Lord Wigley

The Government places great importance on the effective and timely handling of correspondence, including from members of the public. The Cabinet Office currently aims to respond to correspondence from members of the public in 20 working days, in line with the guidance on handling correspondence.

The Cabinet Office has responded to: 48% of public correspondence received in 2019 within 20 working days, 82% of public correspondence received in 2020 within 20 working days, and 88% of public correspondence received between 1 January and 31 October 2021 within 20 working days.

As we tackle this Covid-19 outbreak, Government contracts must be awarded efficiently and responsibly. Regulation 24 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 requires contracting authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest arising in the conduct of procurement procedures.

There has been extensive engagement between the UK Government and Welsh Government at all levels across many key policy areas. The Prime Minister and First Minister of Wales have had regular recent discussions, focused on the joint Covid-19 response. This includes a bilateral meeting on 21 September in addition to Ministerial COBR meetings.

Frequent engagement with the devolved administrations is led by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster through calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland, alongside the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There have been regular discussions between the UK government and Devolved Administrations throughout the crisis, including through the COBR committee and Ministerial Implementation Groups. This is in addition to regular official and ministerial engagement, including weekly calls led by the Secretary of State for Health.

As was the case under the previous administration, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster continues to lead engagement with the Devolved Administrations through regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland. The most recent call took place on 24 July.

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

Dear Lord Wigley,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what was the registered number of deaths of all causes between 1 March and the most recent available date; and what is the figure for deaths per 100,000 population this number represents for (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Northern Ireland, and (4) Wales (HL6919).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing numbers of deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent annual figures published are for deaths registered in 20191. However, we do publish provisional weekly deaths registrations, which are currently published for deaths registered up to 3 July 20202. National Records Scotland (NRS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Table 1 provides the registered number of deaths from all causes between 1 March 2020 and the most recent available weekly deaths data in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Table 2 provides the number of deaths registered and age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 persons using the most consistent date range possible. Table 2 covers deaths registered between 1 March 2020 and 3 July for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but between 1 March and 5 July for Scotland.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Number of deaths registered between 1 March and most recent weekly deaths date, by country of usual residence, United Kingdom[1][2][3][4]

Source: ONS

Table 2: Number of deaths registered and age-standardised mortality rates, between 1 March 2020 and 3 July 2020 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and between 1 March 2020 and 5 July 2020 for Scotland[5][6]

Source: ONS

[1]Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the specified year.

[2]Geographic boundaries correct as of May 2020

[3]Deaths of non-residents of each country are excluded

[4]Deaths have been provided for the most up-to-date weekly data available. Deaths for residents of England and Wales are included up to week 27 (week ending 3 July 2020), for Northern Ireland up to week 26 (week ending 3 July 2020), and for Scotland up to week 28 (week ending 12 July 2020). Note: week numbers differ across the countries so dates have been provided for clarity.

[5] Deaths have been included for weeks that are most consistent across the 4 countries, to aid fair comparison. Deaths for residents of England and Wales are included up to week 27 (week ending 3 July 2020), for Northern Ireland up to week 26 (week ending 3 July 2020), and for Scotland up to week 27 (week ending 5 July 2020). Note: week numbers differ across the countries so dates have been provided for clarity

[6]Rates are age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) per 100,000 population, standardised to the 2013 European Standard Population. ASMRs are a better measure of mortality than the number of deaths, as they account for the population size and age structure. They are also better for comparing between areas and over time.

We are unable to identify the country of origin for steel used in the UK manufacturing industry specifically.

In 2020, the UK consumed 9.0mt of finished steel (World Steel Association report, copy attached). According to the International Steel Statistics Bureau, 50% was sourced from UK producers. The remaining 50% was imported from foreign producers. Based on import data, we estimate the following proportions for the regions below:

1. The EU: 35%
2. The Rest of the World: 15%

According to the Future Capacities and Capabilities of the UK Steel Industry (attached), c.20% of the demand for finished steel products in 2015 was for manufacturing (defined as automotive, machinery & engineering, and packaging).

