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These initiatives were driven by Lord German, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord German has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord German has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord German OBE
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
15 February 2021
Dear Lord German,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many jobs have been lost in each parliamentary constituency in Wales so far in the 2020/21 financial year (HL13074).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces labour market statistics for small areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS), which is a survey of people resident in households in the UK.
The APS cannot be used to measure the number of people who have lost their jobs, but instead can provide estimates of how the size of the workforce has changed over time. The survey provides level estimates for 12-month periods, based on interviews taking place throughout that time. Comparisons should only be made between non-overlapping survey periods.
Table 1 shows the employment levels for the 12-month period ending September 2020, the latest available period, and the previous non-overlapping period for the 12-months ending September 2019, along with the net change between the two periods, for each parliamentary constituency in Wales.
Estimates from the APS are from a sample survey and as such are subject to a certain level of uncertainty. As the information provided is quite extensive, a copy has been placed in the House of Lords library.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of people in employment1 for the 12 month periods ending September 2019 and September 2020, and net change between the 2 periods, in Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales | |||||
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| Thousands | |||
Parliamentary Constituency | Geocode | Oct 2018-Sep 2019 | Oct 2019-Sep 2020 | Net change |
|
Aberavon | W07000049 | 30 | 28 | -2 |
|
Aberconwy | W07000058 | 25 | 26 | 1 |
|
Alyn and Deeside | W07000043 | 45 | 45 | 0 |
|
Arfon | W07000057 | 30 | 22 | -8 |
|
Blaenau Gwent | W07000072 | 31 | 32 | 1 |
|
Brecon and Radnorshire | W07000068 | 32 | 29 | -3 |
|
Bridgend | W07000073 | 42 | 42 | -1 |
|
Caerphilly | W07000076 | 37 | 40 | 3 |
|
Cardiff Central | W07000050 | 37 | 41 | 4 |
|
Cardiff North | W07000051 | 58 | 58 | 0 |
|
Cardiff South and Penarth | W07000080 | 63 | 64 | 1 |
|
Cardiff West | W07000079 | 54 | 47 | -7 |
|
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | W07000067 | 31 | 30 | -2 |
|
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | W07000066 | 33 | 35 | 2 |
|
Ceredigion | W07000064 | 34 | 35 | 2 |
|
Clwyd South | W07000062 | 39 | 35 | -4 |
|
Clwyd West | W07000059 | 34 | 30 | -4 |
|
Cynon Valley | W07000070 | 32 | 27 | -5 |
|
Delyn | W07000042 | 34 | 34 | 0 |
|
Dwyfor Meirionnydd | W07000061 | 30 | 34 | 5 |
|
Gower | W07000046 | 43 | 41 | -2 |
|
Islwyn | W07000077 | 38 | 39 | 1 |
|
Llanelli | W07000045 | 36 | 35 | -1 |
|
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | W07000071 | 33 | 31 | -2 |
|
Monmouth | W07000054 | 43 | 43 | 0 |
|
Montgomeryshire | W07000063 | 30 | 32 | 2 |
|
Neath | W07000069 | 37 | 35 | -1 |
|
Newport East | W07000055 | 36 | 38 | 2 |
|
Newport West | W07000056 | 44 | 45 | 1 |
|
Ogmore | W07000074 | 31 | 33 | 2 |
|
Pontypridd | W07000075 | 36 | 41 | 5 |
|
Preseli Pembrokeshire | W07000065 | 38 | 37 | -2 |
|
Rhondda | W07000052 | 30 | 26 | -4 |
|
Swansea East | W07000048 | 31 | 33 | 2 |
|
Swansea West | W07000047 | 39 | 37 | -2 |
|
Torfaen | W07000053 | 34 | 35 | 1 |
|
Vale of Clwyd | W07000060 | 29 | 31 | 2 |
|
Vale of Glamorgan | W07000078 | 46 | 44 | -2 |
|
Wrexham | W07000044 | 33 | 34 | 1 |
|
Ynys Mon | W07000041 | 33 | 31 | -2 |
|
Wales |
| 1468 | 1452 | -16 |
|
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[1] Quality indicator |
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Shaded estimates are based on a small sample size. This may result in less precise estimates, which should be used with caution. |
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Unshaded estimates are based on a larger sample size. This is likely to result in estimates of higher precision, although they will still be subject to some sampling variability. |
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The Insolvency Service publishes National Statistics on insolvency cases for England and Wales combined. It is not possible to identify accurately companies that trade in Wales specifically, or companies that operated within specific parliamentary constituencies before entering insolvency. The data used for insolvency statistics is compiled from information at Companies House. The registered office address for a company may not be representative of its trading location, and often it is changed upon insolvency to the address of the appointed Insolvency Practitioner dealing with the case.
