Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Do not implement proposed new offences for vehicle "tampering"
Gov Responded - 21 Dec 2021 Debated on - 25 Apr 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government’s modernising vehicle standards proposal suggested new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This could have a hugely detrimental impact on the UK motorsport and custom aftermarket industry.
Make self-employed people eligible for statutory adoption pay
Gov Responded - 2 Feb 2022 Debated on - 21 Mar 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsEnsuring statutory adoption pay is available to a self-employed parent in the same way that maternity allowance is available for self-employed new mums would promote an equal and fair society inclusive of all routes to parenthood.
Make verified ID a requirement for opening a social media account.
Gov Responded - 5 May 2021 Debated on - 28 Feb 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsMake it a legal requirement when opening a new social media account, to provide a verified form of ID. Where the account belongs to a person under the age of 18 verify the account with the ID of a parent/guardian, to prevent anonymised harmful activity, providing traceability if an offence occurs.
#Reggieslaw - Regulate online animal sales
Gov Responded - 1 Jul 2021 Debated on - 13 Dec 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsGiven how many animals are sold online, we want Government to introduce regulation of all websites where animals are sold. Websites should be required to verify the identity of all sellers, and for young animals for sale pictures with their parents be posted with all listings.
Limit the Sale and Use of Fireworks to Organisers of Licensed Displays Only
Gov Responded - 13 Aug 2020 Debated on - 8 Nov 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsCurrent legislation allows for public use of fireworks 16 hours a day, every day, making it impossible for vulnerable groups to take precautions against the distress they can cause. Better enforcement of existing law is insufficient; limiting their sale & use to licensed displays only is necessary.
Increase funding for research into Endometriosis and PCOS.
Gov Responded - 24 Aug 2020 Debated on - 1 Nov 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsEndometriosis and PCOS are two gynaecological conditions which both affect 10% of women worldwide, but both are, in terms of research and funding, incredibly under prioritised. This petition is calling for more funding, to enable for new, extensive and thorough research into female health issues.
Commission an independent review of childcare funding and affordability
Gov Responded - 23 Jun 2021 Debated on - 13 Sep 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsWe have the second most expensive childcare system in the world. A full time place costs, on average, £14,000 per year, making it completely unaffordable for many families. Parents are forced to leave their jobs or work fewer hours, which has a negative impact on the economy and on child poverty.
FIONA'S LAW - Women should be allowed a yearly Cervical screening
Cervical screening needs to be every year.
This is because women are dying, mothers, wives, daughters, granddaughters and sisters are dying.
Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK
Gov Responded - 24 May 2021 Debated on - 14 Jun 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsBring in a law which enforces professional football clubs to have at least 51% fan ownership similar to how the Bundesliga operates this rule.
Introduce an Independent Regulator for Football in England by December 2021
Gov Responded - 7 Jun 2021 Debated on - 14 Jun 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government should use the recently established fan led review of football to introduce an Independent Football Regulator in England to put fans back at the heart of our national game. This should happen by December 2021.
Stop the rising number of ear-cropped dogs in the UK
Gov Responded - 9 Mar 2021 Debated on - 7 Jun 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsLeading veterinary and welfare bodies are concerned by the alarming rise in ear-cropped dogs in the UK. Ear cropping is illegal in the UK and an unnecessary, painful mutilation with no welfare benefit. The practice involves cutting off part of the ear flap, often without anaesthesia or pain relief.
Ban the exploitative import of young puppies for sale in the UK.
Gov Responded - 8 Sep 2020 Debated on - 7 Jun 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsPlenty of dogs from UK breeders & rescues need homes. Transporting young pups long distances is often stressful, before being sold for ridiculous prices to unsuspecting dog-lovers. Government must adjust current laws, ban this unethical activity on welfare grounds & protect these poor animals ASAP.
The UK should ban the importation of Shark Fins.
Gov Responded - 3 Nov 2020 Debated on - 7 Jun 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsNow that we have left the EU, the UK has the ability to finally stop the importation of Shark Fins. They had previously stated that 'Whilst in the EU, it is not possible to unilaterally ban the import of shark fins into the UK.'
Ban fireworks for general sale to the public.
Gov Responded - 5 Nov 2019 Debated on - 2 Nov 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsEvery year more and more people, animals and wildlife get hurt by fireworks. It’s time something was fine to stop this. There are enough organised firework groups around for us to still enjoy fireworks safely so please help me stop the needless sale of them to the public!
Increase pay for NHS healthcare workers and recognise their work
Gov Responded - 4 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsI would like the government to review and increase the pay for healthcare workers to recognise the work that they do.
We would like the government to consider social care as equally important to NHS
Gov Responded - 20 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsWe would like the government to support and regard social care: financially, publicly and systematically on an equal par as NHS. We would like parliament to debate how to support social care during COVID-19 and beyond so that it automatically has the same access to operational and financial support.
Reduce or scrap the immigration health surcharge for overseas NHS Staff.
Gov Responded - 29 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsTo revoke the Immigration Health Surcharge increases for overseas NHS staff. The latest budget shows an increase of £220 a year for an overseas worker to live and work in the UK, at a time when the NHS, and UK economy, relies heavily on them.
Give non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship
Gov Responded - 6 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsGive NHS workers who are EU and other Nationals automatic UK citizenship if they stay and risk their own lives looking after the British people during the COVID crisis.
These initiatives were driven by Alex Davies-Jones, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Alex Davies-Jones has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Bereavement Leave and Pay (Stillborn and Miscarried Babies) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Sarah Owen (LAB)
International Development (Women’s Sanitary Products) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Wendy Chamberlain (LDEM)
The Government consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace focussed on ensuring that laws to protect people from harassment at work are operating effectively.
We have considered the responses received and listened carefully to the experiences shared through this consultation. We will be setting out the Government’s response shortly.
This Government has introduced the landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Coordinated multi-agency action and supporting victims are key components of the CPS’s ambitious programme of work published in January, which will help narrow the disparity between reporting and criminal justice outcomes.
The CPS recently hosted a virtual domestic abuse conference with the police and the courts, sharing best practice and innovation.
The Crown Prosecution Service (‘CPS’) collects data showing the outcome of charging decisions, including cases flagged as rape where a decision not to prosecute was taken for public interest reasons. However, the CPS has no central record of the number of cases or suspects where a confession to the offence of rape (or any other offence) has been admitted. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
The table below therefore shows the number of rape-flagged suspects where a no prosecution decision for public interest reasons was the outcome. The proportion of decisions where no further action is taken due to public interest reasons is fewer than 2% of all decisions. However, data on cases in which a confession has been admitted is not available.
| No Prosecution - Public Interest |
2010-2011 | 128 |
2011-2012 | 88 |
2012-2013 | 91 |
2013-2014 | 98 |
2014-2015 | 93 |
2015-2016 | 109 |
2016-2017 | 84 |
2017-2018 | 65 |
2018-2019 | 60 |
2019-2020 | 51 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System |
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) collects finalised prosecutions data showing the sex of defendants for cases flagged as involving domestic abuse. Some, more limited, information is also available showing the identified relationship between defendant and complainant and whether the relationship is between people of the same or different sex.
The table below shows the number of defendants prosecuted for domestic abuse where a relationship was identified as same sex (partner, ex-partner, spouse/civil partner or former spouse/civil partner), during each of the last ten years. It also highlights the number of defendants where the relationship has been recorded. This data is limited, which results in the number of defendants with an identified relationship being under-recorded.
| Female Defendants | Male Defendants | % of Relationships Recorded |
2010-2011 | 28 | 56 | 16.7% |
2011-2012 | 45 | 77 | 30.0% |
2012-2013 | 54 | 84 | 47.7% |
2013-2014 | 80 | 97 | 52.7% |
2014-2015 | 127 | 129 | 55.4% |
2015-2016 | 160 | 186 | 55.6% |
2016-2017 | 136 | 141 | 52.4% |
2017-2018 | 108 | 130 | 48.7% |
2018-2019 | 88 | 137 | 48.9% |
2019-2020 | 84 | 144 | 56.4% |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
While the CPS does not collate prosecutions data by county, data is available showing the number of prosecutions in each of the regional Areas of the CPS. The tables below provide the same information as the table above, broken down for each CPS Area.
Female Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 10 |
East Midlands | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Eastern | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
London North | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 3 |
London South | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
North East | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
North West | 1 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 12 |
South East | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
South West | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Thames and Chiltern | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Wessex | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
West Midlands | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
Male Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
East Midlands | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
Eastern | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 21 |
London North | 1 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 12 |
London South | 8 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
North East | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
North West | 12 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
South East | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 3 |
South West | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Thames and Chiltern | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
Wessex | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
West Midlands | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 6 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 16 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) collects finalised prosecutions data showing the sex of defendants for cases flagged as involving domestic abuse. Some, more limited, information is also available showing the identified relationship between defendant and complainant and whether the relationship is between people of the same or different sex.
The table below shows the number of defendants prosecuted for domestic abuse where a relationship was identified as same sex (partner, ex-partner, spouse/civil partner or former spouse/civil partner), during each of the last ten years. It also highlights the number of defendants where the relationship has been recorded. This data is limited, which results in the number of defendants with an identified relationship being under-recorded.
| Female Defendants | Male Defendants | % of Relationships Recorded |
2010-2011 | 28 | 56 | 16.7% |
2011-2012 | 45 | 77 | 30.0% |
2012-2013 | 54 | 84 | 47.7% |
2013-2014 | 80 | 97 | 52.7% |
2014-2015 | 127 | 129 | 55.4% |
2015-2016 | 160 | 186 | 55.6% |
2016-2017 | 136 | 141 | 52.4% |
2017-2018 | 108 | 130 | 48.7% |
2018-2019 | 88 | 137 | 48.9% |
2019-2020 | 84 | 144 | 56.4% |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
While the CPS does not collate prosecutions data by county, data is available showing the number of prosecutions in each of the regional Areas of the CPS. The tables below provide the same information as the table above, broken down for each CPS Area.
Female Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 10 |
East Midlands | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Eastern | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
London North | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 3 |
London South | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
North East | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
North West | 1 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 12 |
South East | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
South West | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Thames and Chiltern | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Wessex | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
West Midlands | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
Male Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
East Midlands | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
Eastern | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 21 |
London North | 1 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 12 |
London South | 8 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
North East | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
North West | 12 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
South East | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 3 |
South West | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Thames and Chiltern | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
Wessex | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
West Midlands | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 6 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 16 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) collects finalised prosecutions data showing the sex of defendants for cases flagged as involving domestic abuse. Some, more limited, information is also available showing the identified relationship between defendant and complainant and whether the relationship is between people of the same or different sex.
The table below shows the number of defendants prosecuted for domestic abuse where a relationship was identified as same sex (partner, ex-partner, spouse/civil partner or former spouse/civil partner), during each of the last ten years. It also highlights the number of defendants where the relationship has been recorded. This data is limited, which results in the number of defendants with an identified relationship being under-recorded.
| Female Defendants | Male Defendants | % of Relationships Recorded |
2010-2011 | 28 | 56 | 16.7% |
2011-2012 | 45 | 77 | 30.0% |
2012-2013 | 54 | 84 | 47.7% |
2013-2014 | 80 | 97 | 52.7% |
2014-2015 | 127 | 129 | 55.4% |
2015-2016 | 160 | 186 | 55.6% |
2016-2017 | 136 | 141 | 52.4% |
2017-2018 | 108 | 130 | 48.7% |
2018-2019 | 88 | 137 | 48.9% |
2019-2020 | 84 | 144 | 56.4% |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
While the CPS does not collate prosecutions data by county, data is available showing the number of prosecutions in each of the regional Areas of the CPS. The tables below provide the same information as the table above, broken down for each CPS Area.