The Government notes growing local and regional interest in a number of sites for further nuclear development, including at Trawsfynydd and Wylfa. A new National Policy Statement for nuclear electricity generation infrastructure deployable after 2025 will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.

The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for tidal range projects in British bays and estuaries, provided that such proposals can demonstrate energy system benefits, plausible environmental impact mitigation strategies, and value for money in the context of other forms of low carbon generation. The Government engages regularly with the Welsh Government on matters of common interest.

The most recent data (Energy Trends, December 2021) for the 9 months to September 2021 shows 60.4 per cent of our energy needs was met from indigenous production. Of the remaining 37.4 per cent (with stock changes accounting for the residual difference), 20 per cent of our net imports was for primary oil and oil products and 64 per cent for gas. The vast majority of our gas imports came from reliable suppliers such as Norway.

The Government works closely with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the UK’s fusion research organisation based in Oxfordshire. UKAEA is widely recognised as a global leader in fusion R&D and is critical to the delivery of the UK’s Fusion Strategy, which was published last year. Since 2017 the Government has committed around £500m towards new UKAEA research programmes and facilities and will continue to support fusion research over the new Spending Review period with £708m allocated to UKAEA within the Government’s £39.8bn R&D budget for 2022-2025. This will help to keep the UK in pole position to commercialise fusion energy, which would be low-carbon, sustainable and secure.

On 5 July, the government announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinemas.

The package will include a £1.15 billion support pot for cultural organisations in England, delivered through a mix of grants and loans. This will be made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million grants.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health.

The government has released new guidance to enable competitive grassroots team sports to be played – starting with cricket from 11 July. The government has asked individual sports including rugby union and rugby league to consider the steps that would need to be taken, and the conditions that would need to be met, for their activity to resume. Once those plans have been cleared by the government, the sport will be able to return.

The government is committed to reducing gambling-related harm and works closely with the Gambling Commission. We have committed to review the Gambling Act 2005, which is the basis for the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, including the powers and duties of the Commission. We will announce further details in due course. We welcome the National Audit Office’s report on Gambling Regulation: Problem Gambling and Protecting Vulnerable People and are considering its recommendations carefully with the Commission.

The government recognises that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system does not consistently deliver the outcomes we want and expect for children and young people with SEND, their families, or the people and services who support them. This was highlighted by a SEND Money Survey conducted by Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.

The department is conducting a review of SEND provisions in England. This is to ensure that children and young people with SEND get the right support, in the right place, at the right time, to improve outcomes and experiences within a financially sustainable system. The department has met with representatives and organisations, including Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.

On 1 February 2022, the government announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with SEND over the next three financial years. Additionally, councils will be provided with £30 million to set up more than 10,000 additional respite placements, helping to provide positive opportunities for children and young people with SEND.

In March 2021, the government published the mental health recovery action plan. It is backed by an additional £500 million of targeted investment to ensure that there is support in place for this financial year. This support includes £79 million to expand support in children and young people’s mental health services.

Education policy is devolved. Therefore, arrangements covering SEND policy and provision in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government.

The Department for Education continues to advise against both overnight and non-overnight domestic (UK) and overseas educational visits (trips). This advice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-advice-for-educational-settings/coronavirus-travel-guidance-for-educational-settings.

In the autumn term, schools can resume non-overnight domestic educational visits. Guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

All such visits should be compliant with COVID-19 guidelines and subject to a thorough and ongoing assessment of the risks to ensure that they can be undertaken safely. Schools should consult the health and safety guidance on educational visits when considering any visit, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits.

Schools should not resume overnight visits for the time-being. This is consistent with the latest government guidance on meeting people from outside your household, which advises that you should not stay overnight away from your home with members of more than 2 households: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july.

The above guidance will remain under review and will be updated in line with guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Transport and Public Health England.

The UK Government is responsible for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, this responsibility rests with the devolved governments.

This Government is investing a record £5.2 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes in England. Of this, approximately £1.6 billion will be spent on protecting coastal communities.

The UK Government intends to achieve a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU by December 2020.

