Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

Egypt, as COP27 Presidency, will put in place logistics arrangements for the COP27 conference in Sharm el Sheikh. However, as the current COP Presidency, we will work closely with Egypt over the coming year and will share our experience of organising a carbon-neutral COP, including transport planning.

In addition, we will work closely with all Parties, including European ones, throughout the UK’s COP Presidency and, where appropriate, we will work with international partners to help to ensure that access for delegates to COP27 is through low or zero carbon travel.

The UK has long recognised the unequivocal threat that climate change and environmental degradation pose to the lives and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world, including the most marginalised and vulnerable.

The UK has been committed to amplifying the voices of young people from across the world through our COP26 presidency and domestic frameworks.

In the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government sets out a plan for how the natural environment will be protected and enhanced for our, and future, generations. One of the actions it commits to is to help children and young people from all backgrounds engage with nature and improve the environment.

We support many of the principles in the declaration on children, youth and climate action and will carefully consider how to engage with it.

There is a clear expectation in the National Planning Policy Framework for the provision of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in all new major developments, unless demonstrated to be inappropriate. The Framework also expects SuDS to be given priority in developments in flood risk areas.

Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) sets out further detail on SuDS options that favour non-sewer solutions and recognises the multiple benefits SuDS can provide including mitigating flood risk.

Furthermore, the Government has committed to undertake a review of the case for implementing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 concerning SuDS. This review will look at methods for ensuring that SuDS are incorporated in future developments. The review commenced in October 2021 and is expected to be published in August 2022.

The Building Regulations 2010 Parts G & H include requirements relating to water efficiency and grey water harvesting. For new homes, statutory guidance for Part G of the Building Regulations includes a minimum standard for estimated water consumption set at 125 litres per person per day, and an optional standard of 110 litres per person per day, which may be adopted in water stressed areas at the discretion of the local planning authority.

In July 2021, Government responded to its consultation on Measures to Reduce Personal Water Consumption (attached) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/water-conservation-measures-to-reduce-personal-water-use . Within this consultation response we committed to developing a roadmap, in 2022, towards greater water efficiency in new developments and retrofits, including the exploration of revised building regulations and how the development of new technologies can contribute to meeting these standards. We will ensure that the underlying legislation can, where appropriate, accommodate any potential future expansion of rainwater harvesting, water re-use and storage options.

The UK Government and Transport Scotland have worked closely with rail operators to ensure that adequate cross border rail options are available to delegates wishing to travel between England and Scotland.

Delegates travelling from Europe and within the UK have been encouraged to travel by rail where possible. This has been supported by rail operators within the UK and Europe.

Democracy should not be cancelled because of covid. As outlined in my Written Ministerial Statement of 8 February 2021 (HLWS766), the Government has confirmed that the set of council, mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner elections scheduled for May will go ahead, and made a firm commitment that the Government will support the sector to deliver them.

The Government has published a Delivery Plan for the May elections, setting out how the Government will support local elections teams to deliver effective polls that are covid-secure for voters and staff. The Medical Officers advised Ministers in drawing up this delivery plan. The Government has committed to further engage with political parties through the Parliamentary Parties Panel and the Local Government Association; we are committed to ensuring we take into consideration the views of independent candidates as effectively as possible.

Campaigning is an essential part of democracy. Voters deserve to be well informed before going to the polls and there must be a level playing field for candidates. On 22 February the Prime Minister announced the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown and we have since published guidance on campaigning reflecting the updated COVID restrictions/guidance.

The whole of England remains in a national lockdown and will do so until 29 March. The current restrictions do not support door-to-door campaigning or leafleting by individual campaigners. Leaving home to undertake leafleting increases the risk of unnecessary social interactions and viral transmission both during travel and on doorsteps. Campaigners should instead ensure leafleting is carried out through existing commercial delivery services, which are already operating and delivering during the national lockdown. Any spending on this which is incurred during a regulated period must count towards a candidate’s spending limit.

From 8 March, individual activists will be able to campaign outdoors in a COVID-secure way. The rules will allow for individual campaigners to deliver leaflets and to engage with electors on their doorsteps - but they should always be socially distanced and not enter inside people’s homes.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Lady Bennett,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what the fatality rate from COVID-19 is among (1) individuals with a residence permit with the condition of no recourse to public funds, and (2) individuals who are not subject to the residency condition of no recourse to public funds (HL9704).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are based on the information provided by doctors and coroners through death registration, which focuses on the causes of death and does not include all the circumstances of the deceased. We are unable to provide figures related to residency status.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Lawfully constituted UK companies may make permissible political donations. The Electoral Commission is responsible for regulating party financing. The Commission publishes information relating to donations and loans over £7,500, including the name of the donor and other appropriate such as their address and company registration number. Details are available online.

The Government is taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.

Political parties, registered third parties and candidates are already required to report expenses that qualify as electoral expenditure and this includes digital campaigning. We have launched a consultation on digital imprints which will require political parties, campaigners and others to clearly show who they are when promoting campaign content online.

Across all of this work the intention is to improve transparency to ensure voters can make informed choices, and to enforce spending rules.

The private sector has a vital role to play in delivering good value, innovative, and high quality public services. We continue to regularly monitor the financial health of suppliers, including all of our strategic suppliers. Throughout these unprecedented times, suppliers have worked with Government to protect the delivery of vital public services and aid the response to the pandemic.

The Outsourcing Playbook, which was updated in June 2020, includes 11 key policy reforms which help government and industry work better together to deliver quality public services.

The Government has developed a strong national campaign to provide information and reassurance to the public about COVID-19. As part of this, we have utilised advertising in over 600 national, regional and local titles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Cabinet Office is responsible for overseeing these advertising costs. Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on public information campaigns, on a rolling monthly basis on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements.

The UK is committed to high standards, and has led the way in areas such as workers’ rights and environmental protection.

After the transition period, which ends on 31 December 2020, the UK will choose its own standards and regulations. This is a fundamental right of a sovereign nation; our Government will uphold our high standards, not because of obligations to European institutions and courts but through our own free will and that of our democratically elected Parliament.

The Prime Minister demonstrated his focus on climate action on Tuesday 4 February 2020 by launching the COP26 Climate Summit. The text of the speech is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-cop-26-launch-4-february-2020

Regarding meetings of the Cabinet, 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 shared publicly.

The negotiations timetable for COP26 will be set by the UK, as President of COP26, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. The timetable will be informed by the outcome of negotiations, including at the intersessional meeting in Bonn in June. Details of the timetable for high level and public events will be announced by the Government in due course.

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and with operational delivery partners, including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to ensure the successful delivery of COP26 in Glasgow. The security plan for the COP26 venue will be jointly developed and agreed on by the United Nations security team and UK counterparts. Discussions with delivery partners regarding costs for COP26 are ongoing, and final budgets and details are yet to be confirmed.

The UK Government is committed to working with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an ambitious and successful summit for the whole of the UK. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK

The Prime Minister demonstrated his focus on climate action on Tuesday 4 February 2020 by launching the COP26 Climate Summit. The text of the speech is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-cop-26-launch-4-february-2020

Regarding meetings of the Cabinet, 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 shared publicly.

The negotiations timetable for COP26 will be set by the UK, as President of COP26, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. The timetable will be informed by the outcome of negotiations, including at the intersessional meeting in Bonn in June. Details of the timetable for high level and public events will be announced by the Government in due course.

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and with operational delivery partners, including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to ensure the successful delivery of COP26 in Glasgow. The security plan for the COP26 venue will be jointly developed and agreed on by the United Nations security team and UK counterparts. Discussions with delivery partners regarding costs for COP26 are ongoing, and final budgets and details are yet to be confirmed.

The UK Government is committed to working with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an ambitious and successful summit for the whole of the UK. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK

The Prime Minister demonstrated his focus on climate action on Tuesday 4 February 2020 by launching the COP26 Climate Summit. The text of the speech is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-cop-26-launch-4-february-2020

Regarding meetings of the Cabinet, 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 shared publicly.

The negotiations timetable for COP26 will be set by the UK, as President of COP26, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. The timetable will be informed by the outcome of negotiations, including at the intersessional meeting in Bonn in June. Details of the timetable for high level and public events will be announced by the Government in due course.

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and with operational delivery partners, including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to ensure the successful delivery of COP26 in Glasgow. The security plan for the COP26 venue will be jointly developed and agreed on by the United Nations security team and UK counterparts. Discussions with delivery partners regarding costs for COP26 are ongoing, and final budgets and details are yet to be confirmed.

The UK Government is committed to working with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an ambitious and successful summit for the whole of the UK. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK

The Prime Minister demonstrated his focus on climate action on Tuesday 4 February 2020 by launching the COP26 Climate Summit. The text of the speech is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-cop-26-launch-4-february-2020

Regarding meetings of the Cabinet, 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 shared publicly.

The negotiations timetable for COP26 will be set by the UK, as President of COP26, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. The timetable will be informed by the outcome of negotiations, including at the intersessional meeting in Bonn in June. Details of the timetable for high level and public events will be announced by the Government in due course.

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and with operational delivery partners, including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to ensure the successful delivery of COP26 in Glasgow. The security plan for the COP26 venue will be jointly developed and agreed on by the United Nations security team and UK counterparts. Discussions with delivery partners regarding costs for COP26 are ongoing, and final budgets and details are yet to be confirmed.

The UK Government is committed to working with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an ambitious and successful summit for the whole of the UK. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK

I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to PQ HL36 on 7 January 2020. Further details will be announced in due course.

I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to PQ HL36 on 7 January 2020. Further details will be announced in due course.

I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave to PQ HL36 on 7 January 2020. Further details will be announced in due course.

The reference made to protecting commercial confidentiality in the previous reply was not specific to any contractual obligation but to the duty of care the Government is under to protect commercially sensitive information shared with it. This duty is recognised, for example, in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The reference made to protecting commercial confidentiality in the previous reply was not specific to any contractual obligation but to the duty of care the Government is under to protect commercially sensitive information shared with it. This duty is recognised, for example, in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The reference made to protecting commercial confidentiality in the previous reply was not specific to any contractual obligation but to the duty of care the Government is under to protect commercially sensitive information shared with it. This duty is recognised, for example, in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Government recognises that community energy projects can play a role in raising awareness of both the energy system and wider environmental issues, and in the promotion of behaviour change.

In order to support community energy projects, the Government’s £10m Rural Community Energy Fund supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects.

The Government recognises that community energy projects can play a role in raising awareness of both the energy system and wider environmental issues, and in the promotion of behaviour change.

In order to support community energy projects, the Government’s £10m Rural Community Energy Fund supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects.

On 1st June 2021, a coalition of governments and organizations, led by the United Kingdom (UK) and India, launched the new Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI). The IDDI will work on the harmonisation of embodied emissions reporting, public construction practices and standard setting.

At COP26, the IDDI launched three working groups on embodied carbon data collection, standards and green public procurement. These working groups will deliver guidelines, comparison mechanisms and digital tool solutions agreed among member governments no later than 2024.

The methodology for the construction stage, in-use and end of life embodied carbon emissions is the subject of the cross Whitehall working group on Government Construction Metrics run by the IPA. This working group is aiming to propose a consistent whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for public projects by 2023. Many infrastructure projects already use the PAS2080 standard when assessing the carbon impact of these projects.

Transparency has an essential role to play in supporting competition and sustainability in global energy markets. We welcome what the Global Registry may be able to add to existing sources of information and will consider how we can contribute to this initiative. There are, however, constraints on what information we can release – in particular around protecting commercial confidentiality.

The Government’s policy on the future of Oil and Gas is set out in this year’s landmark North Sea Transition Deal. At the centre of this deal are jobs and a transition towards a net zero economy. As the Climate Change Committee has recognised, the UK will unavoidably continue to rely on oil and gas in its energy mix for some years to come. Although the Government will remain a net importer, domestic production of these fuels will continue to play an important role, as the Government achieves its Net Zero ambitions.

The Government requires each LEP to set out in their local assurance framework their arrangements for governance and transparent decision making in regard to LEP plans and programs. In relation to Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention 1998, these assurance requirements include:

1. Board membership, including an identified board member to represent and engage with the SME business community.

2. Collective engagement with local authority leaders in decision-making on growth priorities.

3. A dedicated website through which local partners and the public can check progress on the delivery of Growth Deals and access key documents such as the Strategic Economic Plan, ensuring that this information can be found easily and is accessible to all

4. Through their accountable body, ensure that Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulation requests are dealt with in line with relevant legislation

5. Ensure that there is ongoing local engagement with public and private sector stakeholders to inform key decisions and set out how they will evidence effective engagement

6. Ensure that there is local engagement with and feedback to the general public about future Local Enterprise Partnership strategy development and progress against delivery of the SEP, including key projects and spend against those projects and that this can be evidenced

In order to ensure that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are locally democratically accountable, and work co-operatively with local authorities, the Government requires each LEP to adhere to the National Assurance Framework. The Framework is available to view on the GOV.UK website.

Decarbonising UK industry is a core part of the Government’s ambitious plan for the green industrial revolution. The Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, published on 17 March, commits Government to work with the Steel Council to consider the implications of the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’. The Steel Council offers the forum for Government, industry and trade unions to work in partnership on the shared objective of creating an achievable, long-term plan to support the sector’s transition to a competitive, sustainable and low carbon future. Hydrogen-based steelmaking, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), and electrification are some of the technological approaches being examined as part of this process.

The UK steel sector will be given the opportunity to bid into industrial fuel switching innovation programmes under the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), which is intended to promote switching away from more carbon-intensive fuel sources. The Government has also announced a £250 million Clean Steel Fund to support the UK steel sector to transition to lower carbon iron and steel production, through investment in new technologies and processes.

The UK has a strong domestic recycling market and currently retrieves 11.3 million tonnes of steel scrap per year through regulations such as end-of-life vehicles (ELV) and construction site waste management plans. Of this, around 2.6 million tonnes are currently recycled (melted in a steel plant or cast metals facility) domestically.

The Government published a report, undertaken by the University of Warwick in February 2021, entitled ‘Domestic Scrap Steel Recycling – Economic, Environmental and Social Opportunities’ which assesses long-term options for action to improve recycling rates of steel in the UK. The Government is currently considering the recommendations made in the report.

No decision has yet been taken by regulators, the Oil and Gas Authority and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, on the request for approval for the Cambo field to proceed to production.

The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course. The strategy will set out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings, as well as our approach to the key strategic decisions needed to achieve a mass transition to low-carbon heat.

Under UK leadership at the G7, we have put Green Recovery from COVID-19 at the top of the international agenda and secured historic commitments such as the first ever ‘net zero G7’, with all countries committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The G7 agreed to phase out new direct government support for fossil fuel energy projects internationally, following a leading commitment made by the UK in December, and G7 members will end all new direct government support for unabated international thermal coal power generation by the end of 2021.

In order to deliver this, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan brings together £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030; and support up to 250,000 jobs across the UK by 2030. On top of this, schemes such as the Contracts for Difference (CfD) incentivise investment. Up to £557m of annual support for future Contracts for Difference has been committed, providing renewables developers with the confidence they need to invest in bringing forward new projects.

We will build on this even further and deliver a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy after this pandemic. We have started with the Energy White Paper and Industrial Decarbonisation Plan, and we will continue to set out further measures as in the run up to COP26, including publishing our Net Zero Strategy.

Her Majesty’s Government supports the management of and access to research data, so that it can be widely used for research and innovation. The UK Research and Development Roadmap (copy attached) published last year emphasised the importance of data and open research.

The UK enjoys a well-established infrastructure and policy framework for good research data management and access, covering multiple disciplines, including national data centres such as the National Geosciences Data Centre. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s largest public research funder, requires those in receipt of funding from Research Councils to ensure “that all parties engaged in the research make every reasonable effort to ensure that intellectual assets obtained in the course of the research, whether protected by intellectual property rights or not, are used for the benefit of society and the economy”.

UKRI and its Research Councils have policies that set out expectations and guidance on sharing and managing research data. It has a common set of principles on research data, including that publicly funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest, which should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a responsible manner. UKRI in partnership with research organisations developed the Concordat on Open Research Data to ensure that the research data gathered and generated by members of the UK research community is made available for use by others wherever possible.

UKRI work closely with international bodies to enable global sharing and access to data in the interest of the economy and society. Recently the OECD’s Recommendation on Access to Research Data from Public Funding was updated and this will guide further policy and support in the UK as well as across all OECD members.

There is no deep sea mining currently happening in areas beyond national jurisdictions, there are no exploitation licences for deep sea mining, and no exploitation regulations have yet been agreed. Any mining licenced under future regulations is unlikely to begin for several years. In addition, the UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it is the role of the ISA to regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole. In so doing, the ISA has the duty to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep seabed activities.

The UK has a strong and respected voice in these international negotiations and the UK position emphasises the need to ensure that the highest possible environmental standards are met in the development of this new industry. We judge that engaging fully with these negotiations is the most effective way for the UK to work with others so that no deep sea mining takes place in the absence of strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards. This includes requiring that Regional Environmental Management Plans are adopted for each region before any exploitation licence can even be considered, as well as the adoption of strong and enforceable environmental Standards as well as Guidelines.

Finally, on terminology, we note that the European Commission, in its recent sustainable blue economy strategy, has not made reference to a moratorium, but has set out that “In international negotiations, the EU should advocate that marine minerals in the international seabed area cannot be exploited before the effects of deep-sea mining on the marine environment, biodiversity and human activities have been sufficiently researched, the risks are understood and the technologies and operational practices are able to demonstrate no serious harm to the environment.” We understand from the statement that the outcomes we and the Commission are arguing for are essentially the same, that no deep sea mining should take place in the absence of strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards.

