Alexander Stafford

The Government is committed to supporting the steel sector. Guidance published in December 2016 (PPN 11/16) has helped to create a level playing field by ensuring the full value offered by UK steel suppliers can be considered in major projects. Guidance covering supply chain plans and advertising opportunities is already included and the Government may consider additional obligations beyond the current guidance if they are in the public interest.

The steel guidance was designed only for contracts awarded under the Public Contracts Regulations, 2015; this does not include procurements which are based on Contracts for Difference arrangements that require a different process.

Departmental compliance with the steel guidance is published annually on Gov.uk along with a steel procurement pipeline to show future steel requirements for national infrastructure projects.

Departments are encouraged to sign up to aspects of the UK Steel Charter where relevant to their commercial activities and where consistent with the relevant procurement regulations, and the Government’s steel policy guidelines.

The review of UK steel safeguards is being led by the Trade Investigation Directorate, an independent arm of the Department for International Trade and it would be premature for the Government to comment on this before the recommendations have been published.

A joint Industry/BEIS Taskforce has been established to consider issues reported by UK steel producers in relation to their ability to secure public sector contracts. It is expected to report in Autumn 2021.

Critical Minerals supply is an important global issue as we use our G7 Presidency to help drive the global economic recovery, harnessing green technologies and renewable energy generation and storage.

The security of critical supply chains - including critical minerals - is being considered as a possible area of focus for the G7 Panel on Economic Resilience, chaired by Lord Sedwill of Sherborne in his capacity as the Prime Minister's G7 Envoy on Economic Resilience. The Panel will consult widely across and beyond the G7 and report its recommendations at the Leaders’ Summit in June.

The Government recognises the substantial public interest in parish councils affairs, including those in Handforth.

The Government also recognises the difficulties that genuinely vexatious and repeated freedom of information requests can place on smaller organisations and in 2018, issued a revised Code of Practice to allow for the use of relevant provisions in the Freedom of Information Act where necessary and appropriate.

The Government recognises the substantial public interest in parish councils affairs, including those in Handforth.

The Government also recognises the difficulties that genuinely vexatious and repeated freedom of information requests can place on smaller organisations and in 2018, issued a revised Code of Practice to allow for the use of relevant provisions in the Freedom of Information Act where necessary and appropriate.

The UK Government has provided comprehensive guidance on the processes that apply for moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is available on gov.uk. This includes the various means that are in place - whether through the UK Trader Scheme, the de minimis waiver arrangements, or the preferential arrangements available under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement - to ensure goods are able to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland tariff-free. We have also established the Trader Support Service, to which more than 27,000 companies are signed up, to support traders engaging in those processes. It is complemented by the Movement Assistance Scheme which provides assistance for traders moving food or agricultural products for which specific SPS controls apply.

As my Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in the Commons on 13 January, the UK has operated arrangements since 1 January to ensure relevant UK-origin steel products do not incur tariffs when moving to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. EU origin steel will also not be subject to tariffs when moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. On 21 January the Government also set out to stakeholders how relevant quotas can be accessed when businesses in Northern Ireland import steel from the rest of the world, and we remain in intensive contact with industry as these arrangements are put in place.

The UK Government has provided comprehensive guidance on the processes that apply for moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is available on gov.uk. This includes the various means that are in place - whether through the UK Trader Scheme, the de minimis waiver arrangements, or the preferential arrangements available under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement - to ensure goods are able to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland tariff-free. We have also established the Trader Support Service, to which more than 27,000 companies are signed up, to support traders engaging in those processes. It is complemented by the Movement Assistance Scheme which provides assistance for traders moving food or agricultural products for which specific SPS controls apply.

As my Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in the Commons on 13 January, the UK has operated arrangements since 1 January to ensure relevant UK-origin steel products do not incur tariffs when moving to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. EU origin steel will also not be subject to tariffs when moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. On 21 January the Government also set out to stakeholders how relevant quotas can be accessed when businesses in Northern Ireland import steel from the rest of the world, and we remain in intensive contact with industry as these arrangements are put in place.

The UK Government has provided comprehensive guidance on the processes that apply for moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is available on gov.uk. This includes the various means that are in place - whether through the UK Trader Scheme, the de minimis waiver arrangements, or the preferential arrangements available under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement - to ensure goods are able to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland tariff-free. We have also established the Trader Support Service, to which more than 27,000 companies are signed up, to support traders engaging in those processes. It is complemented by the Movement Assistance Scheme which provides assistance for traders moving food or agricultural products for which specific SPS controls apply.

As my Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in the Commons on 13 January, the UK has operated arrangements since 1 January to ensure relevant UK-origin steel products do not incur tariffs when moving to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. EU origin steel will also not be subject to tariffs when moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. On 21 January the Government also set out to stakeholders how relevant quotas can be accessed when businesses in Northern Ireland import steel from the rest of the world, and we remain in intensive contact with industry as these arrangements are put in place.

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (113) require government contractors to be paid within 30 days of receiving an invoice, and for these terms to be passed down the supply chain. Furthermore, the Government has introduced a measure to exclude suppliers who do not pay their whole supply chain promptly from major government work.

Businesses are encouraged to report instances of late or unfair payment in public sector contracts to the Public Procurement Review Service.

As my Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in the Commons last week, the UK has put arrangements in place such that steel from Great Britain can move into Northern Ireland without being subject to tariffs.

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

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

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

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

The Government is funding several schemes as part of its commitment to retrofit homes to cut energy bills for households and to make them greener on the path to Net Zero.

The Local Authority Delivery Scheme (LAD), which supports projects to install energy efficiency measures such as various types of insulation, and low-carbon heating systems for low-income households, has already provided £500million to Local Authorities for upgrades to low-income households across England, and is being delivered up to December 2021.

On 16^th June 2021, the Government launched the Sustainable Warmth Competition enabling Local Authorities to apply for further funding under the £200million Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 scheme and from an initial allocation of £150million for the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1 scheme, for delivery up to March 2023.

In addition, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator has awarded £62million of funding to social landlords across England and Scotland to test innovative approaches to retrofitting at scale, seeing over 2300 social homes improved to at least EPC band C.   The Government has announced around a further £160million for the first wave of the £3.8bn manifesto commitment in financial year 21/22, delivering up to March 2023.

The Government announced in the Sustainable Warmth Strategy a four-year, £4 billion successor scheme to ECO, to accelerate our efforts to improve homes to meet fuel poverty targets.   In our recently published consultation, we propose that up to 50% of the scheme can be delivered through referrals by Local Authorities and energy suppliers, to help accelerate our efforts to improve homes to meet fuel poverty targets.   ECO will continue to be an obligation on suppliers.

As part of the Local Energy Programme, five Local Energy Hubs across England have so far received £13 million of funding. Each Hub is hosted by a lead local authority and works with LEPs and local authorities to increase their capacity to identify and deliver local energy projects and undertake the initial stages of project development up to the point where they can attract investment. Hubs have already supported over £60m of commissioned energy projects and are working on a pipeline of over £3bn of projects.

The Local Authority Delivery Scheme (LAD), which supports projects to install energy efficiency measures such as various types of insulation, and low-carbon heating systems for low-income households, has already provided £500million to Local Authorities for upgrades to low-income households across England, and is being delivered by the Local Energy Hubs up to December 2021.

The Government understands the importance of technology-critical minerals and metals supply chains to the economy, as well as the importance of the role of technology (including distributed ledger technology), data and collaborative ventures in the supply chains for these vital materials. This close interest extends across Whitehall and so a range of input is needed to provide a holistic understanding of resilience issues across Departments. We are working towards a single Government vision in this crucial area, and our priority is to enable effective inter-departmental collaboration to drive unified and coordinated Government action to support this sector.

The Government understands the importance of technology-critical minerals and metals supply chains to the economy, as well as the importance of the role of technology (including distributed ledger technology), data and collaborative ventures in the supply chains for these vital materials. This close interest extends across Whitehall and so a range of input is needed to provide a holistic understanding of resilience issues across Departments. We are working towards a single Government vision in this crucial area, and our priority is to enable effective inter-departmental collaboration to drive unified and coordinated Government action to support this sector.

The Government understands the importance of technology-critical minerals and metals supply chains to the economy, as well as the importance of the role of technology (including distributed ledger technology), data and collaborative ventures in the supply chains for these vital materials. This close interest extends across Whitehall and so a range of input is needed to provide a holistic understanding of resilience issues across Departments. We are working towards a single Government vision in this crucial area, and our priority is to enable effective inter-departmental collaboration to drive unified and coordinated Government action to support this sector.

The Government understands the importance of technology-critical minerals and metals supply chains to the economy, as well as the importance of the role of technology (including distributed ledger technology), data and collaborative ventures in the supply chains for these vital materials. This close interest extends across Whitehall and so a range of input is needed to provide a holistic understanding of resilience issues across Departments. We are working towards a single Government vision in this crucial area, and our priority is to enable effective inter-departmental collaboration to drive unified and coordinated Government action to support this sector.

The Government understands the importance of technology-critical minerals and metals supply chains to the economy, as well as the importance of the role of technology (including distributed ledger technology), data and collaborative ventures in the supply chains for these vital materials. This close interest extends across Whitehall and so a range of input is needed to provide a holistic understanding of resilience issues across Departments. We are working towards a single Government vision in this crucial area, and our priority is to enable effective inter-departmental collaboration to drive unified and coordinated Government action to support this sector.

This year the UK will use its Presidency at COP26 to bring countries together to commit to a cleaner energy future. This will include helping to drive efforts to develop a global hydrogen economy – building on many countries’ recent ambitious commitments to expand low carbon hydrogen production, including the UK’s.

COP26 provides us with a timely opportunity to harness this momentum and galvanise joined-up action to help the world move at pace to unlock hydrogen’s potential, both to reduce emissions and support economic development. We will highlight the importance of a shared understanding of the role of low-carbon hydrogen in meeting global climate goals, build support for our vision of coordinated action, and promote the UK as a global leader.

The Government recognises the importance of a secure postal address in accessing a number of services and expects essential service providers to consider how best to meet the needs of vulnerable users without an appropriate postal address.

The universal postal service is intended to provide an accessible postal service for all. Ofcom is currently carrying out a review of the future regulatory framework for post and its call for stakeholders’ views on the accessibility of USO postal services, particularly for vulnerable people and those who may be more reliant on postal services, closed on 20 May 2021. Ofcom intends to publish a full consultation on the future regulation of postal services later this year, before concluding its review in 2022.

Currently, Royal Mail operates two services to help vulnerable customers have access to their post. Its redirection service can be specially accessed by people with personal safety concerns and its PO Box service provides options for customers designed to meet specific circumstances and preferences.

The Government recognises the urgency of stepping up the pace of progress, to ensure that the transport sector plays its part in supporting the delivery of the UK’s emissions reduction targets.

Ministerial discussions on climate and net zero are held primarily through the Climate Action Strategy Committee (CAS), which is chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister and determines the UK’s overarching climate strategy, and the Climate Action Implementation Committee (CAI), which supports the CAS to operationalise the UK’s domestic and international climate strategy. The CAI considers matters relating to the delivery of COP26, net zero and building the UK’s resilience to climate impacts and ensure the delivery of plans for addressing these areas, including the transport sector.

Departmental officials are also working closely with officials from the Department of Transport. Part 1 of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan was published in March 2020, with Part 2, containing policies and proposals to be published as soon as possible. We will also publish a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy ahead of COP26, setting out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy.

The UK has achieved record clean growth - between 1990 and 2019, our economy grew by 78% while our emissions decreased by 44%, this is the fastest rate in the G7. We have built on this, setting out concrete steps to reach net zero by 2050, for instance through my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan which brought together £12 billion of government investment, our Energy White Paper and Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy.

The Government has also laid legislation for the UK’s sixth carbon budget, proposing a target which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, marking a decisive step towards net zero by 2050.

Ahead of COP26, we will bring forward further bold proposals, including a Net Zero Strategy, to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country – going further and faster towards building a stronger, more resilient future and protecting our planet for this generation and those to come.

As we transition to net zero emissions by 2050, our record levels of investment in renewables will meet a large part of the energy demand. However, we recognise that unabated natural gas will provide a reliable source of energy, ensuring security of supply whilst we develop and deploy low carbon alternatives that can replicate its role in the electricity system.

In order to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets for the electricity system, we are taking steps to bring forward alternative low carbon technologies which will help us to reduce the reliance on unabated gas-powered electricity generation as much as possible. For example, in the Energy White Paper (published last year), government announced that it will support the deployment of at least one power plant with carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) to be operational by 2030, and that it will also consult in 2021 on its Carbon Capture and Readiness requirements to ensure that new thermal plants can convert to low-carbon alternatives. Government is developing business models to incentivise the deployment of CCUS in the UK.

Additionally, we are exploring policy frameworks to support the deployment of low carbon hydrogen, as well flexibility tools such as demand reduction, demand side response, and storage, which likewise have the potential to reduce reliance on unabated natural gas in the power sector.

Decarbonising almost all buildings is essential to achieving to achieving our net zero emissions target. There has been consistent communications between my Rt. Hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, along with wider Government on the challenge of buildings decarbonisation, as reflected in the Energy White Paper and the Prime Ministers Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution.

As we set out in our Integrated Review last month, our priority actions include, “to diversify the UK’s supply in critical goods, such as medical equipment and rare earth elements, through trade partnerships and international collaboration… Within the UK, we will continue to explore opportunities around domestic extraction and processing of critical minerals, such as lithium, as well as their recovery, recycling and reuse to establish a viable circular economy".

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU came into effect on 1 January 2021. Original equipment manufacturers across a range of sectors have welcomed the deal, and the Government worked closely with industry before and during the negotiation to develop tailored rules of origin.

For example, critical mineral supply chains are important for the electric vehicle supply chain. Provisions on rules of origin include a transitional period for electrified vehicles and batteries, which allows manufacturers flexibility to meet rules of origin requirements while local supply chains develop.

As set out in ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’, the step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England published on 22 February, customers in hospitality premises serving alcohol permitted to open at steps 1-3 will be required to order, eat and drink when seated (‘table service’). This is to reduce the risk of transmission. Social distancing restrictions, including those affecting the hospitality sector, will be reviewed ahead of step 4.