The Government wants a free trade deal, based on friendly cooperation. Avoiding tariffs would be beneficial to both the UK and the EU. The Political Declaration aims to achieve a zero tariff and zero quota agreement. We are working to achieve this, in the interests of farmers, businesses and consumers across the UK. This will benefit lamb producers who are exporting lamb products from the UK to the EU.

We remain optimistic and we will work hard to reach an agreement on our future relationship. This is why we have agreed to intensify talks throughout July.

All passengers on entry to UK are to follow Government’s social distancing guidance strictly as per gov.uk website available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

Various airlines and airports have implemented social distancing measures, by making reasonable adjustments and any individual who is ill and showing signs of COVID-19 should not be allowed to board the flight to the UK.

All flights to the UK are required to provide health announcements to passengers relating to the current COVID-19 outbreak and to provide information to the relevant airport in line with standard operating procedure. In the unlikely event that there is a seriously unwell passenger on a flight, the Public Health England (PHE) Health Control Unit at Heathrow Airport in London will be informed. If the unwell passenger has COVID-19 like symptoms then on arrival they will be advised to self-isolate for 7 days and if symptoms worsen to call NHS111. All passengers will be provided with information leaflets and appropriate posters are on display on arrival in the UK about following Government’s social distancing guidance.

In the white paper published on 11 May, ‘The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy’, the Government sets out the plan for managing the risks of transmissions being introduced from abroad. The paper states that: ‘Alongside increased information about the UK’s social distancing regime at the border, the Government will require international arrivals to supply their contact and accommodation information. They will also be strongly advised to download and use the NHS contact tracing app.

All international arrivals to the UK not on a short list of exemptions will be required to self-isolate in their accommodation for fourteen days. Small exemptions to these measures will be in place to provide for continued security of supply into the UK and so as not to impede work supporting national security or critical infrastructure. These measures will be introduced as soon as possible and further details will be set out shortly’.

The United Kingdom has long supported the promotion of our values globally, including ambitious global action to tackle climate change, and this will continue as an independent trading nation. We have already legislated to deliver net zero emissions in the United Kingdom, becoming the first major economy to do so.

Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing our world. We are committed to upholding the United Kingdom’s high environmental standards and will consider the mechanisms available to us, including through our trading relationships with Least Developed Countries.

We remain firmly committed to upholding our high food safety standards outside the EU. The UK’s independent food regulators will continue to ensure that all food imports into the UK comply with those high standards.

The frequency of through trains between Holyhead and London was reduced due to the impact of COVID-19 on passenger demand. Avanti West Coast will be increasing its service provision from 15 May 2022 from the two direct trains per day from London Euston to Holyhead currently provided, to three direct trains and four from Holyhead to London Euston during the week as well as an increase to three direct trains per day in both directions at weekends.

The Department continues to work closely with operators in their development of attractive timetables that are reliable, deliver excellent performance for passengers, and offer good value for money. All timetables remain under review as demand returns.

Avanti West Coast currently serves Holyhead with two trains per day from London Euston which is set to increase to four trains per day in May 2022. We continue to work closely with operators in their development of attractive timetables that are reliable, deliver excellent performance for passengers, and offer good value for money. All timetables remain under review as demand returns.

Freight flows through Holyhead have increased substantially over this year. Transport patterns and freight pressures have seen unprecedented changes throughout the pandemic due to restrictions, variations to travel plans, and fluctuations in freight demand.

The Department is committed to supporting claimants with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism move closer to the labour market or into work.

The increased number of work coaches will help the newly unemployed and also enable us to continue supporting those with complex needs, and to work with partners to ensure they get the help they need. People in particular disadvantaged groups will continue to benefit from support via the increased Flexible Support Fund and priority early access to the Work and Health Programme. In addition, claimants with learning disabilities are also able to access Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) if they are further from the labour market.

From April 2021, we have strengthened our Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) role to include delivering direct support to claimants who require additional work related support and advice above our core work coach offer. DEAs continue to support all work coaches to deliver tailored, personalised support to all claimants with a disability or health condition. Since May, we are increasing our DEA resource from 685 nationally with the aspiration to reach 1000.