Her Majesty’s Government has noted with interest the successful landing of the Zhurong rover on Mars and we welcome the increased scientific research and understanding of Mars that it will enable.

Her Majesty’s Government is not a signatory to the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies; therefore, its principles do not apply to the United Kingdom.

However, the Government continues to support the principle that all nations operating rovers on Mars and other celestial bodies abide by the provisions of the UN Outer Space Treaty. The UK actively participates in the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Subcommittees to define best practice and associated guidelines.

The scheme administrator is prioritising the payment of the vouchers and we are continuing to see an increase in the number of vouchers being paid out to installers once work is complete.

Installer payment is a four stage process: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave the noble Lord Stunell on 15th February 2021 to Question HL12862. The Scheme Administrator, ICF, will release payment once the process is complete including all required checks. ICF are currently prioritising the payment of installers.

BEIS officials are working with consumers and installers to ensure they are clear on the information and checks required as part of the payment process, so that installers can be paid as quickly as possible. We will continue to work closely with ICF to identify further process improvements, increase the number of vouchers issued, and payments released.

Artworks classified in Chapter 97 of the Harmonised System (Works of art, collectors’ pieces and antiques) are currently eligible for import at zero tariffs under both the UK Global Tariff and the EU Common External Tariff. This means that businesses who trade artwork between the UK and EU do not need to comply with Rules of Origin under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to export or import under zero tariffs.

Traders should refer to the UK Global Tariff: (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tariffs-on-goods-imported-into-the-uk)

and to the EU Common External Tariff: (https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/trade-non-eu-countries/import-eu_en)

If in the future the EU Common External Tariff changed to make artwork subject to tariffs, artwork produced in the UK would have to comply with Rules of Origin to export zero tariff to the EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. In that scenario, UK producers should refer to the full Rules of Origin requirements set out in the text of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Detailed guidance is available on GOV.UK:
 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-of-origin-for-goods-moving-between-the-uk-and-eu

The scheme administrator checks all applications to ensure that they are eligible for the scheme, and that the applications are value for money and reflective of typical market prices. These checks take account of factors such as different sizes of property, types of system and geographic area. This ensures that government funding is spent appropriately.

The Green Homes Grant scheme aims to ensure that households are given the best possible service when installing greener adaptations. All primary installers must be TrustMark registered, as well as Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified for heat and Publicly Available Specification (PAS) certified for energy efficiency. It is through this that it is ensured that installations are of the highest quality.

The Government is required by the Small Business, Enterprise, and Employment (SBEE) Act 2015 to set a Business Impact Target at the start of each Parliament, ensuring that we remain accountable and transparent to both business and the public for the decisions we make. As set out in the Manifesto, we “will strive to achieve the right regulatory balance between supporting excellent business practice and protecting workers, consumers and the environment” (p.33). The Government does not believe that the current methods for assessing regulatory impacts allow for this. Therefore, we will consult with civil society groups and the wider public to ensure the impact of regulations are reflected more effectively, so as to continue to provide the necessary protections without placing unnecessary burdens on business. The Government will set out the details of who we intend to consult when we come to announce proposals for the review of the Business Impact Target.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all terms of written contracts must be fair and transparent. If terms in a consumer contract are assessed by a court as unfair, they will not be binding on the consumer, even if the consumer has “accepted” them.

The Government is working closely with Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership, which brings together key partners within the consumer protection framework, to examine ways to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and avoid them facing unreasonable charges.

As of 16:22, 11 January 2021, 60,759 grant applications have been received, corresponding to 93,569 vouchers and a total cost of works of £464.3m applications received¹. Of these, 14,902 vouchers have been issued [reporting 12:19:59, 11.01.2021].

Grant applications², given by region, are as follows [reporting 16:22:00, 11.01.2021]:

• North East: 2,139
• Yorkshire and the Humber: 8,621
• North West: 10,481
• East Midlands: 6,032
• West Midlands: 7,243
• London: 5,894
• East of England: 6,083
• South East: 7,153
• South West: 6,831

Grant applications³ that have been issued vouchers, given by region, are as follows [reporting 16:22:00, 11.01.2021]:

• North East: 492
• Yorkshire and the Humber: 1,593
• North West: 1,601
• East Midlands: 1,491
• West Midlands: 1,640
• London: 1,373
• East of England: 1,727
• South East: 1,895
• South West: 1,359

The first vouchers have been redeemed, and more vouchers are being redeemed every day. BEIS will continue to monitor application data as the scheme progresses.

Homeowners and landlords submit grant applications for energy efficiency and clean heat measures they want to install in their properties, under the scheme. Once approved, vouchers are issued for each measure that has been applied for.

¹ This value has been derived by taking the sum of the cost of all works applied for within the scheme, for all applications to date.

² The total grant applications by region is 60,477. This differs from the headline total of 60,759 due to a slightly different reporting period.

³ The values provided for this figure describes the regional breakdown of grant applications that have been issued vouchers. This is different to the regional breakdown of vouchers, in that more one application may generate more than one voucher.

The International Union of Railways is one of a number of organisations and transport operators that are engaged as the COP26 Unit develops the transport plan. In order to enhance the take up of rail travel from Europe to Glasgow, a robust communications campaign that encourages those who can, to travel by rail to the UK, will be put in place.

The COP26 Unit is developing the Transport Plan alongside transport operators with the interests of user groups in consideration throughout. As with other large events, a public consultation on transport is not planned. The Transport Plan will include a comprehensive communications strategy that will engage with delegates and the public on transport options available and the potential impact of COP26 on the existing transport system.

We continue to encourage all delegates to consider low-carbon travel options, such as rail, particularly those arriving from Europe. We have had early engagement with the International Union of Railways to understand what may be done to enhance the take up of rail travel to Glasgow from Europe.

Rail travel within the UK will certainly be encouraged and we are in the process of developing a multifaceted transport plan that is ISO2012 compliant, supports the delegate experience and has sustainability at its core.

In the Queens’ Speech, we announced we will bring forward measures to deliver on a range of Manifesto commitments.

Our legislation will make workplaces fairer, by providing better support for working families, new protections for those in low-paid work, and by encouraging flexible working.

It it is important that we work closely with stakeholders to make sure we get the legislation right, and we e will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.

The Green Homes Grant opened to applications on 30th September 2020. As of 6th November 2020, 34,027 grant applications have been received. The first vouchers have been issued, however will only become redeemable once scheduled works are completed. BEIS will continue to monitor application data as the scheme progresses.

Based on data from The Property Energy Professionals Association (PEPA), there are currently approximately 10-12,000 trained, and practicing, Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs); this includes DEAs who have lodged assessments in the last 2 years.

PEPA is a trade body which represents companies that are engaged in the provision of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in the domestic sector and members of the Association are primarily composed of the accreditation companies that oversee energy assessors in the production of EPCs. They also cover energy assessors in the non-domestic sector for the provision of Display Energy Certificates (DECs).

The average time to secure an energy assessment is 5 working days unless there are property complexities where further evidence is required; the maximum time permitted then is 28 days. For sales and rentals, an energy assessment must be ordered within the first 7 days of a property going onto the market, however the vast majority are completed within 5 working days. The energy assessors routinely adapt to fluctuations in demand.

PAS 2030 is a technical standard for the installation of specific measures (such as solid wall and loft insulation) and does not cover energy assessments or assessors.

The Green Homes Grant scheme has been designed to help stimulate economic recovery and create and support tens of thousands of green jobs. As of 2nd November, there were 1,141 businesses that are TrustMark registered and hold the necessary certifications to install measures under the voucher scheme.

BEIS officials are working closely with the industry to increase the number of installers available and with TrustMark scheme providers and certification bodies to support installers to get certified as quickly as possible, including streamlining certification processes where possible. We are also supporting the growth of the industry through a £6.9m skills competition to provide training opportunities for energy efficiency and low carbon heating supply chains to deliver works and scale up to meet additional consumer demand.

The Department launched a £6.9m skills competition to provide training opportunities for energy efficiency and low carbon heating supply chains, to deliver works and scale up to meet additional consumer demand. This could deliver up to 5,000 training opportunities in support of the scheme, dependent on how the funding is allocated. The competition recently closed, and the bids are being assessed. The Department received bids from all regions in England (Midlands, North East, Yorkshire & Humber, North West, South East, South West) and for all work packages. Training will commence once successful applicants have been informed.

Funding will be provided to support training individuals with existing skills and those new to the sector, along with support for installation companies to gain PAS 2030 or MCS accreditation as required by the Green Homes Grant scheme. Training courses will be carried out against the following specific technology standards – National Occupational Standards (NOS), PAS 2030: 2017, 2019 or MCS standards or higher. The work packages within the competition cover retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator, insulation, non-insulation fabric measures, heat pumps & solar thermal; heating and hot water controls.

Any extension to the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme would be subject to the outcome of the Spending Review.

The Government is committed to improving the building stock as part of reaching our net zero targets, up to £65bn investment will be needed in housing retrofit across the 2020s.

We have confirmed that the delivery dates for Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator will extend into 2021/22 to provide assurance that work will be available. Outside of those schemes, we are creating the regulatory environment to drive retrofit and on 30^th September we published a consultation on further improving the energy performance of privately rented homes over the 2020s, which provides a clear signal on how Government is committed to improving the housing stock.

The Simple Energy Advice Service (SEA) was launched in 2018, in response to the Government-commissioned Each Home Counts Review, as a new digital and phoneline service to provide homeowners with impartial and tailored advice on how to cut their energy bills and make their homes greener. It also provides information on any available local and national financial support.

Softwire were, and remain, contracted to develop, and construct the website with content provided by BEIS Policy teams.

In order to feature on the website, businesses and tradespeople must be registered with TrustMark and appropriately certified to install energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home.

The content of the site is regularly reviewed and updated by BEIS policy teams and we also gather feedback from external stakeholders. In addition, local authorities and NGO’s can also submit information on area specific projects to support consumers in their local area.

Last week, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out his determination for the UK to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050. This year, the government has set out billions in support for addressing climate change, including over £3 billion to transform energy efficiency in homes and public buildings. We will be bringing forward sectoral decarbonisation plans, such as an Energy White Paper, as part of our leadership on global climate action through our COP26 and G7 Presidencies. We are also continuing to deliver our ambitious agenda for adapting to climate change, outlined in the second National Adaptation Programme (NAP). This includes £5.2 billion over six years from April 2021 in a major upgrade to flood and coastal protection.

Our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step-change in ambition for wildlife and the natural environment. We announced new funding at Budget this year – up to £25m Nature Recovery Fund and £640m Nature for Climate Fund, of which £40m has been brought forward under the recently opened Green Recovery Challenge Fund. These funds will kick start a programme of nature-based projects to address the twin challenges of halting biodiversity loss and tackling climate change.

The Environment Bill will drive the long-term action nature needs to recover, through legally binding targets in at least four priority areas: air, water, biodiversity, and waste and resources. We are also developing a new Environmental Land Management scheme that will reward farmers and land managers for delivering environmental public goods as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, including thriving plants and wildlife.

We are working closely with TrustMark and wider actors in the supply chain to market the scheme and encourage suppliers who could become TrustMark registered and PAS or MCS certified to do so. We have recently launched the Green Homes Grant skills training competition to fund programmes which can deliver training and support towards becoming certified, among other things. This is scheduled to deliver 5,000 training opportunities in support of the scheme.

The Government is committed to improving the productivity and performance of the construction sector. For this reason, we published the Construction Sector Deal in 2018, which aims to transform the productivity of the sector.

One key element of the Sector Deal is £420 million of combined investment from industry and the Government in digital and offsite manufacturing technologies. Digital techniques deployed at all phases of design will deliver improved safety during the construction and operation of buildings, producing better, surer results. Offsite manufacturing technologies will help to minimise the wastage, inefficiencies, and delays that affect onsite construction.

As part of our incoming COP Presidency, in partnership with Italy, we are urging all countries to come forward with new NDCs representing their highest possible ambition as soon as possible – and noting the expectation in the Paris Agreement that NDCs are submitted in 2020. The UK will play its part and we are preparing to come forward with an enhanced NDC well ahead of COP26. It is our priority in doing so to contribute to the greatest possible momentum and ambition ahead of COP26.

We are deeply concerned by the reports of labour exploitation in the Leicester textiles industry. In light of these serious allegations, a multi-agency Taskforce, led by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has been set up in Leicester to enable the relevant enforcement bodies to work together at pace to take appropriate action against unscrupulous employers who exploit workers. The taskforce includes HMRC’s National Minimum Wage (NMW) team.

Since 2012/13, HMRC’s NMW team has investigated more than 150 garment trade employers, including multiple employers operating in Leicester. To date, HMRC has recovered over £215,000 in wage arrears for 411 textile workers and issued over £325,000 in corresponding penalties to employers. Since 2015, HMRC have facilitated 19 director disqualifications relating to the textile sector. HMRC are also exploring outreach activities with local groups in Leicester, such as holding community events, designed to promote HMRC NMW rights for workers, and support employers and agency partners.

The Government is committed to improving enforcement of employment rights. We have announced the intention to introduce a Single Enforcement Body, which will provide a clearer route for workers to raise a complaint and get support, enabling more coordinated enforcement action and the use of pooled intelligence to better target proactive enforcement. We are also extending state enforcement to cover holiday pay for vulnerable workers and umbrella companies operating in the agency worker market.

The White Paper sets out proposals for independent functions to support the smooth running of the Internal Market. These proposals are being consulted on, and we encourage the public to share their views on the White Paper proposals through the consultation, which will close on 13 August.

In the context of supporting employers during Coronavirus as the economy reopens, from 1 August Government will give employers more discretion on how their employees carry out their roles. We would expect employers and employees to discuss their working arrangements and the best way that roles can be carried out safely. Working from home is one way to do this, but workplaces can also be made COVID-secure using Government guidance if employers wish their workforce to return to the workplace.

Regarding wider support for new businesses who wish to start up, or existing businesses wishing to scale up, all advice, guidance – including employee support, tools to identify the right finance, and checklists for setting up the business in line with regulations – is provided nationally on the gov.uk website, via the government-backed British Business Bank (BBB) online Finance Hub and in England through the network of 38 government-backed growth hubs.

In England, small and medium-sized businesses that are adversely affected by coronavirus will have access to grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 (typical grant £3,000) to help them access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice to help them get back on track. This will be available through the existing network of growth hubs, or where there is no growth hub in the area, via an existing ERDF business support provider.

The Government supports the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - the authoritative, voluntary international framework, which encourages businesses to conduct due diligence as part of their approaches to protecting human rights. The Government also drives transparency from our businesses to hold them to account on human rights. UK listed companies cover relevant human rights issues as part of their annual corporate reporting and our large businesses publish supply chain transparency statements according to the Modern Slavery Act, including on due diligence approaches where these are followed. In May, the Government published two policy papers which provide an update on what the Government has done to implement the UN Guiding Principles and to give an overview of how each government department contributes to this work.

We will encourage all delegates to consider low-carbon travel options, such as rail, particularly those arriving from Europe. Rail travel within the UK will certainly be encouraged and we are in the process of developing a multifaceted transport plan that supports the delegate experience and has sustainability at the core.

Our ambition is for as many UK homes as possible to be EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. We have launched a Green Home Finance Innovation Fund, which will provide £1.8 million to support three organisations to produce new green lending products for owner-occupiers to install energy efficiency improvements. We have also committed to a consultation on the merits of setting requirements for lenders to help the households they lend to improve their energy performance. Finally, we are working closely with the Green Finance Institute’s Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings to further develop the green finance market.

We have had three independent reviews on aspects of audit: Sir Donald Brydon’s review, Sir John Kingman’s review of the Financial Reporting Council, and the CMA’s market study of statutory audit. The Government is committed to acting on their recommendations, including legislating to create a stronger regulator as soon as parliamentary time allows, and will publish proposals in the coming months.

PAS 2035 was published in June 2019 and is already being implemented under the Energy Company Obligation. Obligated energy suppliers currently have an incentive to install measures to PAS 2035 and all measures will have to be installed to the standard from 1 July 2021.

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords of rented homes in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the eligibility for the scheme will be announced in due course before the scheme’s full launch in the Autumn.

Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement, from 4 July hairdressers and barbers in England will be able to reopen, to offer hairdressing services, once they are following the COVID-secure guidelines.

We are taking a phased, cautious approach to reopening our economy, and other close contact services, like massage plus wellbeing and holistic services, remain closed until further notice. There is often greater risk of transmission due to prolonged periods of face-to-face contact and close proximity between staff and customers.

We appreciate that this is difficult for businesses, and we are working with businesses, trade associations and medical experts on the safest way to reopen close contact services, such as massage plus wellbeing and holistic services, as it is safe to do so. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence.

The UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which is for countries to report the emissions produced within their territories.

Nevertheless, as the CCC highlight, we recognise the importance of also monitoring emissions on a consumption basis i.e. including emissions embedded in imports, and we publish data on this annually. Our consumption emissions fell by 21 per cent between 2007 and 2017, and by 3 per cent between 2016 and 2017.

We will formally respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s detailed recommendations in October.

Since 1 April 2020, The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and wales) Regulations 2015 require that, subject to certain exemptions, all domestic private rented sector landlords in scope improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band E.

An EPC Call for Evidence ran from 26 July 2018 to 19 October 2018 and sought evidence on how EPCs performed against three attributes: quality, availability, and encouraging action to improve energy efficiency. The forthcoming Summary of Responses will outline the evidence received, including on effectiveness of EPCs. Alongside this, we will publish an EPC Action Plan to maximise the effectiveness of EPCs as a tool for the future.

