Abena Oppong-Asare

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for employees when they are off work sick, or deemed incapable of work. It is paid in full by employers. To receive SSP from their employer, individuals must meet all SSP eligibility conditions, including being classed as an employee.

SSP is just one part of the government’s safety net and the support to people in times of need during the pandemic. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick or self-isolating, for example where they are not eligible for SSP, and they require further financial support they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on individual circumstances. Working people on low incomes who are required to remain at home by NHS Test and Trace to help stop the spread of the virus and cannot work from home can also now receive £500.

Background

• SSP is paid at a flat rate of £95.85 per week to eligible employees.
• We have already strengthened our wider safety net by temporarily increasing the standard allowance of Universal Credit by the equivalent of £20 per week, meaning that claimants will be up to £1,040 better off for the 20/21 tax year.

The guidance given to customers is dependent on their own personal circumstances. They will be signposted to the most relevant benefit.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources.

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organisations and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Government is ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to accessible communications, updated guidance, including workplace and transport related guidance, as well as other support during the Covid-19 outbreak. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources.

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organisations and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Government is ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to accessible communications, updated guidance, including workplace and transport related guidance, as well as other support during the Covid-19 outbreak. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during the pandemic. The Department was experiencing significantly increased demand and had to prioritise the safety and stability of the benefits system overall. The IT system which supports Universal Credit has more capacity to make the necessary changes than the systems that support legacy benefits. It also uses different technology from other DWP systems and these older systems have complex interactions and interdependencies. We estimate that 2.5m households receiving Universal Credit will have benefited straight away from the increase in the standard allowances which was announced on 20 March, and which is additional to the planned annual uprating. New claimants who have either become unemployed, or whose earnings or work hours have decreased because of the outbreak, will benefit too; subject to their eligibility.

We have also made a number of changes to legacy and other working age benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including increasing certain entitlements, such as Local Housing Allowance. Up-to-date information about the employment and benefits support available, including Employment and Support Allowance, can be found here: https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/

Taken together, DWP’s pandemic measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to COVID19.

Targets for blood tests are set by local hospitals and pathology networks following guidance set out by NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Pathology Quality Assurance Dashboard and from organisations such as the Royal College of Pathologists. These targets were set prior to the pandemic and no changes to these were made during the pandemic. All targets are driven by clinical need and requirements to ensure appropriate patient management.

The £559 million technology funding for NHSX announced in the Spending Review is not disease specific but covers the infrastructure and whole pathways work for all major diseases, including diabetes. This investment will support the National Health Service frontline, help fast track innovation and deliver a better experience for patients and staff alike.

In addition to this work and as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement committed to both improving the pipeline of innovation and speeding up the uptake and spread, so that proven and affordable innovations get to patients faster. It sets out a number of specific commitments in relation to the treatment of people living with diabetes and supporting the adoption of new technologies.

Local authorities do not have an enforcing role when it comes to the wearing of face coverings by members of the public on public transport. This is a matter for the police and Transport for London officers, who may issue fixed penalty notices but will adopt their usual ‘four Es’ approach first: Explain, Engage, Encourage and Enforce.

The Department commissioned NHS Digital to undertake a follow up survey on a representative sample of children and young people (now ages 5 to 22 years) recruited in 2017 to take part in the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey, who agreed to be re-contacted. The analysis of this survey was published on 22 October and is one of the main sources of evidence on children’s qualitative wellbeing and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2020-wave-1-follow-up

Methods for how commissioners and other health professionals can measure, understand and improve the mental wellbeing of children and young people is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-the-mental-wellbeing-of-children-and-young-people

A toolkit to help measure subjective mental wellbeing amongst the student population is available at the following link:

https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/resources/mental-health-toolkit-for-schools/

‘We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/2021 – action for us all’ sets out actions to support transformation across the whole NHS, including the following commitment on the cancer workforce:

In 2021, Health Education England is prioritising the training of 400 clinical endoscopists and 450 reporting radiographers. Training grants are being offered for 350 nurses to become cancer nurse specialists and chemotherapy nurses, training 58 biomedical scientists, developing an advanced clinical practice qualification in oncology and extending cancer support-worker training.

We are working to complete the publishing of all the contract award notices (CANs) and the associated contracts for all COVID-19 related work as soon as possible. 89% of the CANs have now been published and over 50% of the contracts can been be found on Contracts Finder at the following link:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/

Delays in publishing this information have been due to the resources available within the Department for this work, given the vast increase in the volume of contracts that have had to be processed.

The Regulations that mandate the wearing of face coverings in an array of indoor, public settings in England also allow for exemptions and reasonable excuses.

The Government expects the vast majority of people will comply with the rules, as they have done throughout the pandemic. However, the Regulations do give powers to the police and Transport for London officers to enforce the requirement to wear a face covering. In doing so, the police will use their usual ‘four Es’ approach: Explaining, Engaging, Encouraging; and Enforcing only issuing a fine as a last resort.

The Government has published additional guidance for everyone in England who has been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable, to help protect them from COVID-19. People in this group will previously have received a letter from the National Health Service or their general practitioner telling them this and may have been advised to shield in the past.

Children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should still attend school.

Where parents who are clinically vulnerable or extremely vulnerable have concerns about their children attending school during the COVID-19 outbreak, the school should discuss those concerns with them and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.

We recognise the pressures on children and young people’s mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures. We will bring forward our winter plan for mental health and wellbeing in due course, outlining the support available over the winter period.

We have published ‘Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’ on GOV.UK and Every Mind Matters. In September 2020, we launched a campaign through Every Mind Matters to raise awareness of the guidance and tools available to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows high compliance by the public with the requirements to wear face coverings: the Office for National Statistics’ Opinions and Lifestyle Survey; YouGov (Face Coverings and Staff Survey); and the Department of Health and Social Care Coronavirus Health Behaviours and Campaigns Report, all show high levels of public understanding of the regulations and adherence to wearing face coverings in the relevant settings.

While the majority of people comply with the rules, as they have done throughout the pandemic, the Regulations give powers to the police and Transport for London officers to enforce the requirement to wear a face covering. Fines are issued by enforcing officers as a last resort, so in many cases police engagement ends with the person either proceeding to wear a face covering or leaving the setting. Data published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council show that the police issued a total of 258 Fixed Penalty Notices between 15 June and 19 October for breaches of the Face Coverings Regulations across England and Wales.

