Lord Truscott

There has been extensive consideration of this issue over many years. As long ago as 2009 the Leader’s Group on the Code of Conduct proposed the prohibition of parliamentary consultancies, and this was incorporated in the Guide to the Code of Conduct that was agreed by the House on 17 March 2010. Since that time the rules on consultancies and lobbying have been regularly updated, following recommendations by the responsible committees.

Paragraphs 9(c) and 9(d) of the Code of Conduct say that members:

• must never accept or agree to accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence; and
• must not seek to profit from membership of the House by accepting or agreeing to accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services.

The details of these restrictions are set out in more detail from paragraph 15 onwards in the Guide to the Code of Conduct. Members may also seek the advice of the Registrar of Lords’ Interests.

The latest edition of the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Code was ordered to be published on 28 October 2021 and is available on the parliamentary website and from the Printed Paper Office.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. On January 7 the Government announced reforms to enfranchisement valuation, 990-year leases, removing the retirement exemption from zero ground rent measures and commonhold. This was the first part of the Government's response to the Law Commission's reports on enfranchisement, Right to Manage and commonhold.

The Law Commission's report on enfranchisement includes recommendations relating to the qualifying criteria for enfranchisement and lease extensions, including the applicability of these to leaseholders of the Crown. We will bring forward a response to these and the other remaining Law Commission recommendations in due course.

We will translate these measures into law as soon as possible, starting with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rents) Bill in the current session. This is the first part of major two-part legislation to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms in this Parliament.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. On January 7 the Government announced reforms to enfranchisement valuation, 990-year leases, removing the retirement exemption from zero ground rent measures and commonhold. This was the first part of the Government's response to the Law Commission's reports on enfranchisement, Right to Manage and commonhold.

The Law Commission's report on enfranchisement includes recommendations relating to the qualifying criteria for enfranchisement and lease extensions, including the applicability of these to leaseholders of the Crown. We will bring forward a response to these and the other remaining Law Commission recommendations in due course.

We will translate these measures into law as soon as possible, starting with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rents) Bill in the current session. This is the first part of major two-part legislation to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms in this Parliament.

The Sponsor Body has regular engagement with the House of Commons Commission (which includes the Leader of the House as a member) on a range of issues relating to the Restoration and Renewal Programme, including on costs.

The Sponsor Body has a statutory duty, under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, to have regard to the need to ensure that the Parliamentary building works represent good value for money. Value for money is at the heart of everything we do and we have robust assurance processess in place to ensure costs are minimised.

The Sponsor Body does not recognise the reported figures of £10 to £20 billion costs for the Parliamentary building works. Supported by the Delivery Authority, the Sponsor Body is in the process of developing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan that will for the first time give an accurate sense of the costs, timescales and full detail of the work needed. It is the work of the detailed and costed restoration plan which will determine the forecast cost for R&R. The detailed restoration plan will be focused on delivering value for money and will be informed by more than 100 surveys and investigations of the Palace of Westminster. The detailed and costed plan will be put before both Houses for a decision before the Parliamentary building works can commence.

The Sponsor Body has recently undertaken and published a Strategic Review of the R&R Programme. The purpose of the review was to consider whether anything had changed so significantly as to warrant a change in the strategy for the Programme. The Sponsor Body invited views from Members, Members' staff, parliamentary staff and members of the public. We also consulted with the Commissions of both Houses, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, on the draft Strategic Review recommendations. The review recommends new approaches to completing the restoration while minimising costs and ensuring value for money, and provides a clear direction for the next stages of the work. The Review is available at: https://restorationandrenewal.uk/resources/reports/strategic-review

We will consider the findings of the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy report as part of the Defending Democracy Programme. This programme aims to safeguard our democratic processes and ensure our democracy remains safe and inclusive.

The Government is introducing measures to maintain public confidence in democracy by improving transparency and accountability. The introduction of a digital imprints regime for online advertising is one such measure. The digital imprint proposals will be published in due course.

The Cabinet Office is continuing to work closely with DCMS, regulators and other key stakeholders to confirm the extent of such regulations and how they can best be put into practice.

Voters deserve to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring this remains the case.

We will consider the findings of the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy report as part of the Defending Democracy Programme. This programme aims to safeguard our democratic processes and ensure our democracy remains safe and inclusive.

The Government is introducing measures to maintain public confidence in democracy by improving transparency and accountability. The introduction of a digital imprints regime for online advertising is one such measure. The digital imprint proposals will be published in due course.

The Cabinet Office is continuing to work closely with DCMS, regulators and other key stakeholders to confirm the extent of such regulations and how they can best be put into practice.

Voters deserve to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring this remains the case.

This is a commercial matter for AstraZeneca on which the Government cannot comment. The agreement between the UK Government and AstraZeneca to supply 100 million doses of vaccine is unaffected by any further agreements by AstraZeneca with other partners.

The UK Government has not and is not planning to purchase any Sputnik V vaccines.

The UK Government has secured early access to 357 million vaccines doses through agreements with seven separate vaccine developers. This includes agreements with:

• BioNTech/Pfizer for 40 million doses.
• Oxford/AstraZeneca for 100 million doses.
• GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur for 60 million doses.
• Novavax for 60 million doses.
• Janssen for 30 million doses.
• Valneva for 60 million doses.
• Moderna for 7 million doses.

Each year BEIS publishes updated energy projections (UEPs), analysing and projecting future energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. The most recently published assessment (EEP 2019) included assumptions on the transition to electric vehicles and accounted for policies which were considered firm and funded by autumn 2019. Forthcoming energy projections will be updated to account for the latest policy decisions, including ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030.

We expect the transition to electric vehicles to create significant new demand for electricity but also offer opportunities for flexible management of the electricity system. Smart charging during off-peak periods, when electricity demand is low, can reduce peak demand and avoid triggering unnecessary network reinforcement. It can also maximise use of renewable electricity and can benefit consumers with cheaper electricity.

