Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Government is unable to comment on the detail of national security assessments or on strategic or security conversations with allies.

The Government does not comment on the detail of national security assessments.

Newport Wafer Fab is one of the largest semiconductor plants in the UK. The Government is aware of the vital role of the semiconductor sector in the global economy and remains committed to ensuring the UK sector continues to play an important role in an international ecosystem.

The Government is considering the case. The UK Government has powers to intervene where there is a risk to national security under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, which commenced on 4 January 2022.

As noted in my previous reply, the Government have no plans to introduce such a requirement on behalf of consumers.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) apply across all business sectors. They prohibit all traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices in connection with the promotion, sale and supply of products to consumers.

Under the CPRs, traders are required to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The regulations prohibit commercial practices which omit or hide material information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to make an informed choice, where such an omission causes or is likely to cause them to make a different choice (e.g. purchase goods or a service that would not otherwise have been purchased).

The Government remains open to well-developed proposals for harnessing tidal range energy, provided that such proposals can demonstrate energy system benefits, plausible environmental impact mitigation strategies, and value for money.

My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced the Oil Taskforce on the 8^th of March 2022. This is a joint government and industry group which will facilitate engagement and cooperation during the transition away from Russian oil and oil-related products by the end of 2022.

The Government does not seek to assess the commercial activities of companies carried out within the terms of the law.

The meeting was declared as per standard government processes and was attended by officials alongside the Minister. Relevant officials were also made aware of developments following the meeting.

Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs), traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products including in response to requests for information by consumers.

As with other elements of goods, the Government encourages consumers who are interested in a particular property of goods, including their origin, to ask the seller. If they are not happy with the reply, then they can shop elsewhere. If they suspect that the reply is not truthful, then they can take the matter up with their local authority Trading Standards Officers who enforce the CPRs.

The Government can confirm that a meeting between China General Nuclear (CGN) and the then Minister of State took place on 20 July 2021. The Department does not hold minutes for this meeting as set out in your request.

The Government is still considering the case. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to take further action if needed.

Since leaving the EU, we have introduced the new UKCA marking to indicate that products comply with UK product regulations and are fit to be placed on the market in Great Britain. It is mandatory for most products currently covered by the ‘CE marking’ from 1 January 2023. The kitemarking is different to this and is owned and operated by the British Standards Institution.

On 12 January 2021, the UK Government announced a series of robust measures in respect of UK supply chains to help ensure that no British organisations – government or private sector, deliberately or inadvertently – are profiting from or contributing to human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities in Xinjiang. The measures announced include a review of export controls as they apply to Xinjiang, the introduction of financial penalties for organisations that fail to comply with their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act, increasing support for UK government bodies to exclude suppliers complicit in violations, and new, robust guidance to UK businesses on the specific risks faced by companies with links to the region. We will keep our policy response under close review.

My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State has powers under the Enterprise Act 2002 to intervene in mergers and takeovers on specified public interest grounds, including national security. Such an intervention would involve an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The Government supports decisions on international research collaborations through the Trusted Research campaign. Additionally, BEIS is establishing a Research Collaboration Advice Team which will work directly with institutions to help embed best practice.

Research partnerships must remain within the limits of the law and the government reserves the right to intervene where they are not in the national interest or breach domestic or international law.

UKRI has not directly funded any research projects involving Neusoft in the past 5 years.

The UK’s research sector is independent, and free to make decisions on research collaborations within the limits of the law. Her Majesty’s Government supports the sector to make informed decisions on international research collaboration through published advice and is currently recruiting a team of field advisors to work directly with institutions.

We continue to work closely with the sector to provide advice, promote best practice, and to respond to specific inquiries. While we encourage international collaboration, we do not support research work that enables abuses of human rights.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds research across a range of social disciplines including the economic, political and social sciences.

The Government is bound by the Haldane principle in the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act which says that: “decisions on individual research proposals are best taken following an evaluation of the quality and likely impact of the proposals (such as a peer review process).” The Government stands by the Haldane Principle and recognises that decisions about individual projects are best left to experts in the field. As such, Government does not have a role in deciding the awarding of grants to specific research activities.

HM Land Registry is unable to provide this information.

Further details about the information that HM Land Registry holds, what is publicly available, and how it can be obtained, is set out online via the GOV.UK website.

The Government does not make research grant awards to enterprises owned by foreign governments. UKRI takes independent decisions on the distribution of research grants between eligible UK higher education institutions and research establishments, which may themselves collaborate with international partners.

As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at the Liaison Committee on 7 July 2021, the National Security Adviser is reviewing the case. It would be inappropriate to comment until the review has concluded.

HM Land Registry holds information on registered titles in England and Wales. The type of information available includes the title register which records who owns the property or land and any rights of way, the title number which is the unique number given to a property or piece of land, and the title plan which shows the property or land’s location and boundaries.

Further details about the information that HM Land Registry holds, and how publicly available information can be obtained is set out online via the GOV.UK website.

HM Land Registry registers legal ownership, interests, mortgages and other secured loans against land and property in England and Wales.

The Register of Title does not record the nationality or employment status of individual title owners of land or property.

The Register of Title records information where a non-UK Government is the registered owner, and the People’s Republic of China is the registered owner of 60 titles in the Greater London boundary.

The Government has considered this transaction thoroughly. We do not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to take action if needed.

Universities are well aware of the possible risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or from a single nation. A diverse recruitment base is key to avoiding this. The Government’s International Education Strategy and recent update make clear that the internationalisation of our higher education sector cannot come at any cost – universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risk. Government has recently issued guidance to the Office for Students, requesting they monitor the financial sustainability of institutions and continue to support the sector to recruit sustainably.

Her Majesty’s Government recognises the enormous benefits from collaborating on scientific research with China. We cannot address global challenges, such as climate change, without their support and engagement. We will continue to support research collaboration with China where it is clearly in the national interest to do so.

Her Majesty’s Government carefully considers advice and analysis from a range of sources, including universities and think tanks, and is grateful for the scholarship which my Noble Friend the Rt. Hon. the Lord Johnson of Marylebone has provided in this report. We will continue to support the sector to make informed decisions when engaging in international research and other collaboration.

Universities are well-aware of the possible risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or from a single nation. A diverse recruitment base is key to avoiding this. The Government’s International Education Strategy and recent update make clear that the internationalisation of our higher education sector cannot come at any cost – universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risk.

International collaborations are central to our position as a science superpower and create wealth and jobs within the UK. We cooperate closely with universities, funding bodies and industry in protecting our higher education and research sector from interference. This includes publishing “Trusted Research” and commissioning Universities UK to release comprehensive guidelines to encourage secure partnerships and promote our values. We are pleased to see the university sector addressing these challenges and we will continue to work with the sector on implementing the guidelines, promoting best practice, and responding to specific enquiries. We also share experience and best practice with our friends and allies overseas.

Her Majesty’s Government welcomes all international students to UK universities, including those from China. We have taken robust measures to ensure that the university sector is protected from miss-appropriation of research relating to the areas listed. Measures include the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets postgraduate students seeking to study proliferation sensitive courses, and outreach activity through the “Trusted Research” campaign. We continuously review measures that protect national security to ensure they remain effective.

Her Majesty’s Government supports the sector to make informed decisions on international research collaboration and cooperates closely with universities, funding bodies and industry in protecting our higher education and research sector from interference. This is backed by a robust legal and regulatory framework including on exports, intellectual property and academic freedom and freedom of speech. We have strengthened protective measures and keep them under review. Trusted Research and the security guidelines commissioned by the Government and released by Universities UK are an important step to encourage secure partnerships and promote our values. We are pleased to see the university sector addressing these challenges and we will continue to work with the sector on implementing guidelines recommendations.

The Integrated Review reflects that we need to adapt to a more competitive world. We are implementing a robust framework for our relationship with China which allows us to manage disagreements, defend our values while preserving space to tackle transnational challenges such as climate change. Our approach will remain consistent even if difficulties emerge."

The Integrated Review articulates the UK’s goal to extend the impact and influence of the UK’s ‘Science and Technology Power’ by 2030, and the need to secure and develop critical and emerging technologies where there is a realistic prospect of delivering strategic advantage. A new ‘own-collaborate-access’ framework, will guide our approach:

• Own: where the UK plays a leading and owning role, end-to-end from discovery to commercialisation. This will always involve elements of collaboration and access.

• Collaborate: where the UK is not able to establish a dominant position, but can provide unique contributions that allow us to collaborate with others to achieve our goals.

• Access: where the UK will seek to acquire critical science and technology from others, through options, deals and relationships.

To this end the Prime Minister has recently announced he will chair a new National Science and Technology Council, and the creation of a National Technology Advisor role, initially held by Sir Patrick Vallance to support the new committee and provide leadership.

China is a leading member of the international community and we have a strong and constructive relationship with China in many areas. It has to be part of the solution to any major global problem we face; whether ensuring we do not face another devastating global health crisis, supporting vulnerable countries or addressing climate change. Our approach to China remains clear-eyed and rooted in our values and our interests.

The security and resilience of the UK’s telecoms networks is of paramount importance. That is why the Government undertook the Telecoms Supply Chain Review, a comprehensive review of the supply arrangements for telecoms infrastructure in the UK.

One example of where the government is seeking to diversify its supply chain is in 5G technology. On 2 July the Government published its response to the Diversification Taskforce’s recommendations on solutions and opportunities to diversify the supply market for 5G.

We will progress action across all four areas that the Taskforce focused on. As a part of our ambitious diversification strategy, we will be looking to identify opportunities to diversify component supply chains, both geographically and in terms of the range of suppliers, in order to establish greater resilience against shocks or market disruption.

The UK is committed to promoting the ethical development and deployment of technology in the UK and overseas. We are aware of a number of Chinese technology companies linked to violations taking place in Xinjiang, including use of high-tech “predictive policing” algorithms, DNA and voice sampling, and extensive use of surveillance cameras, and are monitoring the situation closely.

