Adam Holloway

As a Royal Peculiar, Westminster Abbey does not come under the responsibilities of the Church Commissioners. Accordingly, the most appropriate person to deal with this enquiry is Mr Richard Tilbrook, the Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary at the Cabinet Office.

The Church of England comprises a large number of legally separate institutions, which includes Cathedrals, Parochial Church Councils and Diocesan Boards of Finance. Each Cathedral, as an independent legal entity, is required to comply with the Equality Act 2010 (the “Act”) and so has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons in accordance with the requirements of the Act. This duty applies in relation to a Cathedral chorister who has a disability for the purposes the Act (whether or not the disability is due to a long-term medical condition). However, there is no separate legal duty placed on cathedrals in relation to child choristers as a specific group.

A cathedral has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to enable all persons with a disability to have physical access to the cathedral. As the Act does not override other legislation, such as listed building or planning legislation, the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division has produced a guidance note for cathedrals which specifically addresses this issue: http://www.churchcare.co.uk/images/access_and_disabled_people.pdF. Common reasonable adjustments made by cathedrals include the removal of pews to allow greater flexibility of seating and use of space and the addition of ramps and/or the levelling of internal floors.

The duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Act rests with individual cathedrals. What constitutes reasonable adjustment in the situation of choristers will depend on the nature of the particular disability and what may be considered to be reasonable in the circumstances. I understand that several cathedrals have successfully integrated choristers with disabilities into their choirs.

The operation and governance of cathedral choirs is not a matter for the Church Commissioners and no data on this is held centrally.

In Rochester Cathedral which is nearest to the Hon. Member’s constituency the cathedral has appointed Dean’s Choristers (two boys and two girls) to share the responsibility, the rationale for which is to enable a larger number of choristers to gain leadership experience. This is also the case at some but not all other cathedrals.

We are currently considering the form and timing of the public consultation in the light of ongoing caste discrimination litigation in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. We will await the outcome of the judgment before deciding in what form to issue the public consultation.

The CPS has a strong record of bringing successful prosecutions in terrorism cases and works extremely closely with Counter Terrorism policing and partners to help build strong cases.

The CPS does not collate or publish data on categories of offender such as British citizens who have returned to the UK. However, latest figures from the Home Office for all types of terrorism cases show that in the year ending 30 June 2020, 49 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, resulting in 45 convictions.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

As set out in the Pioneer Prospectus published April 2023, the government would have committed up to £14.6billion to implement and run the Pioneer Programme until 2027/28. This was part of a wider package of contingency measures the government developed in the event that the UK had been unable to associate to Horizon Europe and Copernicus.

The Government will not publish a value for money assessment. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

The Secretary of State made a statement to the House of Commons on 7 September 2023 and set out why the bespoke deal negotiated by the Government was the best outcome for the UK research and innovation sector.

On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This is a landmark moment for scientific and space collaboration between the EU and the UK. Horizon Europe strengthens UK science and boosts economic growth. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

This agreement secures UK association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus through to 2027 when these programmes finish. The agreement will now be adopted by both sides, confirming the UK’s association to these two programmes as well as binding both parties to the terms of this deal.

On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This is a landmark moment for scientific and space collaboration between the EU and the UK. Horizon Europe strengthens UK science and boosts economic growth. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

This agreement secures UK association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus through to 2027 when these programmes finish. The agreement will now be adopted by both sides, confirming the UK’s association to these two programmes as well as binding both parties to the terms of this deal.

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

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

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

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

At Step 2, which will be no earlier than 12 April, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 15 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open or where a broader exemption applies. Receptions can take place with up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in any COVID-19 Secure outdoor venue that is permitted to open. Such receptions must not take place in people’s private gardens or public outdoor spaces.

At Step 3, which will be no earlier than 17 May, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 30 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open. Receptions can also proceed with up to 30 people in a COVID-19 Secure indoor venue, or outdoors.

Further information on the venues where weddings and civil partnership ceremonies may take place can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government, and this is an issue for the BBC.

As of Friday 11 December, £1bn has been allocated from the Culture Recovery Fund so far. Within that Gravesham have received the following to date:

• Arts Council England recovery grant of £108,635 to Nocturnal Touring and Rooting Productions

• Heritage Stimulus Fund award of £97,928 to Church of England, Northfleet, St Botolph

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held in a way which is fair. We have therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has asked the Chief Regulator at Ofqual to find a clear and accessible route for private candidates, and those not in school this year, to be assessed and receive a grade. To ensure our approach is developed with the sector, the Department and Ofqual have now concluded a 2-week consultation on how to fairly award all pupils a grade that supports them to progress to the next stage of their lives, including consulting specifically on four different approaches for private candidates to receive a grade.