The Government’s response to the pandemic is guided by the science. Data and scientific advice informing the fight against COVID-19 are published on GOV.UK and specific relevant findings are shared in presentations accompanying significant policy announcements.

Unfortunately, we know that the virus spreads readily in indoor environments where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together. These restrictions do not single out restaurants, pubs or gyms but apply to a wide range of settings where the risk of transmission is high.

The information is not held centrally in the format requested.

Personalised care interventions, including holistic needs assessment, health and wellbeing information and support, and end of treatment summaries, will help to identify and address more psychological and emotional needs from diagnosis onwards, while ensuring that general practitioners are informed of patients’ ongoing needs. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support has continued by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible.

Restrictions on visitors are subject to the local discretion of trusts. The Department expects Trusts to use the ‘Framework to assist NHS trusts to reintroduce access for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women in English maternity services’ and consider as a priority how access for partners, visitors and supporters of pregnant women can be reintroduced as soon as possible whilst maintaining the safety of all service users, staff and visitors.

The Chief Midwifery Officer, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (England), and the National Clinical Director for Maternity and Women's Health wrote to all NHS Directors of Nursing and Heads of Midwifery in England on 19 September to inform those that are still working through the guidance that this must happen now so that partners are able to attend maternity units for appointments.

The Government recognises that COVID-19 is imposing significant pressures on the social care sector. £3.7 billion has now been made available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care. On 17 September 2020 the extension of the Infection Control Fund was announced, meaning over £1.1 billion of ring-fenced funding has been provided for infection control throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising the increase in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) this year, the Government has committed in the recently published Adult Social Care Winter Plan to the provision of free PPE for COVID-19 needs for adult social care providers until March 2021

The Government will continue to monitor pressures on adult social care.

The Government recognise the vital role unpaid carers play, and the pressures they are facing due to COVID-19. The Department for Work and Pensions introduced two important temporary measures in the spring to help unpaid carers through the COVID19 pandemic:

- unpaid carers are able to continue to claim Carer’s Allowance if they have a temporary break in caring, because they or the person they care for gets coronavirus or if either have to isolate because of it.

- providing ‘emotional support’ rather than just more traditional forms of care to a disabled person will also now count towards the Carer’s Allowance threshold of 35 hours of care a week.

These provisions have been extended until 12 May 2021. This will allow unpaid carers receiving Carer’s Allowance who need some extra flexibility in the way they provide care during the current emergency, so as to continue to protect themselves and the people they are caring for. We continue to work with carer organisations and others to identify and respond to the needs of carers during the pandemic.

The Government recognises the extra challenges faced by deaf people and those with hearing loss during the pandemic. We have taken several steps to address these and to raise awareness.

This includes making a clear exemption from wearing face coverings and a communications campaign to raise awareness of such exemptions. We have also made exemption documents available.

Government guidance on face coverings and exemptions was distributed to businesses and customer-facing organisations.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have procured 250,000 transparent facemasks from the company ClearMask which will be helpful for people who need to lip read.

The Public Health England Campaign Resource Centre provides a wide range of free materials to download and share on Government advice and guidance.

A deal with United States-based company ClearMask will enable 250,000 masks to be delivered to National Health Service trusts and social care providers across the United Kingdom as part of a pilot. We are gathering feedback from this pilot, which will inform decisions on future procurement. Details of personal protective equipment deliveries (by item) are provided online at GOV.UK.

Guidance for local authorities on use of the Care Act 2014 easements states that they should only take a decision to begin exercising them when the workforce is significantly depleted, or demand on social care has increased, to an extent that it is no longer reasonably practicable for it to comply with its full Care Act duties (as they stand prior to amendment by the Coronavirus Act 2020) and where to continue to try to do so is likely to result in urgent or acute needs not being met, potentially risking life.

The Department has kept easements under regular review, taking expert clinical and social care advice, and has concluded that easements have been used appropriately by local authorities and the provision to use them should remain in place at this time.

We are aware that during the national lockdown a range of community social care providers ceased provision of services. In July, the Social Care Institute for Excellence published guidance on the safe re-opening of services.

In addition, a proportion of the £546 million Infection Control Fund extension announced in September can be used by local authorities to fund expenditure on Infection Prevention and Control measures needed to safely reopen day and respite services.

As per section 97(1)(b) of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the Secretary of State will make a statement in the two month report about whether he considers the current status of non-devolved provisions to be appropriate. The first such statement was published on 29 May and this and subsequent reports can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-act-two-monthly-reports

An analysis of the provisions was published on 23 September, to inform the debate held on 30 September, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-act-analysis

Since the start of the pandemic, I have met frequently with stakeholder groups, Care Act Easements have been discussed.

The Department has used a number of routes to gather evidence on the use and impact of temporary easements to the Care Act 2014. Departmental officials, including the Chief Social Workers, have been working with the Principal Social Worker Network and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) to gather local intelligence and are satisfied that any easements have been considered and communicated in line with the Ethical Framework for Social Care.

ADASS and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) have been engaging with local authorities operating under easements, and those that did not, to understand lessons learned from this period. A TLAP Insight Group has been meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers. TLAP published their report on 13 October.

The Department frequently engages with social care stakeholders including those who provide care to working age disabled people and those who receive this care or their representatives. For example, officials participate in fortnightly webinars with learning disability and autism stakeholders to discuss the response to COVID-19.

The ‘Adult Social Care Winter Plan 2020 to 2021’, includes support and guidance for this part of the social care sector. The Winter Plan drew on recommendations from the social care COVID-19 taskforce, which was in turn informed by advisory groups – including a learning disability and autism advisory group involving people with lived experience.

As set out in the Adult Social Care Winter Plan, the Government recognises the very important role of all types of unpaid, or family, carers supporting those they care for, including those with dementia.

The role of unpaid carers has been considered in the development of policies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and they have been prioritised for a range of support. For example, they are included in the priority list for a vaccine, have access to personal protective equipment and have been exempted from interhouse mixing rules when providing the vital care and support they offer.

We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, care organisations and the wider sector and will keep support for family carers under review.