The UK is a global front-runner in the provision of charging infrastructure. We want chargepoints to be accessible, affordable and secure wherever people live. While we expect the majority of EV charges will be done at home, charging provision on motorways and A-roads is needed to ensure that consumers can be confident in making the switch to electric vehicles. By 2030, we are planning for there to be around 2,500 high powered chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A roads. The Ten Point Plan confirmed £1.3 billion in funding to support the rapid expansion of the charging network in the 2020s, which includes £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network.

We also need to ensure that sufficient charging infrastructure is provided for households that do not have access to off-street parking. This must meet the needs of current and future EV users using a mix of charging types that can be cost-effectively supported by the future electricity network. We are working with stakeholders to ensure an evidence based transition to a charging network that fulfils these objectives.

The Government has backed the new phase out dates with a £2.8 billion package of investment to reduce the cost of vehicles, accelerate the roll out of infrastructure and support industry to electrify their supply chains.

The Government will provide £1.3 billion over the next four years to support the continued roll-out of chargepoints on motorways and major A roads, in homes and businesses and on-street.

The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero and as we move to a low carbon economy, oil and gas will play a smaller role in meeting the demand for energy over time.

The oil and gas sector has an important part to play now in sustaining our energy security of supply, and in the energy transition to support net zero, having many of the essential skills and capabilities in its world class supply chain to support emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen, and through its investment in infrastructure.

We will support this energy transition with a transformational North Sea Transition Deal, which we have committed to deliver within this Parliament. The focus of this deal will be on ensuring the sector can support the energy transition and anchor the supply chain to the UK.

The oil and gas sector supports tens of thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. Safeguarding these jobs whilst creating new low carbon jobs will be a key consideration of the proposed North Sea Transition Deal.

Nuclear power will play a key role in the UK’s future energy mix as we transition to a low-carbon economy, and we continue to discuss new nuclear projects with viable companies and investors wishing to develop sites in the UK.

The developer-led construction of Hinkley Point C in Somerset is well underway, employing thousands of workers and having already invested almost £1.7 billion in the regional economy.

The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme launched on 30^th September ready for homeowners to apply for vouchers and for installers to register with the administrator for payment. As of 3rd October, there were 7,858 applications for vouchers.

In order to participate in the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme, businesses and tradespeople installing energy efficiency measures must install measures against Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standards 2030: 2017 or 2030: 2019 by a certification body that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

The UK has secured access to 6 different candidates, across 4 different vaccine types, reflecting the government’s strategy to ensure the UK has a supply of vaccines should any of these prove safe and effective:

• Adenoviral vaccines (University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Janssen);
• mRNA vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer);
• Inactivated whole virus vaccines (Valneva);
• Protein adjuvant vaccines (GlaxoSmithKline/Sanofi, Novavax).

The UK Government has agreements in the US with BioNTech/Pfizer for 30 million doses, Novavax for 60 million doses and Janssen for 30 million doses of their not-for-profit vaccine. We are taking a portfolio-based approach that monitors the landscape of coronavirus vaccine development, both here in the UK and internationally. Although we continue to investigate further potential vaccine candidates worldwide, we are currently not able to give any further information on these candidates owing to commercial sensitivity. We will, however, announce agreements with any other vaccine developers in due course.

Homeowners and landlords will able to apply for the Green Homes Grant scheme vouchers online, with alternative methods being available for those that cannot apply digitally. More details on the application process will be announced in due course.

In order to support customers to take up the scheme and to encourage industry to get involved and register with TrustMark, we are running an integrated communications campaign. Activities include social media, partnerships and a range of media and stakeholder engagements.

As of 31 August, TrustMark had 681 registered businesses able to install the primary and/or secondary measures supported by the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme. These businesses range from small enterprises to large companies with significant workforces. Additionally, a further 2316 TrustMark applications were being processed, and a further 5164 expressions of interest in joining TrustMark had been received by the various trade associations and certification and inspection bodies who partner with TrustMark.

Guidance and further details about the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme were published on 28 August on the GOV.UK website. This included information on eligibility, items where support can be claimed as part of energy efficiency measure installations, as well as items that will not be paid for under the voucher scheme.

The new scheme will see the Government fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction. Consumers in England will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.

A retrofit assessment will only be mandatory under the Green Homes Grant scheme in a limited number of circumstances, where installations are considered to be more technically demanding. We are confident that there are sufficient retrofit assessors in place to oversee these cases.

Businesses and tradespeople must be registered with TrustMark – as well as certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) if installing heating measures – to take part in the scheme. Homeowners and landlords will be able to use the Simple Energy Advice website to find appropriately registered and certified tradespeople in their area that are able to carry out the works, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.

TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. MCS is a quality assurance scheme supported by BEIS, which certifies products, installation companies and installations to help ensure that Microgeneration products are installed to high quality standards.

The range of measures has now been announced.

The Green Homes Grants will give homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, vouchers to install one or more of the following:

• Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation;
• Air source or ground source heat pump; or
• Solar thermal.

In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:

• Double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing;
• Energy efficient replacement doors; and
• Hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls.

The new scheme will see the Government fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction. Consumers in England will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.

Retrofit assessors will not form a mandatory part of the Green Homes Grant, although applicants are encouraged to consult an assessor if they wish.

Building the capacity and skills for retrofit assessment, and energy efficiency improvements more broadly, is an important part of the Green Homes Grant and will be achieved both through direct support and by ensuring the supply-chain has the confidence to recruit and train.

The Government endorsed Simple Energy Advice service is designed to provide households with online advice and recommendations on the energy efficiency and heating improvements which they can make to their homes. Households will be able to apply for a Green Home voucher via the Simple Energy Advice service and will be encouraged to use the service to select the most appropriate measure or measures for their property.

Businesses and Tradespeople must register for TrustMark accreditation to take part in the scheme if they are not already registered.