We have a number of initiatives and schemes to support claimants with health conditions such as:

• Intensive Personalised Employment Support provision provides highly personalised packages of employment support for disabled people who want to work but have complex needs or barriers and require specialist support to achieve sustained employment.
• Access to Work is a demand-led discretionary grant scheme that provides funding for the extra disability-related costs people have when starting work or maintaining employment. It can also support disabled people on an apprenticeship, Department for Education supported internship or traineeship
• The Department delivered the Local Supported Employment Proof of Concept, run in partnership with 9 local authorities from November 2017 to May 2019. It was based on the “Place and Train” model of supported employment. This aimed to test whether the Department, in partnership with Local Authorities (LAs), could increase delivery of high-quality supported employment for people with a learning disability or autism who are known to adult social care, or those in contact with secondary mental health services. The proof of concept also aimed to help spread best practice among LAs. Following the successful proof of concept, the Department is looking to develop an area based trial with 20 LAs. The trial was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic
• Supported Internships are aimed at young people ability/autism who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and they usually last for 12 months. Support from a specialist job coach and other costs may be funded through Access to Work if necessary. Whilst the Department for Education lead on this the Department provides support through Access to Work funding
• Through the Disability Confident scheme, the Department is engaging with employers and helping to promote the skills, talents and abilities of people with autism and associated conditions. Through the scheme, the Department is providing advice and support to help employers feel more confident about employing disabled people, by signposting them to appropriate advice guidance and support.
• The increased number of work coaches will help the newly unemployed and also enable us to continue supporting those with complex needs, and to work with partners to ensure they get the help they need
• People in particular disadvantaged groups will continue to benefit from support via the increased Flexible Support Fund and priority early access to the Work and Health Programme

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The available information is shown in the table below:

Industrial injuries benefits expenditure, of which Pneumoconiosis 1979

Sources: 1994-2018 DWP Historic and forecast benefit expenditure and caseload data:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables

2018/19 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: quarterly statistics:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefit-quarterly-statistics

Notes:

1. Figures are in £ millions
2. ‘..’ not available

The available information is shown in the table below.

Notes:

1. Figures on claimants shown are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Figures show new claims for which an assessment has been completed.

No specific funding has been allocated. The Down Syndrome Act 2022 requires the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to issue guidance to relevant authorities on the appropriate actions to meet the needs of people with Down Syndrome in the exercise of the relevant functions. The guidance will be developed and published in due course. An assessment of any funding requirements will also be completed alongside the development of the guidance.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all United Kingdom-approved COVID-19 vaccines includes child and adolescent age groups. The MHRA reviews the Yellow Card reports received in males and females aged under 18 years old, with safety data from international medicines regulators. The experience reported in those under 18 years old, including in the different sex and age subgroups of 5 to 11, 12 to 15 and 16 to 17 year olds, is similar to that identified in the general population. A review of these reports does not raise any additional safety topics specific to any of the subgroups.

As has been observed in adults, there have been a small number of reports involving inflammation of the heart in individuals under 18 years old in the UK and internationally. Since this is a recognised potential risk with the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna and the MHRA are monitoring these events. These appear to be more frequent in younger males compared to females but are very rare. The events reported are typically mild with individuals usually recovering within a short time with standard treatment and rest.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advise that Pfizer/BioNTech is currently the preferred COVID-19 vaccine for those under 18 years old in the UK vaccination programme. The current data does not indicate that there is an increased reporting rate of suspected myocarditis and pericarditis in this age group overall compared to young adults for this vaccine. The MHRA continues to monitor the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines and the advice remains that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the risks in the majority of people.

The Government continues to engage with European Union Member States on cross border health threats, including COVID-19. Public health officials from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Germany have contributed to a workshop exploring the value of different models of health protection.

The UK also engages with Member States through multilateral forums established in the UK and EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, such as the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Health Security Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The UK also receives regular invitations to the EU Health Security Committee discussions on COVID-19, which assesses the on-going response to the pandemic. In addition, UK health ministers meet regularly with EU counterparts in other multilateral or plurilateral forums, including the G7, G20 and the World Health Organization.