Equipping the health and social care workforce with the skills they need is crucial for providing high quality care for those living with dementia. The requisite training needs are set out in The Dementia Training Standards Framework. Since 1 April 2015, newly appointed health care assistants and social care support workers, including those providing care to people with dementia, have been undergoing training as part of the national implementation of the Care Certificate. Since 2012, over one million care workers have completed the Care Certificate, or common induction standards. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have issued a range of guidance for care homes. In particular, The Social Care Institute for Excellence has published advice on COVID-19 and dementia in care homes in collaboration with NHS England and NHS Improvement (12 May 2020).

Anyone experiencing symptoms can access a free test at a testing site or at home by calling 119 or via the online booking portal at the following link:

https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/antigen/condition

This includes all pupils, teachers and staff. All children of any age can get a test in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The Department has worked to build testing capacity Erith and Thamesmead, currently operating sites at Erith Road and Abery Street car park alongside other facilities such as mobile testing units and home testing across south east London.

COVID-19 test sites are opening regularly across the United Kingdom, currently there are 675 sites in operation. Home testing kits are available daily for those who need them.

If a child is self-isolating because they have symptoms of COVID-19, other members of their household should also self-isolate. In this situation, parents and/or guardians should follow guidance and book a test for their child. They can do this through any of the main testing channels. In the event the child does test positive, they should continue to self-isolate for at least ten days from the onset of their symptoms, and only return to school after ten days if they do not have symptoms. All other members of the household should continue to self-isolate until 14 days after the onset of the child’s symptoms.

If a child has tested positive, other members of their household who need to self-isolate may be eligible for the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment, if they are a low-income worker, unable to work from home and losing income as a result.

If a parent or guardian needs support while a child is self-isolating, there is Government guidance on staying at home and self-isolating, accessing local support provided by their local authority and receiving assistance from NHS Volunteer Responders.

The NHS Long Term Plan sets a clear ambition that where appropriate every person diagnosed with cancer should have access to personalised care by 2021. Over the next five years, Cancer Alliances will be embedding personalised care interventions, which will identify and address the changing needs of cancer patients from diagnosis onwards.

National Health Service mental health services, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services, have remained open for business throughout this time, including delivering support digitally and over the phone where possible. For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS England has instructed all NHS mental health trusts to establish 24 hours a day, seven days a week mental health crisis lines, clearly accessible from trust websites.

To prepare the National Health Service for winter, the Government is providing an additional £3 billion of funding. This includes funding to allow the NHS to maintain the Nightingale surge capacity and continue to use the extra hospital capacity available within the independent sector.

Effective local management of any outbreaks is the first line of protection against a second wave that might overwhelm the NHS. To support local authorities, we made £300 million available and they already have robust plans in place to respond to outbreaks.

We have also made significant strides in our Test and Trace service. We have established one of the world’s largest testing programmes, with capacity at around 350,000 tests every day and we have already traced around 250,000 people who may have unknowingly spread the virus.

NHS winter preparations include delivering a very significantly expanded seasonal flu vaccination programme for priority groups.

The Cancer Recovery Taskforce has been established, and met for the first time in September, where they took stock of the status of cancer services against recovery metrics on referrals, treatment and backlog levels. A national recovery plan will be developed for publication shortly.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to operate cancer surgical hubs, supported by the extension of the independent sector deal, to maintain a whole-system approach to managing cancer surgery at volume and in accordance with clinical priority.

A number of resources are available to support organisations to protect staff who have been assessed as being at high risk. These include a risk reduction framework published by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine published in response to COVID-19 and the adult social care risk reduction framework. Additionally, NHS Employers have published guidance on how to enhance existing risk assessments. Risk is best managed at a local level in discussion between individuals and their managers.

There are a range of steps employers are taking to mitigate risk. These include stringent infection prevention and control assurance such as prioritisation of fit testing, rota adjustments, and regular health checks including COVID-19 testing. Personal protective equipment is also being procured, which addresses concerns about fit for some groups of people.

Employers in both England and Wales are required by law to protect employees from harm, including assessing risk, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

All National Health Service employers were directed on 24 June by NHS England and NHS Improvement to make significant progress in deploying risk assessments within the following two weeks and complete them – at least for all staff in at-risk groups – within four weeks. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked organisations to publish metrics from their staff reviews until fully compliant.

People do not need to wear a face covering if they have a legitimate reason not to. This includes:

- not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability;

- if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause the wearer severe distress; and

- if travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate.

The list of exemptions is not exhaustive and would extend to someone who has a justifiable reason for not wearing one on the grounds of health or disability not outlined within the guidance.

We do not tolerate racist abuse of National Health Service staff and are committed to promoting an inclusive and compassionate culture in the NHS. The NHS is focused on supporting staff from different ethnic backgrounds and is tracking progress against key indicators through the Workforce Race Equality Standard, with Board level oversight.

The NHS has put in place an action plan to support black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff through the pandemic. This includes risks assessment processes to protect staff, bespoke health and wellbeing resources and strengthened engagement with BAME staff networks to ensure their views are represented in decision making.

The Government is doing everything it can to get domiciliary carers and social care workers the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to provide care and support safely. On 11 May, we published guidance to support the health and wellbeing of those in the adult social care workforce. As part of our commitment to ensure that social care receives the PPE it needs, we continue to supply PPE to selected wholesalers to support social care. Additionally, we deliver PPE to all Local Resilience Forums to allow them to respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult social care system. The National Supply Disruption Response operates a 24-hour helpline that can also respond to emergency PPE requests. Finally, we are rolling out a PPE Portal to help primary and social care providers to order critical PPE.

In 2018 an independent review into the extent and causes of the gender pay gap in medicine was launched. The review, yet to be published, chaired by Professor Dame Jane Dacre is expected to make a recommendation about the need to review the pay gap in other protected characteristics. The Department is currently considering plans for a review into the ethnicity pay gap in the National Health Service.

Dialogue continues with the British Medical Association and NHS Employers to ensure all the medical contract pay, terms and conditions of service are attractive and support recruitment and retention of medical staff from all ethnic backgrounds, while enabling long term sustainability for all NHS doctors, employers and the taxpayer.

The NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard, a compulsory initiative for all NHS trusts and established in 2015, have developed a programme of work to close the gaps in experiences between black, Asian and minority ethnic and white staff, including those who aspire to develop their careers in the NHS.