The Government recognises the importance of research and innovation in helping to transform the steel sector so that it can play a vital role in developing the UK’s economy. We have taken a number of steps to facilitate innovation in steel making in the UK, including;

Firstly, providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies and establish innovation centres of excellence in these sectors.

Secondly, establishing a £250m Clean Steel Fund that will support the decarbonisation of the steel sector, supporting its transition to new low carbon technologies and processes. The Government also plans to establish a Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (previously Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund): with £240m of capital co-investment out to 2024/25. This will support at-scale production from both Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) enabled (‘blue’) hydrogen and electrolytic (‘green’) hydrogen projects.

Finally, as part of the Spring 2020 Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £22m (subject to a business case) for the Materials Processing Institute in Teesside to deliver a R&D programme of transformation manufacturing - to help UK steel and metals sector improve efficiencies, slash emissions and ultimately boost global competitive edge.

BEIS Ministers and officials have held regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for International Trade and other Government departments on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. The Government cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete.

BEIS Ministers and officials have held regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for International Trade and other Government departments on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. The Government cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete.

BEIS Ministers and officials have held regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for International Trade and other Government departments on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. The Government cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete.

The Help to Grow programmes will support UK small businesses to scale and grow as they recover from the pandemic. Help to Grow: Management will provide intensive management skills support to 30,000 small businesses. Help to Grow: Digital aims to support 100,000 small businesses, through an online platform to support businesses to adopt technology and a voucher for software costs.

The eligibility criteria ensures funding is used where it will have the greatest overall impact in saving time and money across businesses, and strikes the best possible balance between helping a large number of businesses and promoting the greatest productivity benefit per business. Firms with fewer employees can still benefit from free, impartial advice through the online platform.

The Government offers a range of support to help businesses, including micro businesses, grow and thrive.

Businesses of all sizes can access advice and support through our online support at GOV.UK, including the online Finance Finder and via the free Business Support Helpline.

The network of 38 Growth Hubs across England plays a key role in providing tailored support to businesses at a local level in England, joining up national and local business support so businesses can find the help they need.

The Start-Up Loans Company provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012 the Start-Up Loans programme has delivered 81,608 loans overall in the UK, supporting over £707.6m of funding (as of 28 February 2021).

Businesses can also access the Government-backed British Business Bank’s online Finance Hub, which helps raise awareness of appropriate finance options for scale-up, high growth and potential high-growth SMEs.

Micro businesses are also able to apply for relevant elements of the continued comprehensive package of support designed to help as many businesses as possible during this challenging period. The measures introduced include the small business grants, the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the deferral of VAT and income tax payments, and more. These measures have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.

Further measures have been announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer that build on the significant support already available as well as set out how current support will evolve and adapt. This includes the extension of the CJRS until the end of September 2021, extending and amending the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes to allow businesses more time and greater flexibility to repay their loans, and the extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to a fourth and a fifth grant.

The Government continues to work closely with local authorities, businesses, business representative organisations, and the financial services sector to monitor the implementation of current support and understand whether there is additional need.

There have been regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

We recognise that industrial consumers currently pay higher electricity prices than elsewhere in most of Europe and we have therefore taken steps to reduce the indirect cost due to the Renewables Obligation, Contract-for-Difference and small-scale Feed-in Tariff for certain energy intensive industries, including the steel sector, and to provide compensation for the indirect emission cost due to the UK Emission Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism, including to the steel sector. These steps total more than £500m in relief to the sector between 2013 and the end of 2019 to make electricity prices more competitive, including around £150 million during 2019.

We have also introduced a metallurgical exemption from the Climate Change Levy. France and Germany have taken similar steps. Additionally, at Budget 2018 we announced £315 million for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects to bring energy costs down for these vital industries.

We are about the publish a consultation reviewing the compensation schemes for the indirect emission cost due to UK carbon pricing.

There have been regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

We recognise that industrial consumers currently pay higher electricity prices than elsewhere in most of Europe and we have therefore taken steps to reduce the indirect cost due to the Renewables Obligation, Contract-for-Difference and small-scale Feed-in Tariff for certain energy intensive industries, including the steel sector, and to provide compensation for the indirect emission cost due to the UK Emission Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism, including to the steel sector. These steps total more than £500m in relief to the sector between 2013 and the end of 2019 to make electricity prices more competitive, including around £150 million during 2019.

We have also introduced a metallurgical exemption from the Climate Change Levy. France and Germany have taken similar steps. Additionally, at Budget 2018 we announced £315 million for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects to bring energy costs down for these vital industries.

We are about the publish a consultation reviewing the compensation schemes for the indirect emission cost due to UK carbon pricing.

There have been regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

We recognise that industrial consumers currently pay higher electricity prices than elsewhere in most of Europe and we have therefore taken steps to reduce the indirect cost due to the Renewables Obligation, Contract-for-Difference and small-scale Feed-in Tariff for certain energy intensive industries, including the steel sector, and to provide compensation for the indirect emission cost due to the UK Emission Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism, including to the steel sector. These steps total more than £500m in relief to the sector between 2013 and the end of 2019 to make electricity prices more competitive, including around £150 million during 2019.

We have also introduced a metallurgical exemption from the Climate Change Levy. France and Germany have taken similar steps. Additionally, at Budget 2018 we announced £315 million for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects to bring energy costs down for these vital industries.

We are about the publish a consultation reviewing the compensation schemes for the indirect emission cost due to UK carbon pricing.

There have been regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on a wide range of issues of importance to the steel industry.

We recognise that industrial consumers currently pay higher electricity prices than elsewhere in most of Europe and we have therefore taken steps to reduce the indirect cost due to the Renewables Obligation, Contract-for-Difference and small-scale Feed-in Tariff for certain energy intensive industries, including the steel sector, and to provide compensation for the indirect emission cost due to the UK Emission Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism, including to the steel sector. These steps total more than £500m in relief to the sector between 2013 and the end of 2019 to make electricity prices more competitive, including around £150 million during 2019.

We have also introduced a metallurgical exemption from the Climate Change Levy. France and Germany have taken similar steps. Additionally, at Budget 2018 we announced £315 million for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects to bring energy costs down for these vital industries.

We are about the publish a consultation reviewing the compensation schemes for the indirect emission cost due to UK carbon pricing.

As announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister in October 2020, the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction round (Allocation Round 4) is due to open in late 2021. Preparations for the round are ongoing, and we will publish the timetable for the round and information on allocation round parameters later this year.

The Government recently ran a Call for Evidence inviting views on the scope for marine technologies across the UK. This concluded on 30th September 2020 and we are currently reviewing the responses received. Wave and tidal stream projects remain eligible to compete in pot 2 for CfD auctions and will be considered in the wider context of setting auction parameters.

Tidal and wave technologies could have a potentially important role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK, however, they will have to reduce their costs sufficiently, to compete with other renewable technologies. We are committed to growing a development of a competitive UK supply chain in parallel with our plans for increasing the deployment of renewable electricity generating technologies. We are continuing to consider policy related to these technologies in light of the information received from the recent Marine Energy Call for Evidence on the potential of marine energy projects.

Following our recent Call for Evidence which invited views on the potential of marine energy projects, we are now considering policy related to wave and tidal energy in light of the information received from the Call for Evidence. Wave and tidal stream projects remain eligible to compete in pot 2 for CfD auctions.

Low carbon hydrogen will be vital for meeting our legally binding commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, with potential to help decarbonise vital UK industry sectors and provide flexible deployment across heat, power and transport.

Working with industry, the UK is aiming for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. As we progress towards this ambition, we would hope to see around 1GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2025.

The UK has expertise and assets to support both electrolytic (green) and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) enabled (blue) hydrogen. Our twin track approach to enable both routes will drive cost effective supply volumes in the 2020s in line with our 2030 ambition, whilst scaling up green hydrogen.

As outlines in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, achieving our ambition could support up to 8,000 jobs and bring over £4bn of private investment by 2030, potentially unlocking up to 100,000 jobs and £12bn GVA by 2050 in a high hydrogen net zero scenario.

The Government is clear that in supporting the growth of a hydrogen economy, there should be a focus on maximising economic benefits for local and regional communities and the UK as a whole. The UK will work with the green hydrogen sector to seek opportunities and export UK expertise and technology into the global hydrogen economy as it grows.

Low carbon hydrogen will be vital for meeting our legally binding commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, with potential to help decarbonise vital UK industry sectors and provide flexible deployment across heat, power and transport.

Working with industry, the UK is aiming for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. As we progress towards this ambition, we would hope to see around 1GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2025.

The UK has expertise, innovation and natural assets to support both electrolytic (green) and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) blue hydrogen. Our twin track approach to enable both routes will drive cost effective supply volumes in the 2020s in line with our 2030 5GW ambition, whilst scaling up green hydrogen.

The UK has the makings of a world leading hydrogen sector, enabling us to create strong domestic supply chains with jobs and growth expected across our industrial heartlands and beyond. We are working with industry to further understand these strengths and opportunities, including a focus on green hydrogen.

As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has stated, the Global Supply Chain Directorate, led by the Department for International Trade (DIT), interrogates vulnerabilities in UK global supply chains for critical goods (excluding food) and develops strategies to strengthen supply chain resilience. The Global Supply Chain Directorate’s strategic framework acts as a guide for Departments to select the actions they can take to strengthen resilience, taking a market-first approach which supports the UK’s free trade stance.

DIT is actively engaging with a number of potential critical minerals processing and refining companies with a view to securing investment to the UK. Further questions related to steps to attract international actors to the UK should be addressed to DIT.

The Government has not published estimates for these materials. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published an external report regarding UK materials and future resource risk in July 2020. Consultant's views regarding UK needs can be found here. Further questions regarding this research can be directed to DEFRA.

The Government has not published estimates for these materials. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published an external report regarding UK materials and future resource risk in July 2020. Consultant's views regarding UK needs can be found here. Further questions regarding this research can be directed to DEFRA.

The Government has not published estimates for these materials. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published an external report regarding UK materials and future resource risk in July 2020. Consultant's views regarding UK needs can be found here. Further questions regarding this research can be directed to DEFRA.

Up until EU Exit, the UK might refer to the European Commission's latest list. A copy can be found here. Following EU Exit, the UK has not published an official critical minerals list.

As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial revolution, we will quadruple our offshore wind capacity by 2030 and end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, 10 years earlier than planned, announcing the first £500 million of investment this Parliament to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This will bring investment, create high-quality jobs, and strengthen British industry. Critical minerals will be important in developing offshore wind and zero-emission vehicles to meet these targets, and coordinated work is taking place across Whitehall departments to ensure there continues to be a secure, long-term supply chain.

The Government does not have a published definition of a critical mineral company. International horizon scanning questions are a matter for the Department for International Trade.

The UK Government has not made a commitment to publish a critical mineral strategy before the next G7 meeting. Questions regarding the next G7 event can be referred to the Cabinet Office.

The Government has engaged with a number of organisations regarding mineral supply chain requirements.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has led an analysis of several critical raw material supply chains. The analysis included input from UK Government Departments and industry sources.

The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have supported UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and their partners, including UK universities. For example, the Critical Elements and Materials (CrEAM) network, new circular economy centres, and the Government Office for Science. Finally, BEIS Ministerial meetings with external organisations are available here.

The Government has not published a discrete critical minerals strategy for the UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold in the UK. All distributors have a duty to act with due care to ensure products they are selling are safe, this includes online retailers.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) proactively engages with major online marketplaces to ensure that they are playing their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe products and has recently taken action to ensure that a number of non-compliant products being sold by overseas third-party sellers have been removed from sale.

Looking forward, OPSS is developing a new voluntary commitment for online marketplaces to agree actions they will take to reduce the risks from unsafe products being sold online. This will enable online marketplaces to demonstrate their commitment to the safety of their consumers in the UK by publicly promising to work with UK regulators.

To ensure that the UK’s Product Safety framework is flexible and fit for the future, OPSS is conducting a review. The review will ensure we have a framework that delivers safety for consumers while supporting businesses to innovate and grow and will consider the impact on product safety of new business models, including e-commerce and third-party marketplaces.

The Ministerial Statement of 4 November 2019 makes clear that the moratorium on fracking applies to operations that require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent. The definition of associated hydraulic fracturing is used for the purposes of Hydraulic Fracturing Consent, as set out under section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998 (inserted by Section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015).

This definition was based on the approach taken by the European Commission, which defines high-volume hydraulic fracturing as involving the injection into a well of 1000m³ or more of water per fracturing stage or 10000m³ or more of water during the entire fracturing process.

Activities outside of this definition are not included in the moratorium.

The public and private sectors must work in partnership to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The Department regularly engages with industry and advisors to maximise industry input and feedback to Government policy as we transition towards net zero by 2050.

This dialogue is maintained through a variety of forums: public consultations and calls for evidence, ongoing regular supplier and generator roundtables at both a ministerial and official level; official task forces and advisory bodies; and specific sector engagement to ensure that Government is fully informed of industry developments in key policy areas.

Last month, I led a series of roundtables with key stakeholder groups following the publication of the Energy White Paper. These were in addition to an ongoing dialogue with large, medium and small businesses to understand the unique challenges they face in relation to net zero.

Examples of more specific government-industry collaboration include the Hydrogen Advisory Council, a joint Government-Industry forum established to identify and promote concrete actions required to enable the supply of low carbon hydrogen at scale for use across the energy system. The Council will inform the development of a UK hydrogen strategy which we will bring forward in the first half of this year.

Our strategy will set out a comprehensive approach to building a UK hydrogen economy that is fit for purpose and pave the way towards achieving our ambition of 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – working with industry partners to achieve this.

Hydrogen offers potential to repurpose the gas network to a low-carbon alternative, and we are working in partnership with industry to assess the feasibility and impacts of converting parts or the whole of the existing gas network to full hydrogen. This will test and evaluate the potential of hydrogen as an option for heating our homes and workplaces. We have set out a vision for a possible ‘hydrogen town’ before the end of the decade, building on a programme of community trials in the first half of the decade which we will support the gas industry to deliver. In parallel, we will also work with industry with the aim of completing the testing and safety case necessary to enable government and the regulator to amend regulations that could allow for up to 20% blending of hydrogen into the gas distribution grid by 2023.