Subject to these caveats, the table below sets out the data on all company insolvencies registered at Companies House during the three quarters of 2020/21 ending December 2020:
Estimated number of registered company insolvencies in Wales by parliamentary constituency of company registered office1
1 April to 31 December 2020
Constituency | Total Company Insolvencies |
Aberavon | 0 |
Aberconwy | 1 |
Alyn and Deeside | 2 |
Arfon | 1 |
Blaenau Gwent | 1 |
Brecon and Radnorshire | 0 |
Bridgend | 1 |
Caerphilly | 0 |
Cardiff Central | 1 |
Cardiff North | 10 |
Cardiff South and Penarth | 37 |
Cardiff West | 27 |
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | 1 |
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire | 0 |
Ceredigion | 1 |
Clwyd South | 0 |
Clwyd West | 1 |
Cynon Valley | 4 |
Delyn | 1 |
Dwyfor Meirionnydd | 0 |
Gower | 0 |
Islwyn | 0 |
Llanelli | 0 |
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | 0 |
Monmouth | 0 |
Montgomeryshire | 1 |
Neath | 0 |
Newport East | 0 |
Newport West | 11 |
Ogmore | 0 |
Pontypridd | 0 |
Preseli Pembrokeshire | 1 |
Rhondda | 0 |
Swansea East | 3 |
Swansea West | 68 |
Torfaen | 1 |
Vale of Clwyd | 0 |
Vale of Glamorgan | 2 |
Wrexham | 1 |
Ynys Môn | 0 |
Total | 177 |
Source: Companies House, Insolvency Service
1 Companies House supplies quarterly data on company insolvencies to the Insolvency Service.
The Insolvency Service also holds data on personal bankruptcies in Wales during 2020 where the individual concerned ran a business as a sole trader or partnership. This information will be available later this year following the summer release of the official statistics covering the location, age and gender of individuals that entered insolvency in 2020 (provisionally to be released in August 2020). The latest published statistics cover the period 2000 to 2019 and are available on the GOV.UK website.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is available to self-employed individuals with an eligible business entity. The scheme is open to sole traders, freelancers, body corporates, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships or any other legal entity carrying out a business activity in the United Kingdom, with a turnover of less than £45m, operating in most sectors. The turnover of the business must generate more than 50% of its turnover from trading activity.
Lenders, such as banks, are responsible for providing loans supported by the guarantee. The exact terms of each loan and length of application will depend on the circumstances of the borrower: lenders are fully aware of the current urgency with which some businesses need to access finance to support cash-flow during this difficult time, so we would expect them to respond appropriately to their customers’ needs.
The list of participating lenders that provide Coronavirus Interruption Business Loan Scheme facilities published on the British Business Bank website.
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector and the rich breadth of artistic talent across the UK.
UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are working with the creative and cultural sectors to help them get to grips with the changes to systems and processes.
We are looking closely at a range of options to support musicians and performers to resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so, including proposals for an Export Office that could provide further practical help. We will set out next steps in due course.
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector and the rich breadth of artistic talent across the UK.
UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are working with the creative and cultural sectors to help them get to grips with the changes to systems and processes.
We are looking closely at a range of options to support musicians and performers to resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so, including proposals for an Export Office that could provide further practical help. We will set out next steps in due course.
Non-professional groups of up to six people can now sing indoors, and can perform or rehearse in groups of up to 30 outdoors. In addition, multiple groups of 30 can now sing outdoors, provided the groups are kept separate throughout the activity, in line with other large events that follow the organised events guidance for local authorities.
We know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year.
The Performing Arts Guidance makes reference to the relevant regulations and provides recommendations for performing arts venues and operators. We expect everyone to comply with the law and the underlying guidance when arranging events or carrying out performing arts related activities.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK creative and cultural sectors and the rich breadth of talent across the UK.
We understand the concerns about the new arrangements for touring following the end of the transition period, and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to help address these issues.
