermore, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, together with Public Health England, the Department of Health and Social Care, the RAF, and the UK Vaccine Taskforce, is coordinating the deployment of vaccines to Gibraltar. Gibraltar's vaccination programme is ongoing.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of public health grants for 2021-22.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department of Health and Social Care distributes the public health grant annually to local authorities in England. MHCLG Ministers and officials regularly engage with counterparts in DHSC, Treasury and local authorities on matters relating to local authorities’ finances.

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the regulatory burden on universities when making screening decisions for research funding; and what plans they have to reduce any such burden

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)

The Government is taking a number of steps to reduce the overall bureaucratic burden on universities in receipt of research funding. The Government will shortly announce an independent review of research bureaucracy. This will build on the initiatives already underway in major public funding organisations.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the largest public funder of research and innovation in the UK. UKRI requires institutions, including universities, applying to its research opportunities to demonstrate compliance against several requirements depending on the type of opportunity and nature of the proposed research. These are:

1. Research Ethics, Misconduct and Conflicts of Interest
2. Use of Animals in Research
3. Health & Safety
4. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
5. Safeguarding
6. Bullying and Harassment
7. Whistleblowing

In addition, UKRI may also request information concerning the support available for career development and training of staff involved in the proposed research.

UKRI regularly review and improve their processes following ongoing consultation and discussion with applicants to their opportunities and institutions, including universities.

UKRI has recently launched a new programme, Simpler and Better Funding, to review and improve its systems and processes for applicants, institutions and wider stakeholders.

With regard to health and care research funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, the National Institute of Health Research is working to reduce administrative burdens across the health and care research sector in a number of areas - one of these being the funding application process.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care on the mental health of leaseholders affected by fire safety issues in residential buildings.

Answered by Christopher Pincher - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We recognise the difficult situation which many leaseholders have found themselves in, and the emotional strain which this has placed on many.

I continue to engage with Cabinet colleagues on these important issues, including those from DHSC.

As a result, where building owners have failed to step up, the Government has stepped in. On 10 February, the Secretary of State announced a comprehensive five-point plan which will provide for the removal of dangerous cladding in both high-rise buildings of 18 metres and above and medium-rise buildings of 11-18 metres. For high-rise buildings there will be £3.5 billion of grant funding in addition to the £1.6 billion already provided by Government, and for medium-rise buildings a generous financing scheme for cladding removal under which no leaseholder will have to pay more than £50 per month. There will also be a levy and tax on developers, recognising that the industry that caused this legacy of unsafe cladding must make a contribution to setting things right.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to residents of (1) British Overseas Territories, and (2) the Crown Dependencies, is being given equal priority to the supply to UK residents.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.

• Ascension Island: deliveries began 15 February
• Anguilla: deliveries began 4 February
• Bermuda: deliveries began 8 January.
• British Virgin Islands: deliveries began 4 February
• Cayman Islands: deliveries began 5 January
• Falkland Islands: deliveries began 1 February
• Gibraltar: deliveries began 9 January
• Montserrat: deliveries began 3 February
• Pitcairn Islands: delivery being arranged
• St Helena: deliveries began 11 January
• Tristan da Cunha: delivery being arranged
• Turks and Caicos Islands: deliveries began 7 January

Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many doses of COVID-19 vaccine have (1) been offered, and (2) been supplied, to each of the British Overseas Territories, broken down by (a) the total number, and (b) as a percentage of total population over the age of 18.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.

• Ascension Island: deliveries began 15 February
• Anguilla: deliveries began 4 February
• Bermuda: deliveries began 8 January.
• British Virgin Islands: deliveries began 4 February
• Cayman Islands: deliveries began 5 January
• Falkland Islands: deliveries began 1 February
• Gibraltar: deliveries began 9 January
• Montserrat: deliveries began 3 February
• Pitcairn Islands: delivery being arranged
• St Helena: deliveries began 11 January
• Tristan da Cunha: delivery being arranged
• Turks and Caicos Islands: deliveries began 7 January

Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many doses of COVID-19 vaccine have (1) been offered, and (2) been supplied, to each of the Crown Dependencies, broken down by (a) the total number, and (b) as a percentage of total population over the age of 18.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.

• Ascension Island: deliveries began 15 February
• Anguilla: deliveries began 4 February
• Bermuda: deliveries began 8 January.
• British Virgin Islands: deliveries began 4 February
• Cayman Islands: deliveries began 5 January
• Falkland Islands: deliveries began 1 February
• Gibraltar: deliveries began 9 January
• Montserrat: deliveries began 3 February
• Pitcairn Islands: delivery being arranged
• St Helena: deliveries began 11 January
• Tristan da Cunha: delivery being arranged
• Turks and Caicos Islands: deliveries began 7 January

Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the COVID-19 vaccination timeline for (1) British Overseas Territories, and (2) the Crown Dependencies, mirrors that planned for the UK; and if not, why not.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.