Public safety throughout this period is the Government’s top priority and this includes keeping those who need care and support safe. The changes to the Care Act 2014 duties on local authorities will be kept under review and the Secretary of State will suspend them based on expert clinical and social care advice, in accordance with the Coronavirus Act 2020.

There are around 11,500 community pharmacies in England, and deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE) packs were made in March. Further, supplies of PPE have been distributed to wholesalers and distributor networks supplying community pharmacies.

Where there remains an urgent need for additional PPE stock, community pharmacies should contact their Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) who can provide supplies to respond to local spikes in need. For those who are critically short of PPE, they should phone the National Supply Distribution Response for an urgent delivery. We will continue to work in ensuring that community pharmacies have access to PPE.

Symptomatic pharmacy staff, or symptomatic member(s) of their household, are eligible for testing through the self-referral online portal where they are able to order home delivery testing kits. The online portal and further information on those eligible for testing is available at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

The National Health Service will be given all the resources it needs to respond to this virus and keep the public safe.

The NHS is scaling up intensive care beds, whilst NHS England is looking at NHS organisations’ critical care capacity - including the availability of additional facilities operated by independent sector providers. They are also making sure that they have as much ventilation equipment as possible and, crucially, the skilled and trained people to use it.

The Health and Wellbeing Framework sets out the standards for what NHS organisations need to do to support staff to feel well, healthy and happy at work. It sets out clear actionable steps and provides guidance for organisations to develop and deliver a staff health and wellbeing plan. The link for this guidance can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/retention-and-staff-experience/health-and-wellbeing

The Government has made several announcements regarding social distancing to be implemented across all areas raised in this question that will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). More information on social distancing can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

Additional advice on school and business closures can be found at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-regulations-created-by-secretary-of-state-for-business-closure-covid-19

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing

On 23 March the Prime Minister announced new measures to lock down the United Kingdom for a minimum of three week, stating that places of worship were among the premises that had to close immediately, along with libraries, playgrounds, most shops, and outdoor gyms. People should stay at home, except to shop for basic necessities, take exercise, address medical needs, and travel to and from essential work. More information can be found at the following link:

https://www.government-online.net/the-prime-minister-announces-new-measures-to-lock-down-the-country/

Specific guidance or information for faith groups is not held centrally. However, The Church of England have released their own advice. More information can be found at the following link::

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches

The Government and other health organisations are obliged to protect patient confidentiality, in line with standard clinical practice. More information on data protection can be found on GOV.UK at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation

We are monitoring the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines closely and our thoughts are with those affected by the eruptions. Infrastructure and agriculture have been badly hit and ash fall is significant and causing problems with the movement of people, as well as impacting electricity and water supplies.

• To address immediate needs, on 12 April we pledged an initial £200,000 to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to help address the humanitarian impact of the eruptions. This will be used for emergency supplies and other requirements. The UK is also a contributor to the International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) which has allocated funding of some £209,000 to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross response.
• Prior to the latest explosive eruptions we had deployed a volcanologist to the islands to monitor La Soufrière during its earlier effusive eruption. In addition the UK provided £51,000 to pay for aerial helicopter surveillance and equipment installations to help analyse changes in the volcano and boost early warning to allow for a timely evacuation. Our support to CDEMA will also allow urgently needed technical experts to support relief efforts on the ground, support emergency telecommunications, and restore critical lifeline facilities. In addition, we have provided technical advice from the UK Government Office of Science (GO Science) and the British Geological Survey on how to deal with the significant ash fall (including on its impact on livestock).
• The Ministry of Defence have not yet received any requests to provide military assistance.

We will continue to work with CDEMA and other appropriate agencies to provide further support.

I am conscious of the level of concern from communities in the UK towards the farmers' protests in India. The right to gather lawfully and demonstrate a point of view is common to all democracies. Governments also have the power to enforce law and order if a protest crosses the line into illegality. The Foreign Secretary discussed the protests with External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar on his visit to India in December, while making it clear that this is an internal matter for the Indian authorities.

I am conscious of the level of concern from communities in the UK towards the farmers' protests in India. The right to gather lawfully and demonstrate a point of view is common to all democracies. Governments also have the power to enforce law and order if a protest crosses the line into illegality. The Foreign Secretary discussed the protests with External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar on his visit to India in December, while making it clear that this is an internal matter for the Indian authorities.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the severity and scale of violations and abuses of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in many parts of the world. Defending the right to FoRB for all is a priority for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on human rights globally, including members of all minority religious and belief communities. We are concerned by the secondary effects of the pandemic, including incidents of hate speech. We are also concerned by the rise in conspiracy theories that certain faiths or beliefs are to blame for the pandemic, and reports that some Christian communities have been denied access to aid and information. The UK will continue to refute these divisive and harmful claims.

The UK has called for states to ensure that any restrictions put in place to protect public health, including the right to FoRB, are necessary, proportionate and time-limited. The Minister of State for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, urged states to take steps to mitigate the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society, including religious and belief minorities, during the UK's closing statement at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council in July.

Promoting gender equality is a key priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) work. As I stated in my answer of 10 November to question 110267, the challenges of advancing girls' education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's political empowerment and participation, women's economic empowerment, and ending gender-based violence, including conflict related sexual violence, are more acute now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK Government's commitment to the issue of empowerment for women and girls was reflected by the appointment of Baroness Sugg as the UK Special Envoy for Girls' Education in March 2020. She is committed to promoting every girl's right to attend and stay in school, and to receive 12 years of quality education by 2030, by working to accelerate progress towards getting marginalised girls into schools, staying there and staying safe.

The UK is proud to be a world leader on efforts to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI). We are co-lead of the new global Generation Equality Action Coalition on gender-based violence (established to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action on Gender Equality). We have increased our efforts to reach girls and women with life-saving sexual and reproductive health services, including with an additional £10m for UN Population Fund's COVID-19 response. And FCDO continues to deliver on its National Action Plan (NAP) on Women Peace and Security - focusing on elevating and legitimising the work of women peacebuilders. We will continue to engage virtually with our international partners and promote the empowerment of women and girls in multilateral fora including in the UN

Faith groups play an essential role in reaching the "bottom billion" around the world, and we continue to engage extensively with them on development issues as part of our relationship with wider civil society. This engagement has included understanding the problems organisations are facing as a result of COVID-19, including financial. Furthermore, Lord Ahmad hosted a "faith in development" roundtable in June which discussed how faith groups are contributing to the response to COVID-19; where those interventions have been most effective, and what the challenges are for faith groups. We continue to assess the impact of potential Official Development Assistance reductions in all areas, and all amended programmes and projects are uploaded on DevTracker in the normal way.