The first working group meeting was held on 5 February, and was chaired by the Minister of State for Digital and Culture. Further working group meetings took place on 15 February and 5 March. DCMS is looking at a range of options to ensure we can provide individuals and businesses with access to the right support, at the right time, so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK creative and cultural sectors and the rich breadth of talent across the UK.
We understand the concerns about the new arrangements for touring following the end of the transition period, and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to help address these issues.
The first working group meeting was held on 5 February, and was chaired by the Minister of State for Digital and Culture. Further working group meetings took place on 15 February and 5 March. DCMS is looking at a range of options to ensure we can provide individuals and businesses with access to the right support, at the right time, so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so
The majority of Government funding for arts organisations and individuals is provided through our arm’s length body Arts Council England (ACE). From the funding received ACE provides grants to over 800 National Portfolio organisations (NPO’s) and funds 30 Creative People and Places projects across the UK. ACE operates independently of Government, which protects both ACE and DCMS from questions of any political involvement in arts funding decisions.
During the Covid 19 pandemic ACE will be relaxing its funding conditions for National Portfolio Organisations and Creative People and Places projects where necessary, and are currently talking to each of them about how this will work. Grant conditions will also be relaxed on existing National Lottery Project Grants where necessary, and ACE will be providing more information on its website.
These measures, in conjunction with the initiatives announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to support businesses and organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic, such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of VAT payments for the next 3 months, will provide organisations with more financial support during this period of uncertainty.
As part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an Arm’s Length Body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact. This was published in November 2022.
The business case draws upon evidence provided by the market. The department estimates the value of the commercial curriculum resources market to be between £200 to £300 million per annum. We do not have a separate estimate for the educational supplies market.
Monitoring market impact is a priority for the department and will be factored into the ongoing evaluation of Oak National Academy, including its review in 2024 as part the wider Public Bodies Review programme. The review will act as a checkpoint to ensure that Oak is acting effectively and will include consideration of the effect on the commercial curriculum resources market.
It is important that teachers and pupils are able to benefit from the high-quality materials that Oak will provide as soon as possible. Oak will therefore be continuing with its activities while the application for judicial review is being considered, including the procurement of curriculum packages according to the planned schedule.
As part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an Arm’s Length Body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact. This was published in November 2022.
The business case draws upon evidence provided by the market. The department estimates the value of the commercial curriculum resources market to be between £200 to £300 million per annum. We do not have a separate estimate for the educational supplies market.
Monitoring market impact is a priority for the department and will be factored into the ongoing evaluation of Oak National Academy, including its review in 2024 as part the wider Public Bodies Review programme. The review will act as a checkpoint to ensure that Oak is acting effectively and will include consideration of the effect on the commercial curriculum resources market.
It is important that teachers and pupils are able to benefit from the high-quality materials that Oak will provide as soon as possible. Oak will therefore be continuing with its activities while the application for judicial review is being considered, including the procurement of curriculum packages according to the planned schedule.
As part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an Arm’s Length Body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact. This was published in November 2022.
The business case draws upon evidence provided by the market. The department estimates the value of the commercial curriculum resources market to be between £200 to £300 million per annum. We do not have a separate estimate for the educational supplies market.
Monitoring market impact is a priority for the department and will be factored into the ongoing evaluation of Oak National Academy, including its review in 2024 as part the wider Public Bodies Review programme. The review will act as a checkpoint to ensure that Oak is acting effectively and will include consideration of the effect on the commercial curriculum resources market.
It is important that teachers and pupils are able to benefit from the high-quality materials that Oak will provide as soon as possible. Oak will therefore be continuing with its activities while the application for judicial review is being considered, including the procurement of curriculum packages according to the planned schedule.
The Government has set aside up to £43 million over the period from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to support Oak National Academy. Funding beyond April 2025 for departments and their Arm’s Length Bodies will be determined at the next Spending Review, which is expected to conclude in late 2024.
The Strategic Priorities Grant, formerly referred to as the Teaching Grant, plays an important role in supporting providers and students to develop the skills and knowledge needed locally, regionally and nationally to support the economy.
We have asked the Office for Students (OfS) to reform the Grant for 2021-22. These reforms include the reallocation of high-cost subject funding towards the provision of high-cost subjects that support the NHS and wider healthcare policy, high-cost science, technology, and engineering subjects, and subjects meeting specific labour market needs.