Additionally, BEIS is in the process of updating the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) – the methodology used to generate EPC scores. SAP is updated in line with the updates to Part L of the Building Regulations, usually every 3-5 years. The next version of SAP (SAP 10), was consulted on in 2017 and is due to come into force with the updated version of Part L of the Building Regulations.

This SAP update together with the EPC Action Plan will help ensure home energy performance assessments are as accurate as possible.

The aim of the Clean Heat Grant scheme for heat pumps and biomass is to provide targeted support to households and small and medium-size enterprises, where upfront cost is a particular barrier in transitioning to low-carbon heat. The scheme is focussed on supporting the installer base that will be required to implement regulations to phase out the installation of high-carbon fossil fuel heating off the gas grid. The Government is committed to doing this during the 2020s, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy.

While off-gas-grid areas are therefore the focus of the scheme, and BEIS expects uptake to be higher in such areas, we do not propose to exclude support for heat pumps on the gas grid. We are also proposing to support installations in non-domestic buildings up to a capacity of 45kW.

The Clean Heat Grant scheme has been designed as part of a broader package of measures to support the decarbonisation of heat in buildings and in heat networks. The Government intends to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy later this year, which will set out the wider actions that we will take for reducing emissions from buildings.

We are currently examining Sunday trading laws in the light of covid-19, as we did with the 2012 Olympics. This work includes understanding the impact upon workers and other stakeholders.

We will keep measures like this under review as we find ways to support supermarkets and other large shops manage social distancing, and shoppers to buy food and goods more conveniently.

There are no plans to review the consent granted on 4 October 2019 for the Drax Power Station Re-Powering Project.

The health and wellbeing of our construction workforce is of the utmost importance. The Government welcomes the Chartered Institute of Building’s report on mental health in the sector, and will consider its recommendations.

The utilities are taking measures to support customers whose ability to pay their bills is being impacted.

In energy, all domestic energy suppliers have agreed to a set of principles to support energy customers impacted by Covid-19. These principles include the suspension of energy credit meter disconnections and support for prepayment meter customers to stay on supply.

All of the UK's major internet service and mobile providers have committed to working with customers who find it difficult to pay their bill as a result of Covid-19 to ensure that they are treated fairly and are appropriately supported.

In the water sector, existing legislation means water companies cannot disconnect household water supply if consumers are unable to pay their bills.

The UK is the world’s largest offshore wind market with 9.8GW installed, which is expected to rise to 14GW by 2023 and 19.5GW by 2026. On 23 July 2018, the Government announced the timetable for future Contracts for Difference auctions, which is the main mechanism for deploying new renewable technologies. The auctions have the potential to deliver up to 2GW of new offshore wind every year in the 2020s, which has given long term vision and clarity to the offshore wind sector.

The Offshore Wind Sector Deal, published on 7 March 2019, will build on the UK’s global leadership in offshore wind bringing a strategic approach to deliver increased capacity of offshore wind, while boosting the UK economy, enhancing growth in the regions while continuing to reduce costs.

Onshore wind has also deployed successfully to date in the UK, recently exceeding 14GW of installed operational capacity. Onshore wind continues to fall in cost and has resulted in several merchant onshore wind sites being deployed to date.

It is for developers to come forward with proposals for potential locations of generating stations including offshore windfarms.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change assessed an application for development consent for a wind farm on the Navitus Bay wind farm site in 2015. The Secretary of State issued a decision on 11 September 2015 refusing the grant of development consent for the proposed Navitus Bay offshore wind farm.

The decision was in line with the recommendation of the Planning Inspectorate, which examined a wide range of issues related to the potential benefits and impacts of the project in reaching its conclusion. The Secretary of State’s decision letter sets out her consideration of those issues.

It is for developers to come forward with proposals for potential locations of generating stations including offshore windfarms.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change assessed an application for development consent for a wind farm on the Navitus Bay wind farm site in 2015. The Secretary of State issued a decision on 11 September 2015 refusing the grant of development consent for the proposed Navitus Bay offshore wind farm.

The decision was in line with the recommendation of the Planning Inspectorate, which examined a wide range of issues related to the potential benefits and impacts of the project in reaching its conclusion. The Secretary of State’s decision letter sets out her consideration of those issues.

The government remains committed to increasing take-up of all languages at GCSE through the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). Languages serve to broaden young people’s horizons and, as referred to in the Global Future Silenced Voices report, provides them with a number of employment opportunities and equips them with valuable skills that help ensure they can compete in the global market.

Since 2014, the national curriculum was reformed to include a modern or ancient language from age 7 to 11 at key stage 2. The expectation for secondary schools is to teach a modern language from age 11 to 14 at key stage 3 and for an increasing proportion of 14 to 16 year olds at key stage 4 to study a GCSE in a foreign language. Since 2010, the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 entering modern foreign language GCSEs has increased from 40% to 46%.

We do not prescribe which languages schools should teach. Schools are free to teach any languages, including community languages, for whatever reasons they consider relevant, such as local demographics, social unity, or opening up wider career and future education opportunities. There is a broad range of community languages on offer in which pupils can take a GCSE or A level and we would like this to continue to be the case.

The Global Future Silenced Voices report mainly focuses on the importance of those studying GCSEs or A levels in a community language receiving a grade this year – in particular, those who have been studying outside a mainstream school environment. Private candidates can work with a centre to be assessed on a range of evidence, which could include evidence from an established educational provider and the board-provided assessment materials. The Joint Council for Qualifications has issued guidance for centres about assessing private candidates, taking into account their different circumstances.

To support centres with the additional requirements of assessing private candidates this year, and avoid the cost being passed on to candidates, we are providing a grant for centres to claim £200 per private candidate entry. The government is encouraging all available exams centres to sign up to help these candidates achieve their qualifications in this exceptional year.

The new Turing Scheme, which replaces the Erasmus+ programme, will provide funding for school pupils to participate in international placements and exchanges, and the scheme is now open for schools to apply to. The scheme does not provide a like-for-like replacement of the eTwinning online platform. In considering what elements of the Erasmus+ programme we would immediately replicate under the Turing Scheme, we prioritised funding school pupils and students to participate in exchanges in person, to ensure that as many pupils as possible can benefit, including a focus on widening access for disadvantaged students. We want to give as many pupils as possible the opportunity to travel abroad to experience different cultures, improve their language skills, and build their independence.

The government has taken unprecedented and substantial action to ensure that children do not go hungry as we take measures to tackle COVID-19, including in relation to free school meals.

Schools were free to decide the best approach for their free school meal pupils. They could provide lunch parcels, locally arranged vouchers, or the national voucher scheme.

The department does not comment on the commercial arrangements of third parties, but can confirm that we are only paying for the face value of goods delivered, which in this case is vouchers.

The Department for Education does not collect data on the specialist training of counsellors working in schools. It is up to schools decide what support to offer to pupils, depending on their circumstances. To support the provision of counselling support in schools, the Department published a blueprint for school counselling services.  This provides schools with practical, evidence based advice, informed by schools and counselling experts, on how to deliver high quality school based counselling and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.

The guidance reflects the importance of using qualified and experienced counsellors and strongly advises that counsellors should have a diploma and be on an Accredited Voluntary Register. The precise qualifications held will depend on the role being carried out by the counsellor and how what they do fits with wider school support.

Headteachers and governing bodies are responsible for making decisions about how best to educate staff on their school’s responsibilities for safeguarding and child protection. All staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training. This training should be in line with advice from the local three safeguarding partners, considering the specific needs of individual schools. In addition, designated safeguarding leads have a duty to ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the school’s child protection and procedures.

Schools should consider reflecting domestic abuse in this training. The ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance also makes it clear that if a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm a referral should be made to children’s social care immediately and, if appropriate, the police. The guidance includes an annex providing additional information on specific types of harm and abuse and additional information for staff on identifying and responding to domestic abuse. The guidance sets out that all schools should have an effective child protection policy.

The founders of Operation Encompass, an information sharing, safeguarding initiative between police and schools, have set up a teachers’ helpline to assist staff in educational settings to support children who may be experiencing domestic abuse. Currently funded by the Home Office, with contribution from the Department for Education, the helpline is available weekdays from 8am to 1pm during term-time. It is manned by educational psychologists who can offer support and guidance to teachers, to help them to better understand the effect of domestic abuse on a child and to discuss strategies to help support the child during the school day. Further information about the helpline and resources for teachers are available here: https://www.operationencompass.org/school-participation/resources-for-teachers.

In considering what elements of the Erasmus+ programme the department would immediately replicate under the Turing Scheme, we prioritised ensuring that as many students, learners, and pupils as possible have access to life-changing mobilities to support them in developing the skills they need to thrive. I am pleased that the government has committed £110 million in funding to support the scheme, which will be used to provide opportunities for students in all parts of the UK. Traineeships for higher and further education students will be funded, supporting students to do work placements around the world.

Under the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, the UK will continue to participate fully in the 2014–20 Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. This means that the projects successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive funding for the full duration of the project, including those where it runs beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period.

The government has decided that it is not in the UK's interests to seek continuing participation in the next Erasmus+ programme. Instead, we are introducing a new international educational exchange scheme which has a genuinely global reach. Under the Turing scheme, UK universities, colleges, and schools will be able to bid for funding to enable their students to travel abroad for study and work placements – for any of their students, regardless of nationality.

The government is committed to bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 – being the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming in this way. In order to achieve this target, we are building on our Clean Growth Strategy and recognise the importance of considering the environmental impact across all policy areas, including the recently announced Turing Scheme. We also note the importance of academic and educational exchange in driving forward international work to combat this shared challenge.

The department recognises that there is a small group of students for whom there was not enough evidence for a grade to be awarded in the summer. These students will have the opportunity to sit exams in all subjects in the autumn. These candidates should be supported by their previous exam centre to enter the series, even if the student is no longer enrolled at that centre or where they are a private candidate. The department’s exam support service will help schools and colleges with any additional costs associated with running exams in the autumn, including fees charged by awarding organisations, sites and invigilation.

The government is committed to ensuring that students taking exams in 2021 receive the qualifications they deserve and that next year’s exam series proceeds fairly, efficiently and commands public confidence. We recognise that students due to sit exams and assessments next year will have experienced disruption to their education due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We have been working closely with Ofqual, the exam boards and groups representing teachers, schools and colleges to consider our approach to exams and other assessments next year. Although we are clear in our expectation that exams will go ahead in 2021, we are preparing for all eventualities and this includes considering arrangements for private candidates next year.

The Adoption Support Fund provides funds to local authorities and regional adoption agencies to pay for essential therapeutic services for children who have left the care system either through adoption or special guardianship order. Since its launch in 2015, the Adoption Support Fund has approved £168 million to deliver support, such as therapeutic parenting, creative therapies, and specialist assessments to 59,000 families.

The government acted quickly to establish the Adoption Support Fund COVID-19 Scheme in April 2020, and has provided over £6 million to local authorities and regional adoption agencies to support up to 61,000 families to meet needs arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. The funding included support for activities, such as couples counselling, which would normally be outside the scope of the standard Adoption Support Fund.

On 17 July 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, which will set out the government’s spending plans for the next three years. The Comprehensive Spending Review will be published in the autumn. We will consider future funding, scope and fair access limits for the Adoption Support Fund as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review discussions.

We expect that kitchens will be fully open from the start of the autumn term and normal legal requirements will apply about provision of food to all pupils who want it, including for those eligible for benefits-related free school meals or universal infant free school meals.

The Schools Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to ensure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.

The standards define the foods and drinks that must be provided, which foods are restricted, and those, which must not be provided. They apply to all food and drink provided to pupils on and off school premises and during an extended school day (up to 6pm), including school trips, breakfast clubs, tuck shops, mid-morning break, vending and after school clubs.

The department's advice on school food standards is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-food-in-england.

A summary of the standards and a practical guide are available from the school food plan website at:
http://www.schoolfoodplan.com/resources/.

We believe that the School Food Standards have been transformational in the way schools operate their meal services, but we know we must do more. We will be updating these standards to bring them into line with revised nutritional recommendations on sugar and fibre, and looking at how we can make the standards more consistent across the school day.

The COVID Summer Food Fund is available to provide support where needed to year 11 and year 13 pupils, who were confirmed as eligible and claiming benefits-related free school meals during the summer term, regardless of whether they remain registered with the school.

The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them.

One of the key principles of the legislation that underpins the UK’s child protection system is that children are best looked after within their families.

The government is funding several programmes that seek to reduce need and support more children to stay at home in stable family environments, where this is in the child’s best interests. We are investing £84 million over five years as part of the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme and over £17 million to support families through the Supporting Families: Investing in Practice programme. The government has also committed £1.085 billion to the Troubled Families Programme to achieve significant and sustained improvement for families with multiple, high-cost problems by 2021.

Good social work practice is key to helping families who need support to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children. This is why we have invested over £100 million since 2017 on child and family social worker development programmes to ensure every social worker has the skills and knowledge they need.

Across the government, we are tackling the problems that cause children to be in need in the first place. This includes better supporting those with alcohol-dependent parents, the introduction of landmark legislation for those affected by domestic abuse, preventing young people being drawn into serious violence, and unprecedented investment in early years education and support for children and young people’s mental health.

Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people, and supporting employers in all sectors to access the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow post COVID-19. We are looking to support employers of all sizes, and particularly smaller businesses, to take on new apprentices this year. We will set out further details in due course. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare for all early years providers caring for children from birth to 5. The framework defines seven areas of learning and development, including physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The framework is clear that each area must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. The framework is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

The EYFS does not promote a particular pedagogical approach. It is for individual early years settings to determine how the areas of learning should be implemented to support children to meet the expected level of development by the end of the Reception year. The priorities at this time are helping young children to adapt to their new routines and supporting children to settle back into the setting, especially where there have been staffing changes. Continuing to support their early language and communication skills is essential. Children who have had limited opportunities for exercise should be encouraged to exert themselves physically.

We have been working closely with the Higher Education (HE) sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges.

On Monday 4 May my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.

We have introduced temporary student number controls for domestic and EU students for the academic year 2020/21 to ensure a fair, structured distribution of students across providers. These measures mean that providers will be able to recruit students up to a temporary set level, based on provider forecasts, which allows additional growth of up to 5% in the next academic year. The Secretary of State for Education, will also have the discretion to allocate an additional 10,000 places, of which 5,000 will be allocated to students studying nursing or allied health courses, to ensure growing numbers that will support our vital public services. This measure will only apply to full-time undergraduate UK/EU domiciled students, with certain specified exemptions. These controls will not apply to international (non-EU) students.

The government has been clear that the UK HE sector is ‘open for business’, remains world class and is looking forward to welcoming both domestic and international students in the future. To support international student recruitment, we are taking steps to further promote the new Graduate route (due to be launched in Summer 2021) which will provide an opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. This represents a significant improvement in our offer to international students and will help ensure our HE sector remains competitive internationally.

The government has been in close communication with partners in the HE sector, who are considering educational provision for the academic year 2020/2021 and how to best reopen campuses. HE providers are autonomous institutions and will make their own judgements based on the latest public health guidance, taking account of the need to minimise risk to staff and students.

To help providers make informed decisions about their provision, the government has issued guidance, which is complemented by the Universities UK’s principles for reopening of campuses to students and staff. We anticipate HE providers will be open for the autumn term with a blend of online teaching and in-person tuition that they consider appropriate and which minimises risk. HE providers will be flexible in accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if they are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.

The government is providing laptops and tablets to vulnerable and disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school children, or are a care leaver. The government is also providing over 50,000 4G wireless routers to care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and disadvantaged children in year 10 who do not have internet connections.

The department has also partnered with BT to give 10,000 young people free access to BT WiFi hotspots, who do not have access to good internet by other means.

Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and distribute the laptops and tablets to children and young people who need devices. The Department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children first - children with a social worker and care leavers.

Devices are being delivered to local authorities daily and will continue to be distributed throughout June as planned.

We recognise that outdoor education can be beneficial for the health and wellbeing of children and young people, and that outdoor space offers additional benefits to allow for distance between people during the coronavirus outbreak. Our guidance to help schools and other education settings prepare for wider opening to more pupils from 1 June, explicitly encourages the use of outdoor space and outdoor education where possible. In particular, we are asking schools to consider which lessons or activities could take place outdoors as part of a range of approaches they can take to help reduce transmission. We are also asking schools to use their outside space for exercise and breaks.

The Government recognises that this is an extremely challenging time for staff in school and care settings.

In the current circumstances, it is right that routine Ofsted inspections in the school, further education, early years, local authority, and care sectors are suspended. Ofsted retains the power to inspect in all these areas and will use its powers if it has significant concerns. Ofsted also continues to register and regulate children’s social care, childminding and nurseries.

No date has been set for a return to routine inspection at this time. We will continue to work closely with HM Chief Inspector, and the sectors Ofsted inspects, in determining when it will be appropriate to re-start routine inspections.

We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Statistics on the numbers of further and higher education (HE) students resident in on-campus accommodation following 23 March’s lockdown are not held centrally.

However, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data show that approximately 360,000 students at UK higher education institutions in 2018/19 were resident in provider-maintained property, including some 117,000 international students, of which 31,000 were from the EU.

Levels of current occupancy of accommodation vary widely between different institutions with those students still resident likely to include care leavers, students estranged from their families and international students for whom there is no alternative accommodation easily available or who are not able to get home because of travel restrictions.

HE providers have been asked to aim to ensure staff (catering, cleaning and laundry staff, for instance) are available to support on halls management. Counselling staff should also be available to support on isolating students’ mental health. This support could be provided virtually.

We have worked to improve joint continuity planning between HE providers and Local Resilience Forums to consider how to ensure availability of supply of food and medicines.