The UK is widely recognised for its leadership on gender equality and women and girls' rights. The challenges of advancing girls' education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's political empowerment and participation, women's economic empowerment, and ending gender-based violence, including conflict related sexual violence, are more acute now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to engage virtually with our international partners and champion gender equality in multilateral fora including in the UN to ensure that this issue is a central element of the COVID-19 recovery. This was reiterated by the Foreign Secretary in his statement at the UN General Assembly on 29 September. He said that our global recovery must be inclusive and support the most vulnerable who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and we must commit to leaving no one behind. That includes standing up for gender equality and in particular every girls' right to 12 years of quality education. Baroness Sugg was appointed by the Prime Minister as the UK Special Envoy for Girls' Education in March 2020 and she works closely with international partners to encourage greater global ambition, coordination, and investment on girls' education.

The UK Government continues to build on our Strategic Vision for Gender Equality alongside our National Action Plan (NAP) on Women Peace and Security. Also, through our Presidency of COP26, we will be promoting a clean, inclusive and resilient recovery by giving a voice to those most affected by climate change, including women and girls.

We regularly make representations on Mr Johal's case to the Government of India. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, most recently raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner to the UK and the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, on 23 September and 28 July respectively. We monitor Mr Johal's health and welfare through regular consular visits or, during the Covid-19 pandemic, phone calls, and raise any concerns with local authorities in line with our public guidance set out in Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide.

I discussed our concerns about the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 31 March. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv are also in regular contact with the Israeli authorities and last raised access to healthcare for Palestinians in Gaza with them on 26 May. UN agencies, the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government are working together to ensure that essential medical supplies and staff are able to access Gaza. As I made clear during a meeting with Israeli Director General Rotem, Palestinian PM Shattyeh, and international donors on 2 June, we continue to welcome this ongoing cooperation. The UK is providing vital support to help respond to COVID-19 in the OPTs. Our $1 million funding contribution will enable the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity.

The UK Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.

We will prioritise vulnerable British nationals most at risk from the effects of Coronavirus who normally live in the UK and are trying to return home for these flights, together with their families who normally live with them in the UK. We are giving additional consideration to the local context and the situation of the individual themselves, this can include lock-down processes in country, access to reliable healthcare, possible reduction in access to routine medication, and those at additional risk if they contract the virus for example the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions.

In many countries, commercial flights have also continued to operate and have been able to return British nationals to the UK. We are working with host governments to keep flights running and airspace open where possible for this to continue to happen.

HM Treasury’s Net Zero Review final report will be published in due course, and in advance of COP26.

It will be an analytical report that uses existing data to explore the key issues and trade-offs as the UK decarbonises. Against a backdrop of significant uncertainty on technology and costs, as well as changes to the economy over the next 30 years, it focuses on the potential exposure of households and sectors to the transition, and highlights factors to be taken into account in designing policy that will allocate costs over this time horizon. In line with the Review’s terms of reference, the report will not include policy recommendations.

The Review forms part of a cross-government effort to support the UK’s transition to net zero. The government’s Net Zero Strategy will be published later this year.

I have had meetings with a wide variety of external stakeholders in the public and private sectors (including businesses, regulators, industry associations and academics) in order to carry out my Ministerial duties.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business such as energy, environment and climate policy are published on a quarterly basis. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority publishes a National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline annually, subject to Ministerial approval. The last Pipeline was published in response to COVID-19 and set out planned procurements with an estimated contract value of up to £37bn across the 2020/21 financial year. The next iteration of the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline will be published later this year and will set out future investment alongside planned procurements.

The Government’s first ever National Infrastructure Strategy published in autumn 2020 sets out plans to transform UK infrastructure. The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline and the Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030 documents to be published in 2021 will set out forthcoming projects and policies. The Spending Review in the autumn will set out the Government's plans for investment.

Treasury ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, including MPs, businesses, professional representative bodies, and the unions, throughout the development of the COVID-19 support package including both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

This proactive engagement has been widely praised, and the Institute for Government has said: “The Government’s approach to consultation compensated for some of the difficulties of accelerated policy development, because it gave it fast access to information, and an early sense of whether the measures would work and how they would be received by businesses and workers. This contributed to both positive reception on announcement and successful roll-out.”

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.

Treasury ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, including MPs, businesses, professional representative bodies, and the unions, throughout the development of the COVID-19 support package including both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

This proactive engagement has been widely praised, and the Institute for Government has said: “The Government’s approach to consultation compensated for some of the difficulties of accelerated policy development, because it gave it fast access to information, and an early sense of whether the measures would work and how they would be received by businesses and workers. This contributed to both positive reception on announcement and successful roll-out.”

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.

The Government is preparing guidance to support local authorities ahead of the rollout of the £1.5 billion business rates relief fund. The final guidance, its specifics and level of prescription, will reflect considerations including the existing framework of Government support, information held by local authorities and their capacity to administer the scheme.

This discretionary relief pot will support businesses on the basis of their actual economic exposure to COVID-19 rather than the pandemic’s hypothetical impact on property rental values. The alternative of prolonged litigation and appeals through the Material Change of Circumstance provision could have taken years. The Government will support local authorities to enable ratepayers to apply for relief awards as soon as possible this year, once the legislation relating to Material Change of Circumstance provisions has passed, and local authorities have set up local relief schemes.

The Government is preparing guidance to support local authorities ahead of the rollout of the £1.5 billion business rates relief fund. The final guidance, its specifics and level of prescription, will reflect considerations including the existing framework of Government support, information held by local authorities and their capacity to administer the scheme.