One of our proposals is for a 50% reduction in the rate of high-cost subject funding, which is one element of the wider Strategic Priorities Grant, for some subjects in order to enable this reprioritisation.
Under current proposals, outlined in the OfS’ consultation on recurrent funding for 2021/22, the high-cost subject funding rate for students on music courses (CAH25-02-02) will be set at £121.50 in 2021/22, down from £243 in 2020/21. This fall is equivalent to a reduction of around 1% in combined funding from a £9,250 tuition fee and OfS funding. Music students will also attract other elements of OfS funding, such as funding for student access and success, which is unrelated to the subject they study.
The OfS’ methodology for calculating funding allocations, which are done at subject price group-level rather than on an individual subject basis, means that the total amount of high-cost subject funding cannot be calculated for individual subjects such as music. However, illustrative modelling performed by the OfS on funding allocations, which accompanied their consultation, calculated that the total amount of funding for C1.2 subjects, which includes performing arts, creative arts, media studies and archaeology, decreased from £36 million in academic year 2020/21 to £19 million in academic year 2021/22. We have asked the OfS to invest an additional £10 million in our world-leading specialist providers. Many of these specialise in arts provision such as the Royal College of Music or the Royal Academy of Music which are both world-leading institutions for music education. We want to ensure that our specialist providers receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services have been available throughout the pandemic and are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union, along with fewer operational staff being on site to allow for social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements has led to delays in dealing with paper applications. The DVLA has leased an additional building to accommodate more operational staff.
The number of paper applications awaiting processing fluctuates daily as driving licences are issued and new applications received. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK.
Drivers who need to hire a vehicle and have sent their licence to the DVLA for renewal, can view and share their driving licence information with a car hire company by generating a share code online at GOV.UK.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services have been available throughout the pandemic and are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union, along with fewer operational staff being on site to allow for social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements has led to delays in dealing with paper applications. The DVLA has leased an additional building to accommodate more operational staff.
The number of paper applications awaiting processing fluctuates daily as driving licences are issued and new applications received. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK.
Drivers who need to hire a vehicle and have sent their licence to the DVLA for renewal, can view and share their driving licence information with a car hire company by generating a share code online at GOV.UK.
New motorcycles are required to meet strict noise limits in a range of driving conditions before being placed on the market. The current limit within the approval test is between 73 and 77 decibels (dBA) depending on the power to weight ratio of the machine and is not specific to types of roads.
Once on the road, regulations require that exhausts and silencers shall not be altered to increase noise above the level the motorcycle was originally approved to. The police also have powers to take action if they believe excessive vehicle noise could have been avoided through reasonable driver care.
The annual vehicle MOT test requires an inspection of the state of repair of the exhaust and the tester uses their experience to make a subjective assessment of the noise levels. A vehicle should fail the MOT if the silencer has been altered to increase noise above the level expected from a standard system.
New motorcycles are required to meet strict noise limits in a range of driving conditions before being placed on the market. The current limit within the approval test is between 73 and 77 decibels (dBA) depending on the power to weight ratio of the machine and is not specific to types of roads.
Once on the road, regulations require that exhausts and silencers shall not be altered to increase noise above the level the motorcycle was originally approved to. The police also have powers to take action if they believe excessive vehicle noise could have been avoided through reasonable driver care.
The annual vehicle MOT test requires an inspection of the state of repair of the exhaust and the tester uses their experience to make a subjective assessment of the noise levels. A vehicle should fail the MOT if the silencer has been altered to increase noise above the level expected from a standard system.
New motorcycles are required to meet strict noise limits in a range of driving conditions before being placed on the market. The current limit within the approval test is between 73 and 77 decibels (dBA) depending on the power to weight ratio of the machine and is not specific to types of roads.
Once on the road, regulations require that exhausts and silencers shall not be altered to increase noise above the level the motorcycle was originally approved to. The police also have powers to take action if they believe excessive vehicle noise could have been avoided through reasonable driver care.
The annual vehicle MOT test requires an inspection of the state of repair of the exhaust and the tester uses their experience to make a subjective assessment of the noise levels. A vehicle should fail the MOT if the silencer has been altered to increase noise above the level expected from a standard system.