The NHS Constitution states that access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. These services, including those for disabled children, are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published Community services prioritisation framework on 11 January 2022. This sets an expectation that community health services, including therapy services and the provision of wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics and equipment for children and young people which have been delayed or paused as a result of COVID-19, should resume from 1 March 2022. A copy of the framework is attached. Additionally, 2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance, published in December 2021, includes a requirement for systems to develop and agree a plan for reducing community service waiting lists. A copy of the planning guidance is attached.

On 1 February 2022, we announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) over the next three years. This will focus on improving the delivery and monitoring of statutory SEND services by local authorities, health and care partners and improving access to high quality advice and support for parents, children, and young people.

In England, until 2 December, people must stay at home, except for specific purposes. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we are working closely with the devolved administrations to provide clarity to citizens in all parts of the United Kingdom.

While international relations are a matter reserved to the UK Government (UKG) and Westminster Parliament, the UKG recognises the legitimate interest the devolved Governments have on international activity, especially where this has impact on matters of devolved competence, or in their responsibility to implement aspects of international agreements.

Each of the devolved governments has a presence at various locations overseas and often their staff are co-located within UK embassies. FCDO staff in our overseas network already work closely together with officials from each of the devolved governments. The FCDO also has regular engagement with officials from the devolved governments in the UK, including through a recently instituted Director-level forum which held its first meeting in March 2022, with another anticipated in summer 2022. That forum is underpinned by frequent official level engagement across all levels. The FCDO is eager to maintain and develop this engagement further, and identify where closer collaboration and cooperation will continue to bring benefits to every part of the UK, drawing on our extensive diplomatic network overseas.

We have amended our travel advice to recommend against all but essential travel to Italy and this advice applies to all British nationals including ministers and civil servants.

Our Embassy and network of Consulates in Spain is in regular contact with the relevant authorities, hoteliers' associations and tourism trade bodies in Spain to ensure British nationals can enjoy their holidays safely and responsibly. We work in close partnership with these bodies on our safety campaigns. For example, the Consulate in Mallorca are part of a working group of authorities and tourism sector bodies looking at safety issues.

Spending Review 2021 set the largest annual block grants, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts in 1998. The Welsh Government is receiving an average of £2.5bn per year through the Barnett formula on top of £15.9bn annual baseline, enabling further investment across Wales in areas such as schools, housing, transport, health and social care. This also means the Welsh Government’s funding per person is around 20% higher than equivalent UK Government funding in England.

It is for the Welsh Government to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit. The Welsh Government will take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their priorities and local circumstances, and they are accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

The Welsh Government and HM Treasury maintain a regular dialogue throughout the year giving the Welsh Government opportunity to discuss any issues related to the financial settlement for 2022-23.

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to the most vulnerable people. To support those fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Home Office has launched the Ukraine Family Scheme to allow thousands of families to be reunited in the UK. The Scheme allows immediate and extended family members of British nationals and people settled in the UK to come to the country. Those joining family through the Scheme will be granted leave to remain for 3 years, giving them certainty and ensuring their future in the country. The Scheme is free, and does not include any salary or language requirements.

Additionally, a new sponsored humanitarian visa route will be established to allow communities, private sponsors or local authorities to sponsor people to come the UK from Ukraine. The Treasury is working closely with departments across government on the design and funding of these new routes.

In addition to these changes to the immigration system, the government has already committed around £400m to support the current crisis in Ukraine. This includes up to £220m in much-needed humanitarian aid, which will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, saving lives, protecting vulnerable people and creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities. It also includes a commitment to match-fund the public’s first £20m of donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our largest ever aid-match contribution. UK government humanitarian experts have also been deployed to the region to bolster the UK's support to countries receiving those fleeing the violence in Ukraine.

The department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will confirm the Coal Authority’s funding for the 2021 Spending Review (SR21) period in due course.

However, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in UK Government departments’ funding, not to total spending on individual programmes. Barnett consequentials therefore just represent the changes in the Welsh Government’s block grant funding, rather than being the total funding provided.