College campus accommodation where children are resident is inspected by Ofsted against national minimum standards. The inspections are conducted on an age basis and include international students.

Ofsted holds a record of ratings for further education accommodation.

As my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have both made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, has written to all higher education (HE) providers to explain the importance of HE institutions operating a non-eviction policy so that no student is required to leave halls if their contract has ended, if their rental agreement does not cover holiday periods or if they are unable to pay their rent. This is particularly important in the case of international students, care leavers and students estranged from their families.

In her letters, my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, also emphasised the need for HE providers to consider practical support to ensure that students who remain on campus can access sufficient food, medical and cleaning supplies, along with mental health support.

Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current 2019/20 academic year.

We have worked closely with the Office for Students to enable providers to draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. As a result, providers will be able to use the funding, worth around £23 million per month for April and May, towards student hardship funds.

Students with a part-time employment contract should speak to their employer about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been set up to help pay staff wages and keep people in employment. This can be accessed from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.

We have also asked that HE providers pay particular attention to the additional financial hardships that are being faced by student staff who have been reliant on income from campus-based jobs at this time.

The government encourages universities and private hall providers to be fair in their decisions about rent charges for this period.

The government is applying discretion under current circumstances to ensure that international students are not negatively impacted due to COVID-19. We have published bespoke Tier 4 visa guidance for students and sponsors affected by changes to UK immigration and borders due to COVID-19. This guidance includes the latest information for those who might have questions around visa expiry, switching visa category within the UK and distance learning – it also specifically confirms that sponsors do not need to withdraw sponsorship if a student is unable to attend for more than 60 days due to COVID-19 but intends to resume their studies eventually.

We are working closely with universities and are pleased to see that the sector is making every effort to enable students to continue their studies – including moving learning online either in the UK or in student's home country – so that their teaching and assessment can proceed. Students experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 should contact their higher education provider. Many providers have hardship funds which students can apply to for assistance.

We take our trade and international obligations for human health and the environment seriously and continue to monitor action in other countries and learn from their experiences.

The export of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) is regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from the GB must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority. For GB, the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Paraquat additionally requires the explicit consent of the importing country before export can take place. The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely. This process is kept under review.

We believe it is essential that the use of actives that are known to be hazardous to human health or the environment should be subject to scientific risk assessment, mitigation and regulatory protections. That is why we support notification of the export of Paraquat under GB PIC and support its listing under the Rotterdam convention. ​

Additionally, the UK is committed to working internationally including through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and United Nations Environment Assembly to support other nations to safely manage pesticides. We also believe in evidence-based international policy-making through the use of scientific committees, such as the Chemical Review Committee, and strengthening of the international ‘science - policy interface’ for chemicals and pesticides to support global decision-making.

We are progressing projects assessing the impacts of pesticides, including Paraquat, on human health and the environment in developing countries. We will continue to support developing countries to use pest management techniques which are most beneficial for them based on evidence and the expressed desires of the countries.

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have been in touch with the University of Liverpool Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) which has been investigating the increase in reports of vomiting and diarrhoea (V&D) in dogs in the Northeast of England. Investigations continue, but so far SAVSNET has reported a seasonal increase across England in V&D commonly seen each year in dogs, with an exceptional peak in NE Yorkshire. There is some positive association with canine enteric coronavirus and no link to walking on the beach for the majority of cases. While it cannot definitively point to a common cause, SAVSNET does suggest this is a transmissible infection rather than contact with the beach area or sea water. Canine enteric coronavirus is an alpha-coronavirus and is not related to beta-coronavirus which causes COVID-19.

The dogs recover after a few days, although some may require supportive care from their vet.

SAVSNET stated on 3 February: “Between 29^th and 31^st January 2022 we had details of 208 cases submitted by vets and owners. The most common clinical signs reported were inappetence, and vomiting and diarrhoea both without blood. The majority (79%) of dogs had NOT visited the beach prior to becoming ill and many cases were reported inland (away from the coast). The vast majority of cases (94%) had been vaccinated in the last three years. The majority (56) of the 88 owners who had more than one dog reported that other dogs in the household had also shown similar signs possibly suggesting in infectious cause. The majority of dogs seem to recover within 7-14 days, although over 60% required treatment of some form. No underlying cause was reported and so the aetiology of this outbreak is still unknown.”

SAVSNET is continuing with its investigation and we continue to keep this under consideration.

Poultry and poultry products, which include chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants, cannot be imported into the UK from within avian influenza disease control zones in European Union (EU) Member States. With regards to imports from non-EU Third Countries, the UK trade rules approve only a very limited number of countries outside the EU for import into the UK. All live poultry and poultry related products must be certified as disease free and therefore suitable for trade.

Effective animal disease control is one of Defra’s key priorities and all disease control and prevention measures including those applied to game birds are made on the basis of risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. Kept game birds cannot be moved on or off a premises in a disease control zone except under licence and the release of game birds is not permitted within any avian influenza disease control zone. Outside of disease control zones, game birds can be released into the wild, and game birds that have already been released are classified as wild birds and the person who released the game birds is no longer classed as the ‘keeper’ of the birds.

Defra works closely with the Game Farmers Association and other game shooting, research and game conservation bodies to provide advice on how game farmers can maintain good biosecurity at their premises and reduce the risk of the spread of avian influenza.

In addition, in order to inform risk assessments and understand how avian influenza is distributed geographically and in different types of bird, including released game birds, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) engages in year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds in Great Britain submitted via public reports and warden patrols. Findings from this surveillance have included pheasants during the 2020/2021 outbreak and the risk of incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in wild birds is currently assessed as very high (with low uncertainty) for England and high (with high uncertainty) for Wales and Scotland. With regards to game bird releases, these are completed in earlier autumn typically prior to the high-risk period for avian influenza. The risk associated with gamebird activities which occur during the higher risk period for avian influenza, including shooting and gathering up of gamebirds (which occur overwinter and in the spring respectively) have been assessed by APHA and are used to inform decisions regarding control measures. The risk assessments are published and available on GOV.UK.

Contact either directly or indirectly with infected wild birds is the principal route of spread of avian influenza and the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 across Great Britain is currently assessed as medium (with low uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied, but high (with low uncertainty) where there are substantial biosecurity breaches or poor biosecurity. If, however, stringent biosecurity is in place the risk would be low for these premises.

Defra alongside the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland, DHSC, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments are currently conducting a review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1998 to ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and support UK industry while protecting consumers. To assist the review, DEFRA convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. As part of this, the working group is exploring the use of the term "sourdough", to assess whether providing a definition of sourdough in any legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations would be beneficial to protect consumers.

The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy and as part of the Government's Food Strategy, we are reviewing how food information, including labelling, can be improved. Existing food labelling rules and other requirements on the control of additives in food production ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively to enable consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume.

Bakers, including those producing sourdough products, can effectively market their products on their own merits within the rules as they stand, and legislation supports such marketing so long as it is not misleading. While discussions around the term "sourdough" are still ongoing, legislative intervention is just one option and should be restricted to areas where there is clear market failure. The Government is supportive of non-regulatory measures and encourages further work on the draft industry code of practice which could help achieve a better mutual understanding in this area.

The Access to the Outdoors Commission was a cross government initiative leading up to the Spending Review, considering how to increase access to green spaces. It informed policy development and Defra continues to work collaboratively with other Government departments to seek opportunities to improve access to the outdoors where possible. The Commission has now concluded its work.

The Spending Review is providing more than £30 million to improve public access to green spaces in support of health, wellbeing and the environment. We are also investing £9 million to level up urban green spaces across the UK through the Levelling Up Parks Fund. Grants will be given to, and administered by, local authorities, to deliver new green spaces in over 100 of the neighbourhoods most deprived of green space. As announced in the Levelling Up White Paper a new £30 million parks fund will also deliver up to £1 million to at least 30 local parks in England for refurbishment with an emphasis on facilities for young families.

In addition, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme provides additional investment to allow farmers and other land managers to work in partnership with our National Park Authorities and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty teams to improve public access, and deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, for people and for places.

Water fern (Azolla filiculoides) and Australian swap stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) are banned from sale by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and water-primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora), previously banned from sale under this Act, are now among 36 plant species banned from sale by the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. There are no plans to make the sale of further Schedule 9 plant species an offence.

Businesses are obliged to follow the waste hierarchy, set out in the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011. This gives priority to preventing waste, and only then, in order, to reuse, recycling, recovery and last of all disposal. Failure to comply with this hierarchy can lead to enforcement action.

Last year, we consulted on a new Waste Prevention Programme for England, which includes proposals to further clarify and enhance this approach. We expect to publish the response to this shortly.

Defra, Cefas, the Marine Management Organisation and the Environment Agency (EA), along with other agencies, are continuing to collaborate on the investigation into the cause of crab and lobster deaths along the Tees Valley including Teesport and Scarborough. The EA and Cefas have undertaken extensive tests to try to determine the cause and are reviewing the evidence gathered since the start of this incident. It has not yet been possible to identify a definitive cause. Additional testing has been undertaken and the latest results are awaited. Cefas found no evidence of disease, and chemical pollution was previously ruled out by the Environment agency as a likely cause of the mortality.

Defra is aware of reports of dogs falling ill at several dog-walking locations including local beaches. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has been alerted about these reports. We are not aware of any link with the crab and lobster mortality in the area late last year.

Defra and the Environment Agency are working with academia, National Highways, and the UK water industry to improve our understanding of the scale of the microplastic pollution problem and to identify the key sources within the natural environment.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic particles at the levels that have been reported to occur in certain types of food, especially seafood, would cause harm to consumers.

The Government is funding research to examine wider sources of microplastics, which will enable us to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food and the environment. Our proposed bans on numerous commonly littered plastic items will further reduce the sources of microplastics that damage our environment.

A released captive-reared pheasant may be regarded as livestock if it remains significantly dependent on a keeper for their survival, for example for the provision of food, water, or shelter.

The Government takes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment seriously, as set out through the cross-Government 20-year vision for AMR and the five-year National Action Plan, which has specific and ambitious commitments. Our aim is to minimise the potential threat of AMR from the dispersal of the drivers for resistance in the environment.

The Environment Agency (EA) has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils. The system allows the EA to sift and to screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England.

The EA has considered some personal care products as part of PEWS, however, only a sub-set of personal care products have antimicrobial properties. To date the EA has conducted screening on two personal care products with antimicrobial properties to understand the risk that they pose to the environment, but not specifically for the risk that their presence may pose to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The substances in the two personal care products included copper oxide and copper carbonate nanoparticles, and triclosan. The EA takes this information to inform its future work or the work of its partners.

In broader work related to AMR in waterways and soil, the EA and Defra are running a new cross-departmental project called PATH-SAFE which contains a workstream focussed on AMR surveillance in two river catchments. This will strengthen our understanding of AMR in the environment, including the relative importance of different sources, transmission routes and, what the implications are for people, animals, food and ecosystems. The EA sludge strategy which is due to be implemented in 2023 will also consider the impacts of antimicrobial resistance and chemicals on soil health and quality.

We do not currently have plans to introduce such a law in the UK, but we have strengthened regulations in England in recent months to protect the environment. These are enforced by a variety of regulators including the newly-established Office of Environmental Protection, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Marine Management Organisation, Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, local authorities and Defra itself. Many of these regulators are able to seek criminal convictions to punish significant or persistent environmental offending and to create a deterrent against future non-compliance. They also have access to a broader suite of civil sanctions for many of the offences they are responsible for enforcing.

At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the UK abstained from voting on the motion for a moratorium on deep-sea mining because it did not fully align with UK policy.

However, there is no deep-sea mining currently happening in areas beyond national jurisdictions, there are no exploitation licences for deep-sea mining, and no exploitation regulations have yet been agreed. In addition, the UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it is the role of the ISA to regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole. In so doing, the ISA has the duty to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed activities.

The UK has a strong and respected voice in these international negotiations and the UK position emphasises the need to ensure that the highest possible environmental standards are met in the development of this new industry. We judge that engaging fully with these negotiations is the most effective way for the UK to work with others so that no deep-sea mining takes place in the absence of strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards. This includes requiring that Regional Environmental Management Plans are adopted for each region before any exploitation licence can even be considered, as well as the adoption of strong and enforceable environmental Standards and Guidelines.

In accordance with our Resources and Waste Strategy, the powers being sought through our Environment Bill will allow the Government to ensure consumers are provided with clear, consistent and trustworthy information, enabling them to make more sustainable purchasing decisions and helping shift the market towards more resource efficient products. These information-sharing requirements may focus on durability, reparability and recyclability, and there is scope to include other criteria where appropriate, such as embodied carbon or water usage during production. They could take a number of different forms such as consumer information rating schemes, or labels specifying that a product meets a certain environmental standard.

We are working on developing a plan for making use of these powers, and will take on board responses to our recent consultation on the Waste Prevention Programme for England – towards a resource efficient economy. In parallel, as outlined in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is preparing to launch a Call for Evidence on low carbon industrial products. The response to the Call for Evidence will be used to develop proposals for new policies to grow the market for these products, including a new labelling system for intermediary industrial products reflecting their impact on the environment.

The Government recognises that reactive nitrogen has damaging impacts on habitats, water and air quality and contributes to climate change.

The UK is committed to tackling nitrogen and has a variety of regulations, incentive schemes and advice in place to help reduce the sources and impact of nitrogen pollution.

For example, the UK has adopted legally binding targets to reduce emissions of two nitrogen-containing air pollutants - ammonia and nitrogen oxides. The Clean Air Strategy sets out comprehensive action to control emissions of these pollutants which is expected to reduce damaging deposition of reactive forms of nitrogen by 17% over England’s protected priority sensitive habitats by 2030.

The Government has been engaging with the International Nitrogen Management System and has been working at a regional level with the Government of Sri Lanka on the issue of nitrogen management. The Government will continue to monitor progress on the Colombo Declaration as this initiative develops.

The Government is committed to preventing pests and diseases reaching our borders. We are promoting biosecurity internationally, at UK borders and inland.

Imports of bumblebees are only accepted from approved countries. Consignments must be produced in a controlled environment which is supervised by the competent authority in the exporting country. They must be checked before dispatch. They are accompanied by health certificates that guarantee the bees are free from notifiable pests and diseases. The bees may be subject to checks at destination (for EU bees) or at a border control point (for bumblebees from other countries).

There are no restrictions on movements of bumblebees from one area of GB to another.

An Environment Agency (EA) investigation into the matter is currently ongoing and has included analysis of water samples. Enquiries remain ongoing on what appears to be a localised incident involving a specific liquid that was used as a fertiliser. From the information that was reported in January 2021, it is the EA’s understanding that the last known application of the fertiliser was in March 2019.

Carbofuran is a pesticide and pesticides can only be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used if they are authorised. Authorisation is only granted if the product will not harm people and poses no unacceptable risks to the environment. These are regularly reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet current standards.

Authorisation for carbofuran was revoked in 1999 in the UK. All products containing carbofuran were therefore effectively banned after the final expiry date for storage and use on 31 December 2001.

The advertisement, sale, supply, storage or use of any plant protection product, including carbofuran, which does not have a valid authorisation is therefore illegal. Anyone who advertises, sells, supplies, stores or uses any pesticide product containing carbofuran will be committing an offence and may be liable to an unlimited fine.

The Government welcomes the State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021 report which is the first to present important facts and trends focusing predominantly on native woods and trees, and trees in towns and cities within the UK.

We are working to increase tree production in our domestic nursery sector. This will build on current facilities and explore innovative ideas and technologies to improve production capacity. This is necessary to create a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse planting stock, which is ready for our future climate. We have taken a number of steps to ensure domestically sourced and grown trees meet demand:

• Supporting activities to enhance production, processing and supply of UK tree seeds from a wider range of species and provenances.
• Transforming Forestry England seed processing and nursery facilities, at the same time providing capital grants to allow private nurseries to enhance productivity.
• Working with the industry to increase the uptake of the ‘Plant Healthy’ assurance scheme which helps improve biosecurity and reduce the risk of planting unhealthy stock.

Over the last three years, 100 percent of trees planted by Forestry England are UK grown, meaning all trees supplied to Natural Resources Wales and Forestry and Land Scotland are UK grown.

Agroforestry has a significant role in helping the Government commitment to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025, in line with the annual rate recommended by the Committee on Climate Change in 2019 to help us meet net zero. We know our mechanisms for woodland creation must be more wide reaching and bold. This requires a transformative change for government and the sector. That is why the Nature for Climate Fund announced in the March 2020 Budget provides significant funding for tree planting, including agroforestry systems. The Committee on Climate Change has also recommended agroforestry on 10% of arable and grassland by 2050 to contribute to net zero emissions targets.

We know that agroforestry systems can play an important role in addressing some of the key issues of climate and land use change in England, through the wide range of ecosystem services it provides.

• Providing food, fuel, fodder, timber, shade
• Regulating soil, water, air quality and sequester carbon
• Improving animal health and welfare
• Supporting biodiversity and habitat creation

It is already against the law for the label to mislead consumers and this overriding principle, set out clearly in food information legislation, applies to each of the noble Baroness’s questions. Each label must be taken on its merits, including whether the origin declared for the food meets origin labelling rules, and if a label is found to be misleading then local enforcement authorities can issue improvement notices to the Food Business Operator to correct the misleading information.

It is completely unrealistic to require mandatory labelling as to the breed and age of an animal on meat, however if such information is provided on a voluntary basis for marketing reasons, as with any other information provided with food, it must not be misleading to consumers. There is already an age-based distinction between lamb and mutton, beef and veal and chicken and boiling fowl.