We have also established the CCUS Council which advises on the deployment of carbon capture and storage, a technology which will be crucial to achieving our net zero targets and where the re use of oil and gas infrastructure can be a key enabler.

In addition, we are working closely with the oil and gas industry to negotiate a North Sea Transition Deal. Not only cutting emissions, but also enabling new industries such as CCUS and Hydrogen to develop, supporting supply chain transformation and capability development in new net zero sectors, and championing the sector’s workforce and importance to the net zero skills transition in industrial heartlands.

The Government has committed to strengthening the regulation of pre-pack sales in administration to connected persons. This was outlined in the report published 8 October 2020. The proposed regulatory framework, which was subject to stakeholder consultation, will strengthen the integrity of pre-pack sales by promoting greater transparency for creditors whilst ensuring that pre-pack sales remain a valuable rescue tool in the UK’s insolvency framework. The Government is preparing regulations to be laid as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

The Government has invested over £300 million to secure and scaleup the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to the pandemic, including:

a) Facilities that have come online:

• £4.7 million for skills training through the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network, which will be delivered through both virtual and physical centres;
• £8.75 million for the set-up of the rapid deployment facility at Oxford Biomedica in Oxfordshire;
• £65.5 million for the early manufacture of the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine; and
• Funding for fill and finish capability through a contract with Wockhardt in Wrexham, North Wales, which is currently providing fill and finish capabilities to the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.

b) Facilities that will come online later this year, to help provide longer term UK capacity:

• £93 million to accelerate the completion and expanded role of the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire; and
• £127 million for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in Braintree, Essex.

In addition to the above, we have also funded the expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested nearly £500 million towards 2,200 new research and innovation initiatives, both in the UK and globally. These initiatives are diverse and include research into new COVID-19 variants.

The University of Liverpool is part of a new national research project to study the effects of emerging mutations in SARS-CoV-2. Supported by £2.5 million of funding from UKRI, the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium will study how mutations in the virus affect key outcomes. This includes factors such as how transmissible the virus is, the severity of COVID-19 caused, and the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments.

The Consortium will bring together leading virologists from 10 research institutions including the University of Liverpool. The university will work alongside the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium, which plays a world-leading role in virus genome sequencing, as well as Public Health England, to boost the UK's capacity to study newly identified virus variants and rapidly inform the Government’s policy.

The current overall UKRI portfolio of COVID-19-related grants, including awards supported by Innovate UK, involves vaccine projects that provide greater diversity of approaches than for the first generation of vaccines developed. More details can be found on the UKRI website.

As part of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) published on 24 December, the UK has agreed to associate to Horizon Europe which represents a valuable collaboration on science and research to tackle global challenges, and in fields that will benefit the British people. The Government is committed to establishing the UK as a science and research global superpower, and this deal fulfils our manifesto commitment to collaborate internationally in this regard. As a responsible government, we were also prepared for a scenario where we did not agree to participate in Horizon Europe and were ready to implement a suite of domestic alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration if required.

As part of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) published on 24 December, the UK has agreed to associate to Horizon Europe which represents a valuable collaboration on science and research to tackle global challenges, and in fields that will benefit the British people. The Government is committed to establishing the UK as a science and research global superpower, and this deal fulfils our manifesto commitment to collaborate internationally in this regard. As a responsible government, we were also prepared for a scenario where we did not agree to participate in Horizon Europe and were ready to implement a suite of domestic alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration if required.

Businesses that did not receive grant support earlier in the covid-19 outbreak may still be eligible for grant support available now, and should check with their local authority.

If, for any reason, a business is not eligible for the grant support that has been put in place for businesses mandated to close, local authorities are able to provide discretionary support via the Additional Restrictions Grant.

A range of other measures to support businesses have been made available in response to Covid-19 including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, business rates holiday and a range of business loan schemes. Details about all measures are available at: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

The Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) is only available to businesses that are required by law to close. Other business that are not mandated to close but which suffer adverse impacts may be eligible for discretionary funding and should apply to their Local Authority.

Local authorities are the decision makers on the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) and must make decisions based on legislation and guidance that has been provided.

There are three key considerations when a Local Authority determines the eligibility of a business for a grant under the LRSG (Closed):

• Is the business the business rate payer of a hereditament that appears on the rating list?
• Is the main service of that business required to close due to the restrictions?
• Is the business able to self-declare that it meets all scheme conditions, including eligibility and State aid requirements?

Where an organisation meets all of these criteria, it is considered eligible to receive a grant through the mandatory LRSG (Closed) scheme.

The list of businesses mandated to close is set out in legislation. Local authorities should rely on the relevant legislation and on the guidance provided to determine whether a business is eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed).

Guidance to local authorities on the January Support Package for business was issued on 5^th January. This guidance makes clear that only business premises that have been required to close due to Covid-19 restrictions will be eligible for Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) where they meet the criteria set out in the guidance.

I recognise that there are some groups of businesses that are not required by law to close, but which are severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions. That is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that a further £500m in discretionary grant funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant is being made available to local authorities, on top of £1.1bn already allocated in November, which will allow grant support to be provided to severely affected businesses in a way that suits local economies. It is for local authorities to determine the best use of the Additional Restrictions Grant in their area.

The scope of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) has always been on those businesses required to close by law.

My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that a further £500m in discretionary grant funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant is being made available to local authorities, on top of £1.1bn already allocated in November, which allows local authorities to provide discretionary support to businesses not required to close but which are severely affected by the restrictions, including many wholesale distributors. It is for local authorities to determine the best use of the Additional Restrictions Grant in their area.

There has been close engagement with the local government sector, including the Local Government Association, throughout the design and implementation of grant support for businesses during the local and national restrictions. Local Authorities are responsible for managing grants schemes locally and determining eligibility, including for discretionary grants for businesses that are severely impacted but not eligible for grants for closed businesses.

The Government acknowledges that non-payment and late payment are significant problems for small businesses in the UK, and we remain fully committed to tackling them.

Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (‘the Construction Act’) creates a framework for fair and prompt payment through the construction supply chain, and a resolution procedure for disputes.

The Post-Implementation Review of the 2011 Amendments to the Construction Act will formally assess the impact on the construction sector.

The stakeholder responses to the consultation which supported the Post-Implementation Review broadly favoured the principles of the framework and dispute resolution procedure.

The Government acknowledges that non-payment and late payment are significant problems for small businesses in the UK, and we remain fully committed to tackling them.

Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (‘the Construction Act’) creates a framework for fair and prompt payment through the construction supply chain, and a resolution procedure for disputes.

The Post-Implementation Review of the 2011 Amendments to the Construction Act will formally assess the impact on the construction sector.

The stakeholder responses to the consultation which supported the Post-Implementation Review broadly favoured the principles of the framework and dispute resolution procedure.

The Government is committed to fulfilling its manifesto commitment to clamp down on non-payment and late payment to support small businesses in the UK.

We have introduced a number of measures to tackle late payment. These include the Payment Practices Reporting Duty which creates transparency in payment behaviour, and the Prompt Payment Code which sets standards and best practice in payment culture. Both measures are applicable in the construction sector.

Since September 2019, suppliers also risk being excluded from winning large Government contracts if they cannot demonstrate prompt payment. This policy applies to Central Government contracts valued above £5m per annum, subject to the Public Contracts Regulations.

In addition, in May 2020 the Government issued a Guidance Note on responsible contractual behaviour in the performance and enforcement of contracts impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government will continue to review behaviours in contracting, including public sector procurement, prompt payment and contract management arrangements.

The UK ETS will be the world’s first net zero carbon cap and trade market, and a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reaching our net zero target will provide crucial benefits such as reducing the risks of catastrophic climate change, reduced air pollution, economic growth, and green collar jobs.

By placing a cap on the volume of greenhouse gas emissions and issuing tradable emissions allowances under the cap, the UK ETS creates a market to ensure the most economically efficient distribution of emissions allowances and to incentivise emissions reductions where these are most cost-effective. The transparent downward cap trajectory provides a clear signal mobilising the participants in the covered sectors to invest in emissions reduction technologies and measures, which will be needed as supply of allowances tightens over time.

The UK ETS is more ambitious than the EU system it replaces - from day one the cap has been reduced by 5% below the UK’s expected notional share of the EU ETS cap for Phase IV. We received the Climate Change Committee’s advice on the Sixth Carbon Budget on the 9 December 2020, including their recommendation on the level of traded sector emissions from 2023 to 2030. We are considering this advice carefully and will consult on a net zero consistent trajectory for the cap in due course.

The Government recognises the importance of international co-operation on carbon pricing and the important role international carbon markets can play.

In that spirit, the UK is open to linking the UK ETS internationally in principle. There are more than 20 emissions trading systems globally.

This includes the EU ETS and the UK-EU Free Trade and Cooperation Agreement makes clear both parties will have their own effective systems of carbon pricing in place to help fulfil our respective climate goals. Both Parties have agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing in future and consider linking our respective systems, although we are not under any obligation to do so.

International collaboration is a key part of the UK’s global leadership on climate change and I look forward to working closely with my overseas counterparts on all aspects of tackling this global challenge, including carbon pricing.

Details of emissions trading systems around the world are available in the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) Status Report 2020, available at: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/icap-status-report-2020.

The Government recognises the importance of international co-operation on carbon pricing and the important role international carbon markets can play.

In that spirit, the UK is open to linking the UK ETS internationally in principle. There are more than 20 emissions trading systems globally.

This includes the EU ETS and the UK-EU Free Trade and Cooperation Agreement makes clear both parties will have their own effective systems of carbon pricing in place to help fulfil our respective climate goals. Both Parties have agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing in future and consider linking our respective systems, although we are not under any obligation to do so.

International collaboration is a key part of the UK’s global leadership on climate change and I look forward to working closely with my overseas counterparts on all aspects of tackling this global challenge, including carbon pricing.

Details of emissions trading systems around the world are available in the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) Status Report 2020, available at: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/icap-status-report-2020.

The UK ETS will be the world’s first net zero carbon cap and trade market, and a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reaching our net zero target will provide crucial benefits such as reducing the risks of catastrophic climate change, reduced air pollution, economic growth, and green collar jobs.

By placing a cap on the volume of greenhouse gas emissions and issuing tradable emissions allowances under the cap, the UK ETS creates a market to ensure the most economically efficient distribution of emissions allowances and to incentivise emissions reductions where these are most cost-effective. The transparent downward cap trajectory provides a clear signal mobilising the participants in the covered sectors to invest in emissions reduction technologies and measures, which will be needed as supply of allowances tightens over time.

The UK ETS is more ambitious than the EU system it replaces - from day one the cap has been reduced by 5% below the UK’s expected notional share of the EU ETS cap for Phase IV. We received the Climate Change Committee’s advice on the Sixth Carbon Budget on the 9 December 2020, including their recommendation on the level of traded sector emissions from 2023 to 2030. We are considering this advice carefully and will consult on a net zero consistent trajectory for the cap in due course.

Carbon pricing policies that work using the cap-and-trade principle, such as the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), can deliver cost-effective decarbonisation, as they incentivise abatement to occur where and when it is cheapest. In principle, larger carbon markets lead to more cost-effective emission reductions, since emission allowances are tradable across a larger and more diverse pool of participants.

Linking carbon markets would also lead towards an alignment of carbon prices across the linked schemes. This can minimise the risk of any competitive distortions that may have resulted from unevenly applied carbon prices.

Carbon pricing policies that work using the cap-and-trade principle, such as the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), can deliver cost-effective decarbonisation, as they incentivise abatement to occur where and when it is cheapest. In principle, larger carbon markets lead to more cost-effective emission reductions, since emission allowances are tradable across a larger and more diverse pool of participants.

Linking carbon markets would also lead towards an alignment of carbon prices across the linked schemes. This can minimise the risk of any competitive distortions that may have resulted from unevenly applied carbon prices.

The Government recognises the importance of international co-operation on carbon pricing and the important role international carbon markets can play.

In that spirit, the UK is open to linking the UK ETS internationally in principle. There are more than 20 emissions trading systems globally.

This includes the EU ETS and the UK-EU Free Trade and Cooperation Agreement makes clear both parties will have their own effective systems of carbon pricing in place to help fulfil our respective climate goals. Both Parties have agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing in future and consider linking our respective systems, although we are not under any obligation to do so.

International collaboration is a key part of the UK’s global leadership on climate change and I look forward to working closely with my overseas counterparts on all aspects of tackling this global challenge, including carbon pricing.

Details of emissions trading systems around the world are available in the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) Status Report 2020, available at: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/icap-status-report-2020.

There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that aims to reduce the risks and disturbances to people and animals. Existing legislation controls the sale, availability and use of fireworks, as well as setting a curfew and noise limit. Current legislation limits noise from fireworks available to consumers to a maximum of 120 decibels.

The Government remains committed to promoting the safe and considerate use of fireworks through an effective legislative framework and through non-legislative measures.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards is also carrying out research on the varying levels of noise associated with different types of firework and I will consider the outcome once available.

There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that aims to reduce the risks and disturbances to people and animals. Existing legislation controls the sale, availability and use of fireworks, as well as setting a curfew and noise limit. Current legislation limits noise from fireworks available to consumers to a maximum of 120 decibels.

The Government remains committed to promoting the safe and considerate use of fireworks through an effective legislative framework and through non-legislative measures.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards is also carrying out research on the varying levels of noise associated with different types of firework and I will consider the outcome once available.

The Government is committed to ensuring consumers are kept safe. There is a comprehensive legislative framework regulating the manufacture, storage, supply, possession and use of fireworks.

Local Authority Trading Standards work at the border and with retailers to ensure fireworks imported and sold are safe, and they have powers to enforce against those who place unsafe or non-compliant fireworks on the market, including those imported illegally or via the internet.

Local Trading Standards (and local fire and rescue authorities in metropolitan counties) can also take action against those selling fireworks without an appropriate licence.

The Department’s Research and Development (R&D) Spending Review 2020 settlement supports our Departmental commitments as set out in the R&D Roadmap and helps to consolidate the UK’s position as a science superpower.