As a result of changes in UK Government departments’ funding, the UK Government is providing an additional £2.5 billion per year on average over the SR21 period to the Welsh Government through the Barnett formula, on top their £15.9 billion annual baseline. As noted in response to a previous question on this matter (HL3703) the Welsh Government is therefore more than fairly funded to deal with all devolved responsibilities, including coal tips. It is however for the Welsh Government to allocate this funding as they see fit across their devolved responsibilities.

There is no appeal process available for those who have missed the CJRS deadline of 31 July 2020. However, if an employer wishes to raise a complaint about mistakes or unreasonable delays caused by HMRC, they have been asked to follow HMRC’s complaints procedure.

HMRC have accepted 1,360 claims relating to 1,114 employers that have been made from 1 August 2020 to 31 August 2020 for a period on or prior to 30 June 2020.

The main reasons for the claims being accepted are:

• Amendments to previous claims
• Customers who have made the claim on or before 31 July that needed manual intervention and which HMRC did not process until on or after 1 August 2020.
• Customers requesting a review. This has been mainly about eligibility or maximum cap.

Statistical information regarding the number of Ukrainian nationals applying for UK visas is regularly released by UKVI. Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme which were launched in response to Russia’s invasion of can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage, or below.

Data is as of 17 May 2022 and comprised of:

• Ukraine Family Scheme: 43,700
• Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: 84,400

Data is as of 17 May 2022 and comprised of:

• Ukraine Family Scheme visas: 38,700
• Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme visas: 68,700

There are no employment restrictions on individuals from Ukraine who have been offered residence in the UK.

Both the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme allow Ukrainian nationals to remain in the UK for up to three years, during which time they can work in any role within the UK Labour market.

This question can be best answered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and should therefore be directed to that Department.

The UK Government is working closely with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to promote and deliver the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We have received a number of representations from them as part of this engagement.

Information on the number of applications currently being processed under the newly launched Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data

Statistical information regarding number of Ukrainian nationals applying for UK visas prior to the launch of the UFS is regularly released by UKVI. The latest published statistics can be found here: Immigration statistics, year ending December 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Providing the complete information requested would exceed the word limit for responses to written parliamentary questions. However, the information requested is available through the links provided.

Information on the number of applications currently being processed under the newly launched Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data

Statistical information regarding number of Ukrainian nationals applying for UK visas prior to the launch of the UFS is regularly released by UKVI. The latest published statistics can be found here: Immigration statistics, year ending December 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Providing the complete information requested would exceed the word limit for responses to written parliamentary questions. However, the information requested is available through the links provided.

The UK enjoys close military relationships with the Baltic states. We work together both bilaterally and through various multilateral fora, including through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The UK trains and exercises routinely across the Baltic sea region. We are also the framework nation for the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup in Estonia.

The UK does not disclose live operational financial information. We discuss European Defence and security regularly with NATO Allies including the US and Canada, but cannot comment on how they allocate responsibilities within NATO. SACEUR has not requested any further NATO support or reinforcement to the region, but the UK stands ready to respond to future requests from NATO.

We are working closely with the Devolved Administrations on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including enabling the Scottish and Welsh Governments to act as direct sponsors to Ukrainian nationals. This is in addition to Ukrainians being sponsored by individuals in Scotland and Wales. There is no cap on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, with the Scottish Government currently working towards 3,000 and the Welsh Government to 1,000 placements under Devolved Government sponsorship.

The administration of probate applications is dealt with as a national service, covering England and Wales.

Average waiting times for probate grants, from July 2019 to September 2021, are published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25):

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly

Information for the period up to December 2021 will be published on 31 March.

More recent management information published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which does not go through the same level of quality assurance and analysis as the Family Court Statistics Quarterly, provides waiting time information up to December 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-december-2021.

Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the probate service during the Covid 19 pandemic, and as a result of HMCTS increasing resources to meet demand, the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required is between five and seven weeks.

The improvement of the online probate system remains a priority for HMCTS, to ensure more applications can be issued first time and resources can be focused on reducing waiting times. HMCTS continues to collaborate with its users to enhance the service and the latest information on this can be found at: https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/28/working-together-to-avoid-delays-to-probate-applications/ .

To obtain the legal authority to make decisions about a Child Trust Fund on behalf of a young person who lacks the mental capacity to do so for themselves, parents and guardians need to apply to the Court of Protection for an order of the court or register a Lasting Power of Attorney. This is set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to protect vulnerable people.