Female Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 10 |
East Midlands | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Eastern | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
London North | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 3 |
London South | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
North East | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
North West | 1 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 12 |
South East | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
South West | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Thames and Chiltern | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Wessex | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
West Midlands | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
Male Defendants | ||||||||||
| 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
Cymru Wales | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
East Midlands | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
Eastern | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 21 |
London North | 1 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 12 |
London South | 8 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 |
Merseyside & Cheshire | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
North East | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
North West | 12 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
South East | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 3 |
South West | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Thames and Chiltern | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
Wessex | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
West Midlands | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 6 |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 16 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
As has been the case under successive administrations, details of meetings with external contractors are not usually disclosed. Details of ministers' meetings with external organisations and individuals are published on gov.uk periodically.
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
As has been the case under successive administrations, details of meetings with external contractors are not usually disclosed. Details of ministers' meetings with external organisations and individuals are published on gov.uk periodically.
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
This Government recognises that outsourcing is an important component in a “mixed economy” of public service provision and that the private sector has played a crucial role in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including in relation to the development and procurement of the Government’s world-leading vaccine programme. Under the terms of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, departments and other public authorities are able to use various applicable procedures. Public authorities across the United Kingdom including the devolved administrations and local authorities have made use of direct awards - this includes Leeds City Council. Similar approaches were adopted by many other countries, including Japan, Finland and New Zealand. It is unrealistic to suggest that the government ought to have run a full public procurement competition for PPE and other critical contracts at the height of the pandemic. The minimum number of days a competitive award could take place under the current rules is 25 days. This would have hugely slowed down the buying of vital PPE supplies.
Further to the Outsourcing Playbook, available on gov.uk, and as has been the case under successive administrations, public sector contracting authorities are responsible for their own commercial decisions, such as the award and monitoring of contracts. Regarding cyber security, details of the Cyber Essentials scheme is available on gov.uk. The requested information on service credits is not held centrally.
I note that the Hon Member has not yet replied to the letter by my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster of 20 November 2020. As a courtesy, I will ensure that a further copy of the letter is sent to her office to ensure she has a chance to reply to the points raised.
The letter from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to Michael Russell MSP on 27 October, available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letters-from-the-chancellor-of-the-duchy-of-lancaster-to-jeremy-miles-ms-and-michael-russell-msp includes detail of the extensive joint working with the devolved administrations.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Details of the work of the Geospatial Commission are available on their blog page, which includes information on the National Underground Asset Register Pilots.
The UK does not have a comprehensive map of underground utilities which increases the likelihood of dangerous utility strikes (especially for emergency works) and results in significant costs to utility companies, their operators and the wider economy. Any decision to proceed with creating a national register would be announced in the usual way, including invitations to tender for relevant work. Interim findings from the pilots will be published in due course.
Details of the work of the Geospatial Commission are available on their blog page, which includes information on the National Underground Asset Register Pilots.
The UK does not have a comprehensive map of underground utilities which increases the likelihood of dangerous utility strikes (especially for emergency works) and results in significant costs to utility companies, their operators and the wider economy. Any decision to proceed with creating a national register would be announced in the usual way, including invitations to tender for relevant work. Interim findings from the pilots will be published in due course.
Details of the work of the Geospatial Commission are available on their blog page, which includes information on the National Underground Asset Register Pilots.
The UK does not have a comprehensive map of underground utilities which increases the likelihood of dangerous utility strikes (especially for emergency works) and results in significant costs to utility companies, their operators and the wider economy. Any decision to proceed with creating a national register would be announced in the usual way, including invitations to tender for relevant work. Interim findings from the pilots will be published in due course.
Like many sections of the economy, medical research charities have been hit hard by COVID-19. This funding to support early career researchers will help to protect the pipeline of research superstars who will have a fantastic impact, and improve patient lives, in the future. We will announce further details about the way in which this funding will be distributed by UKRI on behalf of BEIS and DHSC in due course.
Like many sections of the economy, medical research charities have been hit hard by COVID-19. This funding to support early career researchers will help to protect the pipeline of research superstars who will have a fantastic impact, and improve patient lives, in the future. We will announce further details about the way in which this funding will be distributed by UKRI on behalf of BEIS and DHSC in due course.
The Government remains committed to bringing together a broad set of key stakeholders to look at what improvements can be made to address pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.
We are finalising plans and will be setting up the first meeting shortly.
The Government has procured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines.
The UK was the first country in the world to start a vaccination programme using these vaccines. Due to our swift and decisive action there has been a regular and steady supply of vaccine doses arriving into the UK since early December 2020.
As of 27 January 2021, over 7.1 million people across the UK have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine. We continue to work to meet our target of vaccinating all four priority groups by 15 February. The UK COVID-19 Vaccines Delivery Plan sets out how the Government will work with the NHS, devolved administrations, local councils, and the Armed Forces to deliver the largest vaccination programme in British history.
Vaccines are a precious resource in very high demand across the world; therefore, for security reasons it is not possible to provide detail about the size of our supplies and exact detail about deliveries.
Government advice from the Department for Health and Social Care is clear. The data that is being asked to collect is personal data and must be handled in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to protect the privacy of your staff, customers and visitors.
Personal data that is collected for NHS Test and Trace, which organisations would not collect in their usual course of business, must be used only to share with NHS Test and Trace. It must not be used for other purposes, including marketing, profiling, analysis or other purposes unrelated to contact tracing, or they will be in breach of GDPR.
The competition to award the licence to operate the 4th National Lottery licence (4NL) is run by the Gambling Commission. The National Lottery Act 1993 stipulates that the Commission can only grant a licence to operate the National Lottery if it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is a fit and proper person. In this context, the Commission carried out appropriate vetting checks on all the applicants to the 4NL competition and is now carrying out further vetting checks on Allwyn as the Commission’s preferred applicant to operate 4NL. The Commission does not have any plans at present to list the names of those individuals subject to vetting checks.
The Gambling Commission has taken steps to assure itself that no applicant to the 4NL competition is or is likely to be impacted by the sanctioning of entities and individuals listed in the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.
The competition to award the licence to operate the 4th National Lottery licence (4NL) is run by the Gambling Commission. The National Lottery Act 1993 stipulates that the Commission can only grant a licence to operate the National Lottery if it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is a fit and proper person. In this context, the Commission carried out appropriate vetting checks on all the applicants to the 4NL competition and is now carrying out further vetting checks on Allwyn as the Commission’s preferred applicant to operate 4NL. The Commission does not have any plans at present to list the names of those individuals subject to vetting checks.
The Gambling Commission has taken steps to assure itself that no applicant to the 4NL competition is or is likely to be impacted by the sanctioning of entities and individuals listed in the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
The UK Government has invested £1.3m to improve and upgrade grassroots facilities across Wales this year. The 17 funded projects include grass and artificial grass pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and other infrastructure to make a real difference to communities across Wales. The Government has committed another £205m to multi-use grassroots facilities UK-wide between 2022 and 2025. Further investment into Welsh grassroots sport will be set out later in 2022, so that even more clubs and communities can benefit from access to high-quality pitches and facilities.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) distributed this year’s investment on behalf of DCMS, inviting and assessing over 300 expressions of interest before awarding funding to the 17 successful projects. Projects were selected using a range of criteria - including their ability to deliver improved access for women and girls, disabled players and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as part of the government’s ambition to level up access to facilities across the UK. At least 30% of the projects will benefit a sport other than football and at least 50% of the investment is being delivered in the most deprived areas of Wales, based on their Indices of Multiple Deprivation Ranking. Projects were also assessed on their deliverability and capacity to start work as soon as possible.
The Welsh Government and Sport Wales were represented on the advisory panel, which the FAW assembled to support their decision making. I have also met with my Ministerial counterpart in the Welsh Government to discuss the programme.
Projects across ten local authority areas in Wales have received a share of this year’ funding. Details of all projects are available on GOV.UK.
DCMS offered official-level meetings to all final-stage applicants to the 4th National Lottery licence competition to give an overview of the government's vision for the Gambling and National Lottery sectors. On 23 November 2020, DCMS's Director for Sport, Gambling and Ceremonials and Deputy Director for Gambling and Lotteries met representatives of Sazka (now Allwyn Entertainment Ltd). Ministers did not meet with Allwyn in respect of the competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence.
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
The competition to operate the 4th National Lottery licence is run by the Gambling Commission. In accordance with the relevant legislation, the decision to appoint Allwyn as the preferred bidder was made by the Commission’s Board. DCMS and Ministers have not been involved in the decision making process, nor have they discussed or corresponded with the Commission about who the licence should be awarded to.
We do not have any plans to publish correspondence between the Department and the Gambling Commission.
It is the Gambling Commission’s responsibility to regulate the National Lottery and appoint a licensee that will operate the National Lottery with all due propriety. To satisfy this duty, fit and proper checks were carried out during the competition and will be maintained throughout the transition and licence term. These checks consider the identity, integrity, criminality and financial integrity of those operating or benefitting from the National Lottery (or applying to do so) and include enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Where an individual was based overseas, checks were carried out against information provided by the relevant police report. In addition, the Commission reviewed the funding structures for all applicants, including Allwyn, and is satisfied that no sanctioned entities are involved in funding the proposed licensee.
Standard vetting checks (BPSS level - Baseline Personnel Security Standard) are being carried out by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the preferred applicant’s proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person that holds at least 5% interest in the Licensee. This vetting process has already started and is expected to take 8 – 10 weeks to complete. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
The Gambling Commission provides DCMS and the Lottery Distributing Bodies with good cause forecasts updated on a six-monthly basis to assist them with their grant planning. The forecast is presented as a range, with low, high and central scenarios. The modelling approach is regularly refined to ensure the forecasts remain as accurate as possible. We do not publish this information given commercial sensitivities.
Actual good cause returns are published in the National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Report and Accounts and can be found on the GOV.UK website.
The age to play the National Lottery changed from 16 to 18 years on 22 April 2021.
Digital players are subject to online Experian age-verification checks when registering for an account. Therefore, anyone under-18 will be prevented from opening an account with the National Lottery. Existing 16 and 17 year olds accounts were closed at the appropriate point and no under 18s were able to continue playing online.
In retail, in the months leading up to the change and continuing since, there was a range of communications from the National Lottery operator to retailers to ensure the new age limits are adhered to, consisting of retail visits, phone calls, training videos and other written information. The operator continues to be required to undertake test purchase activity, to establish whether sales have been or are being made or are likely to be made by retailers to purchasers under the age of 18, with a pass rate above 90% being achieved in the first few months of tests relating to the new age limits. This is a similar level of compliance to that achieved when the age limit was 16.
Camelot is the licensee for the current licence to run the National Lottery. The Department meets with them regularly and on an ad hoc basis to discuss issues relating to their operation of the Third National Lottery licence and these meetings may include both senior and working level civil servants.
All ministerial meetings are published on GOV.UK and can be accessed on the website.
Additionally the Directors General for Culture, Sport and Civil Society held an introductory meeting with Matt Ridsdale, Executive Director and Nigel Railton, CEO of Camelot on 9 March 2021.
The Gambling Commission provides DCMS and the Lottery Distributing Bodies with good cause forecasts updated on a six-monthly basis to assist them with their grant planning. The forecast is presented as a range, with low, high and central scenarios. The modelling approach is regularly refined to ensure the forecasts remain as accurate as possible. We do not publish this information given commercial sensitivities.