As of the December 2019 timetable, Network Rail have been unable to successfully operate electric services in the Severn Tunnel due to contamination of overhead line insulators. This does not affect the benefits delivered by the December 2019 timetable, as the small journey time impact of running in diesel can be absorbed by the timetable. They have been working with Cardiff University to assess ways of mitigating the effects of the contamination and are installing electrical switching equipment to allow maintenance cleaning to be done more easily in the future. Testing will commence in Spring 2020, with an aim of commencing electric services before the end of 2020.
The Department for Work and Pensions received diplomatic correspondence from the Brazilian government in 2011 and DWP officials met with officials at the Brazilian Embassy in London to discuss the request. There was no further action.
We do not publish another country’s diplomatic correspondence or the content of negotiations without their consent.
Work Coaches have access to information on a range of services and support available in their local area for vulnerable claimants, including refugees. We also have access to a range of translation services to assist, should a claimant need support to overcome any language barriers.
Work Coaches receive training to help them build supportive relationships with claimants, including refugees, encouraging them to openly discuss any barriers, concerns, or problems as they emerge.
Work Coaches will provide tailored employment support to meet their customer’s needs. They utilise a wide range of tools to ensure that we are providing intensive employment support to these customers. This includes the use of Flexible Support Fund, Sector based work academy programme, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Jobs Fairs, collaboration with local partners and Group Information Sessions.
Claimants can also give permission to share their UC account journal with support workers. The opportunity to combine face to face contact with on-line support has helped alleviate some of the communication barriers within legacy benefits which were traditionally more reliant on telephone and written forms of communications. Work Coaches can also use the on-line account to remind claimants of any information needed in order to ensure that their claim is processed smoothly.
More generally, we are increasing capacity in our Decision Making teams, during both this and the next quarter, to help meet demand for benefit decisions.
Work Coaches have access to information on a range of services and support available in their local area for vulnerable claimants, including refugees. We also have access to a range of translation services to assist, should a claimant need support to overcome any language barriers.
Work Coaches receive training to help them build supportive relationships with claimants, including refugees, encouraging them to openly discuss any barriers, concerns, or problems as they emerge.
Work Coaches will provide tailored employment support to meet their customer’s needs. They utilise a wide range of tools to ensure that we are providing intensive employment support to these customers. This includes the use of Flexible Support Fund, Sector based work academy programme, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Jobs Fairs, collaboration with local partners and Group Information Sessions.
Claimants can also give permission to share their UC account journal with support workers. The opportunity to combine face to face contact with on-line support has helped alleviate some of the communication barriers within legacy benefits which were traditionally more reliant on telephone and written forms of communications. Work Coaches can also use the on-line account to remind claimants of any information needed in order to ensure that their claim is processed smoothly.
More generally, we are increasing capacity in our Decision Making teams, during both this and the next quarter, to help meet demand for benefit decisions.
We are committed to delivering a new hospital at Eastbourne District General Hospital which forms part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; this also includes works at Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Community Hospital. All NHP schemes represent hospitals that require a high need for investment in the estate and have been assessed based on a combination of criteria including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk and deliverability upon joining the programme. We are working closely with the trust to support the development of their Strategic Outline Case and identify opportunities for early construction work to support main scheme delivery. The New Hospital Programme has provided over £9 million in scheme development funding up to the end of 2022/23, and a further £4.7 million was provided in 2023/24 to support the development of business cases for early enabling works to take place.
We are committed to delivering a new hospital at Eastbourne District General Hospital which forms part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; this also includes works at Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Community Hospital. All NHP schemes represent hospitals that require a high need for investment in the estate and have been assessed based on a combination of criteria including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk and deliverability upon joining the programme. We are working closely with the trust to support the development of their Strategic Outline Case and identify opportunities for early construction work to support main scheme delivery. The New Hospital Programme has provided over £9 million in scheme development funding up to the end of 2022/23, and a further £4.7 million was provided in 2023/24 to support the development of business cases for early enabling works to take place.
We are committed to delivering a new hospital at Eastbourne District General Hospital which forms part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; this also includes works at Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Community Hospital. All NHP schemes represent hospitals that require a high need for investment in the estate and have been assessed based on a combination of criteria including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk and deliverability upon joining the programme. We are working closely with the trust to support the development of their Strategic Outline Case and identify opportunities for early construction work to support main scheme delivery. The New Hospital Programme has provided over £9 million in scheme development funding up to the end of 2022/23, and a further £4.7 million was provided in 2023/24 to support the development of business cases for early enabling works to take place.