TrustMark is the Government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. Households will be able to choose from approved tradespeople in their areas to carry out the work, but only approved and accredited installers will be able to be commissioned, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.

The Government is working to minimise any social and economic disruption as a result of Covid-19.

We have introduced several measures to support the self-employed, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, mortgage holidays, the delaying of IR35 by a year to April 2021, and support for people struggling to pay their energy bills. Self-employed people will also be able to claim Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay for employees and may be eligible for Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (which is now payable from the first day of sickness, rather than the eighth). We have also deferred Income Tax Self-Assessment payments due in July 2020, to January 2021.

Following the Chancellor’s latest announcement, the Government have introduced the Self-employment Income Support Scheme. This will support self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month. HMRC is urgently working to deliver the scheme and we are expecting to start to pay grants by early June 2020.

Border Force, the National Crime Agency, the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards, and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency work together to ensure effective controls are in place to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the supply chain, and to ensure the legitimate market for medicines and other essential products is protected.

The Government is closely monitoring developments of COVID-19 in relation to potential economic impacts on UK businesses, individuals, and the wider economy.

As part of an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes, the Chancellor has announced that Government will strengthen the safety net for self-employed people.

We will suspend the minimum income floor for everyone affected by the economic impacts of Coronavirus, which means every self-employed person can now access Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay for employees.

Those measures amount to nearly £7 billion of extra support through the welfare system to strengthen the safety net and protect people’s incomes.

In order to support the self-employed through the tax system, the next self-assessment payments will be deferred until the end of the year.

Over recent months the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has made a number of enhancements to both its webchat and associated chatbot services. It has introduced seven new services that include a webchat/chatbot service for queries relating to online driver licensing, the EU transition and the pandemic.

The DVLA intends to roll out webchat to further services over the coming months and keeps the service under continuous review based on customer feedback.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s contact centre is open between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on a Saturday.

The DVLA’s online services remain available as are the electronic contact centre services provided through email, webchat and social media support channels.

The quickest and easiest way to renew a driving a licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s online service which has worked as normal throughout the pandemic.

The Government keeps the ongoing impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic and any changes that may be needed to existing arrangements under review.

Tackling emissions at a local level will make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of transport. Developing solutions that consider the needs of different locations is one of our six strategic priorities for transport decarbonisation, and recognises that different decarbonisation solutions will be required and will work best in different places across the UK. Taking a place-based approach will enable us to engage communities in building their own net zero visions and encourage and enable further progress.

Heavily built up areas will also benefit from the Prime Minister’s ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking and vision that half of all journeys in towns and cities are to be cycled or walked by 2030. This includes a £2 billion package of funding for active travel over the next 5 years. Over £200 million of funding is available this year to Local Authorities through the Active Travel Fund.

The phase out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be 2030, and from 2035 all new cars and vans must be fully zero emission at the tailpipe.

The Government is investing over £2.8 billion‎ to facilitate the transition to zero emission vehicles. Of this, £1.3 billion has been ring fenced to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major A roads and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. The Government has also pledged £582 million in grants for those buying zero or ultra-low emission vehicles to make them cheaper to buy and incentivise more people to make the transition.

The Government will continue to support industry and consumers to make the switch to cleaner vehicles.

The recently published Full Business Case sets out the rationale for why HS2 is the best transport option to deliver the Government’s strategic aims of levelling up, improved connectivity and increased capacity between our biggest economic regions. It builds on the Oakervee Review, which considered transport alternatives and concluded that HS2 remained the best option to meet these goals. The Government has committed to provide six-monthly reports to Parliament on progress which will allow scrutiny of any cost increases against the agreed funding envelope for Phase 1 and the contingency provided.

The Full Business Case for Phase One was approved in April this year which included a robust cost-benefit analysis. Ministers are updated monthly on progress through a Ministerial Task Force chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport and Parliament will receive the first of the regular 6-monthly progress reports later this year which will set out the latest cost and schedule position.

The Government’s approach is being kept under review as the pandemic develops. This may mean that measures and procedures change as we control the spread of, and understand more about, the virus. ?Any changes to our approach will be led by advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Chief Medical Officer. ?Protecting the health of the UK public will always come first.

In 2019 the Government announced an independent review into HS2, led by Douglas Oakervee. Once the Government has fully considered the review’s findings, including whether and how to proceed with the project, further announcements will be made on any likely funding requirements and anticipated timescales for delivery.

To ensure transparency around the project, we have provided our latest cost and schedule estimates for HS2 to the National Audit Office who reported on the programme last week. These estimates depend, among other things, on the scope of what, if anything, the Government decides to build and which risks come to pass. In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2, including a rigorous examination of costs and schedule. The Government will make a decision on HS2 shortly.

To ensure transparency around the project, we have provided our latest schedule and cost estimates for HS2 to the National Audit Office who reported on the programme last week. These estimates depend, among other things, on the scope of what, if anything, the Government decides to build and which risks come to pass. In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. The Government will make a decision shortly.

HS2 Ltd has managed a very large number of contracts in support of the delivery of a high speed railway. These contracts cover a wide supply base, dealing with a variety of activities. As with all projects, change is inevitable and it follows that changes will result in revisions to existing HS2 Ltd contracts.

As at 31st March 2019, £7.4bn (excluding construction VAT) had been spent on the HS2 rail project. In August 2019 the Government announced an independent review of HS2 led by Douglas Oakervee. The review was asked to consider, among other things, whether and how to proceed with the project. The Government will make a decision shortly.

In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. The Government will make a decision on HS2 shortly, and therefore no decision has been made to revise the proposed speed of HS2 trains.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has reviewed headline data from Israel on vaccine effect, particularly the vaccine effectiveness estimate at day 14 after the first dose. The JCVI concluded that the results are preliminary and there is a need for greater clarity, including full information on the data used, before further consideration or comment. The JCVI will review this data carefully once the full study details are released.