This discretionary relief pot will support businesses on the basis of their actual economic exposure to COVID-19 rather than the pandemic’s hypothetical impact on property rental values. The alternative of prolonged litigation and appeals through the Material Change of Circumstance provision could have taken years. The Government will support local authorities to enable ratepayers to apply for relief awards as soon as possible this year, once the legislation relating to Material Change of Circumstance provisions has passed, and local authorities have set up local relief schemes.

From 1 July 2021, employers will be asked to make a small contribution of ten per cent of wages for hours not worked, as announced at Spring Budget when the scheme was extended to the end of September.

This is the same approach that the Government introduced last summer, where comparable restrictions were in place. It is right to continue with the existing timetable to reintroduce employer contributions, in order to strike the right balance between supporting the economy as it opens up and ensuring incentives are in place to get people back to work as demand returns. The labour market is also in a stronger position, with 5.5 million fewer people on furlough than in April 2020, and online job vacancy levels in mid-June about 27 per cent above February 2020 levels.

At March Budget 2021, the Government deliberately went long and erred on the side of generosity; specifically to accommodate short delays to the roadmap, such as this. Most of the Government’s schemes do not end until September or after, in order to provide continuity and certainty for businesses and families.

Businesses that have legally remained closed or effectively cannot operate can continue to benefit from the Government’s £2 billion of discretionary grant funding for local authorities in England, a UK-wide recovery loan scheme, business rates relief, enhanced Time to Pay for taxes, and support for paying deferred VAT. These businesses will also have recently benefitted from Restart Grants of up to £18,000 and the £25 billion grant support that has been made available throughout the pandemic.

The changes to the off-payroll working rules come into effect on 6 April 2021 and were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. The off-payroll working rules have been in place for over 20 years and are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own limited company, usually a personal service company or PSC, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.

The off-payroll working changes shift responsibility for determining an individual's status from the individual's limited company to the client organisation engaging them. The Government has legislated to ensure there is a client-led status disagreement process where contractors can lodge a complaint, if they disagree on how they have been categorised under the off-payroll working rules.

The Tax Information and Impact Note published at Spring Budget 2021 sets out that the reform is expected to affect about 60,000 client organisations and 180,000 individuals working through their own limited companies.

The additional revenue estimated to be raised by the reform is approximately £3.8bn over the tax years 2020/21 to 2025/26.

The off-payroll working rules do not prevent anyone from continuing to work through a limited company, or require individuals to move into employment. However, the Government is aware that some businesses will reconsider whether PSCs are still the best way to engage individuals who are working like employees. Some contractors will provide their services in a different way, such as through an agency or umbrella company, and some organisations may offer individuals permanent roles instead, where that suits their business needs. These are commercial decisions, and individuals also have a decision about whether to accept the terms and conditions on offer to them.

The reform was originally announced at Budget 2018. Many businesses would have been prepared for the reform to be implemented in April 2020 as originally planned. HMRC have undertaken a significant programme of education and support to ensure that large and medium-sized businesses are ready to implement the reform. This includes a series of webinars viewed over 19,000 times since October 2020 as well as more targeted bespoke support, such as one-to-one calls and workshops with sectors and customer groups where the reform is expected to have the most impact. HMRC have also worked with representative bodies in specific sectors to reach those customers. For those customers who still require further assistance, HMRC have a dedicated helpline to provide assistance with queries related to the off-payroll working rules.

The changes to the off-payroll working rules come into effect on 6 April 2021 and were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. The off-payroll working rules have been in place for over 20 years and are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own limited company, usually a personal service company or PSC, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.

The off-payroll working changes shift responsibility for determining an individual's status from the individual's limited company to the client organisation engaging them. The Government has legislated to ensure there is a client-led status disagreement process where contractors can lodge a complaint, if they disagree on how they have been categorised under the off-payroll working rules.

The Tax Information and Impact Note published at Spring Budget 2021 sets out that the reform is expected to affect about 60,000 client organisations and 180,000 individuals working through their own limited companies.

The additional revenue estimated to be raised by the reform is approximately £3.8bn over the tax years 2020/21 to 2025/26.

The off-payroll working rules do not prevent anyone from continuing to work through a limited company, or require individuals to move into employment. However, the Government is aware that some businesses will reconsider whether PSCs are still the best way to engage individuals who are working like employees. Some contractors will provide their services in a different way, such as through an agency or umbrella company, and some organisations may offer individuals permanent roles instead, where that suits their business needs. These are commercial decisions, and individuals also have a decision about whether to accept the terms and conditions on offer to them.

The reform was originally announced at Budget 2018. Many businesses would have been prepared for the reform to be implemented in April 2020 as originally planned. HMRC have undertaken a significant programme of education and support to ensure that large and medium-sized businesses are ready to implement the reform. This includes a series of webinars viewed over 19,000 times since October 2020 as well as more targeted bespoke support, such as one-to-one calls and workshops with sectors and customer groups where the reform is expected to have the most impact. HMRC have also worked with representative bodies in specific sectors to reach those customers. For those customers who still require further assistance, HMRC have a dedicated helpline to provide assistance with queries related to the off-payroll working rules.

The changes to the off-payroll working rules come into effect on 6 April 2021 and were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. The off-payroll working rules have been in place for over 20 years and are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own limited company, usually a personal service company or PSC, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.

The off-payroll working changes shift responsibility for determining an individual's status from the individual's limited company to the client organisation engaging them. The Government has legislated to ensure there is a client-led status disagreement process where contractors can lodge a complaint, if they disagree on how they have been categorised under the off-payroll working rules.

The Tax Information and Impact Note published at Spring Budget 2021 sets out that the reform is expected to affect about 60,000 client organisations and 180,000 individuals working through their own limited companies.

The additional revenue estimated to be raised by the reform is approximately £3.8bn over the tax years 2020/21 to 2025/26.

The off-payroll working rules do not prevent anyone from continuing to work through a limited company, or require individuals to move into employment. However, the Government is aware that some businesses will reconsider whether PSCs are still the best way to engage individuals who are working like employees. Some contractors will provide their services in a different way, such as through an agency or umbrella company, and some organisations may offer individuals permanent roles instead, where that suits their business needs. These are commercial decisions, and individuals also have a decision about whether to accept the terms and conditions on offer to them.