We are working with financial institutions to raise awareness of these processes. They have agreed to provide information on these processes shortly after the account holder’s 16th birthday and again, when the account nears maturity.

For parents and guardians that may need to apply to the Court of Protection, they can ask for court fees to be waived when seeking access to a Child Trust Fund. Guidance for applicants has been updated to reflect this.

Should court applicants encounter any difficulties whilst completing Court of Protection application forms, they can contact the Court of Protection to request assistance. Contact details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/court-of-protection

We are also setting up a working group to consider how the Court of Protection application process can be simplified to reduce the burden placed upon the parents and guardians of disabled children.

We do not have accurate figures to show how many young people who wish to access a Child Trust Fund at age 18 may lack the mental capacity to make financial decisions for themselves.

The MENCAP website states that approximately 2.5% of children in the UK are believed to have a learning disability and consequently we estimate that there may be between 1 and 2% of Child Trust Funds where the account holder may lack capacity to make financial decisions at age 18. This equates to between 63,000 and 126,000 accounts but is a very rough estimate.

The situation in Ukraine is a humanitarian crisis and the Government is taking concrete steps to provide sanctuary to those affected through the Ukraine Family Scheme. A new sponsorship route, which will allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come here, also launched this month.

Ukrainians in Ireland wishing to come to the UK should apply to do so before seeking to travel to the UK including travelling across the land border into Northern Ireland. The Government is using a variety of communications channels and working with a range of stakeholders to support Ukrainian nationals seeking safe passage to the United Kingdom, regardless of whether they are travelling across the CTA or from elsewhere in the world.

The Secretary of State for Wales has regular discussions with colleagues in the Welsh Government on a wide range of subjects, including the request for additional financial assistance to make coal tips safe.

The Secretary of State for Wales met with the Welsh Government Minister for Finance and Local Government on 20 October 2021, where they discussed this matter, among others. The matter was also discussed at the recent Coal Tip Safety Summit which was co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Wales and the First Minister. The Secretary of State reiterated that the management of coal tips in Wales is a devolved matter and therefore not a matter the UK Government would expect to provide additional funding for. Nevertheless, as a testament to our commitment, we provided £31 million to the Welsh Government to ensure that vital work to help with the unforeseen consequences of Storm Dennis could be delivered.

The Welsh Government is more than adequately funded to manage the costs of its devolved responsibilities. The UK Government has provided the Welsh Government with an additional £2.5 billion a year over the SR21 period through the Barnett formula. This spending review settlement provides Welsh Government with around £120 per person for every £100 of equivalent funding in England, which is over 20% higher than equivalent funding in England. This is around £1 billion per year more than the agreed level of fair funding set out in the Welsh Government's fiscal framework. Therefore, the Welsh Government can pay for coal tip maintenance and still have more than fair funding for their other devolved responsibilities.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will replace the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund. It will ramp up to £1.5 billion a year in 2024-25 as EU Structural Funds tail off and total funding will at a minimum match the size of EU Funds in all nations, each year. UKSPF funding in the next Spending Review period will total over £2.6 billion.

The UKSPF is key to levelling up the whole of the UK. It will help people access opportunity in places in need, such as former-industrial areas, deprived towns, rural and coastal communities and for people in disadvantaged groups across the UK. Further details about the Fund will be set out later this year.

In addition to the UKSPF, Wales will also receive £121 million from the first round of the Levelling Up Fund, £46 million from the UK Community Renewal Fund and £464,000 from the Community Ownership Fund. We are also providing the Welsh Government with an additional £2.5 billion per year on average through the Barnett formula, on top of its annual baseline funding of £15.9 billion. These are the largest annual block grants of any spending review settlement since devolution began.

The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers have regular discussions with Ministers from the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of matters, including our future trading relationships now that we have left the European Union. As part of this regular engagement the Paymaster General holds regular calls with Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Government Counsel General and Minister for Europe Transition. As set out in our approach to negotiations, the UK is looking for a deal that is in the interests of all of the UK.