Indeed, the UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences sectors in the world, generating turnover of around?£80.7 billion?per annum in 2019.

Funding is subject to the departmental allocations process which is now underway. Further details of how funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.

The Government has reconsidered the surplus sharing arrangements of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) and concluded that they remain appropriate.

We have agreed to scheme changes proposed by the MPS Trustees which guarantee that bonus pensions already accrued will not be lost in the event of a future deficit. These changes have been implemented.

The Government’s £23m Hydrogen for Transport Programme is increasing the uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and growing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations. The programme is delivering new refuelling stations, upgrading some existing stations as well as deploying hundreds of new hydrogen vehicles. Government has also been supporting public and private sector fleets to become early adopters through the £2m FCEV Fleet Support Scheme.

The Government has set out its ambitious Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution – an innovative and ambitious programme of job creation that will support levelling up and up to 250,000 jobs across the country.

Spanning clean energy, buildings, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the plan will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

It presents a vision for the UK that is greener, more prosperous and at the forefront of industries for the future, taking advantage of export opportunities in new, global emerging markets in low carbon technologies and services, while reinvigorating our industrial heartlands, including in the North East, North West, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

The Government is committed to developing hydrogen as a decarbonised energy carrier, as confirmed in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution announced by the Prime Minister on 18^th November.

The Plan set out that the Government, working with industry, is aiming for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity in the UK by 2030, to set us on the right pathway to net zero by 2050.

The Ten Point Plan package aims to bring forward a combination of commercial-scale CCUS-enabled ‘blue’ hydrogen and smaller scale electrolytic ‘green’ hydrogen projects. Both these production methods – and other innovative techniques – will be needed to deliver UK hydrogen demand expected by 2050.

This twin-track approach to policy development will enable production to be brought forward at the necessary scale during the 2020s, to grow the supply chain and build confidence in the sector, whilst scaling up green hydrogen which is likely to dominate the global market in the long term. The levels of green and blue hydrogen production that make up the 5GW will depend on market developments in the 2020s.

The UK’s climate change framework enables the Government to determine how best to balance emissions reductions across the economy. Any net emissions increase from infrastructure projects are managed within the Government’s overall strategy for meeting carbon budgets and the 2050 net zero target, as part of an economy-wide transition.

Meeting net zero and delivering the global transition to a low carbon economy will require unprecedented levels of investment in green technologies, services and infrastructure. The Government launched an ambitious 10 Point Plant this month, which will mobilise £12 billion of Government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030. This sets out a strong framework for investment, with a clear signals to investors of our commitment to net zero by 2050. As set out by the Chancellor in November 2020, the UK will become the first G20 country to make TCFD-aligned disclosures fully mandatory across the economy, with most requirements introduced in the next three years. This will provide decision-useful information to investors on the exposure of companies, asset managers and asset owners to climate risks.

The UK remains committed to carbon pricing as a key policy in decarbonising its economy and reducing industrial emissions, and will introduce an effective new system from 1 January 2021.

The oil and gas sector, and particularly its supply chain, has a key role to play as we move to a net zero economy and we have committed to supporting this energy transition with a transformational North Sea Transition Deal. The focus of this deal will be on ensuring the sector can support the energy transition and anchoring the supply chain across the UK. Key features include a focus on new low carbon technologies, emissions reduction, skills supporting high-quality jobs, and innovation that will decarbonise our economy.

Our Ten Point Plan is our blueprint for a green industrial revolution. It combines ambitious policies with significant new public investment to deliver a vision for the UK that is greener, more prosperous and at the forefront of industries for the future. Spanning clean energy, buildings, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the Plan will mobilise £12 billion of Government investment and will support up to 250,000 green jobs.

This included the announcement to make the UK the world leader in clean wind energy, creating jobs, slashing carbon emissions and boosting exports. This includes £160 million that will be made available to upgrade ports and manufacturing infrastructure across communities in the UK. This new investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs created and these new plans will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories and the supply chains, manufacturing the next-generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK.

The Green Jobs Taskforce, which I and the Skills Minister, my hon Friend the Member for Chichester (Gillian Keegan) will chair, forms part of the Government’s ambitious plan to build back greener and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Its aim will be to focus on the immediate and longer-term challenges of delivering skilled workers for the UK’s transition to net zero including supporting workers in high carbon transitioning sectors, like oil and gas, to retrain in new green technologies. This will also be a key aim for the upcoming North Sea Transition Deal.

We recognise that the death of a close family member, friend, or colleague can be deeply upsetting. The Government believes that individuals are best placed to understand their own specific needs and we encourage their employers to respond in an appropriate and sensitive way.

In April?this year we?introduced a new statutory entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for parents who lose a child under the age of 18. Whilst this entitlement is not available to employees who suffer a bereavement in other circumstances, all employees have a?‘day 1’ right to take unpaid time off work for an emergency involving a dependant. Time off for Dependants can?also?be used to deal with practical issues, including registering the death and making funeral arrangements.

We will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.

The Government is committed to bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. A key part of this is closing all unabated coal-fired power stations in Great Britain by 2024. The reduction of demand for coal in the UK will mean a reduction in domestic mining activity and therefore of the emissions associated with extraction.

The National Policy Statement is clear that planning permission should not be granted for the extraction of coal unless the proposal is environmentally acceptable or the national, local or community benefits outweigh its likely impacts. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government leads on planning policy for coal mines in England.

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

The oil and gas sector has an important part to play in sustaining our energy security of supply, and in the energy transition to support net zero, having many of the essential skills and capabilities in its world class supply chain to support emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production, and infrastructure to reduce its production emissions. Developing this capability will help provide significant export opportunities as the world moves towards clean energy.

In 2016, the Oil & Gas Technology Centre was established with £180 million funding, supported by the UK and Scottish Governments. The Centre aims to encourage, accelerate, and deliver innovation and innovative technologies in the North Sea as we transition to net zero.

We are committed to exploring the option of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. In line with this we are currently investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the production and potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain.

In November 2019, we published the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment for hydrogen and fuel cells. This identified that the future market for all hydrogen technologies could yield around £5.3bn of gross value added and create nearly 50,000 jobs by 2050 to meet demand in export and domestic markets.

Our (2019) Green Finance Strategy sets out how we intend to support progress towards Net Zero by 2050 by combining a focus on mobilising and accelerating flows of private finance into key clean growth sectors, using public funds to leverage private capital, whilst providing good value for taxpayers.

Infrastructure is central to our economic strategy, and the Government will publish a National Infrastructure Strategy setting out further details on its long-term ambitions in due course.

Low carbon hydrogen is one of a handful of critical options needed to deliver net zero, given its potential to help decarbonise heavy industry and flexible deployment across heat, power, and transport. We will be setting out our approach to growing the UK hydrogen economy early next year in the UK Hydrogen Strategy.

The Department regularly engages with the Department for Transport on tackling climate change and delivering our net zero commitments.

On 30 September, it was announced that Tees Valley will be the UK’s first Hydrogen Transport Hub, bringing together industry, academia, and the Government to accelerate the UK’s take-up of green hydrogen. This aligns with wider plans to drive forward transport innovation by funding 19 new hydrogen-powered refuse trucks in Glasgow and starting trials for Britain’s first hydrogen-powered train. We are committed to exploring all options for low carbon hydrogen across freight, buses, trains, maritime, and aviation to ensure that the UK can lead the world in its deployment and use across the economy.

We have committed to publish a UK hydrogen strategy in early 2021 and development is well under way.

BEIS ministers and officials work across government departments, including the Department for Transport, to coordinate on hydrogen, both bilaterally and through governance arrangements at various levels.

This includes the Climate Action Implementation Cabinet Committee (CAI), chaired by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy which covers issues relating to net zero and hydrogen; the Climate National Strategy Implementation Group, reporting to the Cabinet Secretary involving Directors General across Whitehall, chaired by the DG Energy Transformation & Clean Growth; and the Hydrogen Advisory Council, co-chaired by myself as Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, and Sinead Lynch, UK Country Chair of Shell launched in July 2020.

The Capacity Market is the Government’s main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. Capacity agreements impose a range of obligations and milestones on capacity providers both in the lead up to the delivery year and in the delivery year itself. This provides assurance that agreements will be met.

In light of the uncertainty created by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgment and subsequent standstill period, the Government recognised that in some instances capacity providers might find it difficult to achieve compliance with these obligations by the set deadline. A range of these obligations and milestones were modified where there was a high provider cost associated with the obligation and its modification would not create risks to security of supply.

The Government is committed to developing hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier.

We are investing in hydrogen innovation across the value chain. This includes the £33 million Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply competition aimed to accelerate the development of low carbon bulk hydrogen supply solutions and the Storage at Scale Competition, which looked for innovative, replicable large scale energy storage solutions that could provide a market competitive alternative to conventional commercial large-scale energy storage technologies. These included projects supporting electrolysis.

We are considering revenue support delivered by business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and developing a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund, announced in August 2019 to stimulate capital investment. Again, electrolysis is included in the scope of this work.

The Government intends to publish a hydrogen strategy early in 2021, which will include discussion around the costs associated with expansion of the UK hydrogen economy, including scale up of production, and how these might be met.

There are a number of R&D programmes that currently support innovative projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes, such as the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: Transforming Foundation Industries, and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, both of which are currently open for applications.

Mineral planning authorities are responsible for controlling the use of land for mining activities through the policies and proposals in their local plans and through the granting of planning permission. In granting planning permission mineral planning authorities should ensure that operations do not have unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment or human health. Other regulators (such as the Environment Agency) are responsible the control of processes or emissions (where these are subject to separate pollution control regimes).

There are a number of R&D programmes that currently support innovative projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes, such as the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: Transforming Foundation Industries, and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, both of which are currently open for applications.

Mineral planning authorities are responsible for controlling the use of land for mining activities through the policies and proposals in their local plans and through the granting of planning permission. In granting planning permission mineral planning authorities should ensure that operations do not have unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment or human health. Other regulators (such as the Environment Agency) are responsible the control of processes or emissions (where these are subject to separate pollution control regimes).

Waste from the extractive industry is covered by the 2009 Radioactive Discharges Strategy (2009 Discharges Strategy) and the 2014 Strategy for the management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) waste in the UK. These strategies aim to limit the exposure of the public and the environment to radiation and require the safe processing of waste as part of those intended outcomes.

In England, the safe management of radioactive wastes is regulated by the Environment Agency in accordance with The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.

A 2018 review of the 2009 Discharges Strategy found that the UK was making good progress towards the Strategy’s intended outcomes and was contributing to the dose reduction aims of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic. Overall progress on the Strategy’s implementation is monitored through close liaison with our partners in the Devolved Administrations and UK environmental regulators.

The Government recognises and values the importance of mining as a foundation industry serving a number of other vital industrial activities, and therefore this sector is covered by the responsibilities of my Hon. Friend the Minister for Business and Industry.

The Government, through UK Research and Innovation, fund informal learning programmes to inspire young people to take up STEM subjects and careers and provide a future generation passionate about STEM, including geological science. For example, we support the STEM Ambassador programme, a nationwide network of over 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of employers, who engage with young people to provide stimulating and inspirational activities to increase their interest in STEM subjects and to raise awareness of the range of careers that STEM qualifications offer.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not held any discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in relation to these specific issues.

There are however regular discussions between BEIS, the Department for Transport and HM Treasury officials in relation green shipping, including the deployment of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, and the provision of shore power in UK Ports.

We are aware of the value in co-locating low carbon hydrogen supply and demand in the early stages of expansion in any hydrogen economy; an approach sometimes referred to as a hydrogen hub. Ministers and officials are engaging extensively with hydrogen and wider energy stakeholders as we develop a UK Hydrogen Strategy for publication in early 2021. Discussions include ways in which to coordinate supply and demand and attract early investment as the hydrogen market develops, including place based approaches.

We are following international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the Clean Energy Ministerial, the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy and Mission Innovation. These offer opportunities to discuss other countries’ domestic hydrogen strategies in detail and explore opportunities for collaboration. We plan to publish a UK Hydrogen Strategy in early 2021. This will be informed in part by assessment of international activity and the opportunities and challenges that presents for the UK.

We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international forums, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial, and ad hoc meetings. These offer opportunities to discuss other countries’ domestic hydrogen strategies in detail and explore opportunities for collaboration. Since the UK has left the European Union, we are seeking to engage and cooperate with the EU and with EU Member States on hydrogen through normal diplomatic channels.

The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK. As set out at the Environmental Audit Committee on 10 September 2020, we plan to publish a Hydrogen Strategy in early 2021. The Strategy will include discussion around the costs associated with expansion of the UK hydrogen economy, and how these might be met.

The Government is committed to exploring the option of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier and works closely with local partnerships across the country. In the course of work to understand the potential role of hydrogen in the wider energy system, my officials and I have met with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders.

The terms and conditions of employment are for negotiation and agreement between employers and employees (or their representatives). Provided they do not discriminate unlawfully, for example on grounds of race, sex or disability, employers are free to offer the terms and conditions of employment which best suit their business needs.

Once agreed, they form a legally binding contract of employment. While it is always open to either party to seek to renegotiate the terms of the contract, if the employer changes any of the terms without the employee's agreement, the employee may be entitled to seek legal redress. We expect all employers, to treat employees fairly. Depending on the extent and likely impact of the proposed changes, employers should meet with affected employees or their trade union representatives, and explain their case for making the proposed change.

A guidance document which contains more information on the law in this area is available at www.gov.uk/browse/working. Employees may wish to seek independent legal advice, perhaps from their local Citizens Advice Bureau or law centre, if they are unclear on their contractual position.

All employers must continue to comply with the law on redundancy.

Any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable, with appropriate equalities considerations. When making redundancies, employers must abide by the law which includes giving a notice period and consulting staff before a final decision is reached. If a company has failed to adequately consult its employees before making them redundant, it may be possible for employees to apply to an Employment Tribunal for a Protective Award.

When recruiting, employers should be fair and objective in their selection of successful candidates and must not discriminate unlawfully, for example on grounds of race, sex or disability.