Actual returns are broadly consistent with these forecasts. The National Lottery returned £1,833m to good causes in 2020/21.
The precise breakdown of contribution to good causes from each £ spent on National Lottery games varies depending on the level of sales, the types of game being sold and the period of the licence that has been reached. The table below gives a breakdown of the total returns to good causes against the proportion returned £ spent in 2009/10 and 2020/21. Although the per £ return is lower in 2020/21, the overall return to good causes is higher. The reduction in good cause money per £ of sales is caused largely by a mix shift towards scratchcards and online instant win games which return a lower amount per £ sales. The contribution per £ of sales for each underlying product type has remained broadly the same over the period.
Financial year | Total returns to good causes | Return to good causes per £ |
2020/21 | £1,833m | 21.4p |
2009/10 | £1,496m | 26.9p |
DCMS reports annually on the level of good cause income in the National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Report and Accounts.
The Government has worked closely with industry throughout the pandemic and agreed a set of commitments with the UK’s major broadband and mobile operators to support vulnerable consumers during the Covid-19 period. Providers committed to working with customers who are finding it difficult to pay their bill as a result of Covid-19 to ensure that they are treated fairly and appropriately supported. Providers also committed to removing fixed broadband data caps, in addition to providing new and generous landline and mobile offers, such as free or low cost mobile data boosts.
There are already social tariffs available which offer low cost landline and broadband services for those on certain means-tested benefits. However, the Government is now encouraging all fixed broadband providers to introduce a social tariff and we will monitor the situation closely.
I have regular discussions with the Football Association about the impact of COVID-19 on elite level football, including on women's elite football. Last year we also put in place an exemption for elite sport to continue behind closed doors has allowed elite level women’s football competitions like the Women’s Super League to continue.
Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many women’s sport clubs have benefited from. The £300m Sports Winter Survival Package also aims to protect the immediate futures of major spectator sports in England over the winter period, including women’s football.
I am committed to helping women’s sport come out of the current crisis stronger than ever and I am continuing to work closely with the sector to ensure that happens. Over the last year I have met with a range of sports organisations to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women’s sport and how together we can address these challenges going forward. I have made clear in these discussions that I expect women’s sport to be protected through the pandemic and prioritised as we emerge on the other side.
Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many women’s sport clubs have benefited from. For example, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has provided £220m directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. Women’s spectator sports severely impacted by the restrictions around fans over the winter are also being supported through the £300m Sports Winter Survival Package, which aims to protect the immediate futures of major spectator sports in England over the winter period.
The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online.
The Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation, published in December 2020, sets out the government’s plans to introduce a new statutory duty of care. Tech companies will have new responsibilities to protect their users, particularly children, from harmful content, which could include eating disorder content. The Online Safety Bill, which will give effect to the regulatory framework outlined in the full government response, will be ready this year.
We have asked the Law Commission to review the current legislation on harmful online communications. As part of this review the Government has also asked the Law Commission to examine how the criminal law will address the encouragement or assistance of self harm. The Law Commission has made provisional recommendations and has consulted on these proposed reforms. They will provide final recommendations in summer 2021.
Online media and digital literacy can equip users with the skills they need to spot dangers online, critically appraise information and take steps to keep themselves and others safe online. The Online Harms White Paper, set out the government’s intention to develop an online media literacy strategy. The strategy will ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to online media literacy education and awareness for children, young people and adults.
On 15th December, Facebook publicly announced that from next year Facebook Inc in the US rather than Facebook Ireland will be the service provider responsible for UK users’ personal data.
At the end of the Transition Period, any online service provider dealing with UK users' personal data will still be subject to the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation. The legislation will, therefore, continue to apply to Facebook's treatment of personal data of UK users when those users are served from the US.
The UK is committed to high data protection standards and we are confident that the UK’s data protection laws provide appropriate protection for UK users.
The Government is firmly committed to making the UK the safest place to be online, and DCMS and the Home Office are working at pace to introduce this legislation. We will publish a Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year. This will include more detailed proposals on online harms regulation and will be released alongside interim voluntary codes on tackling online terrorist and child sexual exploitation and abuse content and activity. The Full Government Response will be followed by legislation, which will be ready next year.
The Government is taking a number of measures to improve mental health support for veterans across the UK. From the beginning of service in the Armed Forces, personnel now undergo ‘through-life’ psychological resilience training, and upon leaving they have access to the Defence Transition Service (DTS), launched in October 2019. The DTS provides support for Service leavers and families who are the most likely to face challenges during transition to civilian life, including an impact on their mental health.
Wherever they live in the UK, all veterans are able to receive specialist mental health support if they need it. As healthcare is a devolved matter, further questions regarding Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be addressed to the relevant devolved administration.
As well as the statutory services delivered by the NHS, the Government provides funding to a range of charity and third sector organisations, through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and, most recently, a £6 million emergency COVID-19 Impact Fund. This funding has supported fantastic organisations across the four nations to deliver services to support the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans.
We are also investing in research, to improve our understanding of mental health amongst serving and ex-service personnel. This includes a recent study looking at the impact of COVID-19 on veterans and a long term veterans study examining a range of mental health and wellbeing factors; both of these are led by Kings College. A further two studies will contribute to improving the data and understanding around suicide; the first examining the cause of death, including suicide in members of the Armed Forces who have served since 2001 and a further study looking at the events in the 12 months leading up to known suicides in the last five years of anyone from the Armed Forces community.
For the purposes of observing Covid-19 guidelines, we advise participants and spectators of this form of wrestling to refer to both the Performance Arts Guidance (for managing rehearsals, training and audiences), and the Phased Return of Sport and Recreation Guidance (for guidance related to physical activity).
Professional Activity, such as professional wrestling, is permitted in line with Stage 4 of the performing arts roadmap within venues that are able to host such activities in line with Covid secure guidance. From 14 September, venues such as theatres, concert halls and other entertainment venues that host such events will need to ensure they are Covid secure in line with the relevant guidance, and that groups within the audience are limited to six. Venues will also need to ensure that groups are kept separate from one another to ensure they do not mix and do not exceed the new legal limits and that they adhere to new legal requirements around track and trace.
For the purposes of observing Covid-19 guidelines, we advise participants and spectators of this form of wrestling to refer to both the Performance Arts Guidance (for managing rehearsals, training and audiences), and the Phased Return of Sport and Recreation Guidance (for guidance related to physical activity).
Professional Activity, such as professional wrestling, is permitted in line with Stage 4 of the performing arts roadmap within venues that are able to host such activities in line with Covid secure guidance. From 14 September, venues such as theatres, concert halls and other entertainment venues that host such events will need to ensure they are Covid secure in line with the relevant guidance, and that groups within the audience are limited to six. Venues will also need to ensure that groups are kept separate from one another to ensure they do not mix and do not exceed the new legal limits and that they adhere to new legal requirements around track and trace.
For the purposes of observing Covid-19 guidelines, we advise participants and spectators of this form of wrestling to refer to both the Performance Arts Guidance (for managing rehearsals, training and audiences), and the Phased Return of Sport and Recreation Guidance (for guidance related to physical activity).
Professional Activity, such as professional wrestling, is permitted in line with Stage 4 of the performing arts roadmap within venues that are able to host such activities in line with Covid secure guidance. From 14 September, venues such as theatres, concert halls and other entertainment venues that host such events will need to ensure they are Covid secure in line with the relevant guidance, and that groups within the audience are limited to six. Venues will also need to ensure that groups are kept separate from one another to ensure they do not mix and do not exceed the new legal limits and that they adhere to new legal requirements around track and trace.
For the purposes of observing Covid-19 guidelines, we advise participants and spectators of this form of wrestling to refer to both the Performance Arts Guidance (for managing rehearsals, training and audiences), and the Phased Return of Sport and Recreation Guidance (for guidance related to physical activity).
Professional Activity, such as professional wrestling, is permitted in line with Stage 4 of the performing arts roadmap within venues that are able to host such activities in line with Covid secure guidance. From 14 September, venues such as theatres, concert halls and other entertainment venues that host such events will need to ensure they are Covid secure in line with the relevant guidance, and that groups within the audience are limited to six. Venues will also need to ensure that groups are kept separate from one another to ensure they do not mix and do not exceed the new legal limits and that they adhere to new legal requirements around track and trace.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been working closely with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to ensure that the development of test and trace systems, including customer, visitor and staff logs comply with data protection legislation. The ICO has published user-friendly guidance for organisations to ensure they notify individuals that their data is being collected; and that any information collected is limited to what is necessary, is not used for other purposes, is held securely and deleted after 21 days when no longer needed.
The guidance can be viewed on the ICO's website at: https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/contact-tracing-protecting-customer-and-visitor-details/
This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The department commits to making the Houghton Report publicly available within the next six weeks.
This information is not collected. At the time, staff were expected to work from home and undertake meetings remotely, wherever possible. Some people did need to work from the office and, if so, they had to comply with relevant requirements. The Cabinet Office investigation will establish the facts surrounding a work-related gathering at the Department for Education on 10 December 2020, which the Department has publicly acknowledged.
Pupils need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal, and social lives in a positive way. That is why we have made health education compulsory in all state-funded schools in England alongside making relationships education for primary pupils and relationships and sex education for secondary pupils compulsory, collectively known as relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).
As part of the statutory curriculum at secondary school, pupils will be taught how the different sexually transmitted infections are transmitted, how risk can be reduced, and the importance of and facts about testing.
The Department has also published implementation guidance and teacher training modules covering all the RSHE topics to help schools develop their curricula and teach the subjects confidently and effectively: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health. The module covering intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health, states specifically that pupils should be taught about the NHS human papillomavirus vaccine scheme and the protection it offers and links schools to the relevant content on the NHS website.
More generally, at primary school, pupils will be taught about the facts and science relating to immunisation and vaccination. This knowledge is developed at secondary level to include the prevention of infection, including the facts and science related to antibiotics, the immune system, how vaccines work and the need for booster jabs.
Following on from the debate in 2018, I can confirm that my hon. Friend, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families and current Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department of Health and Social Care, Nadhim Zahawi, met with the hon. Member for Wirral South on 24 October 2018. The meeting was attended by a number of women who had experienced these historical adoption practices. I understand it was a very difficult and moving experience to hear from women who gave up their children under historical adoption practices.
However, whilst we cannot undo the past, we now have a society that takes a very different attitude to single mothers and lessons of the time have been learned and have led to significant changes to legislation and practice.
Single parents are now supported to help ensure that families can stay together, and children are only removed permanently without the consent of the parents by a court if it is satisfied that the child is suffering significant harm or is likely to suffer significant harm.
NHS maternity services now have robust policy, guidance and processes in place to safeguard care for vulnerable women and babies.
I understand in the 2018 debate Minister Zahawi committed to making the 1972 Houghton Report available. I will ensure this is publicly available as soon as possible.
Following on from the debate in 2018, I can confirm that my hon. Friend, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families and current Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department of Health and Social Care, Nadhim Zahawi, met with the hon. Member for Wirral South on 24 October 2018. The meeting was attended by a number of women who had experienced these historical adoption practices. I understand it was a very difficult and moving experience to hear from women who gave up their children under historical adoption practices.
However, whilst we cannot undo the past, we now have a society that takes a very different attitude to single mothers and lessons of the time have been learned and have led to significant changes to legislation and practice.