Where China is not meeting its obligations under international law and falls below the standards required and expected of responsible governments and nation states, this government has and will continue to speak out publicly.

The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses and academia to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK’s values and takes account of national security concerns. Last year we published guidance to help cutting-edge UK firms negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial questions they may encounter in China or when working with Chinese businesses, supporting safe and appropriate UK-China collaboration in digital and tech. The guidance provides firms with clear, up-to-date information and specialist support which reflect the UK’s values and take account of national security concerns.

My Department has had regular discussions with UNESCO since Liverpool was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2012, and we will continue to do so. The views expressed by officials in UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre are consistent with those set out in the Decisions of the World Heritage Committee on the measures it expects to be taken if Liverpool’s world heritage status is to be protected.

Historic England works closely with faith communities on the management of historic places of worship.

When a place of worship is no longer required for regular worship it can still make a valuable contribution to the wider community; Historic England works with faith communities to develop a sustainable future when they are not used actively for worship, retaining as much of their special historical and architectural significance as possible. Only in a small minority of cases do places of worship have to close. Historic England also offers bespoke advice to those who manage places of worship on how to address repairs.

In 2016, the Taylor Review: Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals was commissioned to examine the funding and sustainability of listed Church of England churches. The Review considered that a more strategic approach was needed to ensure than the previous large investments of public money were protected by timely maintenance and repair of these buildings. Consequently, the DCMS-funded Taylor Review Pilot was commissioned to test some recommendations made in the Review, pairing advice and support from building conservation and community development experts with targeted grant funding for maintenance and minor repairs. The evaluation, which was published in October 2020, demonstrated the impact of this project on historic places of worship in the pilot areas, with just over £1m of grant funding for repairs allocated almost equally between both areas to 136 applicants.

The Government has set out its vision and strategy to protect the historic environment, including England’s places of worship, in the 2017 Heritage Statement. Any further financial support is subject to the Spending Review, which is due to conclude later this month.

The Government, through UK Sport, is investing £?20m into Winter ?Olympic sports during the current ?Beijing 20?22? funding c?ycle. UK Sport’s current funding figures for Summer and Winter Olympic Paralympic sports can be found here: https://www.uksport.gov.uk/our-work/investing-in-sport/current-funding-figures

Decisions on which cities should host Summer and Winter Olympic Games are matters for the International Olympic Committee.

The British Olympic Association (BOA), a privately funded organisation independent of Government, is responsible for Team GB’s participation at Summer and Winter Olympic Games. As the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the BOA may cooperate with governments, but rule 27.6 of the Olympic Charter states "The NOCs must preserve their autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind, including but not limited to political, legal, religious or economic pressures which may prevent them from complying with the Olympic Charter."

Every suicide is a tragedy which has a devastating and enduring impact on families and communities. The Government is taking action in this area, including launching the first Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme across national and local government and the NHS.

The Government does not review editorial content, as broadcast regulation is a matter for Ofcom. Ofcom has the power to set rules in its Broadcasting Code for broadcasters to meet in order to ensure UK audiences are adequately protected from harmful content. Ofcom’s Guidelines, which advise broadcasters on meeting the rules, includes advice on providing specific helplines where a programme has dealt with a particularly sensitive issue.

The government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not, therefore, seek to intervene in the decisions or activities of newspapers or regulators, including IPSO. IPSO’s Editors’ Code of Practice sets out the rules that newspapers and magazines regulated by IPSO have agreed to follow, including on reporting suicide.

In response to COVID-19, the Government announced £9.2 million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and CALM. Samaritans published updated media guidelines resources at the beginning of August and created a new online hub of resources, covering additional topics to help journalists and programme makers further understand the issues surrounding suicidal behaviour and offering practical tips on covering these topics.

Every suicide is a tragedy which has a devastating and enduring impact on families and communities. The Government is taking action in this area, including launching the first Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme across national and local government and the NHS. In response to COVID-19, the Government announced £9.2million of additional funding to support mental health charities, including Samaritans and CALM

The editorial and operational decisions of broadcasters are independent from the Government. Ofcom, the UK’s independent broadcast regulator, sets rules in its Broadcasting Code for licensed broadcasters to meet to ensure UK audiences are adequately protected from harmful content. Ofcom advises in its Guidelines that where a programme has dealt with a particularly sensitive issue, broadcasters may wish to provide a helpline specific to that issue.

The Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy sets out the importance of responsible media reporting of suicide. The Government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not, therefore, seek to intervene in the decisions or activities of newspapers or regulators. Newspapers either self-regulate or are regulated by independent regulators; which include IPSO and IMPRESS. These regulators issue codes of conduct which set out the rules that newspapers and magazines have agreed to follow, including on reporting suicide.

IPSO has also produced guidance for journalists on reporting suicide, including signposting to sources of support by providing the contact details for The Samaritans, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, or other relevant organisations, in any articles reporting on a suicide.

Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 made the UK the first country to require large businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery, including forced labour, in their operations and supply chains. BT are subject to, and comply with, those requirements.

The Act does not require organisations to certify that their supply chains are slavery free but asks businesses to be transparent about their assessment of modern slavery risks and measures taken to mitigate these. To improve reporting quality, we are developing a government-run registry of modern slavery statements to make it easier for consumers, investors and civil society to hold businesses to account. We have also consulted on proposals to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act and increase transparency and improve compliance.

We have been clear that China’s approach in Xinjiang is wrong and must stop. We regularly raise our concerns directly with our Chinese counterparts and are playing a leading role to increase international attention to the situation, including leading a Joint Statement at the UN Human Rights Council in June supported by 27 other countries, highlighting arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions, particularly those targeting Uyghurs and other minorities, and urged China to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region.

The details of Huawei’s entry into the UK market and associated decision making were subject of an inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee into ‘Foreign involvement in the Critical National Infrastructure - The implications for national security’. The findings of which were published in June 2013 followed by the government response in July 2013.

The government response accepted the Committee’s conclusion that the processes of considering national security issues at the time in 2003-06 were insufficiently robust and that Ministers should have been informed.

The decisions regarding mass events and wider measures were taken in line with public health guidance at COBR. DCMS Ministers discussed mass events with the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer in advance of these meetings.

Last year, the Government carried out a comprehensive, evidence-based, review of the telecoms supply chain, supported by security analysis from our world-leading cybersecurity experts. This led to our decision, announced on 28 January, that high risk vendors should be excluded from those parts of the 5G and full fibre networks that are critical to security (“the core”), and their presence in the rest of the UK’s networks should be limited to 35 per cent, with further restrictions in sensitive geographic locations.

In making this decision, the Government took into account the full range of issues and risks. This included consideration of the fact that Huawei is a Chinese company that is subject to China’s national intelligence law. The controls we have set out on high risk vendors constitute some of the toughest security measures in the telecoms sector in the world.

As autonomous bodies, decisions regarding partnerships lie with individual higher education providers. We encourage the sector to collaborate with international partners and universities must be security minded in their approach in order to safeguard our core values. University due diligence processes should consider reputational, ethical and security risks.

At the request of my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Higher and Further Education, Universities UK, on behalf of the sector and with government support, published guidelines in October 2020 to help universities tackle security risks related to international collaboration.

We continuously strengthen protective measures and expect universities to do the same.

The government has provided no financial support to higher education providers for the purpose of chartering flights for international higher education students from China to travel to the UK, for the academic year 2021/22.

The government has received applications from Queen’s University Belfast, as well as three consortia of higher education providers seeking approvals for charter flights for Chinese students while scheduled direct flights remain suspended between the UK and mainland China. The three consortia comprise 16, 24, and 55 named higher education providers respectively. The airlines involved have chartered the planes to travel companies, which sell tickets to the students. The airlines and travel agencies take the financial risk.

The government is proud that so many international students choose to study here and is looking forward to safely welcoming them in the new academic year. We have worked closely with the sector to ensure that international students will be appropriately supported and welcomed, including with quarantine requirements. Universities UK International has published bespoke self-isolation guidance for higher education providers to help them prepare for the arrival of students.

The government has provided no financial support to higher education providers for the purpose of chartering flights for international higher education students from China to travel to the UK, for the academic year 2021/22.

The government has received applications from Queen’s University Belfast, as well as three consortia of higher education providers seeking approvals for charter flights for Chinese students while scheduled direct flights remain suspended between the UK and mainland China. The three consortia comprise 16, 24, and 55 named higher education providers respectively. The airlines involved have chartered the planes to travel companies, which sell tickets to the students. The airlines and travel agencies take the financial risk.

The government is proud that so many international students choose to study here and is looking forward to safely welcoming them in the new academic year. We have worked closely with the sector to ensure that international students will be appropriately supported and welcomed, including with quarantine requirements. Universities UK International has published bespoke self-isolation guidance for higher education providers to help them prepare for the arrival of students.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students enrolled in higher education. Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2019/20.

Counts of student enrolments at UK higher education providers are available by level of study and country of domicile for the academic years 2014/15 to 2019/20 in Table 28 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages, available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-28.

In the academic year 2019/20, there were 141,870 students enrolled at UK higher education providers who were domiciled in China prior to study.

Appended to this answer is a table listing higher education providers where 10% or more of their student body was domiciled in China prior to study in the academic year 2019/20.

Financial information available from HESA is not collected for specific countries of origin, so cannot be provided.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students enrolled in higher education. Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2019/20.

Counts of student enrolments at UK Higher Education Providers (HEPs) are available by level of study and region of domicile for the academic years 2014/15 to 2019/20 in Table 28 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-28.

In the academic year 2019/20, there were 33,290 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled at UK HEPs who were domiciled in Africa prior to study.

Requests by chartered higher education providers for amendments to their governance arrangements are received and co-ordinated by the Privy Council Office.

The Privy Council Office consults the advisers to the Privy Council, including the Department for Education, in reviewing these requests, in order to gain the necessary advice to inform the Privy Council’s recommendation to Her Majesty on whether Her approval may be given to the chartered bodies’ proposals.