The Government has also introduced new legislation which commenced on 31 July to ensure that furloughed employees who are subsequently made redundant receive statutory redundancy pay, statutory notice pay, unfair dismissal compensation and pay for short-time working based on the employee’s normal pay, rather than their furlough pay (potentially 80% of their normal wage). The Government has always urged employers to do the right thing and not seek to disadvantage furloughed employees who are facing redundancy.

Our guidance to employers using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) makes clear that employees still have the same rights at work. They must continue to comply with employment and equalities laws when using the scheme, including in relation to recruitment, redundancy and dismissal.

Employers should always be fair and objective in their recruitment processes. Provided they do not discriminate unlawfully, for example on grounds of race, sex or disability, they are free to use the recruitment methods that they consider best suit their needs.

Any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable, with appropriate equalities considerations. Employees with the necessary qualifying service who believe that they have been unfairly selected for redundancy, or that the redundancy was unfair in some other way, may be able to complain to an employment tribunal.

The Government has also introduced new legislation which commenced on 31 July to ensure that furloughed employees who are subsequently made redundant receive statutory redundancy pay, statutory notice pay, unfair dismissal compensation and pay for short-time working based on the employee’s normal pay, rather than their furlough pay (potentially 80% of their normal wage). The Government has always urged employers to do the right thing and not seek to disadvantage furloughed employees who are facing redundancy.

The Government considers a range of matters when setting the parameters for Contracts for Difference auctions, including the anticipated pipeline of eligible projects. We will publish allocation round parameters in advance of the next auction in 2021, when assessments of the potential volume of participants can be informed by the most current information on project pipelines.

BEIS sets an administrative strike price for each technology, presented on a price per megawatt hour (MWh) basis, that is the maximum price the Government is willing to offer developers. The bid price is a commercial decision for the developer. The administrative strike prices and allocation round parameters will be published in advance of the next auction in 2021.

The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a decarbonised energy carrier for the UK and we are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is Chair of the Climate Action Implementation Cabinet Committee (CAI) which covers topics including hydrogen. BEIS officials and I also continue to work across government departments, including an on-going review of governance arrangements, to ensure we work effectively to develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chain we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy.

The inaugural meeting of the Hydrogen Advisory Council (HAC) was on 20 July 2020. It is expected to meet quarterly for at least the next two years with the next meeting scheduled on 14 October 2020.

Hydrogen is one potential option for decarbonising heating, alongside other solutions, including heat pumps and heat networks. The Government is therefore supporting a range of research, development and testing projects involving hydrogen to help determine the feasibility of using low carbon hydrogen as an alternative to the use of natural gas for heating in homes.

The Government is working closely with industry and other stakeholders to identify further testing and trials needed to provide evidence on issues including safety, feasibility, costs and benefits and the overall consumer experience.

Global solar panel production is mainly based in Asia. UK solar panel manufacture is focussed on specialised applications and the total volume of production is not globally significant.

Global solar panel production is mainly based in Asia, particularly China. The Department does not maintain detailed data on the country of origin of solar panels installed in UK.

The Department does not hold this information for the global proportion of turbine production.

Currently, the UK has capability in the production of wind turbine blades, foundations, and cables, most notably the Siemens Gamesa and MHI Vestas blade factories in Hull and the Isle of Wight respectively, employing over 1,500 highly skilled workers.

The industry has committed in the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, to increase UK content to 60% from 50%, but more crucially to increase UK content in the capital expenditure phase. I am determined that the industry delivers on this commitment.

The UK has led the way in delivering clean growth -growing by 75% while emissions have decreased by 43% between 1990 and 2018 - faster than any other G7 nation. Meeting our net zero target will require us to build on this progress by transforming our economy – our homes, our transport, our industries, how we generate and use energy, and how we use our land. This has to be a shared endeavour between Government, devolved nations, local authorities, business, civil society and the British people – as well as the rest of the world.

We expect all publicly-listed companies and large asset owners to disclose in line with the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) recommendations by 2022. Businesses implementing the TCFD recommendations will disclose information on the procedures they have in place for Board oversight of climate change and how it is factored into their risk management processes.

We have also established a joint taskforce with the UK regulators to monitor the incorporation of climate financial risk into decision making. This will ensure a coordinated approach on climate-related issues and examine the most effective way to approach disclosure.

The UK has world leading expertise in hydrogen fuel cells. However, this is a nascent market and the Department does not routinely collect specific figures. The number of fuel cell vehicles currently being produced in the UK is low, being predominantly commercial vehicles.

The UK is well-placed to be a leader in hydrogen and fuel cell powered transportation, which can support our ambitions for greener transport. The Government is supporting fuel cell manufacturers as part of the £1 billion industry-Government Advanced Propulsion Centre programme and the Automotive Transformation Fund. In addition, we are supporting the wider market through our £23 million Hydrogen for Transport Programme, which is increasing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations, as well as deploying hundreds of vehicles.

The Faraday Institution, which supports UK battery development, estimates that the UK will be producing nearly 1.6 million electric vehicles (EVs) per year by 2040. The report ‘UK electric vehicle and battery production potential to 2040’ can be downloaded from the Faraday Institution’s website at: https://faraday.ac.uk/publications/.

The Government continues to create the right environment to support an increase in the production of EVsin the UK. We have announced up to £1 billion through the Automotive Transformation Fund to develop UK supply chains for the large-scale production of EVs and for further research and development (R&D). £10 million of funding will enable the first wave of innovative R&D projects to scale-up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics, and fuel cells. The Government is also encouraging industry to put forward investment proposals for the UK’s first ‘gigafactory’ and to support supply chains to mass manufacture cutting-edge batteries for the next generation of EVs, as well as for other strategic electric vehicle technologies.

This information is not collected or published by central Government.

The Government’s strategy for securing access to critical minerals, or any other key materials and components, is to work at a global level to secure free, fair, and open international trade of these materials.

The Department continuously monitors the supply of critical minerals, working closely with the Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The Department continuously monitors the supply of critical minerals, working closely with the Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The Government has made no such estimate. However, we fully recognise the importance of rare earth materials to industry, particularly those industries that underpin the clean, green economy to which we are committed such as wind turbines and low-emission vehicles.

The Government is not aware of any current rare earth minerals mining activity in this country.

As set out in ‘The future impact of materials security on the UK manufacturing industry’ paper for the Government Office for Science in 2013, hydrogen fuel cells require catalysts made of platinum group metals.

The Government has not undertaken such an assessment. However, officials’ regular engagement with industry on the deliverability and sustainability of their deployment plans has elicited no concerns regarding the sourcing of critical materials.

BEIS has not made an assessment of the types and quantities of materials that go into producing a wind turbine.

BEIS is providing innovation support to Greenspur, a company based in Hertfordshire, to trial a new type of magnet – which does not use rare earth minerals - at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

The official statistics do not separately identify businesses engaging specifically in industrial magnet manufacturing. However, according to the Office for National Statistics survey on UK manufacturers sales by product, in 2018 just over 1,500 tonnes of “permanent magnets or articles intended to become permanent magnets” were estimated to be sold by UK manufacturers.

The UK has world-leading expertise in hydrogen fuel cells. The scale of UK manufacturing for electric vehicles is understood to be approximately 0.5 MW annually, enough for around 100 fuel cell stacks.

The UK is well placed to be a leader in hydrogen and fuel cell powered transportation, which can support our ambitions for greener transport. The Government is supporting fuel cell manufacturers as part of the £1 billion industry-Government Advanced Propulsion Centre programme. We are also supporting the wider market through the Office for Low Emission Vehicle's £23 million Hydrogen for Transport Programme, which is increasing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations and deploying hundreds of vehicles.

The information requested is not reported by the Office for National Statistics.

The Government does not carry any publicly available data on critical minerals and no assessment of UK manufacturing’s dependency on such minerals has been made.

Community projects are already entitled to apply for a contract for difference to build and operate a renewable electricity generating station, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements of the scheme.

The Government keeps all aspects of the Contracts for Difference scheme under review on an ongoing basis, and the next allocation round is scheduled to take place in 2021.

The Government is committed to exploring the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier, alongside electricity and other decarbonised gases. In line with this we are investing up to £121m in hydrogen innovation, supporting the application of new low carbon hydrogen technologies across the value chain. This includes:

• £23m Hydrogen for the Transport Programme - to increase the uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles and grow the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations;
• £25m for the Hy4Heat programme - to explore the safety and feasibility of using 100% hydrogen for heat in the home, including product development and core safety assessment;
• Up to £20m for the Industrial Fuel Switching Competition - to test the potential for switching to hydrogen (and other low carbon fuels) in industrial sectors like cement and glass manufacture; and
• £33m for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply Competition – to support the development of bulk low carbon hydrogen production technologies.

Alongside our innovation activity, we are developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and building sustainable policy frameworks to support investment in low carbon hydrogen production. This includes developing a sustainable business model to support low carbon hydrogen production and a new £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund, as announced in August 2019, to stimulate capital investment. We will be engaging with industry on both schemes throughout the year.

While we are rightly focusing on taking action to tackle the immediate Covid-19 crisis, we continue to prioritise efforts to deal with the serious challenges of climate change.

The Government remains committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. We will continue backing this objective by funding programmes that accelerate the shift to electrification. For example, the Faraday Challenge is providing £274 million to ensure the UK leads the world in the design, development, and manufacture of batteries for the electrification of vehicles.

The 2017 Made Smarter Review highlighted the economic and environmental opportunities for the UK’s manufacturing sector until 2027. This includes £455 billion Gross Value Added, the creation of 175,000 jobs, and a 4.5% reduction in CO2 emissions. The development of low carbon technologies will benefit the UK economy, as well as reduce carbon emissions, including through the creation of new jobs.

We will establish the world’s first net zero carbon industrial cluster by 2040 and at least one low carbon cluster by 2030. This is the second mission under the Clean Growth Grand Challenge, launched in December 2018, and is the most relevant to those manufacturing industries that often co-locate in clusters. UK Research & Innovation is delivering up to £170 million to support the deployment of low carbon technologies in one or more clusters.

As the independent energy regulator, Ofgem have responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging. Ofgem have provided a mailbox for all inquiries regarding the Gas Charging Review, including short-haul (Gas.TransmissionResponse@ofgem.gov.uk). I advise that you contact Ofgem directly regarding this matter.

There are currently two Significant Code Reviews (SCRs) that are the focus of Ofgem’s work on electricity charging reform: the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) and the Access and Forward-Looking Charges Review (Access SCR). Ofgem indicated in its forward work programme update, which was published on 16th April 2020 and is available at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-information-energy-licensees-coronavirus-covid-19-response, that work on both the TCR and Access SCR will continue to be progressed.

In addition, National Grid Electricity System Operator has been leading a task force at Ofgem’s request to consider the future of balancing services charges. As part of its reprioritisation in April 2020 of the forward work programme, Ofgem has paused some activities including the Balancing Services Charges Task Force. This decision was taken to enable stakeholders and Ofgem to prioritise the response to coronavirus. The Task Force will resume work in July 2020.

Package travel agencies are required to comply with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, which protect consumers who have bought package holidays. Consumers are entitled to a refund?if forced to cancel a package holiday due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which should be issued?within 14 days, depending on the nature of the contract in place. Packages must also be backed by insolvency protection schemes. DfT is in regular contact with the regulator, the sector and consumer groups and is working to ensure consumers are protected while recognising the pressure travel businesses are facing. The Government is also in continual dialogue with the insurance sector to understand and influence its contribution to handling Covid-19.

The Government is committed to exploring the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier, alongside electricity and other decarbonised gases and we have been taking a number of steps to do so. We are:

• exploring options to develop our strategic approach on hydrogen;
• investing in innovation, with up to £121m supporting a range of projects to explore and develop the potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain;
• developing new policy and conducting extensive stakeholder engagement, notably around building sustainable business models to support hydrogen production;
• working on the design of the £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund announced in August 2019.

We are also closely following international hydrogen developments and are active participants in international forums, including the Clean Energy Ministerial, the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy and Mission Innovation. As part of this we are following developments as countries look to develop and implement domestic hydrogen strategies. We are considering this as part of our wider strategic approach on hydrogen.

The Government is committed to exploring the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier, alongside electricity and other decarbonised gases, in line with our 2050 net zero commitment. Low carbon hydrogen can be produced and stored in multiple ways and the UK has significant natural resources that – if used sustainably – can support development of a low carbon and renewable UK hydrogen supply.

The?UK is the world’s largest offshore wind market with 9.8GW installed capacity, which will rise to 19.5GW by the mid-2020s. Renewable electricity can be used to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. We are supporting electrolytic hydrogen projects using renewable electricity, as part of up to £121m in innovation support across the low carbon hydrogen value chain. For example, the Dolphyn project is developing a system for clean hydrogen production through electrolysis on floating offshore wind turbines.

Low carbon hydrogen can also be produced through methane reformation with carbon capture, utlisation and storage. The UK has significant underground salt beds which could provide tens of gigawatts of cost effective storage to safely store hydrogen and other gases, and the depleted oil and gas reservoirs deep off our coastline that could potentially store more than 78 billion tonnes of CO2, meaning the UK is ideally placed to develop a thriving low carbon hydrogen industry.

Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, has responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging and has made their decision in accordance with their statutory duties, including their principal objective which is to protect the interests of GB’s energy consumers.

When making their decision on UNC725, Ofgem sought to balance the recognition of the Covid-19 circumstances against the principles which underpin the transportation charging arrangements, and gas transporters own financial circumstances. In their assessment, Ofgem considered that the proposed modification did not promote the efficient operation of the network and could have an adverse effect on the gas transporters’ ability to discharge their licence obligations.

Please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/unc725-ability-reflect-correct-customer-network-use-and-system-offtake-quantity-soq-during-covid-19 for more information on the decision.

Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, has responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging and has made their decision in accordance with their statutory duties, including their principal objective which is to protect the interests of GB’s energy consumers

Ofgem have said that they will consider proposals to introduce a gas shorthaul charge that seeks to address inefficient bypass of the gas network when they are brought forward by industry.

Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, has responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging and has made their decision in accordance with their statutory duties, including their principal objective which is to protect the interests of GB’s energy consumers.