Single parents are now supported to help ensure that families can stay together, and children are only removed permanently without the consent of the parents by a court if it is satisfied that the child is suffering significant harm or is likely to suffer significant harm.
NHS maternity services now have robust policy, guidance and processes in place to safeguard care for vulnerable women and babies.
I understand in the 2018 debate Minister Zahawi committed to making the 1972 Houghton Report available. I will ensure this is publicly available as soon as possible.
School attendance rates are based on the data collected via the termly school census. Data relating to the autumn term of the 2020-21 academic year will be collected as part of the spring 2021 census.
The Department has included an additional category ‘not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus’ for use in situations as outlined in the following guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance/addendum-recording-attendance-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19-during-the-2020-to-2021-academic-year.
Sessions recorded under this category will not count towards normal absence in the statistical releases derived from this data.
In addition to the termly school census, the Department is monitoring data collected daily from schools who are self-reporting and manually inputting data through a web portal each day. We ask schools where children have been sent home due to a COVID-19 outbreak to provide the number of pupils and students not attending due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, and those that have been requested to remain home due to a potential contact with COVID-19.
Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the Government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.
The Department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis, as well as gathering information from local areas and following up with individual settings to confirm that procedures for requiring pupils to isolate are well understood and that necessary decisions are made on the basis of public health advice.
The Department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. We are currently looking at the quality of the data collected with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 93% of state-funded schools were fully open on 24 September. Of all schools that responded to the survey, 6% said they were not fully open due to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 24 September. Approximately 88% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 24 September. More information is available at:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June and completed committee on the 18 November. The Bill allows us to protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.
In August 2021, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets, including rescue pets, into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the commercial and non-commercial movement into Great Britain of puppies under the age of six months, heavily pregnant dogs and dogs which have been subjected to low welfare practices such as ear cropping or tail docking. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary response in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups on puppy smuggling and low welfare imports in order to shape our future policy.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June and completed committee on the 18 November. The Bill allows us to protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.
In August 2021, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets, including rescue pets, into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the commercial and non-commercial movement into Great Britain of puppies under the age of six months, heavily pregnant dogs and dogs which have been subjected to low welfare practices such as ear cropping or tail docking. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary response in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups on puppy smuggling and low welfare imports in order to shape our future policy.
This information is not collected. At the time, staff were expected to work from home and undertake meetings remotely, wherever possible.
Animal Welfare is a devolved matter and once the details of the proposed new pet abduction offence have been developed Welsh Government Ministers will be invited to consider whether they wish these reforms to apply in Wales.
The Government's 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. We are making great strides to tackle plastic pollution. In December 2018 we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy. Our approach is focused on increasing supply and demand for secondary materials to be recycled in the UK. We know more needs to be done, and for the most problematic plastics we are going faster - which is why we have committed to work towards all plastic packaging on the market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
The UK Government has a manifesto commitment to ban exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries. The Government has committed to consult on this measure and work to deliver this is underway. Defra has commissioned research to have a better understanding of plastic waste recycling capacity in the UK and OECD member countries, and this research will be key to the development of policy options to implement the manifesto commitment. We currently plan to consult before the end of 2022 on options to deliver the proposed ban.
Legitimate imports of plastic waste into the UK will be destined for recovery operations. The UK Government does not permit the import of plastic waste for disposal. The UK Government has not assessed the benefits of a ban on plastic waste imports and has no plans to do so.
The Environment Bill includes a requirement for the Government to set at least one long-term target on resource efficiency and waste reduction. This target will take a holistic approach to reduce consumption of all materials, including plastics, increasing resource productivity and reducing the volume of waste we generate. Work is already underway to develop these targets. In order to help guide the Government, the Resources and Waste Targets Expert Group has been formed. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/resources-and-waste-targets-expert-group. Moreover, the Government is exploring packaging recycling targets under our proposals for extended producer responsibility for packaging. The consultation on our more detailed proposals closed on the 4 June.
In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, and our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies, taking on board the environmental and social impacts of the options available.
Potential additional policy measures include standards, consumer information and encouraging voluntary action by business. We are seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us to, where appropriate and subject to consultation, introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements. This could include labelling schemes that provide accurate information to consumers, to drive the market towards more sustainable products.
The previous Life Cycle Assessment of disposable and washable nappies dates from 2005, and was updated in 2008. To take account of the latest technological developments we are now funding a new environmental assessment of disposable and washable absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) with the primary focus on nappies. This is in progress and is looking at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill or incineration, and recycling options. It will be published later this year following peer review and will help inform possible future action on AHPs by Government and industry.
In order to complete this study and explore feasible options going forward, information is being gathered from industry. I have met with representatives of the Nappy Alliance, and will be meeting with the Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers Association and disposable nappy business representatives shortly.
In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, and our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies, taking on board the environmental and social impacts of the options available.
Potential additional policy measures include standards, consumer information and encouraging voluntary action by business. We are seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us to, where appropriate and subject to consultation, introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements. This could include labelling schemes that provide accurate information to consumers, to drive the market towards more sustainable products.
The previous Life Cycle Assessment of disposable and washable nappies dates from 2005, and was updated in 2008. To take account of the latest technological developments we are now funding a new environmental assessment of disposable and washable absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) with the primary focus on nappies. This is in progress and is looking at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill or incineration, and recycling options. It will be published later this year following peer review and will help inform possible future action on AHPs by Government and industry.
In order to complete this study and explore feasible options going forward, information is being gathered from industry. I have met with representatives of the Nappy Alliance, and will be meeting with the Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers Association and disposable nappy business representatives shortly.
In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, and our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies, taking on board the environmental and social impacts of the options available.
Potential additional policy measures include standards, consumer information and encouraging voluntary action by business. We are seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us to, where appropriate and subject to consultation, introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements. This could include labelling schemes that provide accurate information to consumers, to drive the market towards more sustainable products.
The previous Life Cycle Assessment of disposable and washable nappies dates from 2005, and was updated in 2008. To take account of the latest technological developments we are now funding a new environmental assessment of disposable and washable absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) with the primary focus on nappies. This is in progress and is looking at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill or incineration, and recycling options. It will be published later this year following peer review and will help inform possible future action on AHPs by Government and industry.
In order to complete this study and explore feasible options going forward, information is being gathered from industry. I have met with representatives of the Nappy Alliance, and will be meeting with the Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers Association and disposable nappy business representatives shortly.
Our ambition is world-class fisheries management to achieve sustainable fisheries, safeguarding stocks and the environment for the long-term. We also support the development of traceable supply chains, where businesses and users can ascertain the legality and sustainability of their products.
We have not made an assessment of the MSC’s certification and verification process and it would not be appropriate to do so. However, the Environmental Audit Committee’s ‘Sustainable Seas’ report of 2019 offers a balanced and insightful enquiry into the Marine Stewardship Council. The recommendation that the report makes with regards to a transparent and independently evaluated review is important, not least to ensure public confidence in the MSC. Transparent and effective reviews of the MSC will also ensure that it is constantly keeping up with the best available fisheries governance.
The Welsh Government has kept us informed of its Local Authority Enforcement Project and we are looking into whether any lessons can be learnt to inform better training of local authority inspectors in England.
Meanwhile, Defra has published statutory guidance notes for local authorities to support the enforcement of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) which govern activities such as dog breeding and pet sales.
The 2018 Regulations require that all local authority inspectors must be suitably qualified and the procedural guidance notes define how inspectors can meet this criterion. Such criteria includes any person holding a Level 3 certificate or equivalent granted by a body, recognised and regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation which oversees the training and assessment of persons in inspecting and licensing animal activities businesses, confirming the passing of an independent examination.
We also helped facilitate the establishment of the Local Government Animal Welfare Group (LGAWG) and its website which provides information for local authority teams as well as other animal welfare enforcers such as the police and the RSPCA. This Group seeks to raise the profile of animal welfare enforcement as well as sharing best practice and providing advice for those working with animals. Supported by Defra, the Local Government Association and the Animal Health & Welfare Board England, the LGAWG provides up to date information and news.
During the COVID-19 restrictions, my department has engaged with local authority representatives about their undertaking of inspections. Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) local authorities have powers to vary licences and this includes extending them without needing to inspect the premises. Therefore, local authorities were able to make decisions on a case by case basis relating to inspecting premises licensed under the 2018 Regulations in a safe way.
The Defra Contracts with Brakes and Bidfood delivered 4.7 million food boxes to the doorsteps of the clinically extremely vulnerable in England between 27 March and 1 August 2020. The contract contained Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to cover on-time, in-full and zero defect delivery. KPIs were monitored on a daily and weekly basis. Brakes and Bidfood delivered the service in accordance with these KPIs and therefore service credits were not required.
The police do not normally enforce animal welfare legislation except in relation to serious organised crimes, such as dog fighting. Consequently, the police are not usually issued with guidance on animal welfare crimes. Local authorities enforce certain animal welfare laws such as those relating to the licensing of particular animal-related activities. To assist them in this responsibility, we have provided them with the necessary guidance such as that which accompanies The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. A copy of the associated guidance can be found on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities.
The Government is committed to animal welfare. Whilst the Government has not made a formal assessment of existing research into the link between those who commit domestic abuse offences and those who commit animal welfare offences, as a reflection of the seriousness with which we take cruelty against our animals we are supporting the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, which seeks to increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty from six months to five years. Committee stage of the Bill in the House of Commons took place on 3 February.
The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare and, after the transition period, the Government plans to retain current regulations banning the import of fur from domestic cats and dogs, and has laid secondary legislation to retain the ban on commercial seal hunts. Legislation has prohibited farming of animals for their fur since 2000 in England and Wales, and 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Once the UK assumes an independent seat on international bodies such as CITES and OIE we will have an opportunity to promote our high standards in these international fora.
Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to fur imports.
On 3 December, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on the ban of live animal exports for fattening or slaughter. The Government is also consulting on proposals to further improve animal welfare in transport more generally, such as reduced maximum journey times, animals being given more space and headroom during transport, stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme temperatures and tighter rules for transporting live animals by sea.
On 12 December, the Government launched proposals to ban keeping primates as pets in England, inviting the public to have their say on the issue over the next eight weeks. Findings from a recent call for evidence found that these animals' complex needs cannot be met in a home environment. Under these new plans, it will be an offence to keep a primate as a pet in England. Only those keeping primates to zoo level standards will be permitted to keep primates.
The Government is in the process of refining proposals for the manifesto commitments on the introduction of laws on animal sentience, a ban on the import of hunting trophies and tackling puppy smuggling, and will be publishing further detail in the coming weeks. We are still considering the best legislative vehicle to bring forward these reforms in the near future. We will be engaging with stakeholders and other Government departments as necessary.
Our manifesto commitment to introduce mandatory cat microchipping will be brought forward via secondary legislation in the coming months. The Government continues to support the passage of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill in Parliament to deliver our manifesto commitment to increase the maximum available penalty for the worst animal cruelty offences from six months to five years.
The Government is committed to improving the welfare of cats and has a manifesto commitment to introduce compulsory microchipping of cats. In October 2019 Defra published a call for evidence on compulsory microchipping for cats, which attracted over 3,000 responses. We will be publishing a summary of the responses alongside the launch of a public consultation shortly.
The Secretary of State has had no such discussions or recent consultations.
However, this Government remains committed to high standards of animal welfare. We are in the process of developing a range of important animal welfare and animal-related measures to strengthen our position as a world leader in this field. This includes delivering our manifesto commitments to introduce new laws on animal sentience, to ban live exports, restrict the imports of trophies from endangered species and ban keeping primates as pets.