The reform was originally announced at Budget 2018. Many businesses would have been prepared for the reform to be implemented in April 2020 as originally planned. HMRC have undertaken a significant programme of education and support to ensure that large and medium-sized businesses are ready to implement the reform. This includes a series of webinars viewed over 19,000 times since October 2020 as well as more targeted bespoke support, such as one-to-one calls and workshops with sectors and customer groups where the reform is expected to have the most impact. HMRC have also worked with representative bodies in specific sectors to reach those customers. For those customers who still require further assistance, HMRC have a dedicated helpline to provide assistance with queries related to the off-payroll working rules.

The changes to the off-payroll working rules come into effect on 6 April 2021 and were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. The off-payroll working rules have been in place for over 20 years and are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own limited company, usually a personal service company or PSC, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.

The off-payroll working changes shift responsibility for determining an individual's status from the individual's limited company to the client organisation engaging them. The Government has legislated to ensure there is a client-led status disagreement process where contractors can lodge a complaint, if they disagree on how they have been categorised under the off-payroll working rules.

The Tax Information and Impact Note published at Spring Budget 2021 sets out that the reform is expected to affect about 60,000 client organisations and 180,000 individuals working through their own limited companies.

The additional revenue estimated to be raised by the reform is approximately £3.8bn over the tax years 2020/21 to 2025/26.

The off-payroll working rules do not prevent anyone from continuing to work through a limited company, or require individuals to move into employment. However, the Government is aware that some businesses will reconsider whether PSCs are still the best way to engage individuals who are working like employees. Some contractors will provide their services in a different way, such as through an agency or umbrella company, and some organisations may offer individuals permanent roles instead, where that suits their business needs. These are commercial decisions, and individuals also have a decision about whether to accept the terms and conditions on offer to them.

The reform was originally announced at Budget 2018. Many businesses would have been prepared for the reform to be implemented in April 2020 as originally planned. HMRC have undertaken a significant programme of education and support to ensure that large and medium-sized businesses are ready to implement the reform. This includes a series of webinars viewed over 19,000 times since October 2020 as well as more targeted bespoke support, such as one-to-one calls and workshops with sectors and customer groups where the reform is expected to have the most impact. HMRC have also worked with representative bodies in specific sectors to reach those customers. For those customers who still require further assistance, HMRC have a dedicated helpline to provide assistance with queries related to the off-payroll working rules.

The changes to the off-payroll working rules come into effect on 6 April 2021 and were legislated for in Finance Act 2020. The off-payroll working rules have been in place for over 20 years and are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own limited company, usually a personal service company or PSC, pay broadly the same Income Tax and National Insurance contributions as those who are directly employed.

The off-payroll working changes shift responsibility for determining an individual's status from the individual's limited company to the client organisation engaging them. The Government has legislated to ensure there is a client-led status disagreement process where contractors can lodge a complaint, if they disagree on how they have been categorised under the off-payroll working rules.

The Tax Information and Impact Note published at Spring Budget 2021 sets out that the reform is expected to affect about 60,000 client organisations and 180,000 individuals working through their own limited companies.

The additional revenue estimated to be raised by the reform is approximately £3.8bn over the tax years 2020/21 to 2025/26.

The off-payroll working rules do not prevent anyone from continuing to work through a limited company, or require individuals to move into employment. However, the Government is aware that some businesses will reconsider whether PSCs are still the best way to engage individuals who are working like employees. Some contractors will provide their services in a different way, such as through an agency or umbrella company, and some organisations may offer individuals permanent roles instead, where that suits their business needs. These are commercial decisions, and individuals also have a decision about whether to accept the terms and conditions on offer to them.

The reform was originally announced at Budget 2018. Many businesses would have been prepared for the reform to be implemented in April 2020 as originally planned. HMRC have undertaken a significant programme of education and support to ensure that large and medium-sized businesses are ready to implement the reform. This includes a series of webinars viewed over 19,000 times since October 2020 as well as more targeted bespoke support, such as one-to-one calls and workshops with sectors and customer groups where the reform is expected to have the most impact. HMRC have also worked with representative bodies in specific sectors to reach those customers. For those customers who still require further assistance, HMRC have a dedicated helpline to provide assistance with queries related to the off-payroll working rules.

The Digital Services Tax was estimated at Budget 2018 to raise about £1.5bn from 2020-2021 to 2023-2024. However, DST payments are not required before 9 months and a day after the end of an accounting period, and as the tax has been in force for less than 9 months nothing has yet been paid.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has regular discussions with the Secretary of State on a range of issues. In response to the unprecedented economic circumstances arising from the Covid 19 pandemic, the Government has taken action by introducing a Bill in Parliament to ensure we can increase State Pension and Pension Credit rates next year. Without this legislation, it would not have been possible to increase the State Pension in 2021/22.

As with all aspects of Government policy, any decisions on future changes to the Triple Lock will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.

The Government is supporting small breweries through its unprecedented coronavirus economic response. This includes the job support scheme, job retention bonus, VAT deferral and repayment scheme and the bounce back loans scheme.

Decisions on Local Government spending beyond 2020-21 will be taken as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which will be published in the autumn.

The zero rate for women’s sanitary products from 1 January 2021 will apply to those products which are currently subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent. This covers the supply of any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption or collection of menstrual flow or lochia, whether disposable or reusable. The relief specifically excludes dual purpose period and incontinence products, items of clothing such as reusable menstrual underwear, or purely incontinence products.

The Government has not estimated the potential cost to the Exchequer of including reusable menstrual underwear in the scope of the zero VAT rate for women's sanitary products.

The zero rate for women’s sanitary products from 1 January 2021 will apply to those products which are currently subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent. This covers the supply of any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption or collection of menstrual flow or lochia, whether disposable or reusable. The relief specifically excludes dual purpose period and incontinence products, items of clothing such as reusable menstrual underwear, or purely incontinence products.

The Government has not estimated the potential cost to the Exchequer of including reusable menstrual underwear in the scope of the zero VAT rate for women's sanitary products.

Small businesses which were not eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund may have been able to receive a grant from the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund. Local Authorities had significant discretion when it came to setting the eligibility criteria for their discretionary grant schemes. In some areas, small businesses outside of the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors may have been able to receive discretionary grants.

Small businesses which did not receive any grants should have been able to benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business during the COVID-19 crisis, including:

• An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government;
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills; and
• The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.