The Privy Council Office records requests it has received, but does not separately identify the changes proposed and the reasons for the request. Each case is treated on its own merits and case papers filed on a unique basis. The Privy Council Office and the department have carried out a preliminary co-ordinated scoping of both of their records, and this has revealed about 40 instances where a case was opened for a chartered body seeking to amend its governance arrangements during the period 2018-20.

To answer the questions raised more fully would take very considerable time and resource to achieve, as the needed information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

However, all higher education provider chartered body amendments which have been approved by Her Majesty in Council can be found at: https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/orders/.

The government’s estimate of the number of British National (Overseas) citizens that may migrate to the UK was set out in an Impact Assessment published on 22 October, available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1147/impacts/2020/70. The dependants of British National (Overseas) citizens from Hong Kong choosing to settle in the UK have a right to attend school in the UK. Local authorities hold the statutory duty to provide sufficient school places.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have written to all local authorities in England to update them on the new immigration route for BN(O) citizens and will be communicating further with those areas which may see higher numbers arriving to support their planning.

The department is fully involved in planning and communications with local authorities, including Regional Schools Commissioners. We are using data from the 2020 Spring School Census and the 2011 National Census to inform planning and are working with Home Office to monitor BN(O) and BN(O) dependant arrivals.

A number of UK higher education providers host Confucius Institutes. As autonomous, independent organisations, they bear the responsibility of ensuring that their partnerships are managed appropriately, with the right due diligence. The Department for Education does not collate information on the funding arrangements for Confucius Institutes, but continues to support the higher education sector to promote mutually beneficial international partnerships and UK values. We encourage providers to contact the department if they have any concerns regarding their international collaborations.

We welcome the focus that the Resolution Foundation report draws to the challenge of supporting young people to progress into work and training.

The Government is actively considering ways to help young people continue to develop the skills they will need for the future.?We want to give young people the best chance to succeed, despite these challenging and unsettling times.

As part of raising the participation age legislation Local Authorities have duties to track all academic age 16 and 17 year olds, identify those not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming so and supporting them to re-engage in education or training. This includes a September guarantee where Local Authorities need to ensure that all year 11 students and year 12 students on a one year course have a suitable offer of education or training for the following September.

The department provides a range of financial support for students aged 16 to19, to enable them to participate and stay in further education, including free meals, bursaries to help with the cost of travel, books, equipment, IT and connectivity, plus support for childcare and residential costs. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students

For those learners aged 19 and over, the DfE supports a broad spectrum of learning provision from non-formal, unaccredited learning which helps to engage disadvantaged learners through to Apprenticeships and Traineeships where learners can gain the skills and qualifications needed to get into work.

Learners aged 19 or over who are studying on a further education course and facing financial hardship may be eligible for Learner Support to pay for things like: accommodation and travel, course materials and equipment and childcare. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/learner-support

On apprenticeships, we are continuing to support employers and training providers in dealing with, and responding to, the impacts of COVID-19. While we do not yet know the full impact of COVID-19, our priority is ensuring that apprentices and employers can continue to access high quality training, both now and in the future. We continue to support traineeships and have introduced flexibilities to enable providers to continue to deliver them where possible, given that traineeships will play an important part in supporting young people back into learning and work.

In early June this year, we launched a £7 million Alternative Provision Transition Fund to enable Alternative Provision schools to support all their Year 11 pupils to transition successfully into post-16 settings this summer, and avoid becoming NEET.

We do not tolerate any misuse of UK aid and have robust systems in place to protect our investments. The Government welcomes research in international development, which can help to inform this. The World Bank is a key partner to the Government in international efforts to tackle corruption and has been assessed by the Government and other parties as having robust procedures to combat fraud and corruption in the use of its funds.

The government contracted a range of companies to provide services including production, and the design and running of pre-events, to support the delivery of the UK-Africa Investment Summit. These contracts are ongoing, and it is the government’s intention to provide further details in due course.

We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in West Darfur, and subsequent dispersal of a large number of people to nearby el Geneina town and Eastern Chad. Many of those displaced are believed to be women and children. Recent violence has left substantial damage, including the large scale burning of houses. The situation is now calm but remains fragile.

In response international organisations have channelled funds to support those displaced, including from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (to which the UK is the largest bilateral donor). The UK welcomes the establishment of a committee for reconciliation and to investigate those responsible for this violence. The UK is strongly committed to respect for human rights and accountability, and continues to encourage all parties to progress the peace talks.

The UK is a longstanding development partner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Over the last 10 years (2009-2018) the DRC has received approximately £1.65 billion in UK bilateral Overseas Development Assistance. 56 people are currently employed by the Department for International Development to work exclusively on the DRC. UK Aid supports millions of Congolese in need through improved access to clean water, health care and education- providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance, by tackling outbreaks and global health emergencies such as Ebola, Measles and Cholera. We also contribute to creating peace and stability by tackling the underlying drivers of conflict, creating access to sustainable jobs and improved incomes. UK Aid is tackling corruption, strengthening accountability and contributing to rules-based society, including through both our public financial management and elections programme. The effectiveness of DFID programmes is measured against expected results, and the value for money provided. Individual programme performance is assessed annually and can be viewed on DFID’s development tracker.

We are aware of reports of attacks on Christian Rohingya refugee families in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, and are monitoring the situation closely. The UK government, working through the main agencies responsible for protection and safety, is committed to improving the safety of all the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. DFID is a major supporter of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR). UNHCR works to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance; and to seek permanent solutions for all refugees, returnees, stateless people and, in some instances, internally displaced people. This includes refugees from religious minority groups. UNHCR plays a critical role in ensuring that those persecuted because of their religion have protection in the country they have fled to. DFID works with UNHCR and all its humanitarian partners, including faith-based humanitarian organisations to ensure aid is given to those most vulnerable and most in need of assistance, in line with the humanitarian principles. This includes members of religious minority groups, who are often among those most in need of protection and assistance when assessed by our humanitarian partners.

The production aspects of the UK-Africa Investment Summit were contracted out to specialist event companies, as is normal government practice. We also used contractors to design and run the series of pre-events, to undertake analysis of trade and investment trends, and to assess the Summit's impact. These organisations complemented the large cross-government team of policy officials who delivered the Summit.

The European Development Fund’s (EDF) bilateral country allocations to Sub-Saharan Africa have varied over time, but historically have been at least 80% per year, with additional EDF funding to Africa going through regional components, trust funds and multilateral partners. There are no plans to reassess the EDF spending for 2020 as the instrument comes to an end in December 2020. Further information on the EDF and allocations of funding can be found at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-IDA-542140-European-Development-Fund-FINAL.pdf

Between the financial years 2009/10 and 2019/20 the UK contributed £4.1bn to the EDF. We estimate that at least £3.3bn has been used for allocations to Sub-Saharan Africa at country and regional levels. Full details of our annual contributions to the EDF can be found at: https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-200236

The Withdrawal Agreement sets out that the UK will honour commitments made to the EU budget during the period of our membership up to December 2020. The UK will fund all programmes approved during the current EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020), which includes obligations to the current, and previous, European Development Funds. For financial year 2020/21, we estimate that at least £516m of DFID’s EDF payments will be spent in Sub-Saharan Africa, though fluctuations may result from the rate of EDF programme delivery and exchange rate fluctuations over the coming year.

The total UK bilateral Official Development Assistance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for each of the previous ten years is detailed below:

The UK’s development assistance to Nigeria seeks to address some of the root causes of conflict throughout the country (and particularly in the North East) and help build stability in the longer term. In particular, the UK is promoting community cohesion in North East Nigeria through a range of interventions from £3m in 2019/20 to improve relationships between communities and security forces to both build trust and ensure the protection of civilians in target communities in Borno State, North East Nigeria; £900,000 to build the resilience of women and children survivors of violent extremism and reintegrate them into communities; and £2 million of support for Nigeria’s Defections, Disengagement, Demobilisation, De-radicalisation and Reintegration programme that is managed by the International Organisation for Migration from December 2019 to March 2021.

To protect those at risk of attack as a result of the insecurity, DFID has a £16m two-year programme dedicated to providing support to those affected by the conflict in North East Nigeria, particularly victims of sexual and gender-based violence. DFID works with partners, the UN and NGOs to save lives, strengthen resilience, and protect civilians from attacks and violations of international law. To improve the effectiveness of security responses and the protection of civilians in Borno state, the UK is providing up to £800,000 from October 2019 to March 2021.

We are careful to ensure that our ongoing work in a complex environment to bring potential perpetrators to justice is compliant with International Human Rights Law.

HM Government has repeatedly condemned the violation of rights and responsibilities in Xinjiang. On 22^nd June, a British diplomatic effort helped deliver the support of over 40 countries for a statement on the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang at the UN Human Rights Council, calling on China to grant unfettered access to the region for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The US is a close partner, but we are an independent nation, with our own decision-making on what constitutes a security threat. The United Kingdom has no equivalent of the US Entity List.

As the passage of the National Security and Investment Act shows, we are strengthening our domestic toolbox in certain sectors. This Act will mandate notification of certain types of transaction to provide a proportionate defence against hostile actors targeting certain sectors. No single country or company is designated as ‘high risk’; transactions are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, large businesses operating in the United Kingdom are required to report on how they are tackling forced labour in their operations and supply chains under the Modern Slavery Act.

HM Government has repeatedly condemned the violation of rights and responsibilities in Xinjiang. On 22^nd June, a British diplomatic effort helped deliver the support of over 40 countries for a statement on the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang at the UN Human Rights Council, calling on China to grant unfettered access to the region for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The US is a close partner, but we are an independent nation, with our own decision-making on what constitutes a security threat. The United Kingdom has no equivalent of the US Entity List.