We are committed to delivering a new hospital at Eastbourne District General Hospital which forms part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; this also includes works at Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Community Hospital. All NHP schemes represent hospitals that require a high need for investment in the estate and have been assessed based on a combination of criteria including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk and deliverability upon joining the programme. We are working closely with the trust to support the development of their Strategic Outline Case and identify opportunities for early construction work to support main scheme delivery. The New Hospital Programme has provided over £9 million in scheme development funding up to the end of 2022/23, and a further £4.7 million was provided in 2023/24 to support the development of business cases for early enabling works to take place.
The following table shows the number of dentists delivering National Health Service treatment for Sussex Integrated Care Board in each year from 2015/16 onwards:
Year | Number of dentists who have performed some NHS treatment |
2015/16 | 1,080 |
2016/17 | 1,072 |
2017/18 | 1,116 |
2018/19 | 1,116 |
2019/20 | 1,050 |
2020/21 | 991 |
2021/22 | 1,062 |
2022/23 | 1,030 |
Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England
As set out in the recent Development White Paper, the UK continues to support education for refugee children through our work in emergencies and protracted crises, with our support through Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education. This includes support for the implementation of the UNHCR-UNICEF Blueprint for Joint Action for Refugee Children. Working with a number of partners, we will also be announcing further support for inclusive refugee education at the Global Refugee Forum.
Minister Mitchell represented the UK delegation at the Global Refugee Forum on 13th December.
We have bilateral education programmes in 19 countries. FCDO projects work closely with governments where state provision is weak, using UK-led research on what works to influence policy on how to reach the most marginalised, particularly girls. The Girls' Education Challenge programme has supported over 1.5 million children to receive education since 2012. We are the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education which works with governments, including in fragile and conflict affected countries, to strengthen government education systems. In February, we announced a new pledge of £80 million to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies.
The 2022 Independent Commission for Aid Impact report recommended FCDO accelerate work with partner governments to improve its ability to collect and use reliable data on children's learning. As a result, we developed a new Data for Foundational Learning programme, of up to £27 million (2023 - 2027), to strengthen the data on children's learning in low- and middle-income countries. This programme started implementation in March 2023. Through the Global Coalition for Foundational Learning, we are promoting a shared commitment to foundational learning for all. Additionally, we are improving our internal results framework to better measure impact on improving learning.
We welcome the contribution the British Council has made to UK-Slovenia relations since it opened its offices there in 1992. The British Council's work across the education, cultural and science and innovation sectors in particular have been an important part of deepening UK-Slovenia relations, fostering strong links between our citizens and promoting the exchange of best practice.
Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government is actively considering nutrition programming within the business planning process. No decisions on individual programmes have yet been made.
Tackling malnutrition remains a core focus of our work on global health, humanitarian response and in support of UK goals on girls' education and climate. It is critical for reducing preventable deaths and ensuring children get the best start in life in the poorest countries of the world.
FCDO is working closely with the Government of Japan to make sure the 2021 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit supports meaningful action by governments, donors, businesses, the UN and civil society.
Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government is actively considering its approach to the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit and will set this out as early as possible as part of the business planning process.
Information about our nutrition spend in financial year 2021 and 2022 will be publicly available through Statistics for International Development (SIDS) in due course. Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government is actively considering its approach to nutrition programming and will set this out as early as possible as part of the business planning process.
Information about our nutrition spend in financial year 2021 and 2022 will be publicly available through Statistics for International Development (SIDS) in due course.
The value of claims split by Parliamentary Constituency is not available. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme provides funds to PAYE schemes to support employers to pay a proportion of the wages of furloughed staff. The registered address for PAYE schemes can be in a different area to that where their employees live and work. In addition, for PAYE schemes claiming for between 1 and 99 employments there has been no requirement to specify the amount claimed for each employment. As a consequence, it is not possible to provide reliable figures for the monetary value of the support provided by geographical area.
The Government works closely with the Money and Pensions Service to monitor financial difficulty through an annual survey and notes the Financial Conduct Authority’s biennial Financial Lives Survey.
The Government recognises that some people are struggling with their finances at this challenging time. To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package has been made available to debt advice providers this financial year, bringing this year's budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million.