Ofgem have considered the impact of the decision on different types of consumers and have concluded that consumers overall will benefit from the decision. Ofgem have said that they will consider proposals to introduce a gas shorthaul charge that seeks to address inefficient bypass of the gas network when they are brought forward by industry.

Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, has responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging and has made their decision in accordance with their statutory duties, including their principal objective which is to protect the interests of GB’s energy consumers.

Ofgem have considered the impact of the decision on different types of consumers and have set out this analysis in their decision. Ofgem have estimated consumers will save over £3 billion over ten years from this decision, including c£1billion for gas consumers and c£2billion for electricity consumers. They expect that consumers overall will benefit from the decision.

Please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/amendments-gas-transmission-charging-regime-decision-and-final-impact-assessment-unc678abcdefghij to find out more information on the decision.

The Government is fully committed to minimising industrial energy costs in the UK to ensure our industries remain strong and competitive. We continue to progress a range of measures to deliver an efficient and effective gas system that benefits all consumers.

Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, has responsibility for matters relating to gas network charging and has made their decision in accordance with their statutory duties, including their principal objective which is to protect the interests of GB’s energy consumers.

Ofgem have considered the impact of the decision on different types of consumers and have set out this analysis in their decision. They expect that consumers overall will benefit from the decision.

Please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/amendments-gas-transmission-charging-regime-decision-and-final-impact-assessment-unc678abcdefghij to find out more information on the decision.

Natural gas has an important and on-going role to play into the future as we decarbonise our energy system. However, how we use natural gas will need to change in order to minimise the carbon dioxide emissions associated with burning it.

Whilst we do not yet have certainty on the future role and extent of the distribution or transmission networks, there are steps we can take in the near-term to enable a decarbonised gas pathway. .

The existing gas networks, systems and markets will be important in providing the knowledge and the building blocks for the transition to Net Zero through the introduction of low carbon gases and a potential role for Hydrogen.

The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.

Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.

There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament.

The most recent survey of church attendance was published in 2018, and the table below contains figures aggregated from 2014-18 using average weekly attendance figures at all age services. These figures are collected each year during four weeks in October.

The figures in the table below include adult and child attendance at Sunday and midweek church services and fresh expressions, but not attendance at services for schools. Special local services such as memorials to commemorate flooding – can lead to fluctuations in the figures.

More information can be found in the annual Statistics for Mission report: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/18763

Parish boundaries do not coincide with constituency or county boundaries. Figures in the table are based on reasonable approximations as follows:

• The Rother Valley figure refers to the parishes in the Deanery of Laughton along with the parishes of Whiston and Wickersley.
• The Yorkshire figure refers to the Dioceses of York, Leeds, and Sheffield.

The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.

Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.

There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom and Royal Mail on matters relating to postal services.

The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.

Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.

There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament. Royal Mail has announced that its Saturday letters delivery service will resume from 13 June.

Under the terms of the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme (CIPCS), formerly the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme, there is provision for posthumous claims to be made. The criteria for a posthumous claim are:

• Employment with British Coal (which extends to employment with contractors or in a licensed mine); and
• 10 years or more of employment in the coal mining industry; and
• Having been in receipt of Industrial Injuries Disablement (IIDB) for Pneumoconiosis (Prescribed Disease D1 (PD D1)) or one of the other qualifying diseases, which does not include Covid-19; or
• Pneumoconiosis or one of the other qualifying disease, which does not include Covid-19 appearing on the Death Certificate.

Where a former miner was not in receipt of IIDB during life a request can be made, within a year of their death, to the DWP for a retrospective assessment. In instances in which there was no IIDB assessment during life or a retrospective request either is not possible or successful, a claim can be made if pneumoconiosis appears on the Death Certificate.

A breakdown of claims received under the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme by area requested during the last full calendar year (2019) are set out below:

(a) 132 (England)

(b) 41 (Yorkshire)

(c) 16 (Borough of Rotherham)

(d) 3 (Rother Valley Constituency)

For information:

• The address of the claimant has been used (as opposed to using the last known postcode of a deceased miner) to define the origin of each claim.
• ‘The Borough of Rotherham’ has been taken as being postcode districts S60-S63, S65 and S66.
• ‘Rother Valley Constituency’ was ascertained using https://members.parliament.uk/constituencies/.

Everyone must comply with the rules issued by the Government in relation to coronavirus, in order to protect both themselves and others.

We have published guidance for employers and businesses to assist them in the safe operation of their business:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19

Where the Health and Safety Executive are made aware of an employer not complying with the relevant Public Health England guidance (including enabling social distancing where it is practical to do so), HSE will consider a range of action, from providing specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices.

We must support people at work to do the right thing during the COVID-19 outbreak so they can stay safe. We regularly speak to industry stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium and supermarket CEOs, to ensure they are well prepared and up to date with the latest guidance from Public Health England.

The Government has been clear that food retail, including supermarkets, convenience stores, corner shops, and food markets, will remain open.

Where there are no practical alternatives, workplace canteens can remain open to provide food for their staff and a communal space for breaks. Where possible, staff should bring their own food to work and distributors should move to a takeaway model. Workers should try to minimise all meetings and gatherings in the workplace and measures should be taken to minimise the number of people in a canteen at any time, for example by using a rota. Further information and guidance on social distancing practices are set out at gov.uk.

The Government has announced various measures to reduce burdens on businesses of all sizes during the Covid-19 outbreak. This includes an announcement on 25 March, in conjunction with Companies House, allowing companies to apply for a three-month extension to file their accounts through a simplified online system. Further measures are being developed and will be announced soon.

COVID-19 is clearly reducing the scope for in-person international meetings, which we will seek to manage as far as possible through other means such as video and phone conferences.

Given this is an evolving situation we are keeping the situation under careful review and are in frequent contact with the UN, Chile (as current COP Presidents) and other partners."

Her Majesty's Government (HMG) is a signatory to the “Equal by 30 Campaign”, a joint Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and International Energy Agency (IEA) initiative, which works towards equal pay, equal leadership, and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030.

HMG has additionally set a target of having 40% women working in the nuclear sector by 2030 from a baseline of 22% in 2018 as part of the Nuclear Sector Deal. Since then the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG), the leading forum for nuclear skills, of which HMG is a member, together with Women in Nuclear (WiN) has published a Gender Roadmap that sets out the actions needed for the industry to hit that target. Ministers and HMG officials have also signed the Nuclear Sector Gender Commitment, which supports companies in their efforts to reach 40%.

BEIS also continues to support POWERful Women, which was launched by HMG in 2014 and seeks to promote gender diversity in the energy sector, through membership of their Board and provision of grant funding to support their POWERful Connections mentoring programme.

The Government supports flexible working and is clear about the benefits for employers and their employees, including in the energy sector.

We consulted last year on proposals to require large employers to publish flexible working policies and to advertise jobs as suitable for flexible working. We will respond to that consultation in due course. Since then, we committed in our Manifesto to make flexible working the default. Subject to consultation, we will bring forward these new measures in our Employment Bill.

The Government is committed to working collaboratively with businesses to create inclusive workplaces and, through this, boost productivity.

Sector Deals offer an opportunity for sectors and government to make joint, long-term commitments on diversity and increase the proportion of underrepresented groups. Our agreed Nuclear, Offshore Wind and Aerospace Sector Deals include commitments to increase diversity in these sectors, including establishing the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter.

The Offshore Wind Sector Deal, set a minimum target of employing 33 per cent women across the sector by 2030 and raising this figure to 40 per cent if feasible.

The Nuclear Sector Deal published on 28 June 2018 also has a commitment to achieve 40% women in nuclear by 2030.

For energy companies in the FTSE350, an average of 31.8% of board positions are now held by women up from 27.9% in 2018.

We support the work of POWERful Women, a campaigning organisation committed to advancing gender diversity across the energy sector. Data compiled by this organisation can be found at: http://powerfulwomen.org.uk/board-statistics-by-company/ .

The Government has no plans to commission an inquiry into hydraulic fracturing in the next six months, or to review the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing. The Government’s position has been set out in the Written Statement of 4th November 2019 and will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided.

As part of the Oil and Gas Authority’s (OGA) assessment of an application for hydraulic fracturing operations, the OGA requires the operator to have in place the necessary funds or an insurance policy (including third-party liability) that will cover unforeseen events.

The moratorium applies to operations that require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent. The definition of associated hydraulic fracturing, used for the purposes of Hydraulic Fracturing Consent, is as set out under section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998 (inserted by Section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015).

This definition was based on the approach taken by the European Commission, which defines high-volume hydraulic fracturing as involving the injection into a well of 1000m³ or more or water per fracturing stage or 10000m³ or more of water during the entire fracturing process.

Activities outside of this definition are not included in the moratorium.

The moratorium applies to operations that require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent. The definition of associated hydraulic fracturing, used for the purposes of Hydraulic Fracturing Consent, is as set out under section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998 (inserted by Section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015).

This definition was based on the approach taken by the European Commission, which defines high-volume hydraulic fracturing as involving the injection into a well of 1000m³ or more or water per fracturing stage or 10000m³ or more of water during the entire fracturing process.

Activities outside of this definition are not included in the moratorium.

There are no plans to review the Traffic Light System or to put it into statute.

Policing is a matter for the Home Office and the local constabulary. No such assessment has been made.

The Government has no plans to review the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing. The Government’s position has been set out in the Written Statement of 4th November 2019 and will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.

We will not support shale gas exploration unless the science shows categorically that it can be done safely. On the basis of the current scientific evidence the Government has taken a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents.

In the UK, we have been regulating gas and oil drilling, both onshore and offshore, for decades and maintain the very highest safety and environmental standards. Licensees are responsible for liabilities associated with environmental impacts of their operations throughout the duration of the licence.

In 2019/20, the most recent period for which figures are fully audited, an average of 31% of the income from draw-based games sales were allocated to good causes. This figure includes both retail sales and online sales. The latter give a higher proportion of their proceeds to good causes (an average of 35%) as retailer commission is not paid.

In the same period, 9% of the income from scratchcards games sales were allocated to good causes. Scratchcards and draw-based games are different products, and complement each other. Part of the appeal of scratchcards and online instant win games for players is the increased likelihood of winning a prize. Although scratchcards return less of a proportion of revenue to good causes than draw-based games, the volume of sales means that a significant amount of money is raised for good causes through scratchcards.

For the same period, 48% of draw-based games sales were paid out to players in prizes, while 68% of scratchcards sales were paid out to players in prizes.

12% Lottery Duty is paid on all National Lottery games.

Government does not hold figures relating to bids for the third licence to operate the National Lottery.

The National Lottery Commission awarded the third licence to the operator which was assessed as being the most likely to maximise returns to good causes, and able to run the National Lottery with due propriety and to protect the interests of participants.

Further information on how awarding of the third licence was conducted can be found in the National Lottery Commission’s report on the third licence competition published in 2008. The report can be accessed here.

My answer to your question on 14 May 2021 (PQ1419), gives a breakdown of good cause income for each year of the National Lottery’s operation.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The operator is permitted to seek joint investments in line with Condition 23 of Section 5 of the Third National Lottery Licence.

Details of requests for joint investments, the Commission’s decisions in response and the rationale supporting those decisions can be found on the Commission’s website.

In addition the Gambling Commission has provided the following information. In March 2021 the Commission approved a proposal from the operator for joint investment in National Lottery marketing of £69.4 million (£65.3 million of this was investment from the National Lottery Distribution Fund), with this being allocated as follows:

• £25.7 million to support an investment in marketing of the National Lottery brand. This will be invested to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

• £37.3 million to support an investment in marketing of Lotto and EuroMillions.

• £6.4 million to support an investment in marketing of Set for Life.

This approval was granted having considered the Commission’s statutory duties in relation to the National Lottery. Specifically, the Commission identified no material risks to its two primary duties regarding propriety and players Interests and has a high level of assurance that the proposal will be beneficial in relation to maximising returns to good causes, particularly over the long-term.

The two investments referenced (in WPQ 14100 and 14101) focus on additional marketing to support the National Lottery brand. Specifically, the investments were targeted to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

For each investment of this nature, the Commission undertakes a robust analytical assessment, as well as negotiation with the operator to ensure the best possible deal for good causes. The performance of such investments is then monitored by the Commission regularly after implementation. For brand investments, this is achieved through:

• Assessing extensive econometric analysis developed by the operator, which is subsequently assured externally and provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on returns to good causes in the short term.

• Monitoring a wider range of key performance indicators, which provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on the National Lottery brand over the longer term.

This evidence suggests that the return on investment has been positive in the short term, and that benefits have also been driven over the longer term.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The operator is permitted to seek joint investments in line with Condition 23 of Section 5 of the Third National Lottery Licence.

Details of requests for joint investments, the Commission’s decisions in response and the rationale supporting those decisions can be found on the Commission’s website.

In addition the Gambling Commission has provided the following information. In March 2021 the Commission approved a proposal from the operator for joint investment in National Lottery marketing of £69.4 million (£65.3 million of this was investment from the National Lottery Distribution Fund), with this being allocated as follows:

• £25.7 million to support an investment in marketing of the National Lottery brand. This will be invested to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

• £37.3 million to support an investment in marketing of Lotto and EuroMillions.

• £6.4 million to support an investment in marketing of Set for Life.

This approval was granted having considered the Commission’s statutory duties in relation to the National Lottery. Specifically, the Commission identified no material risks to its two primary duties regarding propriety and players Interests and has a high level of assurance that the proposal will be beneficial in relation to maximising returns to good causes, particularly over the long-term.

The two investments referenced (in WPQ 14100 and 14101) focus on additional marketing to support the National Lottery brand. Specifically, the investments were targeted to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

For each investment of this nature, the Commission undertakes a robust analytical assessment, as well as negotiation with the operator to ensure the best possible deal for good causes. The performance of such investments is then monitored by the Commission regularly after implementation. For brand investments, this is achieved through:

• Assessing extensive econometric analysis developed by the operator, which is subsequently assured externally and provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on returns to good causes in the short term.

• Monitoring a wider range of key performance indicators, which provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on the National Lottery brand over the longer term.