The JCVI continues to recommend that as many people on the JCVI priority list as possible should be offered a first vaccine dose as the initial priority. One dose of the vaccine offers important protection until the second dose can be administered. All individuals will subsequently receive a second dose in due course.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have stated that vaccination sites should be administering the vaccine in line with best infection prevention and control procedures, including social distancing, ventilation and wearing masks. Large scale centres should have an environmental risk assessment in place which is expected to cover requirements for ventilation in a pandemic when transmission and virus shedding is a significant concern. A copy of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance COVID-19 Vaccination Centres: Operating Framework. Information and guidance on operating Vaccination Centres is attached.

The Department for Transport has produced guidance for transport operators to help them keep transport settings safe and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This includes regular disinfecting and thorough cleaning of transportation, ensuring availability of hand sanitiser and enabling social distancing at transport hubs. A copy of Coronavirus: Safer transport guidance for operators is attached.

Some pharmacists and members of their team are already working with general practitioners to deliver the vaccine in many areas of the country and, as more supply becomes available, community pharmacies, including independent pharmacies, will play a major role in the programme. Some pharmacies have started to offer COVID-19 vaccinations from 11 January.

We have not made any formal assessment of the vaccine deployment outside the United Kingdom’s own programme.

However, Ministers and officials continue to monitor vaccine deployment programmes across the world, including Israel’s, and share learnings and collaborate internationally on the role of deploying safe, effective vaccines in response to COVID-19.

The Nightingale hospitals support the National Health Service in a number of different ways depending on the need of the local communities, therefore they also operate on different clinical models.

Patients are currently being treated in Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Exeter, Bristol and Harrogate. With the rise in Covid-19 inpatient numbers, the remaining Nightingale hospitals are being readied to admit patients once again should they be needed.

The Nightingale hospital in London is undergoing preparations to be activated if needed. It will open and treat patients in line with the advice from local clinicians.

There is currently no clear evidence to suggest that air pollution has a direct link to the spread or severity of COVID-19. Public Health England (PHE) and Government departments are continuously reviewing whether air pollution may influence the health impact of COVID-19.

PHE has made no specific estimation of the impact of air pollution on respiratory disease in urban areas in the United Kingdom.

The science is currently uncertain about whether using a mixed schedule of vaccines could produce an even better immune response; and when a booster dose might be needed. For this reason, we will begin a series of trials to test various combinations of vaccines and to test booster doses. These trials do not currently include the combined Oxford/AstraZeneca Sputnik V vaccine.

In line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the vaccine is being rolled out to priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers. The vaccine is then being prioritised amongst the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and all individuals aged 16-64 years old with underlying health conditions.

Blood donors range between those aged 17 years old to over 70 years old. While blood donors are not in the priority group to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, some donors are likely to receive a vaccine as part of the national roll-out.

Both vaccines give very high protection against severe disease, which is the primary aim of the first phase of the programme, and both vaccines have good safety profiles. The logistical challenges posed by the storage and distribution requirements for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine mean that in some populations, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is the only vaccine which can be deployed rapidly, and without substantial vaccine wastage. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation does not advise a preference for either vaccine in any specific population. For operational and programmatic reasons, such as to enable more extensive and timely vaccine coverage, one vaccine may be offered in certain settings in preference over another vaccine.

Vaccinations are being delivered at a wide range of sites across the country, including independent pharmacies. The COVID-19 vaccination is only available through the National Health Service to eligible groups and it is a free vaccination.

As the Government has already made clear there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. The Prime Minister has said that this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. For now, the Government is focused entirely on responding to the pandemic and saving lives. Further details will be set out in due course and announced in the usual way.

The Prime Minister announced a set of measures on 23 November 2020 as part of the Government’s COVID-19 winter plan, including the introduction of a tiered approach to be adopted from 2 December 2020 in order to control the virus. This included confirmation that we have ordered over 350 million doses of vaccine for the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and that the National Health Service is preparing a roll-out programme. Further details will follow in due course.

NHS Test and Trace are working with local leaders and communities to curb the spread of the virus and the contact tracing team ensures individuals and their close contacts isolate, preventing others from being infected. In addition, we have announced £3 billion of extra funding to the NHS for the winter and secured personal protective equipment to ensure front-line workers are protected.

To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 – note for the House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.

The National Health Service’s response in ensuring that there has been sufficient capacity in place to manage COVID-19 demand has been exceptional. We ensured that we had as many beds available as possible to care for patients with severe respiratory problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NHS expanded its critical care capacity significantly to cope with the predicted demand from COVID-19 patients. This included an increase in critical care beds, ventilators and provision of oxygen.

All COVID-19 patients who were admitted received the urgent treatment that they needed.

The safety of residents and staff is always a priority and patients should not be discharged unless it is clinically safe to do so.

We are determined to make sure discharges into nursing or social care do not put residents currently in those settings at risk. We have introduced a policy of testing all residents prior to discharge to a care home.

If appropriate isolation or cohorted care for an individual is not available with a local care provider on discharge, the individual’s local authority has been asked to secure alternative appropriate accommodation and care for the remainder of the required isolation period.

We are continuing to monitor care home deaths and are working closely with local authorities, the care sector and NHS England to understand the impact of COVID-19 on care homes and ensure everyone has access to the right care, in the most appropriate setting for their needs.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we will continue to work closely with the sector to keep our policies and data under review as the pandemic goes on.

To date, we have not undertaken an assessment of the relationship between spare bed capacity in the National Health Service and deaths from COVID-19 in care homes and the community. The safety of residents and staff is always a priority and patients should not be discharged unless it is clinically safe to do so.

The Government continues to be led by the evidence in our response to COVID-19. Public Health England has published guidance on the investigation and initial clinical management of possible COVID-19 cases, including on admission to hospital, which is kept under review. A copy of the latest guidance COVID-19: investigation and initial clinical management of possible cases is attached.

In addition, a suite of guidance has been published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure the best treatment for people with COVID-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 125,000 workers in care settings and over 118,000 care home residents have been tested through Departmental and Public Health England’s testing routes.