We are currently considering the best legislative vehicle to bring forward these reforms in the near future. We will be engaging with stakeholders and other Government departments as necessary.
The Secretary of State has had no such discussions or recent consultations.
However, this Government remains committed to high standards of animal welfare. We are in the process of developing a range of important animal welfare and animal-related measures to strengthen our position as a world leader in this field. This includes delivering our manifesto commitments to introduce new laws on animal sentience, to ban live exports, restrict the imports of trophies from endangered species and ban keeping primates as pets.
We are currently considering the best legislative vehicle to bring forward these reforms in the near future. We will be engaging with stakeholders and other Government departments as necessary.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport on 29 October 2020, PQ UIN 107106.
An assessment of the effect of celebrations surrounding Bonfire Night (5th of November) on air quality is made annually as part of the Air Pollution in the UK report. The assessment is based on measurements from the national monitoring network which monitors concentrations of air pollutants in near real-time on the UK-AIR website. The latest report (for 2019) can be accessed at the following URL: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/index. In the latest report, the effects of Bonfire Night celebrations are dealt with under section 6.1.3 Localised Particulate Pollution Episodes (pages 106 – 108).
Our manifesto is clear that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.
We are already engaging with the agricultural sector as part of our trade discussions. We have not ruled out additional groups, and there is clear scope to review, re-task and reinforce what we have.
The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues, and the Government will continue to work closely with the National Farmers’ Union and other relevant stakeholders across the food chain to understand the concerns about the impact of new trade deals. The Government has in place a range of stakeholder groups to feed into our policy development on trade. These include the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, the Agri-Food Expert Trade Advisory Group and various supply chain groups.
Defra has developed the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, which allows officials in Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor UK agricultural markets, to share the latest stakeholder information and to provide warning of atypical market movements. It will help prepare the evidence base for the cause and possible range of interventions that may be needed in specific markets.
Our manifesto is clear that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.
We are already engaging with the agricultural sector as part of our trade discussions. We have not ruled out additional groups, and there is clear scope to review, re-task and reinforce what we have.
The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues, and the Government will continue to work closely with the National Farmers’ Union and other relevant stakeholders across the food chain to understand the concerns about the impact of new trade deals. The Government has in place a range of stakeholder groups to feed into our policy development on trade. These include the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, the Agri-Food Expert Trade Advisory Group and various supply chain groups.
Defra has developed the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, which allows officials in Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor UK agricultural markets, to share the latest stakeholder information and to provide warning of atypical market movements. It will help prepare the evidence base for the cause and possible range of interventions that may be needed in specific markets.
Our manifesto is clear that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.
We are already engaging with the agricultural sector as part of our trade discussions. We have not ruled out additional groups, and there is clear scope to review, re-task and reinforce what we have.
The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues, and the Government will continue to work closely with the National Farmers’ Union and other relevant stakeholders across the food chain to understand the concerns about the impact of new trade deals. The Government has in place a range of stakeholder groups to feed into our policy development on trade. These include the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, the Agri-Food Expert Trade Advisory Group and various supply chain groups.
Defra has developed the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, which allows officials in Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor UK agricultural markets, to share the latest stakeholder information and to provide warning of atypical market movements. It will help prepare the evidence base for the cause and possible range of interventions that may be needed in specific markets.
This information is not collected. At the time, staff were expected to work from home and undertake meetings remotely, wherever possible.
I am proud of our world-leading animal welfare standards and these will be upheld throughout our trade negotiations. We have established the Trade and Agriculture Commission in law, which will provide independent scrutiny of the effect on animal welfare our trade deals.
The approach of HM Government to food standards in trade deals is clear. We remain firmly committed to upholding our high environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards. Having left the EU, we will decide how we set and maintain our own laws, standards and regulations. We will remain global leaders in environmental protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining the high-quality of our produce for consumers at home and overseas.
The United Kingdom’s food standards, for both domestic production and imports, are overseen by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. These agencies provide independent advice to HM Government and the devolved administration in Scotland respectively. They will continue to do so in order to ensure that all food imports comply with the United Kingdom’s high standards.
Decisions on our standards are a matter for the United Kingdom and will be made separately from any trade agreement. HM Government will stand firm in trade negotiations to make sure that any future trade deals live up to the values of farmers and consumers across the United Kingdom.
This information is not collected. At the time, staff were expected to work from home and undertake meetings remotely, wherever possible.
The UK has been party to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (MARPOL Annex V) since 1988, and the international requirements have been implemented in UK law through the 1998 and 2008 UK Regulations. Under these Regulations, discharge of all garbage into the sea is prohibited with very limited exceptions and in all cases the discharge of plastic is prohibited. In 2020 the Regulations were further revised to reflect the current international requirements.
During the 2020 revisions, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carried out a thorough review of the existing offences and penalties. As a result of this review, the scope of the type of garbage which may not be discharged to sea was widened. Under the 2020 Regulations it is an offence to fail to report the discharge of fishing gear which poses a significant threat to the marine environment or navigation.
The UK’s Port Waste Reception Facilities Regulations (S.I. 2003/1809) put legal obligations on ports and vessels to manage ship generated waste including fishing gear. The MCA has received ministerial approval to review the UK’s current regime on Port Waste Reception Facilities and this review will start in spring 2021.
The COVID-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) was established to help protect and increase bus services, allowing people?travelling to hospitals, supermarkets or their place of work to get to their destination safely and quickly, while helping ensure there is enough space for them to observe social distancing guidelines. There will be a reconciliation process after every 12 weeks of funding to ensure that no operator is made better or worse off by providing these services with government and local authority support. This will include collecting data on how much of their financial shortfall has been made up by local authority support.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the government has approved £3.5bn of additional expenditure to ensure that vital rail services continue to operate. From this additional expenditure, £2.9bn relates to the 2020/21 financial year. It is not yet possible to provide an estimate of the total cost incurred to date
On 23 May, £29m in support was announced to cover five light rail systems in England. This is intended to cover all reasonable additional costs incurred due to COVID-19 over the period of funding and allow them to operate a full service.
The Government recognises the importance of keeping public transport services running, and to provide stability and certainty to the transport industry at this turbulent time. The Secretary of State confirmed funding arrangements for a) national rail services on 23 March; b) bus services on 3 April and 23 May; c) Transport for London on 14 May; and d) light rail and tram systems on 24 April and 23 May.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
This information is not collected. At the time, staff were expected to work from home and undertake meetings remotely, wherever possible.
The Department is committed to ensuring we are paying the right people the right amount of Universal Credit.
We published our annual ‘Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2019 to 2020 estimates’ report in May 2020, and this includes information and data across benefit types, including Universal Credit. It can be accessed online using the following link:
Data for previous financial years is also available via.gov.uk; however, changes in recording methodology mean that comparisons cannot be made with years prior to 2018/19.
The vast majority of benefit expenditure is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring. We are constantly improving our processes and continue to invest in the use of data and analytics to identify fraud and error.
Once rolled out, DWP expects the high-level design of Universal Credit to lead to around £1bn in benefit savings each year from reduced fraud and error.
The information you requested is not held by the Department. In the application process, claimants’ main disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment. It is not recorded at the point of application. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of applicants to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with particular conditions. Only those who have a disability assessment determination decision will have a main disabling condition recorded for them.
We do collect data on the main disability condition for those who have had a PIP clearance. The latest available data on PIP registrations and clearances split by geographical area (including region and parliamentary constituency), main disability, and by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) for both new claims and reassessed claims, can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearance times covers claims cleared up to the end of July 2020. Therefore, the average clearance times are calculated from March 2020 to July 2020, and March 2019 to July 2019 respectively for comparison.
The median end to end clearance time for PIP New Claims in Great Britain for Normal Rules claimants was 21 weeks for claims cleared from March 2020 to July 2020, and was 15 weeks for claims cleared from March 2019 to July 2019.
[In Wales, the median end to end clearance time for PIP New Claims for Normal Rules claimants was 14 weeks for claims cleared from March 2020 – July 2020 and was 16 weeks for claims cleared from March 2019 – July 2019.]
Changes in the average end to end clearance time across from March 2020 to July 2020 reflect disruption due to COVID-19, including the development, testing and successful rollout of a new telephony assessment model to enable claims to be progressed robustly in the absence of face-to-face assessments to ensure we were not putting vulnerable people and our staff at risk.
Notes
Source: PIP ADS
Statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children was published in July 2020 and can be accessed at
We welcome applications to set up Kickstart roles from employers from public, private and voluntary sectors, of all sizes and from both established and new enterprises. All employers applying to the scheme will be subject to checks to verify that they are legitimate organisations and can appropriately support any Kickstart participant taking a role with them.
There are no current plans to do so. The provision of local health services available to patients, including women’s health hubs, is a matter for clinical commissioning groups, which have a statutory responsibility to commission healthcare services that meet the needs of their whole population.
No specific assessment has been made. We expect National Health Service providers to take account of such guidance when planning and delivering services and providing care and treatment to patients.
There are no plans at present to review the cervical screening programme guidance to include human immunodeficiency virus testing in in colposcopy clinics, where further examination of the cervix is carried out.
Proposals to change an existing screening programme should be submitted to the United Kingdom National Screening Committee through its modification process, proposals are accepted throughout the year.
More information can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process
No specific discussions have been held with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. HIV testing in England is currently provided through specialist sexual health services including on-line test kits and in some general practitioner practices and emergency departments. The Government recognises the importance of HIV testing to meet its commitment to end new HIV transmissions by 2030 and will consider issues relating to HIV testing as part of the development of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and the HIV Action Plan, which we plan to publish in 2021.
All offers of personal protective equipment (PPE) from suppliers received the same eight stage assurance process which selected suppliers based on the product type, clinical acceptability, price, forecasted delivery dates, volume and financial standing. Approximately 400 officials from a number of Government departments managed this process which included negotiating with suppliers.
Three contracts with a total value of £276.5 million have been awarded to P14 Medical Limited for the supply of PPE. The Contract Award Notices and contracts have been published at the following links:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4b73ab6f-61a1-4bcc-be05-c61a036ec4ed
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2e4153e4-1bd2-47f2-bcce-14afa977362b
All offers of personal protective equipment (PPE) from suppliers received the same eight stage assurance process which selected suppliers based on the product type, clinical acceptability, price, forecasted delivery dates, volume and financial standing. Approximately 400 officials from a number of Government departments managed this process which included negotiating with suppliers.
Three contracts with a total value of £276.5 million have been awarded to P14 Medical Limited for the supply of PPE. The Contract Award Notices and contracts have been published at the following links:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/4b73ab6f-61a1-4bcc-be05-c61a036ec4ed
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2e4153e4-1bd2-47f2-bcce-14afa977362b
All offers of personal protective equipment from suppliers received the same eight stage assurance process which selected suppliers based on the product type, clinical acceptability, price, forecasted delivery dates, volume and financial standing. Approximately 400 officials from a number of Government departments managed this process, which included negotiating with suppliers.
Service credits are not used in the contracts the Department has awarded to personal protective equipment suppliers.
Public Health England has not awarded any service level credits to the contractor working on the Isolation Assurance Service.
Vaccination deployment programmes are led by the health and social care services in each nation - NHS England and NHS Improvement, NHS Wales, NHS Scotland and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland.
The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure an aligned approach to COVID-19 vaccine deployment across the United Kingdom. We have procured vaccines on behalf of all parts of the country and the Government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure they are deployed efficiently and equitably across the UK.