This evidence suggests that the return on investment has been positive in the short term, and that benefits have also been driven over the longer term.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The operator is permitted to seek joint investments in line with Condition 23 of Section 5 of the Third National Lottery Licence.

Details of requests for joint investments, the Commission’s decisions in response and the rationale supporting those decisions can be found on the Commission’s website.

In addition the Gambling Commission has provided the following information. In March 2021 the Commission approved a proposal from the operator for joint investment in National Lottery marketing of £69.4 million (£65.3 million of this was investment from the National Lottery Distribution Fund), with this being allocated as follows:

• £25.7 million to support an investment in marketing of the National Lottery brand. This will be invested to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

• £37.3 million to support an investment in marketing of Lotto and EuroMillions.

• £6.4 million to support an investment in marketing of Set for Life.

This approval was granted having considered the Commission’s statutory duties in relation to the National Lottery. Specifically, the Commission identified no material risks to its two primary duties regarding propriety and players Interests and has a high level of assurance that the proposal will be beneficial in relation to maximising returns to good causes, particularly over the long-term.

The two investments referenced (in WPQ 14100 and 14101) focus on additional marketing to support the National Lottery brand. Specifically, the investments were targeted to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

For each investment of this nature, the Commission undertakes a robust analytical assessment, as well as negotiation with the operator to ensure the best possible deal for good causes. The performance of such investments is then monitored by the Commission regularly after implementation. For brand investments, this is achieved through:

• Assessing extensive econometric analysis developed by the operator, which is subsequently assured externally and provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on returns to good causes in the short term.

• Monitoring a wider range of key performance indicators, which provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on the National Lottery brand over the longer term.

This evidence suggests that the return on investment has been positive in the short term, and that benefits have also been driven over the longer term.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The operator is permitted to seek joint investments in line with Condition 23 of Section 5 of the Third National Lottery Licence.

Details of requests for joint investments, the Commission’s decisions in response and the rationale supporting those decisions can be found on the Commission’s website.

In addition the Gambling Commission has provided the following information. In March 2021 the Commission approved a proposal from the operator for joint investment in National Lottery marketing of £69.4 million (£65.3 million of this was investment from the National Lottery Distribution Fund), with this being allocated as follows:

• £25.7 million to support an investment in marketing of the National Lottery brand. This will be invested to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

• £37.3 million to support an investment in marketing of Lotto and EuroMillions.

• £6.4 million to support an investment in marketing of Set for Life.

This approval was granted having considered the Commission’s statutory duties in relation to the National Lottery. Specifically, the Commission identified no material risks to its two primary duties regarding propriety and players Interests and has a high level of assurance that the proposal will be beneficial in relation to maximising returns to good causes, particularly over the long-term.

The two investments referenced (in WPQ 14100 and 14101) focus on additional marketing to support the National Lottery brand. Specifically, the investments were targeted to support the long-term health of the National Lottery by driving positivity, loyalty and an emotional connection to the brand.

For each investment of this nature, the Commission undertakes a robust analytical assessment, as well as negotiation with the operator to ensure the best possible deal for good causes. The performance of such investments is then monitored by the Commission regularly after implementation. For brand investments, this is achieved through:

• Assessing extensive econometric analysis developed by the operator, which is subsequently assured externally and provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on returns to good causes in the short term.

• Monitoring a wider range of key performance indicators, which provides evidence of the positive impact of the investment on the National Lottery brand over the longer term.

This evidence suggests that the return on investment has been positive in the short term, and that benefits have also been driven over the longer term.

In order to fund additional investments where costs cannot be recouped within the licence period, the National Lottery operator is permitted to seek joint investments in accordance with the provisions of Condition 23 of the Licence. Details of all substantive recent requests for joint investments, the Gambling Commission’s decisions in response and the rationale supporting those decisions can be found on the Commission’s website at

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/guide/licence-to-run-the-national-lottery

with similar information for game-specific investments being provided on the relevant pages which can be accessed from that central location.

I refer you to my answer to your question on 14 May 2021 (PQ1420), which sets out marketing spend by the operator from 2009/10 to 2019/20.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission. The Commission does not hold the information requested. Information on Camelot’s expenditure, returns to its shareholders, and the remuneration of its employees can be found within its Annual Reports and Accounts at the following location: https://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting/.

Mission 1 of the National Data Strategy commits to unlocking the value of data held across the economy. We will publish a policy framework to set out government's role in enabling improved data availability, and we will pilot the most promising interventions. In May, we announced a new National Data Strategy Forum to ensure diverse perspectives beyond government and the public sector inform the implementation of the National Data Strategy.

Collaboration with the private sector is already an important part of our work. The Geospatial Commission ran a pilot project over the past two years to consider the value and feasibility of creating a National Underground Asset data sharing platform to help locate buried assets for safer and more efficient work. The pilot involved more than 40 different public and private asset owners - from local authorities to national infrastructure providers, independent network operators and major utilities. In the next year, work will commence on a production platform starting by building a regional product for three regions, the North East of England, Wales and London.

Lists of recipients of Rounds One and Two of the Culture Recovery Fund including cathedrals are already published by the relevant awarding bodies, including details of the amounts given and the region. The lists can be found on their websites here:

Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk/coronavirus/culturerecoveryfund/map/recipients-list/

Arts Council England:

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication/culture-recovery-fund-data

National Lottery Heritage Fund:

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/decisions/culture-recovery-fund-heritage-decisions-up-to-1m-october-2020

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/decisions/culture-recovery-fund-heritage-second-round-decisions

Lists of recipients of Rounds One and Two of the Culture Recovery Fund including churches are already published by the relevant awarding bodies, including details of the amounts given and the region. The lists can be found on their websites here:

Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk/coronavirus/culturerecoveryfund/map/recipients-list/

Arts Council England:

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication/culture-recovery-fund-data

National Lottery Heritage Fund:

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/decisions/culture-recovery-fund-heritage-decisions-up-to-1m-october-2020

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/decisions/culture-recovery-fund-heritage-second-round-decisions

The Culture Recovery Fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Historic England. Funding to cathedrals by these bodies through the Culture Recovery Fund is as follows (figures have been provided by the awarding bodies):

Heritage Stimulus Fund (data supplied by Historic England)

Cathedrals: £3,425,882

Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage (data supplied by National Lottery Heritage Fund)

Cathedrals: £17,074,600

Culture Recovery Fund (data supplied by Arts Council England)

Cathedrals (arts activities): £641,151

Grand Total: £21,141,633

The Culture Recovery Fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Historic England. Funding to churches by these bodies through the Culture Recovery Fund is as follows (figures have been provided by the awarding bodies):

Heritage Stimulus Fund (data supplied by Historic England)

Churches (all denominations) £18,359,911.28

Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage (data supplied by National Lottery Heritage Fund)

Places of Worship (the majority of these relate to sites of active worship, mainly churches of all denominations): £11,600,100

Grand Total: £29,960,011.28

The competition for the third National Lottery Licence was run by the National Lottery Commission, which was merged with the Gambling Commission in October 2013. The Commission announced the outcome of the competition on 7th August 2007, at which time it also published the ‘Statement of Reasons’. This can be found through the National Archives website.

Available data covers marketing spend, of which advertising is one element. The table below shows total marketing expenditure during the course of the Third Licence period. We do not hold advertising or marketing data for the period prior to the start of the Third Licence.

The amount the operator spends on marketing is subject to conditions set out in the licence, which specify minimum amounts that must be spent on marketing as a whole, of which advertising is one element. More information can be found at Schedule 10, Condition 11, Part 1 of the Third Licence.

Proceeds from the National Lottery due to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) from the operator are calculated as set out in the terms of the third National Lottery Licence. Total annual National Lottery good cause income since 1994, is shown in the table below.

Total NLDF income is set out in the table below. In addition to income received through sales, good cause income received into the NLDF also includes unclaimed prizes and investment income, amongst other additions, although sales income makes up c 92% of the total. More detailed information is available in the National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Report.

* As the Lottery began in November 1994, data from 1994/1995 is only for a partial year.

In December 2020 we published the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation, setting out further details about the new online safety regulatory framework.

Under the new legislation, both online marketplaces and online community forums will need to take action to tackle criminal activity. This includes the sale of illegal products such as drugs and weapons. They will need to ensure that illegal content is removed expeditiously and that the risk of it appearing and spreading across their services is minimised by effective systems.

The Government is committed to tackling the sale of unsafe consumer products online. My officials engage regularly with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, which works to ensure that major online marketplaces play their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe goods.

We are working on legislation at pace and it will be ready this year.

The administrator for the scheme, TopMark, took over in 2014. They have paid out 45,655 grants to approximately 16,170 places of worship. Between 2012 and 2014, the previous administrator for the grant paid out 4,035 grants to 3,425 Listed Places of Worship.

In 2012, DCMS and HM Treasury became joint funders of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and annual funding was increased to up to £42m (to offset changes to the rate of VAT on alterations) with DCMS funding the first £17m with the further (up to) £25m coming from HMT reserves. In total, the amount available to the grant scheme amounts to £378m since 2012.

Between DCMS and HM Treasury, the funding available for the Listed Places of Worship Grant is up to £42m. The following figures show what was claimed for each of the financial years:

• 2016/2017 - £31,298,390.23

• 2017/2018 - £33,166,559.49

• 2018/2019 - £34,517,766.03

• 2019/2020 - £34,078,628.89

• Current Financial Year (up to 31/1/21) - £22,566,078.26

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres.

In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has provided £220 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. On 26 January Sport England also published their strategy ‘Uniting the Movement’ and as part of this have committed an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

The Government has published guidance on gov.uk allowing the phased return of sport and recreation in line with the latest medical guidance. This guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation

The guidance includes training and competition guidance for elite and professional athletes, and will assist sport organisations to deliver safe working environments.

Talented under-18 athletes may be permitted to train subject to meeting the qualifying criteria set out in our guidance for elite and professional sport, and in National Governing Bodies’ own sport-specific guidance. The guidance be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation

Government recognises the significant impact of Covid-19 on young people, particularly the most vulnerable, and on the youth services that support them. A £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund has been announced which will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country.

The funding will be allocated from the Government’s unprecedented £750 million package of support which is benefiting tens of thousands of frontline charities, so they can continue their vital work. More than £60 million of this package has already been provided to organisations working with vulnerable children and young people.

The Youth Investment Fund remains a manifesto commitment for transformative levelling up across the country over the course of the parliament. In the recent announced Spending Review £30m of this was committed as capital investment for 2021-22. This will provide a transformational investment in new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture. Further details of the timetable for allocation will be announced in due course.

Government recognises the significant impact of Covid-19 on young people, particularly the most vulnerable, and on the youth services that support them. A £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund has been announced which will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country.

The funding will be allocated from the Government’s unprecedented £750 million package of support which is benefiting tens of thousands of frontline charities, so they can continue their vital work. More than £60 million of this package has already been provided to organisations working with vulnerable children and young people.

The Youth Investment Fund remains a manifesto commitment for transformative levelling up across the country over the course of the parliament. In the recent announced Spending Review £30m of this was committed as capital investment for 2021-22. This will provide a transformational investment in new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture. Further details of the timetable for allocation will be announced in due course.

Responsibility for developing services for children is held by the Department for Education, however we recognise that it is essential for charities to be part of the digital revolution. The government is committed to bringing together digital and civil society to help tackle social challenges and develop services needed.

That is why DCMS provided £1.6m of set up funding for the Catalyst, a programme which is incubated by the Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST). The Catalyst brings together a network of charities, digital design agencies and major funders with the shared objective of establishing a digital support hub for the charity sector. The Catalyst programme represents the first time the charity sector has had a dedicated, high-profile coalition jointly funding and championing digital innovation in the charity sector and continues to support charities to embed digital in their strategy, services and culture.

Encouraging digital innovation has long been a priority in DCMS. For example, in 2018 DCMS launched a £400,000 Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to help older and disabled people acquire digital skills. The aim of this fund was to help ensure that ‘what works’ on digital inclusion is identified, replicated and scaled. A full independent evaluation will be published soon to share learnings from this fund.

The £750 million package offered unprecedented support to allow charities and social enterprises to continue their vital work and adapt service delivery to support our national effort to fight coronavirus. This funding will continue to support this work over the winter.

We have recently published new guidance on GOV.UK for organisations and groups, to help them to understand how to involve volunteers safely and effectively in their work during the coronavirus pandemic. Under the current national restrictions in England, people can leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services, where they cannot do this from home. We regularly update our guidance on volunteering on GOV.UK.

Information on the wider measures the government has made available and details on how to access the support measures can be found on GOV.UK. The Charity Commission has also published guidance on GOV.UK, which sets out how charities can get support for their staff, advice on use of reserves, and other potential issues.

Furthermore, ensuring charities can safely begin fundraising activities will be a crucial part of the sector’s recovery. DCMS has worked closely with its sectors to publish guidance relating to COVID-19. This includes practical guidance and resources from the Fundraising Regulator and Chartered Institute of Fundraising supporting charities to safeguard the public, staff and volunteers as they plan to return to fundraising activities in a safe and responsible way. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-dcms-sectors-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19. Over the coming months we will continue to work with the charity, voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors to assess emerging needs and how we can best support them during the COVID-19 pandemic and through recovery.

Charities, community organisations and volunteers are playing a vital role to support the coronavirus effort. Government continues to work closely with the civil society sector to assess both the needs of vulnerable people and the sector itself, and how government can best support the continuation of critical work.

DCMS has provided a £4.8million grant to the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership, to support its work to improve coordination in the voluntary sector, and deploy volunteers and resources where they are most needed. Examples include distributing 30 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 67,000 meals in the South West and arranging 1,000 health assessments of those experiencing homelessness. The Partnership has also supported recent initiatives such as the Department for Transport’s Journey Makers. Learning is being captured on the Partnership’s response and an evaluation is to be carried out.

The Government is firmly committed to making the UK the safest place to be online, and we are working at pace on our proposals. We will publish a full government response later this year.

The Government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. DCMS and the Home Office are working at pace to develop the legislation. We will publish a full government response later this year, and legislation will be ready this session.

Gyms and health club facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to be active and the Government is committed to reopening sports and physical activity facilities as soon as it is safe to do so.