The use of the terms ‘natural’ and ‘traditional’ are not regulated but, again, when used, should not mislead consumers.

We are aware of the concerns around the use of glue traps, including the harm they can cause to captured animals and the capture of non-target species including birds. We are engaging with key stakeholders and exploring options to address these concerns.

This Government remains committed to high standards of animal welfare. We are in the process of developing a range of important animal welfare and animal-related measures to strengthen our position as a world leader in this field. This includes delivering our manifesto commitments to introduce new laws on animal sentience, to ban live exports, restrict the imports of trophies from endangered species and ban keeping primates as pets.

The emergency authorisation recently granted for a neonicotinoid seed treatment for sugar beet was for the thiamethoxam-based product Cruiser SB. Because the cold winter conditions have reduced the likely pest pressures in 2021, the product will not be used.

The Chan and Raine study did not find significant effects on the solitary bees from use of a thiamethoxam seed treatment although it did find effects from a product containing a different neonicotinoid called imidacloprid. It would be wrong to draw firm conclusions from the study, particularly as the bee species used (the hoary squash bee) is not a UK native.

The Government recognises the need to protect pollinators, including solitary bees, from the effects of pesticides. As we build our national pesticides regime, we will ensure that potential risks to bees are carefully assessed.

All consultation responses will be taken into account and analysed regardless of type. Free text responses will be analysed using well-established methodology from social sciences for the analysis of qualitative data, in line with standard practice for the analysis of public consultations. All views are being considered, whether or not they use technical language, and no weighting will be applied to more technical responses.

Prior to its publication, the Gene editing (GE) explainer document was reviewed by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra’s communications team. This ensured that the information was scientifically accurate and pitched so that a lay person could understand it.

We are gathering views and evidence on trade as part of the our consultation process. We will continue to monitor and respond to the approach taken in the EU to the regulation of GMOs.

Defra officials have regular ongoing discussions with Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts about the regulation of genetically modified organisms. These discussions are considering the impact of any potential changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England.

Owing to the application of Union law to Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, GE organisms will in Northern Ireland continue to be considered as GMOs and regulated as such.

All consultation responses will be taken into account and analysed regardless of type. Free text responses will be analysed using well-established methodology from social sciences for the analysis of qualitative data, in line with standard practice for the analysis of public consultations. All views are being considered, whether or not they use technical language, and no weighting will be applied to more technical responses.

Prior to its publication, the Gene editing (GE) explainer document was reviewed by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra’s communications team. This ensured that the information was scientifically accurate and pitched so that a lay person could understand it.

We are gathering views and evidence on trade as part of the our consultation process. We will continue to monitor and respond to the approach taken in the EU to the regulation of GMOs.

Defra officials have regular ongoing discussions with Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts about the regulation of genetically modified organisms. These discussions are considering the impact of any potential changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England.

Owing to the application of Union law to Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, GE organisms will in Northern Ireland continue to be considered as GMOs and regulated as such.

All consultation responses will be taken into account and analysed regardless of type. Free text responses will be analysed using well-established methodology from social sciences for the analysis of qualitative data, in line with standard practice for the analysis of public consultations. All views are being considered, whether or not they use technical language, and no weighting will be applied to more technical responses.

Prior to its publication, the Gene editing (GE) explainer document was reviewed by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra’s communications team. This ensured that the information was scientifically accurate and pitched so that a lay person could understand it.

We are gathering views and evidence on trade as part of the our consultation process. We will continue to monitor and respond to the approach taken in the EU to the regulation of GMOs.

Defra officials have regular ongoing discussions with Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts about the regulation of genetically modified organisms. These discussions are considering the impact of any potential changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England.

Owing to the application of Union law to Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, GE organisms will in Northern Ireland continue to be considered as GMOs and regulated as such.

All consultation responses will be taken into account and analysed regardless of type. Free text responses will be analysed using well-established methodology from social sciences for the analysis of qualitative data, in line with standard practice for the analysis of public consultations. All views are being considered, whether or not they use technical language, and no weighting will be applied to more technical responses.

Prior to its publication, the Gene editing (GE) explainer document was reviewed by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra’s communications team. This ensured that the information was scientifically accurate and pitched so that a lay person could understand it.

We are gathering views and evidence on trade as part of the our consultation process. We will continue to monitor and respond to the approach taken in the EU to the regulation of GMOs.

Defra officials have regular ongoing discussions with Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts about the regulation of genetically modified organisms. These discussions are considering the impact of any potential changes to the regulation of genetic engineering in food and farming in England.

Owing to the application of Union law to Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, GE organisms will in Northern Ireland continue to be considered as GMOs and regulated as such.

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provides a powerful framework for the conservation of wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. The Government is committed to ensuring the protection afforded to wild birds of prey is effectively enforced. There are strong penalties for offenders, including imprisonment.

We are also committed to securing the long-term future of the hen harrier as a breeding bird in England. The Hen Harrier Action Plan sets out what will be done to increase hen harrier populations in England and includes measures to stop illegal persecution. The long-term plan was published in January 2016 and we believe that it remains the best way to safeguard the hen harrier in England. A copy of the plan is attached.

Raptor persecution is one of six national wildlife crime priorities. Each wildlife crime priority has a delivery group to consider what action should be taken and develop a plan to prevent crime, gather intelligence on offences and enforce against it. The Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group focuses on the golden eagle, goshawk, hen harrier, peregrine and white-tailed eagle. The National Wildlife Crime Unit, which is part funded by Defra, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey and provides assistance to police forces when required.

The process for considering emergency authorisation for a pesticide is derived from the legislation. This process was followed for the application to use the neonicotinoid seed treatment Cruiser SB on sugar beet in 2021. This included an assessment of the risks to people and to the environment that may result from use of the product. This assessment, which considers risks to people from pesticide residues associated with eating treated crops, did not identify any concerns about risks to human health. The assessment did not extend to consideration of the impacts of the crop, for example on obesity.

The process for considering emergency authorisation for a pesticide is derived from the legislation and includes consideration of potential risks to people and to the environment. This process was followed for application to use the neonicotinoid seed treatment Cruiser SB on sugar beet in 2021.

The assessment of risks included consideration of risks to bees, other insects, soil organisms, fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds and mammals. Risks to bees were identified arising from soil residues taken up by flowering weeds or following crops. Mitigation measures were therefore built into the requirements of the emergency authorisation. These included a reduced application rate, effective control of weeds and minimum periods set between the planting of treated sugar beet and a subsequent flowering crop. For most crops this period was set at 22 months but a longer period of 32 months was chosen for oilseed rape as it is particularly attractive to bees

The Environmental Land Management Scheme is being developed in partnership with farmers, other land managers and stakeholders from initial concept to full launch. We already have around 3000 farmers and other land managers involved in the Environmental Land Management Test and Trials and initial reports can be accessed on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-land-management-tests-and-trials

Ahead of full launch of the new Environmental Scheme in 2024 there will be a National Pilot, starting later this year, where the focus is on learning from farmers and other land managers as they apply different scheme components and begin to deliver outcomes. The focus will be on sharing their feedback with them and with scheme designers, building on the co-design work started through our Test and Trials and wider evidence reviews.

We will use GOV.UK, open to all, to share comprehensive information about the purpose of the scheme and its components, how to apply and how best to deliver outcomes it pays for. There is already overview information published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-environmental-land-management-scheme-an-overview, with more information following in the coming months. Using feedback from farmers, other land managers and their advisers the National Pilot will help us refine and improve the information on GOV.UK relating to the new Environmental Scheme.

On 1 January the Government issued three new general licences, GL40, GL41 and GL42. The new general licences set out when actions can be taken against certain wild bird species, and for what purpose.

Prior to this, Defra published drafts of the new licences on 9 November 2020 on GOV.UK and contacted key representatives of farming, shooting and pest control industry bodies to alert them to this. Defra also met with representatives from the farming and shooting industry to discuss the draft licences. This enabled these groups to inform their members of the changes to help them make any preparations necessary before the licences came into force.

As set out in the Government’s December 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, we are presently reviewing the arrangements applying to batteries and their treatment at end of life. That review is considering all aspects, including requirements relating to when batteries are first placed on the market. We will consider carefully the proposals recently put forward by the European Commission in this area.

Defra, and the relevant departments of all administrations in the UK, have robust biosecurity measures in place to reduce the risk of spread of avian influenza and a strong track record of controlling and eliminating outbreaks.

The risk of incursion of avian influenza has been increased to very high for wild birds, medium for poultry with high biosecurity and high for poultry with poor biosecurity. In response to the risk we established an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the whole of England from 11 November 2020 and brought additional housing measures into force from the 14 December 2020.

The AIPZ means all bird keepers (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) are required by law to take a range of biosecurity precautions including, from the 14 December 2020, keeping their birds indoors except in very specific circumstances. Similar measures were also introduced in Scotland and Wales. I refer the Noble Lady to my statement of 8 December 2020: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hlws621

The decisions to implement the AIPZ and the additional housing measures followed scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. In particular a rapid risk assessment on the relative risks of incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 into housed or not-housed flocks was undertaken and is available via the following web link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/941150/rapid-risk-assessment-H5N8-HPAI-housing-poultry-flocks-captive-birds.pdf

Defra is clear that all operational livestock farms should implement strong biosecurity measures and report suspected disease immediately.

A joint investigation is currently underway involving the main agencies (Environment Agency, Natural England and Forestry Commission). This has included a recent site visit to establish the full detail and extent of recent work at the site. Further details will be made available in due course in line with the nature of the ongoing investigation.

Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission have respective regulatory powers to ensure the management of SSSIs, waterways and trees, providing advice to landowners and consents/licences where appropriate. They continue to monitor and investigate any incidences of damage to sites and rely on the support of the general public in reporting possible illegal activity and pollutions.

As part of the Government’s ambitious commitments to reforming producer responsibility systems across the UK, we have committed to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers.

Introducing a DRS for drinks containers will mean that some of the material local authorities currently collect via kerbside will instead be collected through the DRS. It is expected this will have an impact on the amount of waste collected by local authorities and the revenues they receive for selling that material on to waste reprocessors. However, the scheme is also expected to reduce the incidence of littering of the containers in scope of the scheme, and therefore to generate savings to local authorities.

A full new burdens assessment will be carried out once final policy decisions have been taken. Our Resources and Waste Strategy for England committed to fund any new burdens incurred by local authorities.

The costs and benefits of a DRS for drinks containers will be presented in our Impact Assessment published alongside our second consultation on the introduction of a deposit return scheme next year.

It is Defra policy to encourage research findings such as these to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. We elected to delay the publication of the final reports on our website to allow the researcher some time to do this without undermining the peer review process.

These data are being used to inform analysis of where there is a reservoir of disease in the Edge area.

The UK Government is committed to taking action for pollinators, globally and at home.

We have supported international action under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the “Plan of Action 2018-2030 for the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable use of Pollinators” adopted at the CBD’s most recent Conference of the Parties in 2018. The UK is also a member of ‘Promote Pollinators’, an international coalition of the willing under which we have committed to take action to protect pollinators and their habitats, and with whom we share information on research, policy and practical activities.

We have supported and contributed to research which has underpinned such initiatives, including a major global review of the status and threats to insect pollinators, published in 2015 by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global framework for biodiversity under the CBD, expected to be adopted at COP-15 next year. In particular, we will promote ambitious and practical targets, including targets to enhance ecosystem resilience and species recovery, supported by strengthened implementation mechanisms that are commensurate with the scale of the challenge.

Domestically, biodiversity is a devolved issue and each country has its own pollinator strategy which includes objectives for ecosystem restoration and other action in line with these international commitments and initiatives. The four countries also collaborate on monitoring the status of pollinators across the UK.

Like all other Defra sponsored bodies, Natural England (NE) receives an appropriate budget to carry out its duties and responsibilities in line with what is affordable and the priorities set out by the Secretary of State.

NE is an important advisory and delivery partner in the Environmental Land Management (ELM) programme. For the current financial year, NE has been allocated approximately £3.6 million to support the development of ELM. This includes drafting ELM technical guidance, development of scheme design for the Pilot and associated policy advice.

We are currently assessing the budgets for our arm’s length bodies as part of the Spending Review process.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) jointly undertook communications on the announcement of the new 'farming rules for water' and the approach to their implementation. This included promotion of the rules on gov.uk, posters, banners, summary cards and questions and answer sheets distributed to a wide range of key farming and environmental stakeholders who also raised awareness via talks, press articles and their own websites. The EA continues to promote the rules via the Farming Advice Service (FAS) newsletter.

The EA is responsible for regulation of the rules. In the first year it took an advice led approach raising awareness of the rules with farmers and their advisers. It is now actively enforcing the rules, through advice, guidance and the possibility of both civil and criminal sanctions. The EA takes a risk-based approach to farm visits with the resources it has available for agriculture, targeting visits at the activities with high potential for pollution or where actual pollution has been reported. The EA also works with those producing materials off-farm that are spread on farmers' fields, such as anaerobic digestates and biosolids from the water industry to raise awareness of the rules and the limits on what can be spread.

Traditional orchards are listed as a habitat of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Government agri-environment grant schemes, including Countryside Stewardship (which replaced the Environmental Stewardship Scheme) provide financial support to improve the condition of traditional orchards and to establish more of them.

In England there are 1,952 hectares of traditional orchards being managed or established under agri-environment schemes.

The Government has not made an estimate of the number of batteries that are discarded into general waste each year. Nor do we hold information on the number of fires in waste disposal facilities caused by discarded batteries.

A UK-wide producer responsibility scheme is in place for batteries, placing certain responsibilities on producers for their goods, including at end-of-life.

As part of the Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December 2018, we committed to review the four existing producer responsibility schemes, including the requirements applying to batteries. That review is underway. and will consider the arrangements applying to the disposal and treatment of waste portable batteries Similarly, the arrangements applying to the disposal and treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are also under review, with such equipment often containing batteries.

We continue to work closely with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) on researching and developing biological control methods for Japanese knotweed. Following extensive trials, we approved the release of the psyllid – Aphalara itadori in England to tackle Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica).

We are also funding research into the fungal leaf-spot Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidatii, which has potential as a mycoherbicide for Japanese Knotweed.

The Countryside Stewardship Woodland Improvement Grant and the HS2 Woodland Fund currently provide support for the natural regeneration of native species on plantations, including conifer plantations, on ancient woodland sites.

Our recent consultation on the England Tree Strategy referred to making more use of natural regeneration as part of our approach to diversifying our treescapes and woodlands and to harnessing the power of natural processes such as natural colonisation to establish woodlands where appropriate. We will be considering the responses received during the consultation in due course. In parallel, we are considering how the Nature for Climate Fund might support natural colonisation.

In line with our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies. Policy measures under consideration include standards and consumer information. We are?seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us, where appropriate and subject to consultation, to introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements.

Work is taking place to commission an updated lifecycle assessment for washable and disposable?nappies which will look at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill, and recycling options. This will help us decide on the best course of action for the future and in terms of Government support.

Officials are working with representatives of the nappy industry to help inform policy development in this area and last met with representatives from the Nappy Alliance on 26 October.

In line with our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies. Policy measures under consideration include standards and consumer information. We are?seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us, where appropriate and subject to consultation, to introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements.

Work is taking place to commission an updated lifecycle assessment for washable and disposable?nappies which will look at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill, and recycling options. This will help us decide on the best course of action for the future and in terms of Government support.

Officials are working with representatives of the nappy industry to help inform policy development in this area and last met with representatives from the Nappy Alliance on 26 October.

In line with our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies. Policy measures under consideration include standards and consumer information. We are?seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us, where appropriate and subject to consultation, to introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements.

Work is taking place to commission an updated lifecycle assessment for washable and disposable?nappies which will look at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill, and recycling options. This will help us decide on the best course of action for the future and in terms of Government support.

Officials are working with representatives of the nappy industry to help inform policy development in this area and last met with representatives from the Nappy Alliance on 26 October.

No assessment of the adequacy of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for fungi has been made.

The EIA process takes account of many important habitat types for fungi, such as the habitats of principal importance listed under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 as well as important fungi or species assemblages where impacts would result in a likely significant effect. Specific consideration is given to SSSIs notified for the fungi they support.

The effects of badger vaccination by injection have been evaluated in several captive experimental studies and during a four-year field study in Gloucestershire. Although vaccination with BCG will not guarantee protection from infection, meaning some badgers may still become infected, these studies provide evidence of beneficial effects. In particular, they provide evidence that vaccination reduces the likelihood of badgers developing lesions or excreting TB bacteria and the rate of new infections. The studies also indicate that vaccinating more than one third of adults in a badger social group reduces new infections in unvaccinated badger cubs. It is therefore reasonable to assume that badger vaccination will reduce transmission from badgers to cattle.

Government policy has enabled farmers and landowners to apply for licences to cull or to vaccinate badgers. In its response to the Godfray Review, the Government has set out its ambition to move from badger culling to wider deployment of vaccination, with culling only taking place where surveillance in badgers and cattle indicates re-emerging or persistent infection. In areas where culling has been successfully deployed to reduce the amount of TB infection, we are now proposing to increase deployment of badger vaccination.

I am aware of the recent judgement by the Supreme Court in Ireland in the case between the Revenue Commissioners and Bookfinders in respect of Subway in Ireland. I agree it is an interesting case, not about the general definition of bread or cake, but about specific VAT rates payable for different goods and services, in respect of exemptions to higher tax rates that rely on specific definitions of food. One of these is to define bread, for taxation purposes, as containing no more than 2% of any of a number of substances, including sugar. The court held that this was designated in order to avoid the exemption falling to the supply of food not considered a ‘staple’ for which the exemption was designed, but to ‘indulgences’, which for example might include cakes and pastries.