The Department has consulted on the following options: for private candidates to complete the papers set by the exam boards for use in schools and colleges, for private candidates to work with a school or college willing to assess the standard at which they are performing, using the same type of evidence the school and college is considering for its students, and for the exam boards to run normal exams for private candidates to take in the summer or autumn of 2021.

​We are working at pace to provide further clarity to the sector and will publish the results of the consultation by the end of February.

The Department and Ofqual have strongly encouraged all our stakeholders, including private candidates and their parents, to respond to the consultation. The Department will continue to engage with a range of relevant stakeholders when developing plans for our policy on GCSE, AS and A level assessments in 2021, as will the exams regulator Ofqual.

The Institutes of Technology Wave 2 competition was launched on 8 October 2020. It is open to parts of the country without an Institute of Technology. Applicants had until 14 December to submit their proposals. We expect to conclude Stage 1 of the Competition in Spring 2021 and shortly thereafter launch Stage 2. We are aiming to announce successful proposals in Summer 2021.

One-to-one tuition for children that is not provided by a school, such as a private tutor working in a residential setting (i.e. their own home, or their pupils’ homes), would typically be considered to be an out-of-school setting.

As of 2 December 2020, out-of-school settings, including providers of one-on-one tuition, have been able to open for both indoor and outdoor provision in all local restriction tiers, for all children, including those with additional needs. We have updated our guidance for providers of after-school and holiday clubs and other out-of-school settings on the measures they should put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak#educational-visits-and-trips. Providers offering one-to-one tuition should ensure they are implementing these protective measures to reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus. Additionally, if a private tutor normally offers provision in their own home, or pupils’ homes, they should also follow the guidance on?working safely in other people’s homes during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.

Getting all children and young people back into school for the new academic year has been a national priority. To support schools with this they have continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. On average, schools are attracting 4.2% more per pupil in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20. As stated in our guidance, schools should use these existing resources when making arrangements for this term: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

The Department is aware that all pupils, regardless of their background, have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We are providing schools with the resources and tools to address lost education so that all pupils may make up lost ground. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package is providing additional funding in the 2020/21 academic year so that schools can support pupils who have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.

Examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging pupils’ performance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has confirmed that next year’s GCSE, AS level, and A level examination series will go ahead.

The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. For example, if a pupil is unable to sit examinations due to illness or self isolation, or if schools are affected by a local outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. Further details will be published later in the autumn.

Any plant protection product used to control fungal diseases such as Botrytis and downy mildew in crops needs to be authorised before it can be sold or used. Authorisation is granted if strict standards for the protection of people and the environment are met.

The organic regulations have a list of approved plant protection products available for organic farmers to manage pests, disease and weed management at crop production stage. Their use comes under restrictive conditions such as compositional requirements and they can only be used in certain situations. Use of the crop products support organic farmers to produce healthy crops including organic grapes for the UK wine industry.

The Government intends to take advantage of our new post EU Exit freedoms and review the organic regulations. The broad aim of the review will be to improve the clarity and functioning of the regulations and through this, support growth in the organic sector. The review will cover the full organics regulatory regime, soil fertilising products, plant protection products, inputs and processing aids to support organic production. Changes to these regulations will require full consultation and consider the impacts on organic equivalence agreements in place with key trading partners.

Defra is committed to working with partners to stamp out the menace of fly-tipping wherever we can. Our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy set out our strategic approach to tackling waste crime, including fly-tipping. Our focus is on enabling local action by providing a clear legal framework of rights, responsibilities and powers and setting national standards.

Local authorities and the Environment Agency are encouraged to work in partnership with national and local police bodies in carrying out their enforcement functions against fly-tipping. Defra are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) to raise awareness of fly-tipping and to develop a fly-tipping toolkit. Members of the NFTPG include local authorities, the National Police Chiefs Council and the Environment Agency. The toolkit will support partnership working, intelligence sharing, dealing with fly-tipping associated with unauthorised encampments and the use of technology to report fly-tipping.

In the Environment Bill, we are bringing forward measures to go further, giving agencies and authorities enhanced powers of entry and access to evidence to strengthen their ability to tackle waste crime, and enhancing our ability to track waste and to crack down on rogue operators.

Last November, we published our Agricultural Transition Plan setting out all our future environmental land management schemes, starting with the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

We set out what we intend to achieve by 2028 and how we will help farmers manage the move away from Direct Payments over a seven-year transition period to give everyone time to plan and adjust.

In March of this year, we launched the pilot of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. This was so that we could test, at scale, the future scheme in real-world scenarios, with a wide range of farmers and land managers. Our goal is to collaborate with farmers and land managers to design and deliver a scheme that works best for them.

We are currently undertaking user research and surveys on these pilot applicants with a view to informing and improving the scheme. From this we will learn how farmers and land managers have fared in understanding the information presented to them.