Small businesses occupying properties for retail, hospitality or leisure purposes were likely to be particularly affected by COVID-19 due to their reliance on customer footfall, and the fact that they were less likely than larger businesses to have sufficient cash reserves to meet their high fixed property-related costs. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund was intended to help small businesses in this situation. The Government provided Local Authorities with detailed information in the Expanded Retail Discount Guidance regarding which kinds of business properties could be classified as retail, hospitality or leisure properties. Local Authorities were responsible for applying this guidance correctly when making grants.

The RHLGF, along with the other business grant schemes, closed to new applicants on 28 August. As many businesses are now able to reopen, and consumer footfall is increasing, it is right that we wind up the grant schemes.

At Spring Budget on 11 March 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a zero rate of VAT will apply to women’s sanitary products from 1 January 2021, at the end of the transition period. This will apply to those products which are currently subject to the reduced rate of 5%, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers.

Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials (ESMs) remains subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met.

Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials (ESMs) remains subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met.

Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials (ESMs) remains subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met.

Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials (ESMs) remains subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met.

Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

The Accelerated Payment regime is designed to change the underlying economics of tax avoidance by requiring disputed tax to be paid upfront while an avoidance scheme is investigated. HMRC can only issue Accelerated Payment Notices (APNs) in tightly defined circumstances, set out in legislation.

The 2019 Loan Charge is a tax charge which applies to disguised remuneration (DR) loan balances which remained outstanding at 5 April 2019. APNs and the 2019 Loan Charge are two separate, distinct regimes. HMRC cannot issue APNs in relation to the Loan Charge.

There is no estimate on how many people will be made bankrupt as a result of APNs issued in connection with avoidance schemes that seek to disguise remuneration. HMRC do not want to make anybody bankrupt, and insolvency is only ever considered as a last resort. HMRC will work with individuals to reach sustainable and manageable payment plans wherever possible.

The Home Office reviews the level of the support allowances each year to ensure that they meet the essential living needs of asylum seekers and their dependants who would otherwise be destitute.

A report published in March 2018 sets out the methodology for assessing the appropriate level of the allowances used in the annual review and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-on-review-of-cash-allowance-paid-to-asylum-seekers.

The standard allowance was raised to £39.60 per week from £37.75 per week with effect from 15 June, an increase of around 5%. This increase was significantly higher than the general rate of inflation, which Office for National Statistics data shows was only 0.5% in the 12 months period to May.

The Minimum Income Requirement is set at a level which prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration.

We recognise COVID-19 will have an economic impact on earnings including on those families where, because of a non-EEA family member, the minimum income requirement applies. We have therefore made relevant adjustments in order to support those affected.

Such adjustments are among a range of measures put in place by the Home Office to support those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. These are set out for customers on GOV.UK and are available here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents.

These are unprecedented times. We continue to monitor the situation closely and may make further adjustments to requirements where necessary and appropriate.

The Home Office review the level of the support allowances each year to ensure that they meet the essential living needs of asylum seekers and their dependants. There are no plans to link the level of the allowances with Universal Credit rates.

We were very concerned by the impact of the devastating fire that destroyed the Moria migrant facility. The UK government responded to requests by the Greek Government to provide specific humanitarian goods. The UK has provided kitchen sets to nearly 2,000 vulnerable families to prepare and cook food, and solar lanterns to help them stay safe.

Throughout the pandemic the UK has remained ready to receive those accepted for transfer under the Dublin Regulation. We remain in regular contact with sending Member States, including Greece, who are responsible for arranging transfers. Three group flights from Greece arrived on 11 May, 28 July and 6 August, and we have received further transfers from Greece in recent weeks.

Under the UK Borders Act 2007 passed by the last Labour Government, the Home Secretary has a duty to deport a foreign criminal who is convicted in the UK and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more unless an exception applies. Where the automatic deportation threshold is not met, the Home Office will consider deportation under the Immigration Act 1971 where the person is a serious or persistent offender. Currently, European Economic Area (EEA) nationals are deported in accordance with European Union (EU) law on the grounds of public policy or public security. The UK’s departure from the EU means that, in future, an EEA national who commits an offence after the end of the transition period (31 December 2020) will be considered under the same deportation thresholds that apply to non-EEA nationals.

We only ever return foreign national offenders who we and, where applicable, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK. No action would be taken to deport an individual while there are outstanding legal barriers that would prevent their removal from the UK and until all outstanding representations have been considered.

It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.

The Government has been clear that it will provide police forces with the support they need to continue protecting the public and keeping communities safe through the coronavirus pandemic.

The government continues to work closely with policing partners on the approach to managing the pandemic and any changes.

On 8 October the Government announced an additional £30m for police forces in England and Wales to step up their enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions through the autumn and winter months.

The Government is committed to introducing the NHS surcharge exemption as soon as practicable.

The Prime Minister has confirmed that health and care staff who have paid the fee since 21 May will be refunded.

The Government recognises the importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all of those on the frontline and has published guidance on appropriate PPE for emergency workers, including the police.

The NPCC and the College of Policing have issued operational guidance to all forces on the use of PPE tailored to their unique role to ensure officers and staff are protected sufficiently. The guidance covers how, when and what type of PPE to wear across a range of practical scenarios.

The guidance is available online here: https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/Personal-Protective-Equipment-Operational-Guidance-1.pdf

The Department has regular engagement with residents living in buildings with unsafe cladding. The Secretary of State hosted a roundtable with leaseholder residents of high rise residential buildings affected by building safety issues on 4 March. This provided an opportunity to hear directly from leaseholders about the issues they are facing and their concerns.

We are investing £1.6 billion to support the remediation of unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and unsafe non-ACM cladding systems on private and social residential buildings above 18 metres.

The Government takes hate crime and discrimination of any kind very seriously. We are a tolerant and welcoming multicultural society. There is no excuse for targeting British Asian communities or anyone of any other background in this country. We have one of the strongest legal frameworks in the world to report, record and prosecute hate crime. I would encourage anyone who experiences hate crime to report it to the police.

The Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan, published in October 2018, sets out a comprehensive programme of work across Government and the police. We fund hate crime reporting platforms, including True Vision, and we continue to engage with communities of all backgrounds and local leaders, including councils and the police, to make sure we are aware of any concerns communities may have and can provide targeted support.