The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 (BFR) define bread as a food of any size, shape or form which is usually known as bread and consists of a dough made from flour and water, with or without other ingredients, which has been fermented by yeast or otherwise leavened and subsequently baked or partially baked. This definition is intended for consumers rather than for tax purposes.

The BFR are in place primarily as a public health measure to support population intakes of four nutrients. They require therefore that flour sold in the UK (with a few exemptions) must be fortified with calcium, iron, niacin and thiamine, the latter three being simply restored after being lost in the milling process.

Defra has committed to reviewing the BFR, as they apply in England, after the Transition Period. This will take into consideration regulatory concerns raised by industry and any potential legislative changes that might arise from the joint UK Government and Devolved Administrations consultation on the proposed additional requirement to fortify flour with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects in foetuses.

“Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives”, published in July, confirmed that we will introduce legislation to require large out-of-home sector businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways with 250 or more employees, to provide calorie labels on the food they sell. We will also encourage smaller businesses to provide calorie information voluntarily and will consider extending the requirement to include them in the future.

The Eatwell Guide, the UK’s healthy eating model, and associated messaging is promoted through a range of channels including the NHS.UK website, the GOV.UK website, and the Government’s national social marketing campaigns Change4Life and One You.

59% of woodland in England is managed, and we recognise the need to increase support for management–safeguarding our woods, supporting biodiversity and providing sustainable timber.

In addition to existing grant support for management, the Forestry Commission and Institute of Chartered Foresters are working to improve the quality of woodland management plans.

We are also exploring further ways in which we can drive up the levels of sustainable woodland management in the development of the upcoming England Tree Strategy.

Applicants for a licence to cull badgers to control the spread of bovine TB (bTB) must meet Natural England's strict licensing criteria, which specifically includes measures to guard against the potential risk of perturbation effects as a result of disturbed badger social groups.

The independent, peer-reviewed academic study into the effectiveness of badger culling (Downs et al. (2019) Nature Scientific Reports) which showed a decline in bTB incidence in the first two cull areas of Gloucestershire and Somerset, also showed a lack of evidence of a 'perturbation effect' in these areas, unlike the findings of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, where culling led to an increase in bTB incidence rates outside of cull areas.

On the production of pesticides and herbicides, depending on the amounts produced, the manufacture of paraquat and 1,3 dichlorophene are regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH) which implements an EU directive in this area. The COMAH Regulations will continue to apply to Great Britain after the Transition Period.

The export from the UK of paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene is regulated under Regulation (EU) 649/2012 on the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals, known as the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from the UK must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority.

For the UK the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene additionally require the explicit consent of the importing country before export can take place. The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely.

Similar arrangements to PIC will come into force at the end of the Transition Period on 31 December.

The Government is committed to increasing the quantity and quality of waste materials that are recycled.

Following support in our 2019 consultation on ‘Consistency in household and business recycling collections in England’, we will introduce legislation through the Environment Bill that will require a core set of recyclable materials (paper and card, plastic, glass, metal, food waste, garden waste) to be collected from households and businesses by all waste collectors in England.

At consultation we also proposed additional materials that could be included into this core set of materials, including food and drink cartons. Food and drink cartons, such as Tetra Pak cartons, are widely collected by local authorities from households across England (60% of authorities offer kerbside collection).

We are currently engaging with the waste sector to develop detailed proposals for collection and recycling of cartons by all local authorities and will consult on these early in 2021.

We are committed to maintaining our position as world leaders in animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals. We are exploring options with all the industry sectors, including the gamebird industry, to see how welfare standards can be further enhanced and in a way that is sustainable.

The welfare of gamebirds is currently protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering. This is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes, which encourages the adoption of high standards of husbandry.

There are measures in place to keep aminopyralid out of compost and manures. This is necessary because, as a herbicide, aminopyralid can harm broadleaved plants, leading to stunting and distortion (it is important to note that similar effects can result from nutritional deficiencies or diseases). The use of aminopyralid products is subject to strict conditions of use to ensure that plant material which may contain aminopyralid is not used in compost. These conditions have been in place for over ten years and, as a result, the number of reported incidents has declined to a very low level.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors and enforcement officers consider all reported cases of suspected aminopyralid contamination of compost. Decisions on possible compliance and enforcement action are taken on a case-by-case basis. In most cases it is not possible to establish whether or not residues of aminopyralid have damaged plants nor, if so, the source of the residues. HSE maintains close contact with the authorisation holder and continues to keep under review the effectiveness of measures put in place.

The Government has made no specific assessment of the environmental, health and visual impacts of chewing gum being deposited in urban environments.

We believe that businesses should try to reduce the amount of litter their products generate. The Litter Strategy for England, published in 2017, sets out how we intend to work with the relevant industries to tackle certain types of particularly problematic litter, including chewing gum.

Defra chairs the industry-funded Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG), which brings together the main chewing gum producer, Keep Britain Tidy, local government, the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, the Food and Drink Federation and the devolved administrations. The aim of the CGAG is to find and implement sustainable solutions to stop the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum and focus on changing individual behaviour in the long term. The CGAG has run annual behaviour-change campaigns for over ten years. We remain open to exploring other means of securing contributions from the industry to tackle gum litter.

Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a member of the CGAG, has produced a free to use gum littering toolkit. Local authorities, businesses, transport providers or any other organisation interested in reducing gum littering can access readymade campaigns for free. This toolkit was promoted as part of Defra’s ‘Respect the Outdoors’ campaign that was launched this summer. More information can be found at: https://tacklegumlittering.co.uk/.

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

Sewage sludge spread to land as fertiliser or soil improver can be a valuable source of nutrients. The recycling of sewage sludge to land remains a safe activity, provided it is carried out in accordance with the relevant regulatory controls and good practice guidance is followed.

Currently, water companies in the UK can spread sewage sludge under either the more commonly used Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations (SUiAR) or the Environmental Permitting Regulations. Since the introduction of the SUiAR regulations in the 1980s, practices and treatment of sludge has changed considerably. To modernise this regime, in March 2020 the Environment Agency published a ‘Sludge Strategy’ which will review the safe use of sewage sludge. This strategy will enable better management of the environmental impacts of land spreading sludge, and modernise the regulatory framework surrounding the treatment, storage and use of sludge. Details on the strategy can be found via this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use

I have noted Henry Dimbleby’s comments about M&S’s use of the terms ‘with natural fruit juice’ and ‘no artificial colours or artificial flavourings’ on Percy Pigs. In terms of the application of the present EU law, it is the responsibility of local authority trading standards, who are responsible for enforcing food labelling, who consider the whole label when making a judgement as to whether or not it is misleading.

These statements do not constitute health claims as defined by current nutrition and health claims legislation. However, Mr Dimbleby’s comments used this product as an example of a wider issue where such claims may in some circumstances be viewed as confusing or misleading, in that they might present otherwise unhealthy food if not consumed according to recommended portion sizes with a degree of wholesomeness.

At the end of the Transition Period we will be able to determine how food on our shop shelves is labelled. We are committed to undertaking a wide ranging review of food labelling to ensure that consumers can continue to have confidence in the food they buy. We will ensure that in collaboration with DHSC the issues raised by Mr Dimbleby in his National Food Strategy are evaluated, along with the impact of potential policy options, as part of this labelling review.

We received an application from the Ilkley Clean River Group in October 2019 for a stretch of the River Wharfe to be designated as a bathing water area. After reviewing further evidence, we are now preparing to proceed to a public consultation. Given the ongoing situation with Covid-19, we will schedule a date to begin the consultation as soon as it is appropriate to do so. This was confirmed by Minister Pow in a letter to the Ilkley Clean River Group on 13 May, following a meeting with Robbie Moore MP to discuss the application.

We have considered the application in line with our usual process for applications for bathing water designation, the details of which are available on the GOV.UK website.

Records show that Natural England (NE) has issued 122 licences for the control of starlings since 2007. Licence returns indicate that 2,918 birds have been killed during this period, although the actual number will be higher as not all licensees have submitted returns. We do not have earlier data since NE was vested in 2006.

The following table presents the licensing information available for each year from 2007. To note, NE underwent a system change in 2013 meaning that return information for that year is not available.

Defra welcomes applications for designation as bathing waters for both coastal and inland waters such as rivers. Local authorities, groups and individuals can apply for sites to be designated. Defra encourages this by writing to the Chief Executive of every local authority in England, as well as by sending similar letters to other stakeholders like swimming associations. It is these local authorities and stakeholders who will best know which popular riverside bathing areas may be suitable for designation.

Providing information about access on public rights of way and open access land is a role usually performed by local highway authorities, as local access is their responsibility.

We are clear that everyone should follow the Countryside Code. A key part of Government strategy involves clear and consistent messaging to key stakeholders and the media. Our messaging seeks to promote better behaviour in the countryside and encourage a partnership response. Defra is working with Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), National Park Authorities and other Government departments to promote a series of guidance videos to educate users about travelling to and spending time outdoors safely in the wider countryside. This includes an updated Countryside Code. This guidance is available at the following links:

Green space access:

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-safely

The Countryside Code:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/the-countryside-code

The UK has a high degree of food security built on access to a range of sources including robust supply chains across a range of countries, in addition to strong domestic production. Strong domestic food production is only one part of our food security. We supplement our produce with fruits, vegetables and other products that are difficult to grow and rear here.

The Government recognises the value of local food chains as over half of the food that the UK population consumes is domestically produced. Defra works with a range of local companies and regional food groups to champion local food and highlight the qualities of British food products, such as meat, dairy, and vegetables, as well as fish caught in UK waters. We are proud of our great British food and drink, and the farmers and other producers who provide us all with a reliable and sustainable food supply, renowned for its quality and underpinned by high standards of food safety, traceability and animal welfare.

The Government recognises the important role played by community shops and the vital part they play in many rural communities in supporting vulnerable groups. Defra has been in contact with local authorities and volunteer groups to help prioritise those individuals to access essential food by, among other things, being able to contact smaller food retailers. We recognise and are very grateful for all the work that community shops have done in recent weeks, helping to ensure that people have the food they need.

The Government has asked Henry Dimbleby to lead an Independent Review of the food chain, to develop recommendations to shape a National Food Strategy. It is the intention that this strategy should address major challenges including food security.

Environmental organisations make a valuable contribution to the Government's environmental agenda. They do this through conservation of the natural environment; engaging people in the natural world; and providing access to our beautiful landscapes and coastlines.

As we rebuild our economy in response to the coronavirus pandemic, we must continue to shape an economy and society that are cleaner, greener and more resilient. This Government remains committed to being a world leader on tackling the environmental crises we face. Our recently launched £40 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund will support up to 2000 jobs and lead to the creation of up to 3000 more in environmental space.

We welcome the range of proposals that have been shared by groups including environmental organisations to deliver a green recovery. We are reviewing these based upon the best use of public funds.

In the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government committed to publishing an England Peat Strategy to create and deliver a new ambitious framework for peat restoration in England. It will set out a holistic plan for the management, protection and restoration of our upland and lowland peatlands so that they deliver benefits for climate and nature. We intend to publish the strategy later this year.

The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. We are currently looking at how legislation could achieve this and considering next steps. Real progress is being made in promoting sustainable alternatives. We have urged landowners to adopt these and continue to work with them constructively.

Burning on moorland may be carried out between 1 October and 15 April. No data is collected on the number of management fires that take place on blanket bog or other upland habitats. Natural England (NE) has recorded nine wildfires on upland sites during the 2019-20 burning season. Five of these affected blanket bog.

Voluntary Commitments to suspend burning were signed by 159 land managers (as of 24 September 2018). Of a total of 402 consents to burn, 187 have either expired or been surrendered since that time, equating to 47% of all consents.

NE does not monitor compliance with these Voluntary Commitments.

The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. We are currently looking at how legislation could achieve this and considering next steps. Real progress is being made in promoting sustainable alternatives. We have urged landowners to adopt these and continue to work with them constructively.

Burning on moorland may be carried out between 1 October and 15 April. No data is collected on the number of management fires that take place on blanket bog or other upland habitats. Natural England (NE) has recorded nine wildfires on upland sites during the 2019-20 burning season. Five of these affected blanket bog.

Voluntary Commitments to suspend burning were signed by 159 land managers (as of 24 September 2018). Of a total of 402 consents to burn, 187 have either expired or been surrendered since that time, equating to 47% of all consents.

NE does not monitor compliance with these Voluntary Commitments.

Natural England (NE) runs the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) in England. WIIS makes enquiries into reports of the death or illness of wildlife, pets and beneficial invertebrates that may have resulted from pesticide poisoning.

WIIS has continued to operate in England. Routine WIIS field work was suspended in late March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, NE has continued to deal with reported cases through desk-based investigations supported by the police and other local agents. NE will recommence field visits when this can be done safely.

Biodiversity is a devolved matter in the UK, and each country has its own national biodiversity plan or strategy. The UK framework was established by the UK Government and Devolved Administrations to identify joint actions to complement country implementation, for example on reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), evidence collation and sharing of best practice.

The UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and its implementation plan are reviewed regularly by the four UK countries, alongside the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. It is our intention to continue working together to develop a new UK Biodiversity Framework and associated implementation plan, on which discussions are underway.

Our intention is also that the new Biodiversity Framework will set out shared priorities and areas for collaboration across the UK, primarily as a collective response to the post-2020 global framework of goals and targets, expected to be agreed at the CBD’s Fifteenth Conference of the Parties, COP15.

We had envisaged that publication of a new UK Framework would follow COP15, originally scheduled for October 2020, and therefore lead on directly from the existing implementation plan. As COP15 has been delayed to 2021 in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we will ensure that our collaborative momentum continues, including to consider a further revised plan until the new global framework is announced.

The Government is aware of suggestions that there has been an increase in reports of wildlife crime, in particular associated with raptor persecution, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Raptor persecution is one of the UK's six wildlife crime priorities and we understand a number of criminal investigations are ongoing. However, it is not possible to confirm on available data whether there has been an increase in the incidents of wildlife crime, increased reporting, or a combination of both.

The current water supply issues in Wolverhampton and Shropshire are due to constraints in Severn Trent Water's distribution network, and not a lack of available water. Severn Trent Water has responded to the issue by asking customers to use water wisely to reduce demand. The CEO of Severn Trent Water attended the National Drought Group chaired by the Environment Agency on 5 June 2020 to discuss the current risks and approaches to the dry weather and water demand management.

If the company has issues with available water resources it will activate its statutory Drought Plan to manage the situation. In the long term, the water company will need to assess how it manages its supply and demand, including proactively reducing leakage and managing demand through its statutory Water Resources Management Plan. In addition, through its business plan that it submits to Ofwat it will need to assess whether it has the correct infrastructure to cope with future demands from customers.

The Government recognises the crucial role the UK's horticulture industry plays in both feeding the country and in promoting people's health and wellbeing. The UK has the climate, the landscape, and entrepreneurial farmers and growers to enable us to produce world-class fruit and vegetables.

We are proud of our growing food reputation. Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), whether they be for beef from Scotland, lamb from Wales or asparagus from the Vale of Evesham in England, play an important role as exemplars of our quality produce. We are committed to celebrating the success of these regional and traditional products whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed, along with driving further market access to make sure they are enjoyed here and around the world.

We will always champion our farmers and growers, supporting them to grow more of our great British food and to provide a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public. This includes through using powers under our landmark Agriculture Bill, and through our work with the Food and Drink Sector Council, a formal industry partnership with the Government, helping to create a more productive and sustainable food and drink sector.

The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. Half of the food we eat is produced in the UK. The rest of our food is imported, with 30% coming from the EU and 20% from other countries. The UK's current production to supply ratio is 75% for indigenous-type foods and 61% for all foods. We produce 61% - 75% of our food supply, but some of that is exported.

Under the current EU State Aid rules we have been unable to promote our home produced food and drink to the domestic market in Government sponsored campaigns nationally. However, we continue to work with regional food groups to showcase their top-quality produce locally; tying this up where we can with stakeholder initiatives (such as those of the AHDB), focussing on provenance and the UKs world-leading standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.

Biodiversity, including species reintroductions, is a devolved issue and this answer relates to England only. The Government remains committed to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species, such as beaver, as set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan.

At the Government’s request and with the agreement of the Devon Wildlife Trust, Natural England has extended the River Otter Beaver Trial until 31 August 2020, and is analysing the results of this trial and a range of experience with beavers across the UK and in other countries.

This analysis will inform decisions on the future of River Otter beavers and the status of beaver in England, including our approach for future reintroductions, management and licensing.

The 25 Year Environment Plan commits us to restoring 75% of our 1 million hectares of terrestrial and freshwater protected sites to favourable condition by 2042. Defra and Natural England are working with land owners and managers and others to improve the condition of our protected sites as a core component of a Nature Recovery Network.

There is no universally agreed description for ultra-processed foods and therefore the Government cannot comment on the percentage of such in the food parcels. The contents of the emergency food parcels have, however, been reviewed by nutritionists as overall based on, and broadly in line with, the national food model, the Eatwell Guide.

Defra is working very closely with the dairy and other agricultural sectors through this period of disruption to manage the impact of Covid-9 on the dairy supply chain.

The Government encourages environmentally-friendly farming. Each farming method has its own benefits and it is a farmer’s commercial decision to choose the system that best suits their farm. Environmentally-friendly farming and food production can go hand in hand.

To support the dairy industry through impacts of Covid-19, we have introduced a wide range of measures, which will also benefit dairy farmers employing agro-ecological practices.

We have eased some elements of competition law to make it easier for dairy processors to come together to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency and ensure as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products.