In June, we published a progress update of the Agricultural Transition Plan. Here, we gave further details of the early rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme and what it will pay for. We also set out clear guidance on the scheme’s eligibility criteria and how farmers can be rewarded for their environmentally sustainable actions when it opens in 2022.

We will be publishing more information about the Sustainable Farming Incentive in November, including confirmation of the standard payment rates.

We are undertaking an assessment of our proposed reforms to the agricultural industry as they are developed, including the impact of our future schemes that reward environmental land management. It is our intention to publish a comprehensive assessment in due course.

The Government also produces and publishes analysis for each new free trade agreement it pursues and is committed to publishing a full impact assessment following the conclusion of negotiations prior to implementation of an agreement.

The OECD publishes an annual agricultural policy monitoring and evaluation report which contains estimates of support to agriculture. One metric of particular interest from that publication is the ‘producer support estimate’ (PSE) as a percentage of receipts. As an example, it shows that for the UK the PSE is approximately 20% of receipts compared with 1% in New Zealand and 2% in Australia.

The first Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot agreements will start this year. Then, next year we will start to rollout core elements of the SFI, expanding those elements until we have the full offer available in 2024/2025. Importantly, we are running Countryside Stewardship and the SFI in parallel, and both are open to new and existing scheme agreement holders, though we will not fund the same action twice.

The final round of Countryside Stewardship will open in 2023, with agreements starting on 1 January 2024. We plan to start a phased rollout of the Local Nature Recovery scheme from 2023. We will be launching at least ten Landscape Recovery projects between 2022 and 2024. This makes us confident that the full environmental land management offer will be on tap before the end of the transition period.

A full impact assessment will be published following the conclusion of negotiations, prior to scrutiny by Parliament.

Recent increase in traffic queues for freight and passenger travel in Kent was caused by a combination of factors. Disruption began because of adverse weather conditions causing delays to sailings from Port of Dover and the situation was significantly exacerbated by the well-documented actions of P&O Ferries which account for over 35% of the market share of Dover. Coupled with the brief cessation of Eurotunnel services due to a breakdown and an increase in passenger and freight traffic, disruption quickly grew in Kent.

The Kent Resilience Forum’s (KRF’s) traffic management and enforcement plans, including activation of Operation Brock on the M20, were put in place in late March to ensure continued flow of vehicles through Kent to ports whilst also trying to maintain local mobility as much as possible. Additional resilience measures were put in place, which had a positive impact on maintaining throughput to the ports and keeping local roads moving.

Over the May half-term and Jubilee Weekend, there was no significant disruption on the Kent strategic road network. Operation Brock has now been deactivated as of 5 June, but the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) will reconsider deploying it ahead of the start of the school summer holidays.

To further ease congestion in Dover, we are strengthening enforcement against those hauliers deviating from Operation Brock and causing gridlock on local roads, and greater usage of freight parking capacity at Sevington Inland Border Facility and Ashford Truck Stop when Operation Brock is reaching its capacity. These measures will help to keep the M20 open to all vehicles and enable local and passenger traffic to keep flowing throughout Kent.

Ebbsfleet International is served by Southeastern and HS1, and I can confirm the Department has not assessed, nor has it asked Southeastern to investigate, the feasibility of running services from Ebbsfleet International to Essex.

Thameslink services do not serve Ebbsfleet International at present. This would only be possible with significant investment in infrastructure, as there is no railway currently connecting Ebbsfleet International to the Thameslink route.

Highways England entered into a conditional contract with BP for the sale of Tollgate Hotel which was conditional on planning permission being granted for development. The planning applications submitted have been subject to a number of judicial reviews, which has delayed the sale. As a result, Highways England have now agreed with BP to move to an unconditional contract, which means the sale will no longer be dependent on gaining planning permission and Highways England will now be able to progress the sale.

Given that Highways England will be entering into a new unconditional contract with BP for the sale of the property, they have no plans to remarket at this time.

Highways England entered into a conditional contract with BP for the sale of Tollgate Hotel that was conditional on planning permission being granted for development. The planning applications submitted have been subject to a number of judicial reviews, which have delayed the sale. As a result, Highways England have now agreed with BP to move to an unconditional contract; this means the sale will no longer be dependent on gaining planning permission, and Highways England will now be able to move forward with the sale.

Given that Highways England will be entering into a new unconditional contract with BP for the sale of the property, they have no plans to remarket it at this time.

The Department for Transport does not hold this information, nor does it manage enquiries about safeguarding along the route. More specific advice can be obtained by emailing a plan of the relevant site to Crossrail Limited at safeguarding@crossrail.co.uk.

The safeguarded route between Abbey Wood and Hoo Junction, including the area around Northfleet, is available on Crossrail Limited’s website at http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/safeguarding/abbey-wood-to-hoo-junction.