As the passage of the National Security and Investment Act shows, we are strengthening our domestic toolbox in certain sectors. This Act will mandate notification of certain types of transaction to provide a proportionate defence against hostile actors targeting certain sectors. No single country or company is designated as ‘high risk’; transactions are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, large businesses operating in the United Kingdom are required to report on how they are tackling forced labour in their operations and supply chains under the Modern Slavery Act.

HM Government does not at present have any plans to place import controls on goods from China. With regards to China’s Military-Civil Fusion Strategy, under our existing export controls regime exporters of specified dual-use items require a licence to export or transfer from the UK. All licence applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria which require us to consider the impact of the proposed export on national security, international peace and security, and human rights.

In January, the Foreign Secretary announced a series of measures to help make sure British businesses and the public sector are not complicit in the violation of rights and responsibilities in Xinjiang, including a review of export controls. This review is ongoing and we will report its outcome to Parliament in due course.

HM Government has serious concerns about the situation in Xinjiang, with reports of the use of forced labour. It has always been the case that where we have concerns, we raise them – as we did on this issue at the UN Human Rights Council, most recently in February.

We advise businesses with supply chain links in Xinjiang to conduct appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, and are not seen to support, any violations or abuses of rights and responsibilities.

My Rt Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced a review of export controls on 12^th January, but import controls were not included at this time.

HM Government has no plans at present to negotiate a free trade agreement with China.

The United Kingdom has long supported the promotion of our values globally and has consistently voiced concern at the situation in Xinjiang. On 12^th January, the Foreign Secretary announced a series of measures to help ensure that no British businesses will profit from or contribute to violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities. These measures send a clear message to China that there are economic and reputation costs for what it is doing in Xinjiang.

My Rt Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s statement of 12 January 2021 on the situation in Xinjiang committed HM Government to a review of export controls as they apply specifically geographically to the situation in Xinjiang, to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to prevent the export of any goods that could directly or indirectly contribute to human rights violations in that region.

The United Kingdom have long promoted our values globally. We are clear that more trade does not have to come at the expense of our values.

Our experience is that political freedom and the rule of law are vital underpinnings for both prosperity and stability and that, by having strong economic relationships with partners, we are able to have open discussions on a range of issues. Despite our varying approach to agreements with partners, we will always have open discussions on a range of issues, including rights and responsibilities.

Clause 2 of the Trade Bill allows HM Government to implement those trade agreements the EU including the United Kingdom had with third countries, prior to the United Kingdom leaving the EU. The list of countries in scope can be found at: gov.uk/guidance/uk-trade-agreements-with-non-eu-countries

The Trade Bill has no provisions to implement a free trade agreement with those countries, such as China, who did not have a free trade agreement with the EU prior to 31^st January 2020.

HM Government has repeatedly condemned the egregious violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. Most recently, on 6^th October, we issued a joint statement with 38 other countries at the UN General Assembly Third Committee.

The United States’ Export Administration Regulations contain a list of foreign entities, including businesses, that are subject to specific license requirements (the ‘Entity List’). A license must be obtained before exporting, re-exporting or transferring (in-country) an item to a listed entity. The United Kingdom has no equivalent of the US Entity List.

However, large businesses operating in the United Kingdom are required, under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, to report on how they are tackling forced labour in their operations and supply chains.

We have provided extensive information to Parliament on our negotiations, including publishing our objectives and economic scoping assessments prior to negotiations beginning. We continue to engage closely with the relevant scrutiny committees, namely the International Trade Committee in the House of Commons and the International Agreements Sub-Committee in the House of Lords.

We have a strong history of safeguarding rights and promoting our values. While our approach to agreements will vary between partners, it will always allow HM Government to have open discussions on these issues.

HM Government has a strong history of promoting our values globally. While our approach to agreements will vary between partners, our strong economic relationships allow us to have open discussions on a range of difficult issues, including rights and responsibilities.

Project DEFEND is working to help Britain become more resilient and ensure that more diverse supply chains are put in place to allow the continued flow of essential items and avoid shortages in future.

We are analysing critical supply chains and identifying countries with a high level of supply chain influence, in order that we can help strengthen Britain’s supply chain resilience. Our approach continues to underline our international leadership in promoting free trade, and our belief in the benefits that free trade brings.

HM Government is protecting our national security while ensuring the United Kingdom remains a global champion of free trade and an attractive destination for international investment.

My Department is working with other departments and our counterparts overseas to ensure the continued flow of critical equipment and supplies through this pandemic, as well as supporting trading businesses as the economy recovers. This includes diversifying the import and export markets for British businesses, which will allow them to build resilience into their supply chains.

The December timetable was designed to be transformative for customers travelling on its three new fleets of trains. The full December timetable included a new direct route from Liverpool to Glasgow, the extension of the service from Newcastle to Edinburgh and a new service from Middlesbrough to Redcar.

Due to the late delivery and technical issues with its new trains which impacted on driver training and availability of crews, customers of TransPennine Express (TPE) experienced an unacceptable increase in disruption. To provide a more stable service, TPE has introduced temporary timetable changes between Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh until the end of January to allow it to recover. The Rail North Partnership representing the DfT and Transport for the North continues to challenge TPE robustly and hold the operator to account on its contractual obligations. Only last week, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport called in executives from TPE and other industry bodies to reinforce this point. If appropriate, we will take action under the terms set out in the Franchise Agreement.

Lord Berkeley’s report represents his personal views. The Secretary of State commissioned the Oakervee Review to provide advice on how and whether to proceed with HS2, including examining the project’s costs and benefits. Douglas Oakervee’s report will inform our assessment of the estimated cost, if the Government decides to proceed. We will of course give appropriate consideration to Lord Berkeley’s personal views.

The Government has taken action to ensure that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are taken into account by institutional investors.

2018 changes to the Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations require occupational pension schemes to have policies on financially material ESG factors and on stewardship of their investments. Trustees are also required to report annually on how these policies have been implemented. These policies may include considerations such as those set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and in relation to issues such as crimes against humanity and genocide.

There are also similar expectations on providers of contract-based pensions in respect of their pension investments. The Independent Governance Committees (IGCs) of these firms are expected to consider and report on their firm’s policies on ESG issues and stewardship for the products that the IGCs oversee.

The importance and growth of investing in line with ESG considerations is a focus area of the Asset Management Taskforce – a regular forum chaired by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury bringing together Government, industry, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and other stakeholders. On 24 November 2020, the Asset Management Taskforce published “Investing With Purpose: placing stewardship at the heart of sustainable growth”. This report’s clear recommendations, which apply across the investment chain, will further enhance the UK’s stewardship regime aim to ensure that asset managers are focused on delivering long-term, sustainable benefits for investors, the economy, the environment and society.

The UK Stewardship Code, which was strengthened in 2020, also sets out at Principle 7 the expectation that its investor signatories systematically integrate material social issues into stewardship and investment. Stewardship by asset owners and asset managers involves making informed decisions about where to invest, and proactive oversight of assets once invested. The FCA’s disclosure of commitment rule to the Stewardship Code, as well as rules promoting disclosure of asset managers’ engagement and investment strategies under Revised Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II), holds asset managers accountable and promotes the importance of stewardship. Consistent with the FCA’s objective to make relevant markets function well, stewardship activities improve market quality and integrity, and help create sustainable, long-term value for clients and beneficiaries, while having wider economic, environmental and societal benefits.

The Government would also expect institutional investors to be monitoring risks to their investments posed by breaches of international human rights law.

We recognise that some investors have not focused on social factors as much as environmental factors such as climate change. The Department for Work and Pensions has therefore written to 40 large schemes to understand their current practices. It also intends to seek views on whether occupational pension schemes’ policies and practices on social risk factors are sufficiently robust and what the Government could do to ensure that trustees are able to meet their legal obligations in this respect.

The Government notes the recommendations in the report by Oxford University on “An Affront to Dignity, Inclusion and Equality”.

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit continues to work with disability stakeholders and across Government Departments to ensure that the needs of disabled people are considered in the UK Government’s response to COVID-19.

We are clear that consideration of equality impacts must be integral in all key policy decisions. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government remains committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to the progressive realisation of the rights for disabled people that it sets out.

The National Strategy for Disabled People is a key manifesto commitment for this Government and its delivery remains important for ministers, including No. 10. Its significance is even greater, as we re-build the UK’s economy and society following the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now focusing on meaningful engagement with stakeholders, strengthening our evidence base and keeping momentum to deliver the high ambition strategy that the Prime Minister has called for.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that no research applications have been rejected by the HFEA Licence Committee since March 2011. No requests have been received by the HFEA to perform spindle-chromosomal complex transfer. One centre in the UK has been granted permission to perform pronuclear transfer which is the Newcastle Centre For Life.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has made no assessment of the revised estimate previously made by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, on the number of embryos used in treatment to date in the United Kingdom in comparison with other licensed treatments, as the number of treatments to date in the UK is low.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, due to the limited number of mitochondrial donation treatment outcomes to date in the United Kingdom, there is a significant possibility that when combined with other information, which may be reasonably accessed, it could lead to the identification of a person to whom the HFEA owes a duty of confidentiality.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it is not possible to compare the implantation failure rate for pronuclear transfer to all other treatments it regulates as the number to date is too low.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it has made no assessment of the estimates previously made by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, as the number of treatments to date in the United Kingdom is so low.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it cannot provide the detailed information as requested as it may compromise patient confidentiality.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that 32 patients have been licensed as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment in the United Kingdom. The following table shows how many embryos have been produced during mitochondrial donation treatment and how many embryos have been transferred to uteri pursuant to clinical application in the UK of (a) pronuclear transfer and (b) spindle-chromosomal complex transfer.

Source: HFEA

Notes:

1. The data is as recorded by the HFEA on 4 June 2023 so these figures reflect the data on this day and are likely to change over time.
2. Embryos produced during mitochondrial donation treatment are calculated as the total number of embryos developed from patient eggs and number of embryos developed from mitochondrial donor eggs.

The following table shows how many implantation failures, spontaneous miscarriages, terminations of pregnancies and live births, have been recorded pursuant to clinical application in the UK of pronuclear transfer and spindle-chromosomal complex transfer.