The ketogenic diet is a form of low carbohydrate diet. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is undertaking a risk assessment on lower carbohydrate diets compared to current Government advice for adults with type 2 diabetes. This report is due to be published later this year.
The SACN published its report on Carbohydrates and Health in July 2015 and concluded that the United Kingdom recommendation for total carbohydrates should be maintained at approximately 50% of total dietary energy.
The Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services. Ensuring equal access to sexual and reproductive health services for both men and women will be a key theme of the new sexual and reproductive health strategy.
Development of the strategy was paused at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However work is now underway and we plan to publish this in 2021.
The Government Equalities Office has responsibility for the period poverty taskforce. The Department of Health and Social Care, along with other Government departments, is committed to tackling period poverty. To support this, NHS England announced in March 2019 that it will offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them.
In England general practices are responsible for inviting eligible trans men to participate in National Health Service cervical screening at the appropriate intervals and for notifying them of their results in line with NHS Cervical Screening Programme guidance. Invitations are sent out using the current call and recall information technology system.
Health England has developed guidance for trans and non-binary individuals explaining who will be invited to participate in cervical screening as well as breast screening, bowel cancer screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. It includes important information about the four screening programmes and how to access additional support and advice and can be found at the following link:
It is important therefore that individuals ensure that their general practitioner records are up to date, in order to ensure they are offered appropriate screening.
In England general practices are responsible for inviting eligible trans men to participate in National Health Service cervical screening at the appropriate intervals and for notifying them of their results in line with NHS Cervical Screening Programme guidance. Invitations are sent out using the current call and recall information technology system.
Health England has developed guidance for trans and non-binary individuals explaining who will be invited to participate in cervical screening as well as breast screening, bowel cancer screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. It includes important information about the four screening programmes and how to access additional support and advice and can be found at the following link:
It is important therefore that individuals ensure that their general practitioner records are up to date, in order to ensure they are offered appropriate screening.
Information is not available in format requested. It is not possible to specify that a concussion took place as the result of a sporting event or practice from the data collected.
Such considerations are already taken into account by Ministers in relation to their existing responsibilities. For example, the Government has a clear commitment to leave our environment in a better state for future generations.
A full list of Ministerial Responsibilities is published online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938090/List-of-Ministerial-Responsibilities.pdf.
We keep staffing levels on the national non-National Health Service tracing service under constant review. As NHS Test and Trace became more locally targeted we reduced the number of non-NHS call handlers working for Serco and Sitel in the national service from 18,000 full time equivalents (FTEs) to 12,000 FTEs and then to 10,000 FTEs - Serco and Sitel providing 5,000 each. However, we have recently increased the numbers again to 7,000 FTEs for each supplier due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
At each stage the Department has given the suppliers good notice of our intentions and the suppliers have acted in accordance with the terms of contractual arrangements and relevant notice period. All staff working on the service have been provided with training on handling difficult situations they may face during a call and they have also been made aware of wellbeing and support mechanisms available to them.
We keep staffing levels on the national non-National Health Service tracing service under constant review. As NHS Test and Trace became more locally targeted we reduced the number of non-NHS call handlers working for Serco and Sitel in the national service from 18,000 full time equivalents (FTEs) to 12,000 FTEs and then to 10,000 FTEs - Serco and Sitel providing 5,000 each. However, we have recently increased the numbers again to 7,000 FTEs for each supplier due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
At each stage the Department has given the suppliers good notice of our intentions and the suppliers have acted in accordance with the terms of contractual arrangements and relevant notice period. All staff working on the service have been provided with training on handling difficult situations they may face during a call and they have also been made aware of wellbeing and support mechanisms available to them.
A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a cause code of firework injury for each year from 2015-16 to 2019-20 is shown in the following table:
Activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector
Year Period | FAEs |
2015-16 | 168 |
2016-17 | 183 |
2017-18 | 164 |
2018-19 | 154 |
2019-20 | 153 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital
Notes:
A FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.
Cause Code
A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in HES. Recording of external cause is not mandatory and recording practice varies over time and regionally, care should be used when interpreting this data.
W39 - Firework injury
Assessing growth through time (admitted patient care)
HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information.
It should be noted that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity ending between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.
Since the introduction of the Coronavirus Act 2020 there have been five instances where the Department as data controller have reported a data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
A Data Protection Impact Assessment is currently in development for the National Health Service Test and Trace programme as a whole. It will continue to evolve and be kept under constant review as the programme develops. The NHS Test and Trace programme is committed to the highest ethical and data governance standards and we will continue to publish privacy information for the public setting out clearly the bases on which NHS Test and Trace is collecting personal data and the purposes for which it will be used.
In England, there are 49,068 full time equivalent (FTE) consultants employed in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups, up by 34.1% (12,475 FTE) since 2010.
It is the responsibility of National Health Service trusts to have staffing arrangements in place that deliver safe and effective care. This includes recruiting the appropriate professionals needed to support these levels and meet local needs.
The number of post-registration specialty training places that are available each year is set by Health Education England, based on its assessment of service gaps and predicted workforce needs.
Decisions about the NHS workforce in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations of those countries.
Overall, there are 49,068 full time equivalent (FTE) consultants employed in National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups in England, up by 34.1% (12,475 FTE) since 2010.
It is the responsibility of NHS trusts to have staffing arrangements in place that deliver safe and effective care. This includes recruiting the appropriate professionals needed to support these levels and meet local needs.
The seismic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on ODA.
ODA allocations for the 2021-22 financial year have not yet been made. These will be decided through a rigorous business planning and budget allocation process in early 2021.
The Government has discussed arrangements with the EU for UK nationals travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU has consistently maintained that UK nationals will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. UK nationals will be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. This may require applying for a visa and/or permit.
At border control in the EU, UK nationals will be subject to third country national rules.
Information about travel to Europe after the transition period is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021
We are closely monitoring developments in Poland following a ruling on 22 October by its Constitutional Tribunal that laws permitting abortion in certain cases are unconstitutional and the large-scale protests across Poland that this has prompted. It is for each country to establish its own laws on abortion. However, the UK firmly believes that supporting the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, through evidence-based public health interventions, saves lives and supports prosperity. Evidence shows that restricting access to safe abortion does not make abortions less common: it only makes them less safe. The FCDO is a leading voice on gender issues, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, in multilateral fora such as the Council of Europe and the United Nations. The British Embassy in Warsaw is active on this agenda and in September ran a workshop for British and Polish NGOs active on women's rights.
The information requested is not available.
HMRC report monthly receipts from specific betting and gaming duties, including Lottery Duty. HMRC do not hold information on tax receipts in respect of specific lottery products, events, or “rounds”.
HMRC publish information on Lottery Duty receipts within the ‘UK Betting and Gaming Statistics’ publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-betting-and-gaming-statistics.
The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.
The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.
The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.
The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.
The Treasury does not make assessments of the bank and building society branch network. In 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) undertook an analysis of branch closures as part of its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models. This analysis can be found in Annex 1 of the final report.
The decision to close a branch is a commercial issue for banks and building societies and the Government does not intervene in these decisions. However, the Government does believe it is important the impact on communities is understood, considered and mitigated where possible. That is why the Government continues to be very supportive of the Access to Banking Standard (formerly the Access to Banking Protocol) which commits firms to ensure customers are well informed about branch closures, the bank’s reasons for closure and options for continued access to banking services. These include the Post Office, which allows 95% of business and 99% of personal banking customers to carry out their everyday banking at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
In September 2020, the FCA published guidance setting out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of a planned closure on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and other relevant branch services and consider possible alternative access arrangements.
The sector “Other service activities” includes the activities of membership organisations, the repair of computers and personal and household goods and a variety of personal service activities. A breakdown of the activities in the sector is provided below.
o Activities of business, employers and professional membership organisations
o Activities of trade unions
o Activities of other membership organisations
o Repair of computers and communication equipment
o Repair of personal and household goods
o Washing and (dry-)cleaning of textile and fur products
o Hairdressing and other beauty treatment
o Funeral and related activities
o Physical well-being activities
o Other personal service activities not elsewhere classified
The information is not held in the form requested. The beauty industry forms part of the “Other service activities” sector.
The number of individuals who have claimed a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant working in that sector are:
| 1st SEISS grant (by 31st July 2020) | 2nd SEISS grant (by 31st August 2020) |
England | 158,500 | 128,100 |
Wales | 8,100 | 6,500 |
United Kingdom | 188,000 | 152,000 |
These figures were taken from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme statistics published on 21 August and 18 September respectively.
HMT takes care to pay due regard to the equality impacts of its policy decisions relating to the Covid-19 outbreak, including the equality impacts of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme, in line with all legal requirements and the Government’s commitment to promoting equality.
The Home Office collects data on police recorded crime including public order offences. These are published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest figures, for the year ending March 2021, can be accessed here:
However, these data do not identify whether or not the offence was related to nitrous oxide.
The Home Office has undertaken to a create a central repository for all Domestic Homicide Reviews.
We are currently reviewing options for creating the repository and will provide an update when a solution is in place.
We have interpreted this question as referring to the number of females with a police marker indicating they are a potential victim of domestic abuse. The data requested is not held by the Home Office. Individual police forces may hold this data.
For the year ending March 2020, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) showed that an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year.
Domestic abuse can encompass a wide range of behaviours and can affect all parts of a victim’s life and relationships. This includes the use of pets as a tool to coerce, control or threaten victims.
The Domestic Abuse Bill will help to better protect and support the victims of all forms of domestic abuse and help bring perpetrators to justice. As part of this, the Government will be strengthening legislation on controlling or coercive behaviour so that abusers can still be prosecuted even when they no longer live with their victims.
The statutory guidance which accompanies the legislation is designed to provide explanation of the different characteristics of domestic abuse, and includes reference to how pets may be used by perpetrators. The guidance will be published for a formal consultation after Royal Assent.
Additionally, this year the government will be publishing a new Domestic Abuse Strategy which will build on the work of the Bill to transform our response to domestic abuse.
The Home office does not collect data on the number of police cautions issued for anti-social behaviour and has not estimated what proportion of time police officers spend dealing with anti-social behaviour incidents
It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to individual crimes and local priorities
To help ensure that the police have the resources they need to do so we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.
The Home office does not collect data on the number of police cautions issued for anti-social behaviour and has not estimated what proportion of time police officers spend dealing with anti-social behaviour incidents
It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to individual crimes and local priorities
To help ensure that the police have the resources they need to do so we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.
The Home Office collects information on the number of incidents of Anti-social behaviour recorded by the police in England and Wales. This is published annually by the Office for National Statistics in Table P9 of its Police Force Area tables. The latest available data for 2019/20 including trends back to 2007/08 can be found here:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables
Information below Police Force Area level is not held centrally.
Data is currently only collected by the Home Office from police forces on a quarterly basis, so it is not possible to provide monthly breakdowns.
The Home office does not currently collect data on the number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued.
The Home Office collects information on the number of incidents of Anti-social behaviour recorded by the police in England and Wales. This is published annually by the Office for National Statistics in Table P9 of its Police Force Area tables. The latest available data for 2019/20 including trends back to 2007/08 can be found here:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables
Information below Police Force Area level is not held centrally.
Data is currently only collected by the Home Office from police forces on a quarterly basis, so it is not possible to provide monthly breakdowns.
The Home office does not currently collect data on the number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued.