Moreover, in recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing this sector we announced on 7 May a new fund to support those dairy farmers who have seen decreased demand due to the loss of the food service sector. Eligible dairy farmers in England who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May due to coronavirus disruptions will be eligible for funding of up to £10,000 each, to cover 70% of their lost income during this qualifying period. This will enable these producers to continue to operate and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

AHDB together with Dairy UK have also launched a new £1m campaign to drive consumption of milk. Running over 12 weeks, the campaign will highlight the role that milk plays in supporting moments of personal connection during times of crisis. Defra and the devolved administrations are jointly contributing towards the financing of this campaign.

Alongside the Covid-19 Business Interruption Loans Scheme, HMT has announced the new Bounce Back Loan scheme which will also apply to businesses operating in agriculture. This will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.

The existing public intervention scheme for skimmed milk powder and butter continues to be available. This provides a floor price for dairy products, supporting the dairy industry to sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. In addition from 7 May, UK dairy processors are also eligible to apply for EU funded private storage aid in respect of skimmed milk powder, butter and cheese.

For organic dairy farmers whose milk is being sold as conventional milk, we offered a derogation to allow these farmers to provide their cows with conventional feed in order to reduce costs.

The new Environmental Land Management scheme will be the cornerstone of our future agricultural policy. It will reward farmers and land managers for the delivery of public goods with public money. The ELM scheme is being designed collaboratively with stakeholders. We are considering how more environmentally-sustainable farming approaches, including organic farming and agro-ecological approaches, may fit within ELM where these contribute towards the delivery of environmental public goods. Land managers will be paid for delivering the following public goods set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan: clean air; clean and plentiful water; thriving plants and wildlife; protection from and mitigation of environmental hazards; beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment; mitigation of and adaptation to climate change

Meanwhile, Countryside Stewardship (CS) provides a stepping stone to the future scheme, paying for environmental enhancements now as area-based payments are phased out. CS supports Defra’s Strategic Objective of ‘a cleaner, healthier environment, benefitting people and the economy’. Through the scheme, farmers can apply for funding to improve their local environment – from restoring wildlife habitats and creating woodlands to managing flood risk.

We will continue to offer Countryside Stewardship agreements in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Defra is working very closely with both farmer and processor representatives through this period of disruption to manage the impact on the dairy supply chain of Covid-19. Farmers supplying milk to processors that sell into the food service sector have seen a significant reduction in demand and we have taken several steps to support those affected.

This includes by temporarily setting aside some elements of competition law to enable farmers and the wider dairy sector to work together to minimise milk being wasted and to ensure it is processed into longer life dairy products. This approach will allow the market for milk to adjust to the change in demand for milk while allowing production to be restored when shops, restaurants and pubs are able to open again.

The Government's Covid-19 Business Interruption Loans scheme is available to the dairy industry to support them in this difficult period. I urge those farm businesses for whom it is appropriate to consider accessing these loans. Defra has held urgent discussions with the major banks to ensure they understand that farmers, milk buyers and milk processors are eligible for this scheme and we are working to increase awareness across the dairy industry. HMT have also now announced the new Bounce Back Loan scheme which will apply to businesses operating in agriculture. This will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans. The government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.

The Government also took a number of early emergency steps to support dairy farmers and the wider sector. These included designating employees in the food sector as key workers and temporarily relaxing the normal rules on drivers' hours, enabling the sector to keep supply chains running, including deliveries from farm gate to processors.

The Government values green spaces such as allotments and considers them to be an important community asset, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak. Allotments play an important role in helping people to live a healthy and active lifestyle and in providing food.

Local councils have a statutory duty under Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 to provide a sufficient number of allotments based on local demand in an area and to let them to people residing in that area who want them. The provision of allotment spaces is the responsibility of local councils as they are best placed to determine the demand in their area.

In 2012, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a best practice guide for community groups wanting to find land to grow fruit and vegetables. This is available on the GOV.UK website at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide.

The Local Government Association also provides guidance on allotments and community food growing schemes in its “Growing in the community” guidance, which is available online at: www.local.gov.uk/growing-community-second-edition.

Pesticides, including glyphosate and other herbicides, are strictly regulated and their use is only authorised if a scientific risk assessment shows that there will be no harmful effect on human health and no unacceptable effects on the environment. There are specific risk assessments for the use of pesticides in amenity areas, which includes local authority use. There are also controls on the use of pesticides, including training of users and testing of application equipment.

It is for local authorities to determine the need for pest and weed control in their operations and to decide how to deliver this effectively without harming people or the environment. There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the general public and a number of local authorities are exploring practices that help meet this requirement.

Local authorities are not required to report their use of chemical pesticides and no central record is kept. The Government does commission and publish surveys of pesticide use. These focus mainly on the use of pesticides in farming, but surveys of amenity use have been carried out from time to time, most recently in 2016.

The 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) commits the Government to safeguarding and enhancing the beauty of our natural scenery and improving its environmental value, while being sensitive to considerations of its heritage. We will continue this approach to improving the natural environment, both identifying the mutually positive impacts on the natural and historic environments our policies can have, as well as identifying potential trade-offs between them. Under the Environment Bill, to be reintroduced shortly, the 25YEP will be adopted as the first statutory Environment Improvement Plan.

The Agriculture Bill, recently laid before Parliament, will enable the Government to develop our ambitious new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme. Our scheme is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM will provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25YEP and commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while supporting our rural economy. Through the scheme, land managers will be paid to deliver public goods set out in the 25YEP, including beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment.

Our Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while supporting our rural economy.

ELM is looking into several options for sourcing advisors, considering both private and public sector options. The options we are considering allow flexibility to source experienced advisors in the short-term for the National Pilot, whilst building sufficient and high-quality advisor capacity to support the full roll out of ELM. The National Pilot provides an opportunity to co-design with stakeholders and land managers the most appropriate way to provide this capacity and whether it is provided from the public or private sector.

The Government is committed to phasing out the use of peat in horticulture in England by 2030. In 2011, we set a voluntary target to phase out the use of horticultural peat in the amateur sector by 2020, and the professional sector by 2030. While some progress has been made, we stated in the 25 Year Environment Plan that we would consider implementing further measures if there is insufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020. We will set out plans to speed up progress on ending the use of horticultural peat in the England Peat Strategy, which we will publish this year.

The Government has engaged with Eurostar’s shareholders on a number of occasions in the last year. The Rail Minister has also met with Eurostar’s majority shareholder, SNCF, specifically to discuss the challenges facing the company in light of Covid-19 and the steps its shareholders are taking to address this.

The Government has made available an unprecedented package of financial support to all sectors of the economy, including the international rail sector. The Government has been engaging closely with Eurostar since the outbreak of Covid-19 to monitor its ongoing impact, as well as support the company to access available support to address Eurostar’s needs, where appropriate, and will continue to do so.

The Government has no plans to ban advertising of high polluting vehicles. However, the Government is going further and faster to decarbonise transport by phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and, from 2035, all new cars and vans must be zero emission at the tailpipe. Coupled with the new phase out dates we have pledged a further £2.8 billion package of measures to support industry and consumers to make the switch to cleaner vehicles.

The point-of-sale environmental label for new cars has recently been redesigned to present vehicle-specific environmental information in a clear, easy to understand and highly visible way. This ensures that consumers are provided with the right information at the right time to make informed purchasing decisions. A new ‘running costs’ section helps to emphasise the savings possible from electric and the most fuel-efficient cars. In addition, the Vehicle Certification Agency hosts a variety of tools that inform consumers of emissions data for new and used cars.

HMG is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce and ultimately phase out greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. The measure agreed at the recent Marine Environment Protection Committee represents a compromise for short-term carbon intensity improvements and provides a framework upon which we can continue to build in the coming years. This is the first step of many under the Initial IMO Strategy to decarbonise international shipping. HMG will be working closely with other Member States and the IMO to develop robust medium- and long-term measures.

The Department for Transport has recently commissioned an independent review into the safety of recreational General Aviation. The review showed a continuous downward trend in the number of accidents involving light aircrafts since the 1980s, and that the number of accidents in the UK is lower than in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The authors considered that the current safety level of recreational GA is acceptable but made a number of recommendations. We will work with the CAA to consider the implications, and will continue to keep all areas of safety policy under review.

Regarding third country registered aircraft based in the UK, the majority are non-complex aircraft registered in the US, used for recreational aviation. Both the General Aviation safety review and evidence from the CAA show there is no evidence that overall non-UK registered aircraft are maintained to a lower standard than UK registered aircraft, and that overall non-UK and European registered aircraft do not have a higher accident rate.

For these reasons, the Department for Transport does not consider there to be a safety case to change the regulation of third country registered aircrafts operating primarily in the UK. However, as highlighted above, we will continue to keep all areas of safety policy under review.

Her Majesty’s Government employs a relevant, robust and trusted analytical process designed to assess the likely impacts of both individual strategic road schemes and our road investment strategy as a whole. The impacts of such schemes on, for example, carbon, employment, housing, air quality and environmental issues are all assessed by the Department in line with its Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG).

The Department keeps its appraisal and modelling methodologies which are set out in TAG, under constant review, commissioning research to improve the evidence base as well as improving methodologies. The recently published TAG route map sets out our plans to update our guidance over the next six months and includes plans to update carbon values once these are finalised by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

There are no planned changes to Northern’s off-peak travel requirements. In the current COVID-19 crisis, Northern has prioritised running a service for customers that is both resilient and reliable, rather than ramping up services too quickly or introducing measures that may lead to increased passenger demand and thereby exceed restrictions on social distancing.

International passenger rail services provide a number of benefits for passengers, businesses and the wider economy, including environmental benefits. The Government supports the future growth and success of international passenger rail and would welcome the development of potential sleeper services from across Great Britain to continental destinations, linking up with European services.

To that end, the Department for Transport has engaged with UK and European partners to encourage the future growth of international passenger rail services. Officials stand ready to further engage with any potential operators of new international services, including sleeper services, where they have a proposition they wish to explore.

The Government supports airports making best of their existing runways. Potential airport growth applications should be considered under the appropriate planning regime and should take careful account of all relevant considerations, particularly economic and environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.

Applications to increase existing planning caps by fewer than 10 million passengers per annum (mppa) as in the case of Leeds-Bradford, should be taken forward through local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Government works with all key partners across the country, including local authorities within Oxfordshire and with Network Rail, in ensuring consideration is given to appropriate sustainable transport modes, in particular, where there are planned housing developments. There is a requirement for local authorities to include any proposals in their local plans.

There is a requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework for local authorities to ensure that transport issues are considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals. In planning for new settlements this involves ensuring that opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use are identified and pursued. Plans are also prepared with the active involvement of local highways authorities, other transport infrastructure providers and operators and neighbouring councils, so that strategies and investments for supporting sustainable transport and development patterns are aligned.

The responsibility for any assessment of levels of use and increases of carbon emissions for these proposals would lie with the local highway authority, Oxfordshire County Council.

A study of the rail corridors in Oxfordshire has been undertaken by Network Rail in partnership with the Department for Transport and local stakeholders led by the Oxfordshire Growth Board. The scope of the study has included the possibility of reopening the line between Oxford and Cowley for passenger services, with two new stations serving the Oxford Business and Science Park. The work undertaken to date has not included an assessment of the impact on carbon emissions.

The Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study will be published this Spring, and further development work on reopening the Cowley line will be progressed in accordance with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline.

A study of the rail corridors in Oxfordshire has been undertaken by Network Rail in partnership with the Department for Transport and local stakeholders led by the Oxfordshire Growth Board. The scope of the study has included an assessment of the demand for train services to and from Oxfordshire stations, including Culham, taking account of planned housing growth contained within existing Local Plans.

The Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study will be published this Spring, and the outcomes will be progressed in accordance with the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline. The work undertaken to date has not included an assessment of the impact on carbon emissions of any proposals, which is because the limit of the study work was to produce a train service specification to meet forecast demand, understand the existing capacity shortfall and the infrastructure interventions that might be required in order to meet that specification.

This was content provided by a third party supplier and was designed to help individuals understand that they can acknowledge different points of view when answering questions. The choice of “global warming” as an example subject was not appropriate and the content has been removed.

The Government acknowledges the report by Z2K published in May 2021 and will consider its findings as part of our consultation on the Health & Disability Green Paper, published on 20 July. The Green Paper explores how the benefits system can better meet people’s needs now and in the future by improving people’s experience of our services, enabling independent living and improving employment outcomes.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of disabled people and yesterday published the National Disability Strategy. The strategy takes into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on disabled people and focuses on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects of life.

The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance outlines control measures that should protect against virus transmission and these remain unchanged. Ensuring good ventilation, staying at home, working from home where you can, social distancing, hand washing and cleaning surfaces are all measures that will reduce infection risk.

The University of Glasgow and the Health Foundation’s report offers useful insights. We take these issues seriously and will consider the recommendations and key findings alongside the work on the forthcoming Health and Disability Support Green Paper, which will explore how the welfare system can better meet the needs of disabled people and people with health conditions. Improving employment support will be a key theme of the Green Paper.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced the following website-based advice on air conditioning and ventilation in the workplace for existing buildings during the pandemic

https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm

HSE is carrying out a review of this guidance in light of SAGE’s (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) consideration of evidence on aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2. If required as a result of this review HSE will update the advice provided on their website. This will also be communicated to stakeholders across all sectors via HSE’s e-bulletin subscription service.

Public health authorities lead multi-agency outbreak investigation teams and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a significant role to play when a workplace is involved. HSE contributes information about the extent and effectiveness of infection risk controls in the workplace enabling the team to draw conclusions about likely infection routes.

HSE is also carrying out proactive spot checks of workplaces to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19, and provides guidance on relevant COVID-19 risk controls for businesses and organisations on it’s website (www.hse.gov.uk).

Establishing what allowed the transmission of the virus is a priority and HSE engages across government with Public Health England (PHE), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency and the devolved administrations; sharing data and learning lessons. HSE’s Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) is on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and co-Chairs the Environmental and Modelling group which aims to provide scientific information on transmission in the built environment, which would include many workplaces. This group have been engaging with PHE, the Department for Health and Social Care and others to ensure that environmental considerations have been considered during outbreak management.

The Government has made available up to an extra £14.2 million for HSE to support the provision of advice and regulatory activities. These funds will be drawn down throughout the year to bring in additional inspectors, call centre staff and equipment as required.

Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public and staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely. Reviews and reassessments will remain suspended while we review what activity we can gradually start reintroducing in line with the latest public health advice. We will confirm next steps as soon as possible.

The Citizens’ Basic Income does not target those most in need of support; it also has high costs and reduces work incentives. The Department for Work and Pensions believes the future lies in support that is increasingly tailored to the needs of the individual which Universal Credit underpins.

The Stevenson/Farmer review of mental health and employers, published in October 2017 set out recommendations for how employers can better support the mental health needs of all those in employment. The recommendations included some for the Government to implement and some that required leadership from outside government. The recommendations were accepted in full in November 2017 and progress is being overseen by the Work and Health Unit.

Our assessment is that of those that the Government is responsible for all are complete or progressing satisfactorily, subject to legislative or IT solutions.

Of those recommendations that sit outside Government, the Leadership Council, made up of key employer representatives was set up to take ownership for driving implementation by employers. We continue to actively work with them to support them in their progress.

Under the Health and Safety (First Aid) at Work Regulations 1981 employers have a responsibility to consider the physical and mental health needs of their staff regardless of whether the cause is work-related or not as part of their first aid needs assessment, and decide what support is necessary. HSE provides guidance to employers on what type of factors to consider, see link for more information. (https://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-assessment.htm).

The Government have announced additional funding of up to £14 million has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support their advice and regulatory activity as businesses implement the new guidance on working safely. HSE’s plans will develop as more businesses return to work and this will include checks that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19.

The Government has also announced a total of £3.2 billion of funding for councils to support their response to the pandemic. This is a significant package of support which responds to the range of pressures councils have told us they are facing and will support them to protect vital services.

Data for claimants on Universal Credit with a Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy deduction is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Government does not keep a record of which toilets are open and which are locked with a Radar key either pre or during the Covid-19 situation.

The Radar National Key Scheme offers disabled people independent access to over 9,000 locked public toilets around the country with one key. Toilets fitted with National Key Scheme locks can now be found in shopping centres, pubs, cafes, department stores, bus and train stations and many other locations in the country, and are operated by a wide range of organisations.

The information requested in not available.

Figures on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy are publically available through the DWP Stat Xplore website:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Figures on DWP Stat Xplore do not include claimants on Universal Credit with a Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy deduction, as this data is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

No estimate has been made. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not received any reports to indicate that Second Sight have withdrawn or failed to provide product support to existing patients. Additionally, NHS England does not routinely commission products supplied by Second Sight.

No assessment of the risk of medical device companies collapsing had been made. While there is an obligation on manufacturers to confirm the safety and performance of the devices throughout their lifetime, if a company is sold, the liability for these post-market requirements is usually a matter for the contract between parties. The MHRA is considering how post-market obligations on manufacturers can be strengthened in the forthcoming amendments to the Medical Devices Regulations 2002.

When contracting for the supply of medical devices, due diligence is undertaken on the financial standing of a supplier by procurement teams to gain assurance of the supplier’s ability to maintain supply in line with contractual and regulatory obligations. Patients remain in the care of prescribing clinicians who will make decisions on treatment and care in the event that supply of a product or service is disrupted. The Department monitors supply threats through engagement with suppliers and trade associations and uses intelligence to identify potential disruptions.

In early 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will lead on a consultation on proposed changes to public sector food procurement policy, including the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF). The consultation will seek views on promoting local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, opening public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses and increasing the transparency of food supply chains. Specific dates for the recommendations of this consultation and their implementation will be announced in due course.