Source: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)

Notes:

1. The data is as recorded by the HFEA on 10 May 2023 so these figures reflect the data on this day and are likely to change over time.
2. The HFEA publishes information which does not compromise patient confidentiality. All counts of less than five are not released as there is a significant possibility that when combined with other information which may be reasonably accessed, it could lead to the identification of a person to whom the HFEA owes a duty of confidentiality.
3. Implantation failures is calculated as embryo transfer procedures subtracting where intrauterine foetal pulsations were recorded. This calculation does not account for chemical pregnancies as these are not recorded.
4. This information has been banded as it could reasonably be used in combination with information already in the public domain to determine suppressed information in this table.

The Government has commissioned NHS England to develop a Long Term Workforce Plan for the National Health Service. Additionally, steps have been taken to deliver the 50,000 nurses commitment by providing a financial support package.

To reduce waiting lists in community health, the Government is allocating core funding growth for community health services, investing £8 million this financial year to provide training to support community staff, and on track to reach our commitment of 200,000 personal health budgets by March 2024. Furthermore, the publication of the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan will work to scale up community teams.

The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers. Additionally, funding for respite and short breaks for carers is included in the NHS contribution to the Better Care Fund.

While no specific assessment of the innovations in the administration of palliative care medication has been made, the Government and NHS England both recognise the importance of timely access to palliative and end of life care medicines for patients and those important to them. Clinicians should provide details of who can administer the medicine, ensuring they follow local guidance and consider national best practice.

As of 28 November 2022, the Department had 118 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) stored in China at an average weekly cost of £260,000.

We have no plans to store PPE in China in future and are working to rapidly reduce our existing holding to zero.

As of 28 November 2022, the Department had 118 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) stored in China at an average weekly cost of £260,000.

We have no plans to store PPE in China in future and are working to rapidly reduce our existing holding to zero.

In my remarks of 30 November 2022 in response to Baroness Smith of Basildon, Volume 825, column 1785, I committed to place further information on the money returned to the taxpayer to date in the Libraries of both Houses. While we cannot currently report on ongoing discussions with providers of personal protective equipment deemed as unsatisfactory, we will do so where these engagements have concluded. Officials are currently collating and validating this information and determining how Parliament can be regularly informed of progress in future.

In my remarks of 30 November 2022 in response to Baroness Smith of Basildon, Volume 825, column 1785, I committed to place further information on the money returned to the taxpayer to date in the Libraries of both Houses. While we cannot currently report on ongoing discussions with providers of personal protective equipment deemed as unsatisfactory, we will do so where these engagements have concluded. Officials are currently collating and validating this information and determining how Parliament can be regularly informed of progress in future.

In my remarks of 30 November 2022 in response to Baroness Smith of Basildon, Volume 825, column 1785, I committed to place further information on the money returned to the taxpayer to date in the Libraries of both Houses. While we cannot currently report on ongoing discussions with providers of personal protective equipment deemed as unsatisfactory, we will do so where these engagements have concluded. Officials are currently collating and validating this information and determining how Parliament can be regularly informed of progress in future.

We aim to reduce the cost of storing personal protective equipment in China and further information will be available in due course.

From April to September 2022, the cost of storing personal protective equipment in China was £16.3 million. We aim to further reduce this expenditure.

The Government is not spending £770,000 a day to store personal protective equipment (PPE) in China. The average daily cost of storing PPE in China is £106,000 and we are working to further reduce this cost. The business case for this storage was approved in October 2020 by the Department’s relevant accounting officer and was consistent with the governance routes for expenditure on PPE.

The following table shows the number of embryos discarded and transferred to uteri to establish pregnancies from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. The data is the latest information available on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) register database on 2 November 2022.

Source: HFEA

The following table shows the cumulative figures for the number of human embryos which have been discarded and transferred to uteri from 1 August 1991 to 31 December 2020. This includes additional validated data from previous years.

Source: HFEA

The Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee is an advisory committee of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and therefore has no plans to consult the general public on these issues.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee has not made any specific new recommendations.

All documents relating to hormone pregnancy tests, such as Primodos, other than those subject to legal privilege, have been published in an online only format at GOV.UK.

The Government has no plans to do so.

The Department is, with others, defending court proceedings which were issued in December 2019 by claimants who contend that hormone pregnancy tests (HPTs), such as Primodos, caused birth defects.

The Department has made an application to strike out the claim by individuals which allege that HPTs caused them harm, which is due to be heard in May 2023. The scientific evidence has been reviewed on a number of occasions and most recently by the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests. The Expert Working Group concluded that the available scientific evidence did not support a causal association. It is therefore not considered appropriate to establish an independent mediation process.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the findings in the PLOS Medicine study should be interpreted with caution, as the number of children born after frozen-thawed embryo transfer in the study who later developed cancer, was very low; 30.1 in 100,000 births.

The HFEA’s expert Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee monitors new studies relating to assisted reproductive technologies, including any impact on children born from treatments. This can lead the HFEA to recommend new information for patients regarding the risks of any treatment.

The Department has notified the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regarding the Inivos surgical gowns.

The contract is considered commercially sensitive as disclosure would be likely to prejudice a company’s commercial interests and inhibit its ability to do business in the future.

Therefore, we are unable to disclose the outcome of the technical regulatory assurance process.

A statement on modern slavery in the procurement of personal protective equipment is expected to be published by NHS Supply Chain in autumn 2022.

This information is not collected by the Department therefore no such assessment has been made.

The National Health Service standards for sterile gowns are the same as the World Health Organization standards.

The Department’s technical assurance unit is currently undertaking a formal sterility testing programme for China-manufactured sterile surgical gowns under the direction of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

We are unable to provide the information requested on individual contracts as it is commercially sensitive.

There are 82 Hikvision products in use in the Department. Information on the usage of Hikvision products by the National Health Service is not collected centrally.

We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.

The Department is committed to transparency and a total of funds recovered may be published in future. However, settlements arising from the supply of faulty personal protective equipment are commercially sensitive. Therefore we will be unable to provide details of individual settlements. Where losses are incurred, these will be recorded in the Department’s Financial Losses Register and all such sums will be included in the Annual Report and Accounts. If evidence of criminal activity is suspected, the Department will support relevant agencies in such investigations.

Due to the emergency nature of the personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement, the Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit received referrals from varying sources on 37 contracts. In many instances, these reflected the exceptional circumstances surrounding PPE procurement and contract award. The Department acted to identify potential for fraud in PPE contracts with high-risk indicators. This prevented or terminated 11 contracts, which avoided a potential fraud loss of £157 million.

The Department takes allegations of fraud seriously and explores every available option, including working with law enforcement partners, where appropriate, to bring those who commit fraud to account. However, we are unable to provide details of ongoing counter fraud actions as to do so could prejudice the outcomes.

Due to the emergency nature of the personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement, the Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit received referrals from varying sources on 37 contracts. In many instances, these reflected the exceptional circumstances surrounding PPE procurement and contract award. The Department acted to identify potential for fraud in PPE contracts with high-risk indicators. This prevented or terminated 11 contracts, which avoided a potential fraud loss of £157 million.

The Department takes allegations of fraud seriously and explores every available option, including working with law enforcement partners, where appropriate, to bring those who commit fraud to account. However, we are unable to provide details of ongoing counter fraud actions as to do so could prejudice the outcomes.

Due to the way in which data is collected on incidents by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the National Reporting and Learning Systems (NRLS), it is not possible to make a direct comparison as both sets of data are recorded by separate bodies and the incidents are not recorded in the same way.

The HFEA monitors all reported incidents in order to ensure that clinics learn from them and prevent re-occurrence. Overall, the number of incidents has remained at 0.6% per treatment cycle for the last few years. There are about 80,000 treatment cycles per year and there have been five grade A incidents, the most serious, since 2016.

NHS England and NHS Improvement operate the NRLS, which collects reports of patient safety incidents from across the National Health Service. Patient safety incidents can be reported through a variety of routes by individual NHS staff, including through local trust risk management systems and web-based e-forms, including an open access e-form. Incidents are reported voluntarily.

The Department is seeking to recover monies paid to PPE Medpro in relation to a contract for the provision of gowns. Currently the parties are engaged in mediation and exploring whether it is possible to resolve the matter without formal legal action. The Department has not yet suffered a loss but may do so if it is unable to recover monies from PPE Medpro, either by agreement arising from mediation or pursuant to formal legal action.

There are sufficient stocks of FFP3 masks which are available to general practitioners (GPs) via the ordering portal, with limits set by size of practice. In general practice, type IIR or surgical face masks are usually worn for patient contact. Infection prevention and control measures allow for local risk assessments to determine that FFP3 masks should be worn in circumstances, such as undertaking aerosol generating procedures or if deemed necessary by the local risk assessment and if fit-testing has been carried out.

From 17 January 2022, practices requiring FFP3 masks where fit-testing has been organised, will be able to order these masks through the portal. It is a legal requirement for employers to ensure that staff are fit-tested before FFP3 face masks can be worn. Clinical commissioning groups and integrated care systems are being asked to identify regional or local fit testing capacity through Departmental networks to meet local demand.

There are sufficient stocks of FFP3 masks which are available to general practitioners (GPs) via the ordering portal, with limits set by size of practice. In general practice, type IIR or surgical face masks are usually worn for patient contact. Infection prevention and control measures allow for local risk assessments to determine that FFP3 masks should be worn in circumstances, such as undertaking aerosol generating procedures or if deemed necessary by the local risk assessment and if fit-testing has been carried out.

From 17 January 2022, practices requiring FFP3 masks where fit-testing has been organised, will be able to order these masks through the portal. It is a legal requirement for employers to ensure that staff are fit-tested before FFP3 face masks can be worn. Clinical commissioning groups and integrated care systems are being asked to identify regional or local fit testing capacity through Departmental networks to meet local demand.