On 11 May we launched the ‘whole care home’ portal. We have the capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tests a day to residents and staff in care homes, making sure that all residents and asymptomatic staff can all be tested.

This information is for England only and supplements the local systems already in place for testing residents. We are working with the devolved administrations to support their needs around adult social care testing.

At present there is insufficient evidence to determine whether there is any particular vulnerability of hay fever and asthma sufferers to COVID-19.

The British Thoracic Society’s Advice for Healthcare Professionals Treating People with Asthma (adults) in relation to COVID-19 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline: severe asthma, recommend that patients should continue taking their regular medications in line with their personalised asthma action plan. Some patients with severe asthma have been identified as being potentially extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and been placed in the shielding group.

With regards to hay fever, the Global Initiative for Asthma and the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma organisation recommend that people with allergic rhinitis should continue to take their nasal corticosteroids, as prescribed by their healthcare professional.

As of 14 April, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak we have delivered over 923 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to 58,000 different health and care settings including National Health Service trusts, general practitioners, pharmacies and community providers. We have provided PPE equipment to over 26,000 care homes including home care and hospices across the country. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, over 48 million PPE items have been delivered.

We are working around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. We have brought together the NHS, industry and the Armed Forces to create a new nationwide PPE distribution network, delivering critical PPE supplies to those who need it.

We have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week helpline for those experiencing supply disruption with business as usual ordering channels. Where there may be any shortages, we act on this immediately. Local Resilience Forums are also supporting care homes, hospices, home care and primary care in getting hold of PPE equipment.

In line with the latest Government advice and guidance from Public Health England, all visitor access to the Parliamentary estate stopped from 17 March. Access will be restricted to passholders and those on essential Parliamentary business.

This decision has been taken by the Speakers and supported by clerks of both Houses, and Parliamentary authorities. Hon. Members, noble Lords, Parliamentary staff and other members of the Parliamentary community will continue to be able to work on the estate where necessary but are being strongly encouraged to work from home where possible and to follow the latest guidance on social distancing.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) is responsible for ensuring that timely and coordinated scientific advice is made available to decision-makers, to support United Kingdom cross-Government decisions.

In fulfilling this role, SAGE considers a wide range scientific evidence. SAGE is supported in this role by a sub group (Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, SPI-M) that consists of members from Public Health England and experts from several academic research groups at UK universities. SPI-M considers the modelling work of all its members to reach a consensus view.

The report Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand, published on 16 March, is an important strand of the scientific evidence informing the Government’s response to the COVID-19 emergency.

The Government are working closely with the World Health Organization, along with advice from leading scientists to ensure that the most effective measures are adopted for the United Kingdom.

Public Health England is also in regular contact with laboratories and public health organisations across the world in order to understand the processes they have adopted in relation to contact tracing, risk assessments, guidance and laboratory processes.

Individuals who suffer from hay fever should refer to the National Health Service and Public Health England guidance regarding the most common symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if these are present. A copy of the online guidance is attached.

No specific guidance is planned for hay fever sufferers in relation to COVID-19, but NHS guidance on hay fever is attached.

The number of people tested in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is set to rapidly increase in the coming weeks. This will help identify whether there is a need for individuals to be self-isolating, as well as those people who have already contracted and fought the disease and are safe to return to work or go out in public. This includes National Health Service staff.

There is now capacity to carry out over 10,000 tests a day and this will rise to 25,000 by the end of April.

Widespread diagnostic testing during a pandemic is enormously important to controlling the spread of infection.

The Department has a dedicated COVID-19 incident response team, set up in January 2020, which works closely with the National Health Service and Public Health England to co-ordinate central Government’s response to the virus.

The Government relies on modelling work undertaken by several academic groups, who report to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) through its various subgroups. SAGE will continue to publish the evidence that it considers.

From modelling and current data on the outbreak, it is likely that the United Kingdom death toll will rise, but it is not possible to estimate how many individuals will die currently. This will be dependent on the implementation of and adherence to public health measures, and the success of those measures in suppressing transmission of the virus and the numbers of cases of infection.

Herd immunity is not part of the Government’s action plan but is a natural by-product of an epidemic. Our aims are to save lives, protect the most vulnerable, and relieve pressure on the National Health Service.

We have now moved out of the contain phase and into delay, and we have experts working round the clock. Every measure that we have or will introduce will be based on the best scientific evidence.

Our awareness of the likely levels of immunity in the country over the coming months will ensure our planning and response is as accurate and effective as possible.

Our experts made an early assessment that stopping flights and screening at airports would not make a significant difference as the effect on delaying the peak of the outbreak would be minimal.

In line with the latest Government advice and guidance from Public Health England, all visitor access to the Parliamentary estate stopped from 17 March. Access will be restricted to passholders and those on essential Parliamentary business.

This decision has been taken by the Speakers and supported by clerks of both Houses, and Parliamentary authorities. Hon. Members, noble Lords, Parliamentary staff and other members of the Parliamentary community will continue to be able to work on the estate where necessary but are being strongly encouraged to work from home where possible and to follow the latest guidance on social distancing.

The Department does not discuss specific and personal details around individuals tested for COVID-19. The Department’s staff are advised to follow Public Health England advice to stay at home if they have COVID-19 symptoms and use the NHS 111 online COVID-19 service if their symptoms persist beyond seven days.

As of 9am on 16 March 2020, a total of 44,105 people have been tested in the United Kingdom. These numbers are updated and published daily. Information on patient specifics is not collected centrally.

As of 9am on 16 March 2020, a total of 44,105 people have been tested in the United Kingdom. These numbers are updated and published daily. Information on patient specifics is not collected centrally.

United Kingdom officials continue to work closely with key multinational partners to ensure that the Government’s response to COVID-19 is guided by the international situation, the advice of organisations such as the World Health Organization, surveillance, data modelling and the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which provides expert medical scientific advice.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer is due to have a conversation with key experts in Taiwan to learn further information about their approach. We are enormously grateful for the support from others around the world,f including Taiwan.