On 15 July 2021, the nutrition standards in the GBSF were updated to reflect the latest scientific nutritional evidence. On 18 August 2021, the Government Buying Standards for food and catering services: nutrition standards: Technical guidance was published to provide catering establishments with practical advice to implement the GBSF standards. A copy of the guidance is attached. We recognise that catering establishments will need to plan menus to include products that meet the revised guidelines. There will be an implementation period of 12 months to ensure compliance, with an extension of three years for the Reducing Salt standard and the sandwich component of the Reducing Saturated Fat Standard.

For breast implants and other implantable materials, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently considering what information should be provided to the patient at the point of consent and on receipt of the implant. The new regulatory approach is not yet finalised but warnings, precautions or measures to be taken by the patient or a healthcare professional are being considered as is a caution that risk may emerge during use of an implantable device, including, where appropriate, on Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. Further information about the outcome of the public consultation on the regulation of medical devices is expected to be published early this year.

We have no plans to use executive search consultants in appointing the Patient Safety Commissioner.

Experts continue to keep the symptoms under review as our understanding of the virus develops. We assess the data from the COVID Symptom Study in addition to other surveillance studies and will update our guidance if necessary.

In England, veterans are able to access both mainstream and veteran specific services. There are several bespoke veterans’ services in place to meet the needs of military personnel, veterans and their families. This includes very strong mental health support, known as ‘Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service’, which has received over 16,000 referrals to date. Together these services provide a complete mental health care pathway for veterans with individuals benefitting from personalised care plans, ensuring they can access support and treatment both in and out of hours.

The Government has committed an additional £2.7 million to expand these services which will directly benefit at-risk veterans, some of whom may have been impacted by the recent events in Afghanistan.

There is a cross-Government effort to design a package for arrivals from Afghanistan, including the support that is needed to help these families relocate to the United Kingdom. The cost of managed quarantine is being considered in these discussions and we are actively looking to provide support where the need is greatest.

The information requested is not held centrally as much of this funding was spent at trust level.

The Government is committed to reforming the adult social care system and will bring forward proposals in 2021.

We are working closely with local and national partners to ensure our approach to reform is informed by diverse perspectives, including of those with lived experience of the care sector.

All staff working in managed quarantine facilities are actively encouraged to take a voluntary daily lateral flow device test. Staff are also offered a weekly polymerase chain reaction test. Whilst the tests are optional, the process is COVID-19 compliant, in addition to social distancing measures and procedures. Staff are not restricted to working only in these facilities during their term of employment.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Additional food and drinks can be ordered and delivered to the hotel main reception. All deliveries are left outside the guest's room and staff should have no contact with the guest.

Ventilation requirements within the Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) hotels have been identified and agreed with Public Health England. Mechanical ventilation systems should be maintained in line with manufacturers’ instructions and should use a fresh air supply and not recirculating indoor air. This is to prevent airborne transmissibility and is an essential specification within hotel contracts. We ensure these are being met as part of the initial site visit undertaken by MQS staff and security. Each hotel should ensure that air-conditioning, ventilation, fire alarms and sprinkler systems are working properly. We are encouraging hotels to meet the guidance given by the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations.

The Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection Programme is an innovative way to monitor community health and involves monitoring sewage for the presence of COVID-19, including variants of concern. It provides an understanding where the virus is circulating in the population and identify future potential spikes in infection, so action can be taken to stop transmission. The Programme is rapidly expanding its coverage to provide continuous monitoring at a local level and across England.

Wastewater testing has been used to support several local authorities to rapidly understand where local outbreaks are occurring and to detect the emergence of variants of concern in their areas. This involves working intensively with local authority and public health teams to identify areas for focused wastewater testing. It also provides reassurance to local communities who are impacted. The Programme is funded and delivered in England by the Joint Biosecurity Centre in partnership with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at no cost to local authorities.

We do not hold information on the ownership status of care homes therefore no such assessment has been made.

The infection prevention control principles within current National Health Service guidance are applicable to all healthcare settings. The key principle of ventilation is to dilute COVID-19 through air changes and both air extraction and fresh air supply can be used to achieve this.

The infection prevention control principles within current National Health Service guidance are applicable to all healthcare settings. The key principle of ventilation is to dilute COVID-19 through air changes and both air extraction and fresh air supply can be used to achieve this.

The information is not held in the format requested. All healthcare staff must undertake mandatory safeguarding training that enable staff to effectively safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children and young people.

The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 covers the prohibition of tobacco advertising. The advertising of e-cigarettes is covered under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR).

The Department expects social media platforms to comply with the above regulations in the United Kingdom. The Advertising Standards Authority are responsible for dealing with complaints around tobacco and e-cigarette advertising.

The Department is currently undertaking a post implementation review of TRPR to assess if the regulations have met their objectives. A public consultation is currently open for responses, and provides an opportunity for comments to be made on this legislation.

The Government has no plans to do so. However, for those facing significant financial hardship as a result of this charge, there is an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking.

In April 2020, we put in place a comprehensive package of wellbeing resources for National Health Service staff including counselling helplines, free access to wellbeing apps, virtual staff commons rooms, and specialist bereavement and psychological support. This was reinforced in the autumn with £30 million invested in enhanced occupational health support and the creation of mental health hubs which are focused on improving outreach, assessment and referrals to specialist services.

Taking leave is important to allow staff the opportunity to rest and recuperate. The NHS employment offer already includes annual leave arrangements beyond the statutory minimum and management of annual leave is a local matter for employing organisations. Where staff have been unable to take annual leave due to the pandemic, agreements can be reached to ensure that annual leave can be carried over into the next two years.

We are working closely with all 314 lower tier and unitary local authorities to collate information on how the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme is progressing and will release information on the number of applications, successful applications and amounts paid out in due course.

If a local authority has used all of its discretionary funding, it is for that authority to decide whether to accept further applications or whether to use other sources of funding. However, the funding made available to local authorities to make discretionary payments under the scheme has been increased to £20 million per month from March 2021.

This information is not currently held centrally. However, data on the scheme will be published in due course, subject to assuring the quality of the data submitted by local authorities.

Public health issues are being actively considered as part of the Government’s trade policy development. The Government has been clear that it will uphold the United Kingdom’s high levels of public, animal, and plant health.

The UK’s five-year national action plan for antimicrobial resistance includes ambitions to reduce antimicrobial use in human and animal medicine. Public Health England (PHE) works with the National Health Service to develop and maintain robust surveillance systems for monitoring and reporting trends in antimicrobial use. Local data on antibiotic prescribing is published by PHE in an online only format and can be used by healthcare staff, commissioners and directors of public health to benchmark performance and develop local action plans.

We have interpreted the noble Lady’s question as referring to the degradation of antibiotics in the environment. The United Kingdom is working with the pharmaceutical industry, water industry, research institutes and across Government to address the issue of antibiotics in the environment, as part of both the UK’s five year National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance and response to the European Commission’s Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment report. Work is still at the evidence-gathering stage but it is anticipated that research will include looking at occurrence and behaviour of antibiotics in the environment, which may include degradation. Findings will feed into evidence-based policy to inform potential solutions, which may include more prudent prescribing, better waste management and a drive towards greener manufacture and development of pharmaceuticals.

There are no plans to undertake a public consultation on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to different age groups and other district population groups.

There are no plans to make scabies a notifiable disease.

At present, only one ivermectin-containing product is approved in the United Kingdom (Soolantra 10 mg/g cream) but this is not indicated in the treatment of scabies in tablet form. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are aware that Stromectol 3mg tablets, containing ivermectin, are approved in France and are used for the treatment of scabies but this is not licensed in the UK.

In order for the MHRA to approve a medicine for use in the UK, a manufacturer has to apply to obtain a marketing authorisation. The MHRA makes its decision to approve a licence for a product based on safety, quality and efficacy criteria, irrespective of the cost. Thus far, the MHRA has not received any application for tablets of ivermectin.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza group on Behaviour (SPI-B) offers insights into the behavioural and psychological impacts of the implementation of proposed interventions or responses to COVID-19. SPI-B is not asked to comment on the effectiveness of particular interventions, nor on when they should be triggered. The group is asked to provide advice aimed at anticipating and helping people adhere to interventions that are recommended by medical or epidemiological experts.

The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) applies to all organisations providing National Health Service healthcare services under the full-length version of the NHS standard contract. The status and reporting by NHS trust subsidiary companies, outsourcing and subcontracting service providers is being reviewed by the WRES strategic advisory group. We anticipate the outcome of this review in the coming months and will apply recommendations to future data collections.

The Department has noted the concerns raised in the report by Medact False Positives: the Prevent counter-extremism policy in healthcare. Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to safeguard patients who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Prevent is a statutory duty for National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts, whose staff may need to share personal information to ensure that a person at risk of radicalisation is given appropriate support. Information sharing is governed by legislation and assessed on a case-by-case basis, which considers whether the informed consent of the individual can be obtained and that the proposed sharing is necessary, proportionate and lawful.

We currently do not routinely collect data on the number of patients waiting and maximum waiting times for gender identity clinics.

Data in October 2019, which informed the work programme aimed at improving access to gender services, showed there were more than 9,500 individuals waiting for a first appointment. Of this, approximately 3,400 individuals had been waiting between 52 and 103 weeks; and circa 2,100 individuals had been waiting for over two years. The median waiting time for a first appointment is more than two years for patients who were referred in October 2019.

To address this rise in demand, three new services have been established in Cheshire and Merseyside, Manchester and London. These services will be evaluated as pilots for a new delivery model, with planning underway for further services to be establish nationwide.

The Department has worked with industry to ensure that alcohol labels reflect the United Kingdom CMOs’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines for drinks produced after the 1 September 2019. The industry has committed to comply with this requirement. Local trading standards have powers to remove products produced after the 1 September 2019 that contain the old guidelines on the labels, remaining stock produced before then can be sold through.

Through Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published in July, we are committed to consult before the end of the year on our intention to make companies provide calorie labelling on all pre-packaged alcohol they sell. The consultation will also cover introducing calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks sold in the out of home sector, for example bought on draught or by the glass.

A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.

We have no plans to offer the influenza vaccination to the entire United Kingdom population. On 5 August 2020 we published the Annual Flu Letter Update 2020/21, which set out who will be eligible for flu vaccination this winter.

General practitioners and pharmacists are directly responsible for ordering flu vaccine from suppliers which are used to deliver the national flu programme to adults, and earlier this year they were asked to review their orders for flu vaccine to ensure they have sufficient vaccine for their eligible patients. We have also procured additional stock as part of our planning for this season.

Flu vaccination deliveries for those who are in at risk groups will start to be available in September and will continue in all areas in England throughout the winter months.

The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) was launched by NHS England and NHS Improvement in October 2019. As for Pharmacy First Scotland, the CPCS encourages patients who might otherwise go elsewhere to visit a community pharmacy first. Under the CPCS, patients referred from 111 phone or online and who have a minor illness or have run out of a repeat medicine and need an urgent supply, can have a consultation with a pharmacist. The pharmacist will provide self-care advice and support for the patient and/or carer and the subsequent supply of medicines. For the emergency supply of previously prescribed medicines, these are supplied free on the National Health Service, subject to the payment of a prescription charge, as appropriate. In keeping with general NHS prescribing policy in England, the supply of ‘over the counter’ medicines are paid for by the patient.

The Eatwell Guide is a tool to demonstrate the different types of foods and drinks, and the proportions in which they should be consumed, that can contribute towards a healthy, balanced diet. There are a number of ways to eat a diet in line with the Eatwell Guide.

A 2016 study looking at the cost of achieving a diet in line with the Eatwell Guide concluded that although achieving this would require large changes to the current average diet, these changes would not lead to significant changes in the price of the diet. A copy of the paper Eatwell Guide: modelling the dietary and cost implications of incorporating new sugar and fibre guidelines is attached.

Public Health England has not assessed the affordability of the Eatwell Guide for particular population groups including recipients of Universal Credit, apprentices and those on minimum wage.

The United Kingdom Government is represented on Health Education England’s steering group to develop a competency framework for healthier weight. Health Education England’s Healthier Weight framework aims to describe the competencies that health and care staff working in any setting need to equip them to fulfil their role to promote a healthier weight. The Healthier Weight framework is attached.

The emphasis for this framework to help prevention of excess weight gain and can be applied across all groups of health and care staff working in any setting including frontline staff, managers, commissioners and leaders and relevant to charities that provide services around healthier weight. It may be used in other settings such as individual’s homes, care homes, nurseries, children’s centres, schools, colleges and workplaces and with any community or any group within the population.

We have just received the report by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, led by Baroness Cumberlege.

As we have advised this week, it is now time for us to consider this report and its recommendations carefully.

We will consider how this recommendation fits with the structures we already have in place.

To ensure United Kingdom labelling remains effective for consumers, we will consider a range of measures to build on the success of our current ‘traffic light’ nutritional labelling scheme.

All sectors of the drinks industry have been challenged to reduce sugar levels in juice-based drinks by 5% by 2021. The reductions can be achieved through reducing the number of calories and/or portion size of products and shifting consumer purchasing towards lower or no added sugar products.

Public Health England oversees the voluntary sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme on behalf of the Government, as set out in all chapters of the childhood obesity plan and the 2019 Prevention Green Paper. We have seen some important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the soft drinks industry levy decreasing by 28% between 2015 and 2018.

We will be setting out our responses to the consultations on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location and by price, and calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector as soon as we can.

To ensure United Kingdom labelling remains effective for consumers, we will consider a range of measures to build on the success of our current ‘traffic light’ nutritional labelling scheme.

All sectors of the drinks industry have been challenged to reduce sugar levels in juice-based drinks by 5% by 2021. The reductions can be achieved through reducing the number of calories and/or portion size of products and shifting consumer purchasing towards lower or no added sugar products.

Public Health England oversees the voluntary sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme on behalf of the Government, as set out in all chapters of the childhood obesity plan and the 2019 Prevention Green Paper. We have seen some important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the soft drinks industry levy decreasing by 28% between 2015 and 2018.

We will be setting out our responses to the consultations on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location and by price, and calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector as soon as we can.

To ensure United Kingdom labelling remains effective for consumers, we will consider a range of measures to build on the success of our current ‘traffic light’ nutritional labelling scheme.

All sectors of the drinks industry have been challenged to reduce sugar levels in juice-based drinks by 5% by 2021. The reductions can be achieved through reducing the number of calories and/or portion size of products and shifting consumer purchasing towards lower or no added sugar products.

Public Health England oversees the voluntary sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme on behalf of the Government, as set out in all chapters of the childhood obesity plan and the 2019 Prevention Green Paper. We have seen some important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the soft drinks industry levy decreasing by 28% between 2015 and 2018.

We will be setting out our responses to the consultations on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location and by price, and calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector as soon as we can.

Sweeteners permitted for use in the United Kingdom, are strictly regulated and undergo a mandatory robust safety assessment prior to being authorised for the market. Maximum use levels are set to help ensure that consumers do not exceed the acceptable intake levels which apply to all population groups over 12 weeks of age.

Latest data on fruit and vegetable intakes for children aged 18 months upwards are available from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014/15 to 2015/16) and for infants and young children aged 4-18 months available from the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children 2011. Mean intake by age group ranges from 170 grams per day at 12-18 months old to 168 grams per day at 11-18 year olds. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey Results from Years 7 and 8 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2014/2015 to 2015/2016) report and the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children, 2011 are attached.

Advertising in the United Kingdom is overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry’s independent regulator, who enforce the Advertising Codes through a system of self-regulation and co-regulation with Ofcom. The Codes apply to all media, including broadcast and online, and set standards for accuracy and honesty to which advertisers must adhere, including specific conditions on advertising to children, causing offence and social responsibility. The Codes also include specific rules on alcohol advertising, with the underlying aim of ensuring that marketing communications do not imply, condone or encourage immoderate, irresponsible or anti-social drinking. The Codes are regularly reviewed and updated by the ASA to ensure they remain effective.

COVID-19 is a new disease and therefore it is not yet clear what the medical, psychological and rehabilitation needs will be for those experiencing long-term effects, to enable them to make as full a recovery as possible.

The UK Research and Innovation-National Institute for Health Research Rapid Response Rolling Call has funded a large post-hospitalisation study. The study, announced in July, will establish a national consortium and a research platform embedded within clinical care to better understand and improve long-term outcomes for survivors following hospitalisation with COVID-19. It will also help to ensure future treatment can be tailored as much as possible to the person.

The new ‘Your COVID Recovery’ service, forms part of National Health Service plans to expand access to COVID-19 rehabilitation treatments for those who have survived the virus but still have problems with breathing, mental health problems or other complications.

The National Health Service and the wider scientific community are currently working to better understand the disease course of the COVID-19 virus, including the severity and duration of symptoms. The UK Research and Innovation-National Institute for Health Research Rapid Response Rolling Call has funded a large post-hospitalisation study. The study, announced in July, will establish a national consortium and a research platform embedded within clinical care to understand and improve long-term outcomes for survivors following hospitalisation with COVID-19.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to develop a digital, interactive, personalised recovery programme for people recovering from COVID-19. The new ‘Your COVID Recovery’ service, which was announced on 5 July, forms part of NHS plans to expand access to COVID-19 rehabilitation treatments for those who have survived the virus but still have problems with breathing, mental health problems or other complications.

The Government continues to monitor and assess data from a wide variety of sources on COVID-19 as it emerges. The Government is aware of the ZOE ‘COVID-19 Symptom Study’ and has included the data on symptom duration as part of its considerations.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies recently re-evaluated length of self-isolation for symptomatic individuals and did not recommend a change to current advice.