Inivos supplied gowns with a contract value of £117,360,000, which are currently under investigation through the technical regulatory assurance process. Since the Department does not have a contract directly with Zhende, the information requested is not held centrally.

The Government is transforming the regulatory framework for public procurement following the publication of a Green Paper last year. This work is being led by the Cabinet Office. Following a consultation exercise and as set out in the Government response to the consultation exercise published in December 2021, the Government proposes to retain provision allowing limited tendering in situations of extreme urgency brought about by unforeseeable events (Regulation 32(2)(c) in the Public Contracts Regulations). However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed some uncertainty in applying Regulation 32 where the situation is prolonged or evolving and new measures will set out clear arrangements for how procurement should be conducted, including in situations where extreme urgency is a factor.

The Health and Care Bill does not include provisions for new public procurement policies during times of emergency or pandemics as this is a matter for the Cabinet Office’s regulatory framework for public procurement.

No such report has been produced.

The Government is transforming public procurement following the publication of a Green paper last year. New measures will set out clear arrangements for how procurement should be conducted, including in situations where extreme urgency is a factor.

Pestfix, Ayanda Capital and PPEMedpro are suppliers and not producers or manufacturers.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency assessed the Type IIR masks supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda and approved the products for release. So far, around 43 million of these masks have been distributed.

Pestfix and Ayanda supplied FFP2 masks with ear loops. This was compliant with the regulatory standard and specifications at the time of contract. It was subsequently determined that ear loops, as opposed to head loops, were not acceptable for use in the National Health Service (NHS). As a result, when the Health and Safety Executive assessed the FFP2 masks supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda, they failed for use in the NHS because they have ear loops rather than head loops. We are looking at making these masks available for overseas markets.

Pestfix and PPEMedpro provided surgical gowns. In both cases these were not approved and no stock was distributed. Whilst the supplies come from different manufacturers all items are “single wrapped sterile surgical gowns”, which cannot be used within the United Kingdom operating theatres, due to sterility concerns around the single wrap. These products could potentially be made available for sale to overseas markets.

Any decisions on individual contracts are regarded as commercially sensitive information, therefore the department is unable to release information in relation to costs and procedures.

The information is not held in the format requested.

We have no plans to censure a single individual or organisation. The contract with PPE Medpro is considered commercially sensitive as the Department is currently engaged in a mediation process concerning their products, which involves confidentiality undertakings.

In our Written Answer of 2 November 2021 to HL3362, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the information provided was incorrect. We have corrected the record through Written Ministerial Statement HLWS503 on 5 January 2022.

The HFEA advise that there has been no change of policy regarding information about outcomes of pronuclear transfer or spindle-chromosomal complex transfer. The HFEA publishes information which does not compromise patient confidentiality. All counts of less than five are not released as there is a significant possibility that when combined with other information which may be reasonably accessed, it could lead to the identification of a person to whom the HFEA owes a duty of confidentiality.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) did not take any steps in response to the publication by Newcastle University Press Office on the 15 December 2016. Patients are entitled to release their own medical and identifying information to the media if they wish to do so. The HFEA would not prevent individuals from discussing their own medical conditions or treatments.

The Department and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority do not hold recent information on whether pronuclear transfer in mice remains a reliable predictor of its efficacy in humans nor on the extent that physiopathological or genetic variation between human patients is greater than the physiological or genetic differences between humans and mice.

The Department is working across the health and care system and other Government departments to understand the needs of British Nationals Overseas visa holders with health and care experience and share best practice on providing supported routes to employment.

The Department is working across the health and care system and other Government departments to understand the needs of British Nationals Overseas visa holders with health and care experience and share best practice on providing supported routes to employment.

The following table shows the gene affected and the mutation in the 26 patients licensed as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment, the date each application was made and then approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Statutory Approvals Committee.

HFEA Application reference Gene affected by mutation Mutation Date received Date approved by the HFEA Statutory Approvals Committee

M0001 MT-TK Details omitted to protect patient identity 28 June 2017 31 August 2017

M0002 MT-TK Details omitted to protect patient identity 4 September 2017 26 October 2017

M0007 MT-ND1 m.3460 G>A 13 March 2018 24 May 2018

M0003 MT-TL1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 25 September 2017 26 July 2018

M0005 MT-TL1 m.3243 A>G 5 December 2017 26 July 2018

M0008 MT-TL1 m.3243 A>G 15 March 2018 26 July 2018

M0004 MT-TK Details omitted to protect patient identity 4 December 2017 30 August 2018

M0006 MT-TS1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 9 January 2018 30 August 2018

M0009 MT-TI m.4300 A>G 28 June 2018 27 September 2018

M0010 MT-TI m.4300 A>G 11 July 2018 27 September 2018

M0013 MT-ND4 m.11778 G>A 14 July 2018 25 October 2018

M0012 MT-ND1 m.3460 G>A 13 July 2018 25 October 2018

M0014 MT-ND4 m.11778 G>A 23 November 2018 31 January 2019

M0015 MT-ND4 m.11778 G>A 23 November 2018 31 January 2019

M0011 MT-ND4 m.11778 G>A 12 July 2018 29 August 2019

M0016 MT-TK m.8344 A>G 5 July 2019 26 September 2019

M0017 MT-ND4 m.11778 G>A 22 August 2019 31 October 2019

M0018 MT-TL1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 10 December 2019 26 March 2020

M0019 MT-TL1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 10 December 2019 26 March 2020

M0020 MT-TL1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 30 March 2020 25 June 2020

M0021 MT-ND1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 30 March 2020 25 June 2020

M0022 MT-ND1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 26 June 2020 24 September 2020

M0024 MT-ND4 Details omitted to protect patient identity 9 December 2020 29 July 2021

M0025 MT-ND4 Details omitted to protect patient identity 9 December 2020 29 July 2021

M0026 MT-ND4 Details omitted to protect patient identity 7 June 2021 4 October 2021

M0027 MT-ND1 Details omitted to protect patient identity 7 June 2021 4 October 2021

Source: HFEA

The Department has not made any assessments of the fact that only 24 patients have been licensed as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment in the United Kingdom.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 requires the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to approve applications for mitochondrial donation treatment on a case-by-case basis, with reference to the statutory tests and the particular circumstances of the patient.

All applications considered by the HFEA’s Statutory Approvals Committee for mitochondrial donation treatment to 31 October 2021 have been approved.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Code of Practice requires centres licensed to offer mitochondrial donation treatment to provide prospective patients with appropriate information about the treatment, including access to genetic consultation and counselling and obtain the written informed consent of patients before treatment can proceed.

The symptoms of mitochondrial disease are often unique to the individual affected, which taken together with the small number of patients approved to date and the need to ensure individuals are not identified, means that it is not yet possible to assess data on safety and efficacy of these methods beyond the number of approvals and details of mitochondrial DNA mutations for each approval. All healthcare professionals must not release data which may make patients and their health conditions identifiable.

The Department has not made an assessment. The statement aims to provide basic information to potential patients and the reference to limited evidence on risks and success rates reflects that this treatment has only been available in the United Kingdom for the last few years.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that to date it has licensed 24 patients as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment in the UK. To protect patient confidentiality, information on the number of embryos produced, transferred, and confirmed pregnancies cannot be disclosed. No assessment of the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation treatment has been made to date as the number of treatments in the UK is low.

The following table shows the number of embryos discarded and transferred to uteri to establish pregnancies from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The data is the latest information available and as shown on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) register database on 27 August 2021.

Source: HFEA

The following table shows the cumulative figures for how many human embryos have been discarded and transferred to uteri from 1 August 1991 to 31 December 2019. The figures include additional validated data from previous years.

Source: HFEA

We will be investigating the claims made against Supermax. We have made strong commitments to eradicate modern slavery from all contracts in the Government’s supply chain. A due diligence process is carried out for all Government contracts and our suppliers are required to follow the highest legal and ethical standards. If they fail to do so, we will remove them from current and future procurements.

In July 2021, we placed an order with Supermax for 135 million gloves at a cost of £7.9 million. Our purchase process includes safeguards to both strengthen due diligence and to terminate a contract should there be substantiated allegations against a provider.

Although no specific assessments have been made, we are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health and care services for disabled children.

On 6 September, we announced an additional £5.4 billion for the National Health Service over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services in response to COVID-19 to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children. Councils have access to £51.3 billion to deliver core services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care. To support local areas, we have provided over £6 billion in un-ringfenced funding directly to councils for the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including for children’s social care.

Although no specific assessments have been made, we are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health and care services for disabled children.

On 6 September, we announced an additional £5.4 billion for the National Health Service over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services in response to COVID-19 to over £34 billion in 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children. Councils have access to £51.3 billion to deliver core services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care. To support local areas, we have provided over £6 billion in un-ringfenced funding directly to councils for the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including for children’s social care.

Each and every suicide is a tragedy, with a devastating impact on families and communities. The Department for Health and Social Care, the Home Office, the Department for Education and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities are working with the Da’Aro Youth Project to better understand and address the concerns raised in the letter dated 16 July.

The National Suicide Prevention Strategy Preventing suicide in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives, highlights groups which require tailored approaches to address their mental health needs, including asylum seekers. Every local authority has a multi-agency suicide prevention plan in place, tailored to the needs of local communities and work with local partners to implement these plans based on the National Strategy and local data. A copy of the Strategy is attached.

The Government will also continue to use our safeguarding networks to identify the most vulnerable users of the asylum system and engage with the appropriate statutory agencies to provide the support they need.

To date, there have been no substantiated allegations of modern slavery in relation to a Departmental supplier. All the suppliers on our current gloves framework are registered and have been asked to complete a Modern Slavery Assessment and a Labour Standards Assessment.