The Home Office collects information on the number of incidents of Anti-social behaviour recorded by the police in England and Wales. This is published annually by the Office for National Statistics in Table P9 of its Police Force Area tables. The latest available data for 2019/20 including trends back to 2007/08 can be found here:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables
Information below Police Force Area level is not held centrally.
Data is currently only collected by the Home Office from police forces on a quarterly basis, so it is not possible to provide monthly breakdowns.
The Home office does not currently collect data on the number of Criminal Behaviour Orders issued.
The Home Office collects information from police forces in England on Wales on offences covered by the notifiable offence list. This is generally restricted to indictable offences, that are heard before a crown court, and triable either way offences, that commence in a magistrates court but may be heard in a crown court. Animal welfare crimes are not covered by the notifiable offence list.
Whilst pet thefts are covered by the notifiable offence list it is not possible to separately identify these crimes from others in the wider offence category of theft offences.
The Home Office does not hold the requested information.
We have announced a provisional police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion for 2021/22. This is a total increase of up to £636 million for the policing system which will enable police to cut crime and tackle offences including relating to animal welfare crimes.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of officers per 100,00 people, for England and Wales annually in Table H4 of the accompanying tables of the “Police workforce, England and Wales” statistical bulletin, which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2020
The Home Office have announced a provisional police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion for 2021/22. This is a total increase of up to £636 million for the policing system which will enable police to cut crime and tackle offences including relating to animal cruelty.
For the latest data on prosecutions and conviction relating to animal cruelty, please see Parliamentary Question answer 138105, tabled on 14 January 2021.
The £2.74 email charge is levied to fund the commercial contract. The UK government believes it is right those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting its costs. Those who use the services are predominantly from outside the UK, with GOV.UK providing the main source of information and advice, free of charge.
The Home Office uses SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) including overseas customer email enquiries. Further details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd including revenue generated by email enquiries, is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.
The Home Office publishes the investigative outcomes of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, including the number resolved through a police caution. This data is published on a quarterly basis and can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
Pursuant to the answer of 15th December 2020, the temporary regional intake unit in Cardiff has been in operation since April 2020, as part of the Home Office response to the COVID pandemic.
There are no processing capacity limits on the additional temporary locations introduced to register asylum claims.
The Home Office aims to ensure all locations are sufficiently resourced to provide timely appointments to register asylum claims. Capacity is based upon demand and workforce availability at these temporary locations which enables them to cope with fluctuations in levels of asylum intake.
Asylum claims registered at these temporary regional locations are processed in accordance with policy, fulfilling the UKs statutory obligations in relation to registering asylum claims in a Covid safe environment.
These are temporary arrangements which will be kept under review to align with HMG guidance. These changes do not represent a new operating model - they are contingency measures put in place during the COVID-19 epidemic in order to ensure that asylum seekers are able to safely register their claims.
The Home Office are unable to state what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of opening the temporary Asylum Operations Regional Intake Unit in Cardiff. Where possible we have reduced costs by retributing resources from within the Home Office and Other Governmental Departments. To obtain this information would require the interrogation of information held under multiple cost centres and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Home Office are able to provide the total asylum costing for 2019/2020 and can be found at asy_04:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-protection-data-november-2020
The £2.74 email charge is levied to fund the commercial contract, as the UK government believes it is right those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of the immigration system.
Those who use the services are predominantly from outside the UK. Our web site gov.uk is the main source of information and advice and is free of charge.
Further details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.
The Home Office is unable to state how many and what proportion of asylum decision makers left their jobs within the first 12 months of employment in the Asylum Operations Regional Intake Unit in Cardiff. The temporary regional intake unit in Cardiff has been in operation since April 2020, as part of the Home Office response to the COVID pandemic.
In line with Government restrictions on travel and to continue to meet commitments during the COVID 19 restrictions, the Home Office temporarily introduced additional locations to register asylum claims in Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool, Leeds, Solihull and Cardiff, which began taking appointments on 19 April 2020.
Asylum Operations has over recent years made good progress on increasing the number of decision makers and support staff. There are recruitment strategies in place to maintain staffing at the required levels to allow us to manage asylum intake and reduce the overall time to make initial asylum decisions. These include rolling recruitment campaigns, a staff retention strategy to ensure it retains its highly skilled asylum decision makers, and the further expansion of digital processes to increase case working flexibility. Recruitment has however been impacted by COVID-19, we are working to return staffing numbers back to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible and with campaigns due to go live imminently.
Rape and sexual assault are devastating crimes and we want victims to have the confidence to report them, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.
The Ministry of Justice has committed £32 million over three years from 2019 to 2022 to rape support centres across England and Wales to provide emotional and practical support to victims, which may include counselling and therapy. The Home Office is also providing £200,000 in 2020/21 to specialist sexual violence support services through its National Sexual Violence Support Fund.
We understand the importance of accessing therapy after going through a traumatic experience. Earlier this year the CPS launched a public consultation on guidance for pre-trial therapy. The updated guidance will provide prosecutors, the police and therapists with practical support in helping victims through this part of the justice process.
The Government is also conducting an end-to-end review of the criminal justice response to rape, which includes considering the role of support services in victims’ engagement throughout the criminal justice system.
The UK signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012, signalling its strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) and this Government remains committed to ratifying it.
The Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017 requires Ministers to publish annual reports on their progress towards being able to ratify the Convention. The third such report was published on 31 October 2019.
We will shortly be publishing this year’s report on our progress, which will set out our compliance position and the steps we are taking towards ratification.
The UK signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012, signalling its strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) and this Government remains committed to ratifying it.
The Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017 requires Ministers to publish annual reports on their progress towards being able to ratify the Convention. The third such report was published on 31 October 2019.
We will shortly be publishing this year’s report on our progress, which will set out our compliance position and the steps we are taking towards ratification.
The UK signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012, signalling its strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) and this Government remains committed to ratifying it.
The Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017 requires Ministers to publish annual reports on their progress towards being able to ratify the Convention. The third such report was published on 31 October 2019.
We will shortly be publishing this year’s report on our progress, which will set out our compliance position and the steps we are taking towards ratification.
It is important that all survivors of domestic abuse have access to appropriate support services according to their needs, and a range of funding exists to ensure the provision of such services.
The Home Office has provided £120,000 of funding each year since 2016 for the National LGBT Domestic Abuse helpline, which provides emotional and practical support for LGBT+ people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse. We have provided additional funding to bolster the helpline during COVID-19.
To enable us to better understand the complex landscape for community-based support for all victims, including those who are LGBT+, the Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner has agreed to undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape over 2020/21.
The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them.
The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) is an ongoing programme of work and will continue to be a key part of the Ministry of Defence's long-term plans to develop and encourage public support for the Armed Forces community through the Armed Forces Covenant.
There is no timetable for the implementation of a second phase of the Defence ERS; there is an annual programme of review and award to enable interested employers to progress through the three levels of the scheme (Bronze to Silver to Gold) which begins in January each year.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely clear there is no place for sexual offending in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are committed to addressing the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault through a range of actions, including awareness campaigns and training presentations around sexual consent. Training is provided to all personnel, with junior officers benefitting from additional instruction to enable them to understand the standards expected of them, tackle unacceptable behaviours and support those under their command
The MOD recognises the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and is committed to reducing the incidence of unacceptable behaviour and to holding perpetrators to account. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to victims. Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, up to and including imprisonment and dismissal from Service. While much has been and continues to be done, including the implementation of the Wigston and Gray reports, Defence recognises the scale of the task we must address and remains committed to tackling this challenge.
Detailed statistics about sexual offending in the Service Justice System are published annually as part of our commitment to openness and transparency, and are available from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely clear there is no place for sexual offending in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are committed to addressing the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault through a range of actions, including awareness campaigns and training presentations around sexual consent. Training is provided to all personnel, with junior officers benefitting from additional instruction to enable them to understand the standards expected of them, tackle unacceptable behaviours and support those under their command
The MOD recognises the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and is committed to reducing the incidence of unacceptable behaviour and to holding perpetrators to account. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to victims. Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, up to and including imprisonment and dismissal from Service. While much has been and continues to be done, including the implementation of the Wigston and Gray reports, Defence recognises the scale of the task we must address and remains committed to tackling this challenge.
Detailed statistics about sexual offending in the Service Justice System are published annually as part of our commitment to openness and transparency, and are available from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely clear there is no place for sexual offending in the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are committed to addressing the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault through a range of actions, including awareness campaigns and training presentations around sexual consent. Training is provided to all personnel, with junior officers benefitting from additional instruction to enable them to understand the standards expected of them, tackle unacceptable behaviours and support those under their command
The MOD recognises the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and is committed to reducing the incidence of unacceptable behaviour and to holding perpetrators to account. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to victims. Commanding Officers must always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the Service Police. Anyone found to fall short of the Services’ high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, up to and including imprisonment and dismissal from Service. While much has been and continues to be done, including the implementation of the Wigston and Gray reports, Defence recognises the scale of the task we must address and remains committed to tackling this challenge.
Detailed statistics about sexual offending in the Service Justice System are published annually as part of our commitment to openness and transparency, and are available from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sexual-offences-in-the-service-justice-system
In order for the UKCA mark to be applied to a construction product, the product must meet the definition of a construction product as set out by the United Kingdom Construction Products Regulations, and be covered by either a United Kingdom designated standard or United Kingdom Technical Assessment.
Wrestling and boxing rings in themselves do not meet this definition of construction products, and are covered by neither a United Kingdom designated standard, nor a United Kingdom Technical Assessment, under the United Kingdom Construction Products Regulations. They therefore do not need to be UKCA-marked in order to be placed on the market of Great Britain.
If the component parts of a wrestling or boxing ring have been marketed as individual products for use in construction, however, they will be subject to the same rules as construction products, which may include the requirement to apply the UKCA mark.
In November 2018 the Government issued new statutory guidance for local authorities to improve access to social housing for victims of domestic abuse who are in a refuge or other form of safe temporary accommodation: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/753667/Improving_access_to_social_housing_for_victims_of_domestic_abuse.pdf
The guidance also sets out how local authorities can use their existing powers to support victims to remain safely in their homes if they choose to do so.
In addition, in August 2020 Government updated guidance for victims of domestic abuse which includes details of trusted sources of advice, including on housing matters: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help
My officials regularly engage with the domestic abuse sector on a number of issues relating to housing.
Breastfeeding jurors who wish to undertake jury service can discuss their needs with the court to ensure that they can be supported during their service. This support could include providing a place to express milk and suitable storage for expressed milk. HMCTS will be guided by the needs of the individual and will meet any reasonable request wherever possible.
All jurors, including breastfeeding women, can apply to change the date of their jury service to another date within a 12-month period of the original summons. This is known as a deferral. If a juror believes they cannot serve at any time during those 12 months, they can apply to be excused. Deferral and excusal applications are considered by summoning officers at the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) Each application is carefully considered on its own merits and in light of individual circumstances.
Breastfeeding jurors who wish to undertake jury service can discuss their needs with the court to ensure that they can be supported during their service. This support could include providing a place to express milk and suitable storage for expressed milk. HMCTS will be guided by the needs of the individual and will meet any reasonable request wherever possible.
All jurors, including breastfeeding women, can apply to change the date of their jury service to another date within a 12-month period of the original summons. This is known as a deferral. If a juror believes they cannot serve at any time during those 12 months, they can apply to be excused. Deferral and excusal applications are considered by summoning officers at the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) Each application is carefully considered on its own merits and in light of individual circumstances.