The Government have now put measures in place that recommend against all non-essential travel and mass gatherings, additionally the enforced closure of schools. businesses and other venues commenced on 20 March, with previous social distancing and sheltering advice updated as of 22 March.

Our approach has been, and will continue to be, guided by the evidence and latest advice from medical experts, including the Chief Medical Officer.

It is absolutely critical in managing the spread of this virus that we take the right decisions at the right time based on the latest and best evidence.

The advice to people with suspected COVID-19 about how they should care for themselves during periods of self-quarantine focuses on keeping away from others, staying at home to stop the infection spreading, and avoiding public transport. The Government’s COVID-19 campaign posters are attached.

Public Health England advice online on the GOV.UK website about COVID-19 is regularly updated as our understanding grows and the guidelines evolve.

NHS 111 call handlers work off algorithms rather than ‘scripts’. This enables the call handler to give proper advice that is tailored to the caller’s needs.

A process for COVID-19 has been worked through between NHS 111 and Public Health England.

The advice to the public on how to minimise the spread of COVID-19 focuses on hand hygiene and the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice for coughs and sneezes. COVID-19 campaign posters are attached.

Our new national communications campaign will set out the latest clinical advice and this can be found online by searching for Public Health England advice on the GOV.UK website. We can all continue to do our bit by continuing to wash our hands more often for 20 seconds or more and having plenty of tissues around.

We have made £20 million available to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness which will support work developing new vaccines for epidemics, including four new programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

We have also launched a £20 million rapid response call to support research on the novel coronavirus.

During the announcement for the 2020 Budget, the Chancellor further detailed how we will be allocating funds.

The Chancellor has set out a £12 billion package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, individuals and businesses through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.

The Government continues to work closely with the Bank of England and international partners and announced a three point plan at the Budget.

The Government, the National Health Service and Public Health England are extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections. As with other cold and flu viruses, they are using tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread. We continue to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

The NHS has expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients with any highly infectious disease.

We are working through our clear action plan. Like all our decisions, the plan is based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We will do the right thing at the right time, based on the best available science.

The United Kingdom is well prepared for disease outbreaks, having responded to a wide range of infectious disease outbreaks in the recent past, and having undertaken significant preparedness work for an influenza pandemic for well over a decade.

Our plans have been regularly tested and updated locally and nationally to ensure they are fit for purpose. This experience provides the basis for an effective response to COVID-19, which can be tailored as more specific information emerges about the virus.

These plans ensure the UK is equipped to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to minimise wider societal impact that could arise from a significant outbreak. An effective response also requires the active participation of a well-informed public and all service providers.

Publicly available advice recommends the best way for people to protect themselves from infections like coronavirus is to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use a sanitiser gel, as well as always carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, then putting the tissue in a bin.

We have a plan based on the expertise of world leading scientists. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

The Joint Declaration made clear that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms would remain unchanged for 50 years. We have not breached it and call on China not to do so.

In a phased approach, Her Majesty's Government is undertaking detailed horizon-scanning, covering future trends, opportunities, risks and threats; gathering evidence and conducting policy analysis; and developing policy, capability and systems reform options.

Her Majesty's Government is engaging with external experts and wider stakeholders with an interest in our nation's security and prosperity, and the global challenges the UK will face over the coming years. This includes our allies and partners, building on an ongoing dialogue about COVID-19 response and recovery, the Devolved Administrations, civil society and external experts in the UK and overseas. Her Majesty's Government has also launched a Call for Evidence to hear from the public and stakeholders to inform the long-term strategic aims of our international policy and national security, rooted in our national interests.

The Integrated Review process remains closely aligned with the Comprehensive Spending Review, to be published in autumn. This allows the Government to ensure that departments have the resources they need to deliver the Integrated Review's conclusions.

The Government paused its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy in April due to the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We have formally recommenced the Review, building on the work done since the Review was first launched in February.

Our aim continues to be for an ambitious and bold Integrated Review that is guided by the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives.

We will be engaging with Parliament, the Devolved Administrations, external experts and wider stakeholders with an interest in our nation's security and prosperity. This includes our allies and partners, building on our ongoing dialogue on COVID-19 response and recovery.

The Government will conduct targeted engagement that will bring crucial external voices and expertise to bear in defining our ambition for the UK's role in the world and setting the country on the best possible trajectory for the future.

The Integrated Review will remain closely aligned with the Comprehensive Spending Review, to ensure that departments are equipped with the resources they need to enact the Integrated Review's conclusions. The Comprehensive Spending Review will be published in the autumn.

The Foreign Secretary is engaging actively with a range of international partners to explain our position and impress on them the gravity of situation. We want to build up a groundswell of those who share our commitment to international law. We believe that is the most effective means of getting China to live up to its obligations and responsibilities as a leading member of the international community. We will also work within international institutions such as the UN Human Rights Council to ensure that China upholds the commitments they made as co-signatory to the Joint Declaration. The UK and the US raised the issue at the UN Security Council on 28 May.

The UK provided £716,000 from the Conflict Stability and Security Fund to the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, in the Financial Year 2019/2020. This funding has supported the White Helmets' emergency search and rescue work in Idlib. We assess that allegations linking the White Helmets to terrorist groups are baseless and are part of a concerted disinformation campaign by the Syrian regime and Russia seeking to undermine the White Helmets' valuable work.

Following the Chancellor's announcement that the Comprehensive Spending Review is being delayed, the Integrated Review has been paused given the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We will return to the Integrated Review when appropriate to do so, ensuring that we engage with all relevant stakeholders.

The UK is leading with partners and allies to: support an effective and co-ordinated global health response led by WHO, reinforce the resilience of vulnerable countries, pursue a vaccine, support the global economy, and enable travelling nationals to return home where necessary. The UK will work with all our international partners to achieve these objectives, including with the G7, G20, as well as the UN and other multilateral institutions, in order to galvanise a stronger global effort.