Due diligence is carried out for all Government contracts and we expect all National Health Service suppliers to follow the highest legal and ethical standards. Public sector contracting authorities are advised on how to assess suppliers to mitigate the risk of modern slavery. Contracts are placed in line with Departmental terms and conditions which include clauses requiring Good Industry Practice to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in supply chains. Suppliers appointed to NHS Supply Chain frameworks must comply with the Labour Standards Assurance System or they can be removed from consideration for future opportunities.

While information on personal protective equipment (PPE) is published on the Government’s Contracts Finder service, there are currently no plans to collect or publish data on sub-contractors and intermediaries.

Collating the information requested would involve detailed analysis of 339 individual contracts and detailed re-validation of purchase order and invoice data. This would exceed the disproportionate cost of £850.

The total spend for PPE during the financial year 2020/21 was £14.7 billion, which included the costs of freight, logistics and warehousing. The total cost of lateral flow devices is not held in the format requested.

For all personal protective equipment (PPE), certification is checked through a technical assurance process before the products are released for distribution. Following information received from the National Health Service in February, we quarantined and recalled the affected products and reviewed the technical certification.

As part of our investigation, we commissioned the British Standards Institution to test the masks. While the findings stated the affected masks failed to meet to FFP3 requirements, they passed all the testing requirements for an FFP2 respirator. The World Health Organization recommends the use of N95 or FFP2 respirators for health workers performing aerosol-generating procedures, wearers should have been afforded protection. These masks are not recommended to be worn by patients. We have commissioned an independent root cause analysis investigation and we await the outcome.

As of 10 June, 1.9 billion items of stock were in the ‘do not supply’ category. This is equivalent to 6.2% of purchased volume with an estimated value of £2.8 billion. We are considering options to repurpose and recycle items in this category which ensures safety and value for money. Discussions with suppliers are ongoing.

A dedicated team within the Department’s Test and Trace programme has been responsible for overseeing a rigorous inspection and auditing process for all Lateral Flow Device (LFD) suppliers outside of the United Kingdom, which includes a Business Social Compliance Initiative Human Rights audit.

All three of these suppliers manufacture the devices in China and have been assessed as Acceptable (C) overall, with further improvement needed with regards to social management systems and working hours. No evidence of child labour, forced labour or unethical business behaviour were identified over the course of these audits, which are valid for 12 months from the date of issue at which point a further audit will take place.

The Department was aware that the direct, urgent sourcing and purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment in 2020 involved high-risk areas in terms of ethical and business practices and had a number of mitigations in place. To combat Modern Slavery concerns, the Department engaged widely with NHS Supply Chain, the Home Office (HO) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office regarding Modern Slavery issues in awarding contracts. Additional training and guidance was rapidly created and distributed to strengthen buying professionals knowledge of modern slavery risks specific to the pandemic. Working with HO colleagues, the Department participated in a cross-government project to increase the modern slavery awareness of procurement professionals which included supplier training and workshops.

There has been no specific assessment of BGI Group’s tests. Public Health England and NHS England have confirmed they do not use BGI technology in their genomic screening services.

On the information provided, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) would anticipate that this type of device would be classified as a List B In-Vitro Diagnostic, which requires the oversight of a conformity assessment body before being placed on the United Kingdom market. The device must comply with the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 No.618. The MHRA understand BGI genetic screening tests are currently available for sale in the UK. These devices do not appear to have been registered with the MHRA at this time, however, due to their risk classification, registration will be required from 1 September 2021 in order to continue placing the products on the market.

Access to health data is controlled by the Data Protection Act 2018 (which incorporates GDPR in UK domestic law) and the common law duty of confidentiality and we have no plans to change these. The Government is clear that health and care data should only ever be used and/or shared where used lawfully, treated with respect, held securely and where the right safeguards are in place. The UK’s high standards of data protection will be maintained and enforced.

As outlined in the Genome UK strategy, all our genomic data systems will continue to apply consistent high standards around data security and our intention is that the UK model will be recognised as being the gold standard for how to apply strong and consistent ethical and regulatory standards that support rapid healthcare innovation, adhere to legal frameworks, and maintain public and professional trust.

There are no grounds to prevent BGI Groups operating in the UK provided they comply with UK legislation and regulatory requirements.

As of 14 May 2021, more than 1 billion self-test and assisted lateral flow devices (LFDs) manufactured in China have been purchased for use in the United Kingdom. We are unable to provide the cost of these kits as this information is commercially sensitive. A gradual increase in the proportion of UK-produced self-test LFDs is anticipated by the summer.

The information on the amount paid to Chinese companies and the specific companies involved is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been procured from a number of different sources internationally which prevents the Department from identifying Chinese companies as all companies can sub-contract a Chinese company. While the Department records contracts made directly with companies based in China, we do not hold a central record of any sub-contracting. PPE was also procured through intermediaries and this information is not collected centrally.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the market in the United Kingdom. Information about possible side-effects associated with treatment is provided in the product information which is available to all prescribers and patients. This is based on a thorough assessment of the available information and is updated regularly as new information emerges.

Information on the average length of time antidepressants have been taken by patients is not held centrally. Between March 2020 and November 2020, the latest data available, the number of items of antidepressant products that were dispensed in the community in England was 59,000,280 and the total cost in this period was £286,838,390.64. Information on the number of products dispensed in secondary care is not held.

The annual number of anti-depressants that have been prescribed and dispensed in England in the community between 2011-November 2020, the latest data available, is provided in the following table. Information is not held for items dispensed in secondary care. The total cost of prescription items between this period was £2,543,305,593.92

Note:

The data provided for the years 2011-2013 was supplied from NHS Digital whilst the data provided for the years 2014-2020 was supplied from the NHS Business Services Authority. Any data prior to 2014 may classify many products in different ways due to a significant reclassification of products.

Information prior to 2015 is not held. The following tables show the number of antidepressant products that were prescribed to under 18 year olds and the subsequent subset of those aged 5 to 11 years old in England on a National Health Service prescription, dispensed in the community in England between April 2015, the earliest age-based data held, and November 2020, the latest data available. Information relating to items dispensed in secondary care is not collected centrally.

Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old.

Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged 5 to 11 years old.

The total cost of prescription items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old, including patients in the 5 to 11 years old age group between April 2015 and November 2020 was £9,110,589.79.

Two contracts have been awarded to PPE Medpro by the Department with a total value of £202 million and seven contracts have been awarded to Purple Surgical by the Department with a total value of £226 million. Information concerning whether any of the personal protective equipment (PPE) has not met the required quality standards or a particular specification, whose fault that is and what should be done about it are regarded as commercially confidential information as this process involves negotiations with the supplier where we may seek a refund or other redress as per the contract terms in these contracts.

In terms of how these suppliers were selected, the Government issued a public call to action to support the increased requirements of PPE. The aim was to reach suppliers who had experience of supplying PPE and also those who had no prior experience but who had access to sources of PPE through their business contacts. This resulted in over 15,000 suppliers offering their help and support, including PPE Medpro and Purple Surgical.

All suppliers were evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. All contracts were awarded by the appropriate accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures.

Seven contracts have been awarded to Purple Surgical by the Department with a value of £226 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Two contracts have been awarded to PPE Medpro by the Department with a total value of £202 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Seven contracts have been awarded to Pestfix by the Department with a total value of £348 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

One contract has been awarded to Ayanda Capital by the Department with a value of £252 million. The Contract Award Notice and the contract has been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contains details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all the PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the United Kingdom’s regulator charged with the regulation of medicines for human use, which includes vaccines and medical devices.

The MHRA’s first priority is the protection of public health and any medicinal product or vaccine offered for sale which does not hold the appropriate authorisation will be investigated as a potential breach of the Human Medicines Regulations and a clear threat to health and safety of UK citizens.

Officials at the MHRA are actively assessing the nature and extent of such a threat and are working with partners in UK and elsewhere across the globe to provide an appropriate and effective response.

We have brought forward our Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, backed by £50 million, to set out the support available for people in the context of a second wave and the winter months. This plan sets out the steps we have taken to strengthen the support available for people who are struggling, including for people with severe mental illness.

This includes the announcement that the National Health Service will receive approximately an additional £500 million next year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce.

There is consistent evidence that people who are overweight or living with obesity who contract COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to hospital, admitted to an intensive care unit and to die from COVID-19 compared to those of a healthy body weight status.

We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives in July. Our strategy is designed to reshape the food environment by providing people with a healthier choice and encouraging them to take it. A copy is attached.

Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care are categorically untrue.

Over two thirds of inpatients were aged over 65 years old. The National Health Service repeatedly instructed staff that no patient who could benefit from treatment should be denied it and even at the height of the pandemic there was no shortage of ventilators and intensive care.

Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and care workers and the response of the public to public health measures we have protected our most vulnerable patients throughout the pandemic. For example, from the start of the pandemic we have done everything we can to ensure care home residents and staff are protected, including testing all residents and staff, ring-fencing £1.1 billion for infection control and making a further £4.6 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

Data is not available in the format requested.

Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care in wave one of the coronavirus pandemic, in part because of a triage tool which was developed for use if the National Health Service was overwhelmed, are categorically untrue. Guidance to help clinicians make rational, evidence-based decisions in the event of intensive care units being overwhelmed was commissioned by the NHS England National Medical Director and the four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers but work was halted when it became clear the NHS would not be overwhelmed.

The Department holds no contract with ADM Group for the supply of personal protective equipment.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

The Department does not hold a direct contract with Medwell Medical Products for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Investigation of stocks of PPE received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The Department does not hold a direct contract with Medwell Medical Products for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Investigation of stocks of PPE received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

In reviewing alert levels, the Government takes into consideration all the available data for the local situation, including incidence, test positivity and growth rate amongst other factors, to reduce the spread of the virus and bring ‘R’ back below 1.

Decisions on the response to suppress the virus in places at local COVID alert level very high, including Liverpool, were made in consultation with local authorities and directors of public health to ensure that the measures are relevant to that area’s economic, social and public health situation.

The Department responded to the letter on 23 November 2020.