HMPPS Digital Media Investigation Unit is a specialist Digital Team whose responsibilities include the extraction of data from illicit mobile devices found in prison custody.
Average waiting times for centrally processed devices are relatively short – under 5 days.
In addition, Digital Media Investigation Unit has put in place capability for local extraction within prisons. The average waiting time for these interrogations is not held centrally.
It is important to note that these waiting times are not directly comparable with Law Enforcement Partners due to different operating contexts. DMIU does not extract data from every illicit device found in custody and on occasion some devices may be sent to Law Enforcement partners when dealing with specific investigations. Data for such waiting times is not held centrally.
The data provided is specific to those extractions completed by HMPPS relating to HMPPS cases and therefore does not include any other Digital Investigation Units such as the Police or related Law Enforcement Agencies.
The Government recognises that the decline in the number of rape and serious sexual offences being charged and prosecuted in England and Wales is a cause for significant concern. That is why we are carrying out an end-to end review of how the Criminal Justice System responds to rape. Through this review we are working with operational partners from across the Criminal Justice system including the police, CPS and victims’ groups to ensure we can improve the way rape cases are dealt with.
The Government intends to publish the report in the Spring.
The Government recognises that the decline in the number of rape and serious sexual offences being charged and prosecuted in England and Wales is a cause for significant concern. That is why we are carrying out an end-to-end review of how the Criminal Justice System responds to rape. Through this review we are working with operational partners from across the Criminal Justice system including the police, CPS and victims’ groups to ensure we can improve the way rape cases are dealt with.
The Government wants to make sure that the final report, when published, is as well evidenced and effective as possible, so that it delivers meaningful and long-lasting change. In order to take into account recently published work, including the EVAW ‘Shadow Review’ document, and make sure we define the right actions for the police, CPS and courts to take, we think it is right to delay publication until this spring – a decision that was supported by organisations across the victims’ sector.
We will update the House in due course on the progress of the report.
There are two types of caution available for children aged 10-17: a youth caution and a youth conditional caution. These can be used as an alternative to prosecution for any offence admitted by a child where there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, but it is not in the public interest to prosecute. A youth conditional caution has conditions attached - where there is no reasonable excuse for non-compliance with conditions, criminal proceedings may be brought.
The table below shows the aggregated number of both types of youth caution where the principal offence (where there is more than one offence, the principal offence is the more serious) was a sexual offence. 8,552 cautions were issued to children in the year ending March 2019, meaning that cautions where the principal offence was a sexual offence made up around 2% of all cautions issued to children in that year.
| Year ending March | ||||
Offence type | 2015[1] | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Sexual offences | 303 | 277 | 248 | 151 | 133 |
This information can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2018-to-2019 in the document "Youth Justice Statistics: 2018 to 2019: supplementary tables", chapter 1, table 1.12.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 significantly modernised and strengthened the laws on sexual offences in England and Wales to provide extra protection to people from sexual exploitation. The sentences available to the courts for offences under the Act are significant and reflect the seriousness of the offending.
The Home Office also publishes the investigative outcomes of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, including the number resolved through a police caution. This data is published quarterly and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
Any discrepancies between the two sets of data are due to differences in recording practices.
[1] In the year ending March 2016 the offence groups used as the reason for giving a youth caution were updated to match the groups used in crime statistics. Therefore, data broken down by offence group from the year ending March 2016 onwards are not directly comparable with previous data.
The Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 placed new restrictions on the use of Cautions for Indictable only offences (such as Rape) for offenders over 18. This restricted their use to exceptional circumstances, and only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Ministry of Justice has published information on police cautions issued for rape offences, up to December 2018, in the ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available here:
Using the data tool above, type ‘rape’ in the ‘Offence’ filter. Select all options (19C-H, using ‘Select Multiple Items’ tickbox) in order to see police cautions for all rape offences. Number of cautions issued can be identified for each year from 2008 to 2018 in Row 23.
The figures relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
The Out of Court Disposals framework is currently being reformed following the announcement of the Lord Chancellor in the Sentencing White Paper in September 2020:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918187/a-smarter-approach-to-sentencing.pdf. Legislation will be brought forward in due course.
Whilst we do not hold data relating to claims awaiting hearing, the outstanding caseload in the Employment Tribunal for each quarter since 2017 until June 2020 can be found in these published statistics. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2020
In the answer to question 123733 we set out the proportion of the additional Covid-related funding announced in September 2020 which could be directly attributed to each of the major jurisdictions as well as spend which benefits multiple jurisdictions. The majority of Covid recovery spend is for costs such as additional cleaning of the court estate, the provision of additional safety and security works, the provision of technology to enable remote hearings which have been critical to Tribunals this year, and the provision of some additional court rooms (often referred to as ‘Nightingale Courts’). Much of this spend will be of direct benefit to Tribunals but cannot be directly attributed to it. Very little of the spend is directly attributable to a single tribunal, and so I am unable to provide a further breakdown.
We are also investing record amounts which will also improve our resilience going forward, including £153m investment in 20/21 to improve court and tribunal buildings – the biggest single investment in court estate maintenance for more than 20 years.
The number of outstanding rape and sexual offences court cases at the Crown Court in England and Wales each year since 2015 are presented in the table below:
|
The number of outstanding rape and sexual offences court cases at the Crown Court in England and Wales each year since 2015 are presented in the table below:
|
The Government wants to ensure that victims of sexual offences are treated with dignity and respect in court.
Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 provides critical protection for complainants in sex offence cases, by restricting the introduction of a complainant’s sexual history by the defence in sexual offence cases.
In 2017, we carefully looked at how the law was working in practice and found that the law was operating as Parliament intended, while striking the balance between the need to protect complainants and ensure defendants receive a fair trial.
As part of the End to End Review of the Criminal Justice’s system response to rape we are working to ensure disclosure is proportionate, taking into account the increasing digital nature of evidence.
The Government will publish its initial findings and recommendations for action in due course and we are committed to continuing work with partners from across the criminal justice system after that to improve the system in the longer term.
The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions and convictions made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales, up to December 2019 in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code’ data tool, available here:
Offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 relating to the use of inhumane animal traps are included within the offences ‘Causing, permitting or failing to prevent unnecessary suffering’ and ‘Carrying out, permitting, causing to be carried out or failing to prevent prohibited procedure on protected animal’. It is not possible to disaggregate the requested offence from within these general offences. Offences specifically related to inhumane animal traps may be held on court record but can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Using the data tool linked above, enter the following Home Office offence codes into the ‘Offence code’ filter, in order to isolate data on prosecutions associated with each offence:
In order to identify breakdowns across England and Wales, use the ‘Police Force Area’ filter and select either all areas of Wales, or all of England.
The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions and convictions made under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales, up to December 2019 in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code’ data tool, available here:
Offences contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act include:
These are collectively housed under the Home Office offence code 108/29. In the data tool above, enter ‘10829’ into the ‘Offence code’ filter in order to see prosecutions under this offence, in Row 31, each year since 2013.
A jurisdictional breakdown of forecast expenditure in relation to the additional covid-19-related funding for HM Courts & Tribunals Service announced on 6 September 2020 is provided below.
The financial forecast is provisional, as at 30th November, and reflects latest projections of judicial demand and supply, physical court room capacity and current recovery trajectories. This forecast remains subject to change during the recovery phase, as resources are deployed in line with HMCTS recovery priorities.
Jurisdiction | £000’s | % of total |
Crime | 27,515 | 34% |
Civil and Family | 14,116 | 17% |
Tribunals | 3,364 | 4% |
Probate | 400 | 0% |
Multi-Jurisdiction | 35,351 | 44% |
Total | 80,738 |
|
*Multi-jurisdiction includes services accounted for at a national basis, for which a jurisdiction is not identifiable in the financial system – examples include resources working across jurisdictions to manage priorities and demand, corporate services, telephone conferencing.
The Government recognises that the decline in the number of rape and serious sexual offences being charged and prosecuted in England and Wales is a cause for significant concern.
As such an end-to-end review of the criminal justice response to rape and serious sexual offences was commissioned in March 2019 by the National Criminal Justice Board (CJB). A sub-group of the CJB made up of experts and operational partners from across the criminal justice system is driving forward the review
To answer your questions in turn:
a) The review has established a Stakeholder Reference Group, which is made up of victim organisations, and is consulted to ensure the review considers the victim experience of the whole criminal justice system. The review team has met with this group three times, in May 2019, February 2020 and April 2020. Members of the Group have also been engaged by the Review team separately to discuss specific elements of the review.
b) The review has commissioned a Literature Review of research currently in the public domain that studies the end to end progression of rape cases in England and Wales, including findings relevant to the role of juries and courts
c) Five expert interviews were undertaken with barristers as part of a wider suite of qualitative and quantitative work which included 23 focus groups and in-depth interviews and 691 surveys with police officers, specialist victims support services including Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), barristers, HMCTS and CPS prosecutors.
In March 2019 the National Criminal Justice Board (CJB) commissioned a review to consider the decline in the number of rape and serious sexual offences being charged and prosecuted in England and Wales. A sub-group of the CJB is driving forward the review and continues to gather and analyse detailed views from key groups and agencies across the criminal justice system.
The review is currently focussed on understanding how the system’s response to rape cases can be improved from the time a report is made to when a case reaches court, as such barriers to reporting fall outside of the scope.
The Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of rape and sexual violence have access to high-quality support services to help them cope with and, as far as possible, recover from the effects of crime. These services are available to all, provided by specialist local organisations at a physical location, free of charge and regardless of whether a person reported the crime to police.
The Independent Review of Education was an important commitment made in the New Decade, New Approach Agreement, to be taken forward by the Northern Ireland Executive. It presents a real opportunity to ensure that Northern Ireland’s education system works for all children and young people, and helps promote integration and reconciliation at its core.
The Government welcomes the establishment of the Review, the publication of its Terms of Reference and the completion of the recruitment process for the Panel. We hope this progress will continue and look forward to the Panel’s findings, which will be for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider and take forward.
The Government firmly believes that greater integration within Northern Ireland’s education system is an essential aspect of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. That is why, as part of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, the Government committed to providing up to £500 million of funding to support shared and integrated education projects. The £400 million New Deal for Northern Ireland will also support initiatives to enable children from different community backgrounds to be educated together.
The Government firmly believes that greater integration within education is an essential aspect of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. That is why, as part of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, the Government committed to providing up to £500 million of funding to support shared and integrated education projects. This funding is supporting the building of 23 integrated schools and 5 shared campuses.
The £400 million New Deal for Northern Ireland will also support initiatives to enable children from different community backgrounds to be educated together. The Government is currently exploring ways in which this funding can best be deployed.
Abortion services are now a matter for the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.
I am pleased that some service provision has commenced through existing sexual and reproductive health services in the Belfast, Northern and Western Trust areas. Information on these services is available through the Informing Choices NI helpline and the Central Booking Service.
I hope that longer-term services can be commissioned as soon as possible in the current circumstances, consistent with the Regulations we made.
The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 which were laid in March have now been replaced with the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 , which were laid in the House today. These regulations come into effect on 14th May and revoke the earlier regulations. Their legal effect in supporting the provision of services remains consistent, with a small correction having been made to address the concerns of the JCSI, so services can continue on the same basis.
Work is the most effective route out of poverty. Universal Credit makes it easier for people to move into work and keep more of what they earn.
We have listened to concerns and as a result ensured that claimants can access 100% advance payments on day one of a Universal Credit claim and continue to receive Housing Benefit for two weeks after transitioning.