• Ascension Island: deliveries began 15 February
• Anguilla: deliveries began 4 February
• Bermuda: deliveries began 8 January.
• British Virgin Islands: deliveries began 4 February
• Cayman Islands: deliveries began 5 January
• Falkland Islands: deliveries began 1 February
• Gibraltar: deliveries began 9 January
• Montserrat: deliveries began 3 February
• Pitcairn Islands: delivery being arranged
• St Helena: deliveries began 11 January
• Tristan da Cunha: delivery being arranged
• Turks and Caicos Islands: deliveries began 7 January

Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to statistics on alcohol and drug treatment in secure settings 2019 to 2020, published on 28 January 2021, if he will make an assessment of the effect on reoffending levels of the finding that 65.5% of adults with a substance misuse treatment need do not successfully engage in community-based structured treatment following release from prison.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are committed to meeting the health needs of offenders in custody and the community, including those with substance misuse issues. NHS England and NHSE Improvement (NHSE/I) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services in all prisons in England, this includes integrated substance misuse services. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning treatment services in the community.

Although there is not a simple linear relationship between the 12-month rate of reoffending among prison leavers in England & Wales, and the proportion of adults with a drug or alcohol dependency who do not engage with treatment programmes following their release from prison, we do recognise that engagement in substance misuse treatment can reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

In 2017, a joint MoJ and PHE study[1] found that, over a two-year period following the start of treatment, only 34% of all offenders misusing alcohol, opiates and/or non-opiates who dropped out of treatment did not reoffend, whereas 53% of substance misusing offenders who successfully completed treatment did not reoffend.

That is why the government has awarded an additional £80 million to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to fund drug treatment in 2021/22, as part of a £148 million overall funding package for reducing crime. This is the biggest increase in drug treatment funding for 15 years. The £80 million will be used to enhance drug treatment and the numbers of treatment places available, reduce reoffending and tackle the rise in drug-related deaths. Importantly, most of this funding will support delivery of additional services to reduce drug-related crime including treatment places for delivering Community Sentence Treatment Requirements (CSTRs), continuity of care for prison leavers and interventions to reduce drug related deaths. The funding will also include extending the NHS England RECONNECT service, a care after custody service for prison leavers with vulnerabilities, who would otherwise struggle to engage with community health services.

Officials across MoJ and HMPPS will continue to work with DHSC and health partners, including on the development of the additional £80m allocation, to ensure substance misuse services meet the needs of the offender cohort, address significant health inequalities in this patient cohort and reduce crime across communities.

[1] Ministry of Justice, Public health England (2017). Table 4, page 18, “The Effect of Drug and Alcohol Treatment on re-offending”: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-effect-of-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-on-re-offending

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents' consent to be tested for covid-19 in school.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) abstained and (b) had their parents abstain on their behalf on their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) not self-consented and (b) had their parents not consent on their behalf to their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) self-consented and (b) had their parents consent on their behalf to their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents not consent to their being tested for covid-19 in school.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents abstain from giving permission to their being tested for covid-19 in school.

Answered by Nick Gibb - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

It is shocking that after everything our #NHS and social care system have been through the past year, the Chancellor has completely failed to provide them with funds to recover from this crisis. Instead the DHSC faces a £30.1bn cut to its budget. #budget2021 #covid19 https://t.co/5b7ZqBP193 - Tweet Link

With waiting lists at record levels it beggars belief that ⁦@RishiSunak⁩ has cut so much funding from the NHS: £30bn DHSC budget cut will hit emergency NHS funding https://t.co/bgmrnPWskO - Tweet Link

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Found: Competitiveness Indicator Report 20202Lord Bethell Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of the Department

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Found: of Health and Social Care 43Department for Education 67National Crime Agency 115 Crown Prosecution

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Found: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid - 19 - vaccine - surveillance - strategy 3 Department

Found: We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care , and a distinct delivery organisation

Found: We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care , and a distinct delivery organisation

Found: We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct delivery organisation

Found: of Health and Social Care, Eng l and 15 Secretariat Public Health England Ms Rachel

Found: Examples include: Data sharing and linking (DHSC, DWP, MHCLG, DfE and MoJ) 4 Monitoring and analysing

Found: DfE Department for Education DfT Department for Transport DH Department of Health DHSC

Found: Competitiveness Indicator Report 20202Lord Bethell Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of the Department

Found: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Office for Life Sciences, and Department

Found: Opinion: p ost - i mplementation r eview O rigin : domestic RPC reference number: RPC - DHSC

Found: Opinion: p ost - i mplementation r eview O rigin : domestic RPC reference number: RPC - DHSC

Found: 2020 www.gov.uk/rpc 1 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) (England) Regulations 2010 Department

Found: include representatives from PHE, Department for t he Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Department

Found: for International Development DfE The Department for Education DfT The Department for Transport DHSC

Found: The Agency has an agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in respect of the Care

Found: extension to our sub-lease to 30 October 2020 to coincide with the expiry of the head lease with the Department

Found: extension to our sub-lease to 30 October 2020 to coincide with the expiry of the head lease with the Department