As the pandemic has progressed, we have gained a better understanding of the virus and how it spreads. When reviewing the efficacy of restrictions, the Government assess a range of indicators which currently includes:

- Case detection rates in all age groups;

- Case detection rates in the over 60 year olds;

- The rate at which cases are rising or falling;

- Positivity rate or the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken in the general population; and

- Pressure on the National Health Service, including current and projected occupancy, admissions, staff absences.

These indicators are under constant review, regardless of the level of restrictions. Since March 2020, the Government has put in place national restrictions which have led to reduced case rates and hospital admissions.

The Government endeavours to communicate changes to restrictions clearly through the media. Additionally, the Contain framework sets out how national and local partners work with the public at a local level to prevent, contain and manage outbreaks, including through communication. Contain facilitates engagement with local authorities through regional partnership teams, including the Department, Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England, ensuring local stakeholder views are part of the decision-making process.

Our first priority continues to be to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in care homes and prevent future outbreaks, and to ensure the health and safety of both care workers and residents. To help reduce the risk of transmission, we have provided the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with test kits so CQC inspectors can undertake weekly polymerase chain reaction asymptomatic testing.

Regular testing will help identify positive cases in the CQC’s inspectors without symptoms and enable action to be taken to limit the spread of the virus, supporting the CQC to continue their vital work in ensuring services meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. As with all testing policies, this remains under review.

Since the start of this pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care. We have taken steps to ensure residents and staff are protected, including testing all residents and staff, providing 208 million items of personal protective equipment, ring-fencing £1.1 billion to prevent infections in care homes and making a further £3.7 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic – including in adult social care.

Residents’ individual circumstances must be considered in any decisions, ensuring that their human rights, personal choices, safety and dignity are upheld. Early in the pandemic, we outlined the importance of this through the Adult Social Care Ethical Framework.

We keep our policies under continuous review based on the emerging international and domestic evidence and will consider Amnesty’s report as part of this. On 18 September, we published our Adult Social Care Winter Plan which included several additional measures to support care homes during the pandemic.

From Monday 28 September, we increased the number of COVID-19 secure guidelines that have been placed into law and expanded the range of settings in which these laws will apply. The new ‘rule of six’ simplifies and strengthens the rules on social gatherings, making them easier to understand and easier for the police to enforce. Businesses will be legally obliged to prevent people mixing in groups larger than six, take appropriate measures to prevent mingling and to comply with the COVID-19 secure guidance already in place. Therefore, if venues are not COVID-19 secure then they could be liable for fines or closures.

Evidence indicated that reduced operating hours allowed businesses to trade for the majority of the evening while also controlling transmission rates. This aimed to minimise damage to the economy and society, jobs and livelihoods and safeguard education in schools, colleges and universities.

COVID‑19 support is available to employers and the self-employed, including sole traders and limited company directors and includes loans, tax relief and cash grants, whether a business is open or closed.

Health is a devolved matter and each administration has the discretion and flexibility to find the right balance between managing risks and relaxing measures.

The Government is keeping its social distancing measures under continual review. The Government will only make changes when we are confident, we can do so safely. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care keeps the restrictions and requirements under constant consideration, to ensure the measures continue to be both proportionate and necessary

The new limit from 14 September does not prevent anyone from seeing their grandparents, but those who live in larger households will need to think carefully about how to organise their social interactions to remain within the law. We know this is difficult, but we know people will understand the need to take those steps which are necessary to keep their loved ones safe. These rules have been simplified and strengthened so they are easier to understand, and so the police can identify and disperse illegal gatherings. We are also acting now to get the virus under control and, if we achieve that, we may be able to make changes and potentially lift the restrictions.

As the Prime Minister set out, if we are to beat the virus then everyone, at all times, needs to limit social contact as much as possible. We are seeing daily case numbers rise rapidly and across the country, which is why the Government, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser jointly agreed the changes we announced.

The rules have been simplified and strengthened so they are easier to understand, and so the police can identify and disperse illegal gatherings. We are also acting now to get the virus under control and, if we achieve that, we may be able to make changes and potentially lift the restrictions.

The new limit from 14 September does not prevent anyone from seeing their grandparents, but those who live in larger households will need to think carefully about how to organise their social interactions to remain within the law. We know this is difficult, but we know people will understand the need to take those steps which are necessary to keep their loved ones safe.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics undertook a comprehensive review of donor conception. Donor conception: ethical aspects of information sharing was published on 17 April 2013 and a copy is attached.

One of the report’s key recommendations was that “The state does not, and should not, have a role in informing donor-conceived people of the circumstances of their conception, for example through entries on birth certificates.”

In the light of this review and the report’s clear recommendation, the Government took the view that no further legislative action was appropriate in this area. The Government encourages the parents of donor conceived children to be open with them about their genetic heritage. This has remained Government policy through successive administrations.

The Government has made no formal assessment of these studies and the Department has not made an assessment of the relationship between the legalisation of assisted suicide and the rate of suicide in the general population.

The United Kingdom believes that the World Health Organization (WHO) has an important role to play in leading the health response to COVID-19 and in longer-term leadership in global health including preparedness. We also want to see the WHO continue to learn lessons on how to improve its response to global health emergencies and as such would expect a full review of all elements of their response once they are out of response mode, as has occurred after previous Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. The WHO has confirmed a review will take place and we will continue to work closely with them and other international partners to ensure this is wide-ranging and robust.

Effective local management of outbreaks is the first line of protection against a second wave that might overwhelm the National Health Service.

In this case, Blackburn suffered the highest incidence rates of all districts in Lancashire for three consecutive weeks between 13 July and 2 August. Incidents rates per 100,000 population rose from 83.25 and peaked at 91.98 before falling to 74.53 by 2 August once local resources were augmented with national support.

When considering whether an area can come out of a localised lockdown, there will need to be a reduction in cases consistent with the surrounding areas and a significantly diminished risk of further growth. We are keeping these restrictions under review and they will be removed when they are no longer proportionate or necessary. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis with involvement of the scientific community and local leaders.

On behalf of affected families, the Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) attended every meeting of the Commission on Human Medicines’ Expert Working Group on HPTs and was invited to discuss their draft recommendations and give a statement to the Commission on the draft report of the Group. In addition, 13 affected families gave their personal experiences with Primodos to the Expert Working Group. Since publication of the report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, we have received a letter from the Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests and will be responding shortly.

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review published its report on 8 July and all of its recommendations will be considered carefully. The Government will provide an update in due course.

The Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests was an independent group convened to conduct a scientific review of the evidence for an association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes of pregnancy.

The report and all the evidence that was reviewed by the Group has been publicly available since November 2017. We cannot discuss specific issues regarding the litigation, but this does not prevent any re-examination of the report or evidence. Any relevant new evidence would be reviewed as it becomes available.

We are carefully considering the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review and will respond in due course.

Throughout our COVID-19 response we have worked with the care sector and public health experts to put in place measures to reduce transmission and save lives. It has been our priority to ensure that everyone is discharged safely from hospital and to the most appropriate available place. Wherever possible, people who are clinically ready should be supported to return to their place of residence, where assessment of longer-term needs will take place. This approach follows the ‘Discharge to Assess’ model, to support timely and appropriate discharge from hospital.

The Hospital Discharge Service and staff should clarify with care homes the COVID-19 status of an individual and any COVID-19 symptoms, during the process of transfer from a hospital to the care home. As testing capacity was being built priority for testing was given to the most clinically vulnerable patients:

- all patients in critical care for pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or flu like illness;

- all other patients requiring admission to hospital for pneumonia, ARDS or flu like illness; and

- where an outbreak has occurred in a residential or care setting, for example long-term care facility or prisons.

As set out in the Adult Social Care Action Plan on 15 April, all patients are now required to be tested prior to discharge to a care home.

Public Health England has not made an assessment of the statements made by Dr Li-Meng Yan.

Many care homes have been doing an excellent job of keeping people safe.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) reduced the number of physical inspections it conducted during the crisis in order to limit the number of people going in and out of care homes. It did continue to inspect a small number of settings where serious concerns have been identified. Some of these were linked directly to concerns raised with the CQC from staff and members of the public.

Furthermore, during this crisis, Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors have contacted more than 80% of all providers – over 20,000 care providers – to offer support, advice and guidance, including help accessing personal protective equipment and advice on infection control.

We are working to expand the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas and improve domestic manufacturing capability. We are expanding and improving the logistics network for delivering to the front line.

Since 25 February we have delivered over 2.2 billion items of PPE across the health and social care system within England, plus tens of millions more will have been distributed by the devolved administrations. Almost 28 billion items of PPE have been ordered from United Kingdom-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.

Two important customer alerts were issued on 22 May and 26 June regarding a product fault with Type IIR facemasks, sourced from Cardinal Health. The Cardinal Health Type IIR facemasks were subject to a formal shelf life extension process that enabled their shelf life to be extended and so were not out of date. The cost of these masks cannot be released due to commercial sensitivity.

We know that many people with long standing, limiting illnesses or health conditions are at higher risk of poorer outcomes from COVID-19.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken provisional analysis of data comparing the risk of death involving COVID-19 according to a person’s disability status, as recorded in the 2011 Census for the period 2 March to 15 May 2020. This data suggests that, after adjusting for region, population density, socio-demographic and household characteristics, the relative difference in mortality rates between those ‘limited a lot’ by a health condition and those not disabled was 2.4 times higher for females and 1.9 times higher for males.

We continue to review all available evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 for disabled people and we are commissioning new research to better understand the specific impact. This evidence will inform policy development going forwards.

Emergency guidance issued at the beginning of the pandemic and the Codes of Practice for the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards offer guidance to individuals trying to determine and make decisions in the best interests of a person who lacks capacity to make a particular decision, including on where to live.

Those making best interests decisions should seek consent on all aspects of care and treatment to which the person can consent. They should consider the person’s wishes and feelings, as well as their beliefs and values that would be likely to influence their decision. They should also consider the views of the person’s family members and those interested in the person’s welfare. This approach applies to decisions about residence too.