We are working closely with the international community, including the Government of France, to ensure that we respond appropriately to COVID-19. The Foreign Secretary spoke to his French counterpart, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, to discuss the international community's response to COVID-19 on 24 March.

The UK's global priority is to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other multilateral actors to contain COVID-19 and mitigate secondary health and socio-economic impacts. Our approach is guided by the Chief Medical Officer, working on the basis of the best possible scientific evidence.

Global Britain is this Government's vision for renewing the way in which we engage on the global stage. Leaving the EU is an opportunity for us to show what Global Britain means: A new relationship with our EU and other partners; striking trade deals with new markets, reasserting ourselves as a liberal and free trading nation; and acting with strong moral anchors, as a force for good in the world.

We want Global Britain to lead by example. Our hosting of COP26 in Glasgow demonstrates exactly this: Global Britain leading on the international stage to galvanise worldwide efforts to tackle climate change.

Global Britain is this Government's vision for reassessing the way in which we engage on the global stage. The Government is undertaking a thorough review of the UK's place in the world through the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review. This will be a whole of government exercise and will ensure we have a fully integrated strategy in our approach to defence, diplomacy and development.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office strongly supports the BBC's mission to bring high quality and impartial news to global audiences, including where free speech is limited. As part of this, the BBC World Service brings the UK to the world, providing a link to the UK for people and communities who wouldn't otherwise have this opportunity. This is invaluable for our soft power and influence at an important time.

The British Government is investing £377m during 2016-2021 to support the BBC World Service through the World 2020 Programme, which has expanded the BBC World Service's digital, TV and audio offering. In 2019, this helped the BBC reach a global audience of 426 million people weekly (of which World Service constitutes 319m); a 50m increase on the previous year. Future funding for the Service will be determined at SR20.

HM Treasury does not produce forecasts of the economy or public finances.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing forecasts of the economy and public finances. Their forecasts incorporate their assessment of the economic and fiscal impact of EU exit.

On 14 April the OBR published a reference scenario assessing the potential impact of coronavirus. In this scenario GDP is assumed to fall by 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 before recovering in subsequent quarters. The OBR note that the Government’s policy response should help limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances.

The economic impact of our relationship with the EU is subject to thriving public debate amongst analysts. The specifics of EU exit depend on the outcome of detailed negotiations. We will continue to keep Parliament informed with appropriate analysis at appropriate times in a way that does not impede our ability to strike the best deal for the UK.

It has not been possible to provide an answer to these questions as the figures requested are not readily available.

It has not been possible to provide an answer to these questions as the figures requested are not readily available.

It has not been possible to provide an answer to these questions as the figures requested are not readily available.

At Spring Budget 2020, the Government announced that from April 2021, non-UK residents will be charged a Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge of 2%.

Delivery of the SEISS is a substantial operational task for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) because it requires an entirely new system to be built and tested from scratch in a matter of weeks. In early May HMRC began contacting individuals who may be eligible for the scheme, and HMRC have invited them to claim using the GOV.UK online service. This service will open on 13 May, ahead of schedule, and those eligible will have the money paid into their bank account?by 25 May, or within six working days?of completing a claim.

The Government recognises that the outbreak of COVID-19 may lead to consumers facing financial difficulty and uncertainty. The Government is working closely with industry, including credit reference agencies (CRAs) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – the regulator responsible for CRAs – to ensure that consumers are not treated unfairly as a result of this crisis.

Some CRAs have experienced operational difficulties with respect to its telephone helplines due to a reduction in call centre capacity. CRAs’ online portals are available for customers to make any inquiries while these issues are being resolved.

The government understands that the leisure and entertainment sectors are particularly affected by this crisis. For businesses which have a policy that covers pandemics, the government’s actions will allow them to make an insurance claim against their policy. In addition, the government is providing £10,000 grants to over 700,000 small businesses across England, and increased grants for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure businesses of up to £25,000 per property.

More generally, the Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of measures to protect businesses and workers, including an initial £330 billion of loan guarantees. This is on top of compensation for statutory sick pay announced in the Budget. On Friday 20 March the Chancellor announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. Businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed.

The government stands ready to take whatever action may be necessary to support businesses through this economic and human crisis.

The Government is committed to delivering value for taxpayers’ money and all decisions on spending take account of a range of factors including costs, benefits, and alternatives.

The Prime Minister has now confirmed that the Government will proceed with HS2 to deliver essential North-South connectivity, greater capacity, and shorter journey times. Investment in infrastructure will level up opportunity and connectivity across the country.

The Government is also committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has made £9bn available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 and in 2018 announced an additional £2bn beyond that. In the manifesto the government committed to renewing the Affordable Homes Programme. In 18/19, 57,485 affordable homes were completed in England, up 22% on the previous year.

The Ministry of Defence conducts careful assessment of the risks associated with all operations to avoid miscalculation and unintended escalation.

With regard to HMS DEFENDER’s route through the Black Sea, freedom of navigation is a fundamental right exercised by all nations. HMS DEFENDER was conducting innocent passage, taking the most direct route from Odesa to Batumi through Ukrainian territorial waters using an internationally recognised Traffic Separation Scheme. The UK does not recognise Russian claims to the waters in question, nor do we recognise the Russian assertion that HMS DEFENDER was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The UK takes its Treaty obligations, including the management of operational risk, very seriously and it remains essential that all conduct is safe and professional and in accordance with international law. The Royal Navy’s presence is about cooperating with our partners and Allies to advance regional security, stability and freedom of navigation.

The BBC and Daily Mail defence correspondents were aboard HMS Defender on 23 June. The Ministry of Defence regularly grants access for media outlets to military operations. The practice of embedding journalists on military operations has been commonplace for decades as this helps facilitate independent reporting on defence activity and matters of national and international security.