In May 2020, the Government announced the immediate release of £65 million of dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance, an independent organisation that has been founded to support the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances. The funding is used to increase access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services for those in financial difficulties.
From May 2021, the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and will encourage them to seek professional debt advice.
The Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards during this challenging time, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and temporary welfare measures.
The Government has extended the CJRS until 31 March 2021. Eligible employees will continue to receive 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.
The Government has increased the overall level of the third grant under the SEISS to 80% of average trading profits, meaning that the maximum grant available has now increased to £7,500.
The Government has provided local authorities with £500 million to support people who may struggle to meet their council tax payments this year. The Government expects that this will provide all recipients of working age local council tax support with a further reduction in their annual council tax bill of £150 this financial year.
These measures are in addition to the changes this Government has made to make the welfare system more generous, worth over £7 billion according to recent estimates by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The Government has worked with mortgage lenders, credit providers and the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure the financial sector provides support for people across the UK to manage their finances by providing payment holidays on mortgages and consumer credit products.
The Government has also delivered protections for renters, including an extension to the ban on bailiff evictions for all but the most egregious cases until at least 21 February 2021, with measures kept under review.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, on 20 and 26 March 2020 the Chancellor announced numerous easements to help businesses through this difficult time. This included the option for all Self-Assessment (SA) taxpayers, including the self-employed, to defer paying their second Payment on Account (POA) for the tax year 2019-20, ordinarily payable by 31 July 2020, for 6 months. All SA taxpayers, including self-employed freelance musicians, have until 31 January 2021 to make that payment without it incurring any late payment interest.
Furthermore, the Government understands that many SA taxpayers may have difficulty in paying their SA payments becoming due on 31 January 2021. To help them, HMRC have enhanced their automated online Time to Pay service, enabling taxpayers to clear their January 2021 SA liabilities in up to 12 monthly instalments.
Prior to October 2020, that service could only be used to pay tax liabilities of up to £10,000. However, HMRC increased the threshold to £30,000, to ensure it is now available to far more SA taxpayers than before. SA taxpayers eligible to use this service can set up a direct debit payment arrangement online without having to contact HMRC directly. HMRC estimate that up to 95% of SA taxpayers owing SA payments on 31 January 2021 will be able to use this online payment service.
Taxpayers with SA tax liabilities over £30,000 may still agree a Time to Pay arrangement with HMRC by contacting them directly. Further information is available on GOV.UK.
The Government continues to reflect on the findings in the Brook House Inquiry report and progress is being made on recommendations. The Government response will be published in due course.
This work is being overseen by a Senior Civil Servant (SCS), the Director of Detention Services. A specialist cross government working group has also been established to manage delivery of recommendations, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care.
The Home Office will continue to monitor the implementation of any changes resulting from the report’s recommendations.
The Government continues to reflect on the findings in the Brook House Inquiry report and progress is being made on recommendations. The Government response will be published in due course.
This work is being overseen by a Senior Civil Servant (SCS), the Director of Detention Services. A specialist cross government working group has also been established to manage delivery of recommendations, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care.
The Home Office will continue to monitor the implementation of any changes resulting from the report’s recommendations.
The Government continues to reflect on the findings in the Brook House Inquiry report and progress is being made on recommendations. The Government response will be published in due course.
This work is being overseen by a Senior Civil Servant (SCS), the Director of Detention Services. A specialist cross government working group has also been established to manage delivery of recommendations, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care.
The Home Office will continue to monitor the implementation of any changes resulting from the report’s recommendations.
The Government continues to reflect on the findings in the Brook House Inquiry report and progress is being made on recommendations. The Government response will be published in due course.
This work is being overseen by a Senior Civil Servant (SCS), the Director of Detention Services. A specialist cross government working group has also been established to manage delivery of recommendations, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health and Social Care.
The Home Office will continue to monitor the implementation of any changes resulting from the report’s recommendations.
Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market. The Graduate route remains the best opportunity for international graduates from UK universities to find a job in the UK labour market, including through graduate programmes.
In due course, the Government will provide further details on the implementation of these measures (including on salaries and transitional arrangements), which are due to come in to force by Spring 2024.
Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market. The Graduate route remains the best opportunity for international graduates from UK universities to find a job in the UK labour market, including through graduate programmes.
In due course, the Government will provide further details on the implementation of these measures (including on salaries and transitional arrangements), which are due to come in to force by Spring 2024.