The deployment of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH will demonstrate the UK's commitment to upholding a rules-based international system and showcase our world-leading carrier capability. Detailed planning continues but the Government has yet to announce its programme or destination. Once plans have been agreed, the Government will bring a statement on the deployment before Parliament.

The UK has enduring interests in the region and is committed to maintaining regional security, including asserting its rights to freedom of navigation and overflight as laid out in UNCLOS. Wherever the Royal Navy operate, they do so in full compliance with international laws and norms and exercise their rights to freedom of navigation and overflight provided for by UNCLOS.

The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly important for the UK, as it is at the centre of global economic growth, and a region of increasing geostrategic significance. Across Government, plans are being developed for broader and deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. These plans will be informed by the Integrated Review.

The Procedure and Privileges Committee has been meeting weekly and has made a series of changes to procedure to allow the House to sit first virtually and then as a hybrid House. We will continue to keep procedures under review and listen to feedback from members and staff. Advice from Public Health England has been central to all the Committee’s considerations and plans to return to physical sittings and procedures will depend on how and when that advice changes.

The sitting patterns of the House are a matter for the Usual Channels.

Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders and save them money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

In line with usual practice, the Government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.

Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders and save them money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

In line with usual practice, the Government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.

Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders and save them money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

In line with usual practice, the Government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Through our reforms the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, replacing the current 90 years for flats and 50 years for houses. Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders now and in the future and save money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions.

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Our reforms seek to achieve this, by taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders but addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

The Government will establish a new Commonhold Council as a partnership of industry, leaseholders and Government that will prepare homeowners and the market for the widespread take-up of commonhold

Long leases provide long term security for leaseholders now and in the future and save money by avoiding the need for multiple lease extensions. Through our reforms, the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, from 90 years (for flats) and 50 years (for houses). Leaseholders will be able to extend their lease as often as they wish with zero ground rent.

The Government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.

Legislation will be brought forward in the second session of Parliament, to set future ground rents to zero. This is the first part of seminal two-part reforming legislation in this Parliament. We will bring forward a response to the remaining Law Commission recommendations, including commonhold, in due course.

The Government is taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes measures to ban the sale of new leasehold houses, restrict ground rents to zero for future leases, give freehold homeowners equivalent rights to challenge unfair charges, and close loopholes to prevent unfair evictions

We are also working with the Law Commission to make buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, quicker and cheaper – and to reinvigorate Commonhold to provide consumers with a choice of tenure and the Right to Manage to help empower those that wish to, to take on management responsibilities for their properties.

This is a long-term reform programme; it is complex with many interdependencies and will take time to get the detail right. Once it is enacted the effect will be felt for generations and so we are determined this work considers all the implications with care. We will bring forward leasehold legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service

We have confirmed the new model for Shared Ownership which will be more consumer friendly, easier to access and fairer, leading to a better experience for a future generation of shared owners. We have lowered the minimum share to 10%, introduced manageable 1% staircasing and introduced a 10 year period during which the landlord will support the shared owner with the cost of repairs.

We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes measures to ban the sale of new leasehold houses, restrict ground rents to zero for future leases, give freehold homeowners equivalent rights to challenge unfair charges, and close loopholes to prevent unfair evictions.

We are also working with the Law Commission to make extending a lease easier, quicker and cheaper – and to reinvigorate Commonhold to provide consumers with a choice of tenure and the Right to Manage to help empower those that wish to, to take on management responsibilities for their properties.

In January this year the Law Commission published their first of four reports, on the valuation aspects of enfranchisement, and on 21 July the Law Commission published a further three reports on the remaining aspects of enfranchisement as well as Commonhold and Right to Manage. Details can be found (attached)here: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/residential-leasehold-and-commonhold/. We will be publishing further details of how Government will take forward reform across these key policy issues as soon as possible.

The Government is taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes measures to ban the sale of new leasehold houses, restrict ground rents to zero for future leases, give freehold homeowners equivalent rights to challenge unfair charges and close loopholes to prevent unfair evictions, and improve information for prospective buyers.

We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. In 2020/2021 we are providing a further £437 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.?This marks a £69 million increase in funding from the previous year.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. This helps us prevent people from falling into homelessness while also supporting more people into homeownership.

Since 2010, we have delivered over 464,500?new affordable homes, including over?331,800?affordable homes for rent.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. This includes an additional £2 billion, and the ability for Local Authorities and Housing Associations to bid for funding to build social rent homes.

Since 2010 we have delivered over 464,000 new affordable homes, including 141,000 social homes across England. The social housing waiting list has decreased by 37 per cent since 2012, enabling more people to have the security of their own home.

We will also engage HM Treasury to renew the Affordable Homes Programme, building hundreds of thousands of new homes for a range of people in different places. This will help us prevent people from falling into homelessness while also supporting more people into homeownership.

We listen to the needs of tenants and in 2018 published A New Deal for Social Housing, moving forwards with the upcoming Social Housing White Paper. The White Paper will set out measures to empower tenants and support the continued supply of social homes. This will include measures to provide greater redress, better regulation and improve the quality of social housing

We also engage research and evidence to inform our policy decisions on housing. In 2018 a literature review was commissioned from The Centre for Housing Policy at York University. This review of social housing considered current policies and public attitudes, as well as developments in reducing crime levels, area deprivation and helping to keep residents out of poverty. The review may be found (attached) at: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/136236/1/MHCLG_Green_Paper_Review.pdf

Boosting supply is one of the best things we can do to tackle affordability. We’ve delivered over 1.5 million new homes since 2010, and last year saw the highest level of delivery in over 30 years (241,000 new homes).

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. We are committed to renewing Programme beyond the current end date to further support our work bring more people into home ownership, and prevent people from falling into homelessness.

Since 2010, we have delivered over 464,500 new affordable homes in total, including those funded by the Affordable Homes Programme. Of these, over 331,800 were affordable homes for rent.