We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.

As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.

Guidance is available on the Gov.UK website and is being continually updated as progress is made toward the safe reopening of all facilities including those for watersports and cycling.

This includes guidance for the public on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation in England, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-phased-return-of-outdoor-sport-and-recreation.

We will update the public when we deem it is safe to open up indoor facilities such as pools, leisure centres and gyms and will continue to consult the sector as our plans develop.

Gyms and health club facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to be active and the Government is committed to reopening sports and physical activity facilities as soon as it is safe to do so.

We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.

As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.

Government recently launched a major effort to tackle loneliness and social isolation. This includes a new public campaign encouraging people to talk openly about loneliness, as well as guidance on how individuals can safely support themselves and others if they are feeling lonely or isolated. This information is available on the ‘Let’s Talk Loneliness’ website.

In addition, Government is making £5 million available for national organisations working on tackling loneliness and applications for this new fund opened on 13 May 2020. Government has also formed a new ‘Tackling Loneliness Network’, which consists of high-profile charities, businesses and public figures who will work together to find innovative solutions which support people at risk of loneliness.

The Government has published guidance on GOV.UK allowing the phased return of recreational activities in line with the latest medical guidance. This guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation

The Government does not plan to publish recreation-specific guidance.

The Government has published guidance on GOV.UK allowing the phased return of recreational activities in line with the latest medical guidance. This guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation

The Government does not plan to publish recreation-specific guidance.

Any facilities associated with outdoor sports and physical activities including golf courses can reopen, if those responsible for them feel ready to do so and if they can do so safely, and in line with related public health guidance.

The government recognises the vital work social enterprises and co-operatives are doing to support communities and ease demands on public services in light of Covid-19. In recognising this, we have put in place a number of emergency measures to support these organisations during this time.

The government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has been made available to social enterprises and co-operatives. This scheme will provide lenders with a government-backed guarantee of 80% on each loan, ensuring eligible social enterprises and co-operatives gain access to crucial finance with no upfront costs and lower initial repayments. Big Society Capital has established and capitalised a Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund which aims to improve access to CBILS for social enterprises. The initiative has been enabled by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) accelerating the release of previously committed dormant bank accounts money.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is also available to social enterprises and co-operatives. This scheme allows employers to claim for a cash grant of up to 80% of a furloughed employee's wages. Many organisations are already accessing this support measure.

Additionally, the government announced a £750 million support package earlier this month for charities. A number of social enterprises that are delivering vital work during the coronavirus outbreak will be eligible to apply for this support package.

Over the coming weeks and months, the government will monitor and evaluate the support that has been provided to social enterprises and co-operatives, and it continues to consider what else can be done. This includes examining further initiatives around access to finance for social enterprises and cooperatives.

The government recognises the vital work social enterprises and co-operatives are doing to support communities and ease demands on public services in light of Covid-19. In recognising this, we have put in place a number of emergency measures to support these organisations during this time.

The government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has been made available to social enterprises and co-operatives. This scheme will provide lenders with a government-backed guarantee of 80% on each loan, ensuring eligible social enterprises and co-operatives gain access to crucial finance with no upfront costs and lower initial repayments. Big Society Capital has established and capitalised a Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund which aims to improve access to CBILS for social enterprises. The initiative has been enabled by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) accelerating the release of previously committed dormant bank accounts money.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is also available to social enterprises and co-operatives. This scheme allows employers to claim for a cash grant of up to 80% of a furloughed employee's wages. Many organisations are already accessing this support measure.

Additionally, the government announced a £750 million support package earlier this month for charities. A number of social enterprises that are delivering vital work during the coronavirus outbreak will be eligible to apply for this support package.

Over the coming weeks and months, the government will monitor and evaluate the support that has been provided to social enterprises and co-operatives, and it continues to consider what else can be done. This includes examining further initiatives around access to finance for social enterprises and cooperatives.

The measures required to tackle Covid-19 mean it is likely that more people will be going online in the weeks ahead, including school age children and vulnerable users. This may place some people at greater risk of experiencing harm online.

The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We are working with other government departments, technology companies, civil society and academia during this period to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.

The measures required to tackle Covid-19 mean it is likely that more people will be going online in the weeks ahead, including school age children and vulnerable users. This may place some people at greater risk of experiencing harm online.

The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We are working with other government departments, technology companies, civil society and academia during this period to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.

The measures required to tackle Covid-19 mean it is likely that more people will be going online in the weeks ahead, including school age children and vulnerable users. This may place some people at greater risk of experiencing harm online.

The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We are working with other government departments, technology companies, civil society and academia during this period to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.

The measures required to tackle Covid-19 mean it is likely that more people will be going online in the weeks ahead, including school age children and vulnerable users. This may place some people at greater risk of experiencing harm online.

The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We are working with other government departments, technology companies, civil society and academia during this period to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.

We value Barnardo’s work with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime and Violence Reduction, and welcomed their report published in March 2020 on the role of youth services.

We recognise the importance of investing in our young people, and so in September last year the Chancellor announced a five year, £500 million Youth Investment Fund. This will help build up to 60 new youth centres and refurbish hundreds of existing youth facilities across the country, as well as providing over 100 mobile facilities for harder to reach areas. The fund will also support the provision and coordination of high-quality services for young people, as well as an investment in the youth workforce.

DCMS will continue to work together closely with the Home Office, the Cabinet Office’s Serious Violence Team and across government on effective strategies to keep our young people safe.

DCMS officials are rapidly assessing how the impact of Covid-19 will affect the delivery of the Youth Investment Fund in 2020 and beyond.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2. It clarifies the core legal requirements, making it clear what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe and promote their welfare. The guidance is clear that every assessment should focus on the needs of the child, taking into account their family and wider community.

Regarding the increase in section 47 enquires, the guidance is also clear that, at times, intervention is necessary to keep the most vulnerable children safe. Where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, it has a duty to make such enquiries as it considers necessary to decide whether to take any action to safeguard or promote child welfare. Where an inquiry has been initiated under section 47, the guidance sets out the expectations of social workers in the event that a significant concern has not been substantiated, including discussing the case with the parents and securing any additional help if necessary.

The department publishes information on the number of assessments that identify domestic violence, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/eea28f53-c9d9-402c-b7dd-28bb1d9bb7c8. The department also publishes information on children that are looked after in England, including adoptions, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020. However, the department does not have an assessment of the effect of a child being a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault on likelihood of entering the care system.

The department is investing in the social work workforce, and in leadership at all levels, to ensure that social workers have the capability and capacity to support and protect the most vulnerable children and families. We have introduced clear post-qualifying standards, setting out the knowledge and skills expected of children and family social workers, including building effective relationships with children, young people and families, and the National Assessment and Accreditation System, to provide a mechanism to assess and accredit against these standards. Additionally, we are supporting local authorities to develop evidence of what works, through the completion of the Children’s Social Care Innovation programme and the establishment of the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care.

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care is a manifesto commitment and a fundamental part of the government’s commitment to levelling up across the country. It is taking a comprehensive look at what is needed to make a real difference to the needs, experiences, and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. The review will look at the whole system of support, safeguarding, protection and care, and the child’s journey into and out of that system. This will include children throughout their interaction with children’s social care, from referral, Child in Need and Child Protection Plans, through to becoming looked after.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2. It clarifies the core legal requirements, making it clear what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe and promote their welfare. The guidance is clear that every assessment should focus on the needs of the child, taking into account their family and wider community.

Regarding the increase in section 47 enquires, the guidance is also clear that, at times, intervention is necessary to keep the most vulnerable children safe. Where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, it has a duty to make such enquiries as it considers necessary to decide whether to take any action to safeguard or promote child welfare. Where an inquiry has been initiated under section 47, the guidance sets out the expectations of social workers in the event that a significant concern has not been substantiated, including discussing the case with the parents and securing any additional help if necessary.

The department publishes information on the number of assessments that identify domestic violence, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/eea28f53-c9d9-402c-b7dd-28bb1d9bb7c8. The department also publishes information on children that are looked after in England, including adoptions, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020. However, the department does not have an assessment of the effect of a child being a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault on likelihood of entering the care system.

The department is investing in the social work workforce, and in leadership at all levels, to ensure that social workers have the capability and capacity to support and protect the most vulnerable children and families. We have introduced clear post-qualifying standards, setting out the knowledge and skills expected of children and family social workers, including building effective relationships with children, young people and families, and the National Assessment and Accreditation System, to provide a mechanism to assess and accredit against these standards. Additionally, we are supporting local authorities to develop evidence of what works, through the completion of the Children’s Social Care Innovation programme and the establishment of the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care.

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care is a manifesto commitment and a fundamental part of the government’s commitment to levelling up across the country. It is taking a comprehensive look at what is needed to make a real difference to the needs, experiences, and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. The review will look at the whole system of support, safeguarding, protection and care, and the child’s journey into and out of that system. This will include children throughout their interaction with children’s social care, from referral, Child in Need and Child Protection Plans, through to becoming looked after.

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are central to the cross-government SEND Review. The review plans to consult on measures to improve children and young people’s outcomes and to put them and their families at the heart of the SEND system. We see this as a critical first step in delivering a SEND system fit for the future – with high-quality support, delivered affordably, and sustainably for the long term.

The Care Review will look at the whole system of support, safeguarding, protection and care, and the child’s journey into and out of that system. There is clearly a significant overlap between the Care Review and SEND Review, as almost half of the children in need within the children’s social care system also have SEND. The Care Review terms of reference can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952624/terms_of_reference_independent_childrens_social_care_review.pdf. The terms of reference set out the questions and themes that the Care Review will consider. They state that the Care Review will give due regard to the SEND Review, which will consider the main questions relevant to children with SEND.

The SEND system has some excellent practice within it, but we know that too many children and young people are not getting the support that they need to succeed. The department is continuing to invest and support improvements in the short-term, whilst reviewing it to ensure that it can be even better in the long-term.

The government’s aim is for all children to be in stable, loving homes that keep them safe, meet their individual needs and provide them with the support, stability and opportunities they require to thrive and achieve positive outcomes. We are undertaking a wide-scale review of children’s social care, which is taking a look at the needs, experience and outcomes of the children it supports, and what is needed to make a real difference. In doing so, the review will contribute to ambitious and deliverable reforms, taking into account the sustainability of local services and the effective use of resources.

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are central to the cross-government SEND Review. The review plans to consult on measures to improve children and young people’s outcomes and to put them and their families at the heart of the SEND system. We see this as a critical first step in delivering a SEND system fit for the future – with high-quality support, delivered affordably, and sustainably for the long term.

The Care Review will look at the whole system of support, safeguarding, protection and care, and the child’s journey into and out of that system. There is clearly a significant overlap between the Care Review and SEND Review, as almost half of the children in need within the children’s social care system also have SEND. The Care Review terms of reference can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952624/terms_of_reference_independent_childrens_social_care_review.pdf. The terms of reference set out the questions and themes that the Care Review will consider. They state that the Care Review will give due regard to the SEND Review, which will consider the main questions relevant to children with SEND.

The SEND system has some excellent practice within it, but we know that too many children and young people are not getting the support that they need to succeed. The department is continuing to invest and support improvements in the short-term, whilst reviewing it to ensure that it can be even better in the long-term.

The government’s aim is for all children to be in stable, loving homes that keep them safe, meet their individual needs and provide them with the support, stability and opportunities they require to thrive and achieve positive outcomes. We are undertaking a wide-scale review of children’s social care, which is taking a look at the needs, experience and outcomes of the children it supports, and what is needed to make a real difference. In doing so, the review will contribute to ambitious and deliverable reforms, taking into account the sustainability of local services and the effective use of resources.

We recognise that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education, health and wellbeing, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We are committed to supporting them and their families.

We have consistently prioritised children who attend specialist settings by providing additional uplifts to these settings in the 2020 Catch-up Premium, the 2021 Recovery Premium and in funding to deliver summer schools this year.

Special and alternative provision schools will receive additional funding to ensure these settings can provide one-to-one tutoring for their pupils. We will also provide greater flexibility to schools to make it easier for them to take on local tutors or use existing staff to supplement those employed through the existing National Tutoring Programme. We anticipate that this will particularly benefit children and young people with SEND, where tutors familiar to these children can support them to realise the benefits of tuition. Children will further benefit from additional funding to ensure that teachers in schools and early years settings are able to access high quality training and professional development. We know that high quality teaching is the best way to support all students, including those with SEND. Young people with SEND will also benefit from the 16-19 tuition fund and the opportunity to repeat year 13 if necessary.

We believe it is right for local authorities, who know their areas’ needs best, to determine what services are required locally. Respite care services for disabled children are provided on the basis of an individual assessment of each child and family’s needs, and it is right that this individual focus continues. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have ensured that respite care services for disabled children and their families have been allowed to continue to operate. This applies to services which care for children in and away from home. Where parents have a disabled child under the age of 5, they can also establish a support bubble with another household to provide respite care.

To support local areas, the government has given over £6 billion in un-ringfenced funding directly to councils to support them with the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including children’s services.

In addition to statutory services, we are providing £27.3 million to the Family Fund in financial year 2021-22 to support over 60,000 families on low incomes raising children and young people with disabilities or serious illnesses. Grants can be used for a range of purposes, including family breaks.

We are also providing £200 million for all secondary schools, including specialist settings, to deliver face-to-face summer schools. Schools will be able to target provision based on pupils’ needs but the government is suggesting they may want to initially target incoming year 7 pupils, as well as pupils who may benefit from increased support, which includes disabled children and those with special educational needs. This is alongside wider support funded through our Holiday Activities and Food Programme across the country.

Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.

The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.

We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.

The Government will fund secondary schools and colleges that have remained open for costs relating to testing on site. We have published a workforce planning tool which illustrates the levels of funding available for school and colleges.

Primary schools will not receive additional funding to carry out testing. Primary school staff (including staff in schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools) will be supplied with at home Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits which they will be able to use before coming into work. The LFDs supplied do not require laboratory processing and can provide a quick result in up to an hour in a home setting. We are seeking to minimise the burden on primary schools in relation to processing testing. No further equipment or funding is therefore required for the administration of these tests. Funding is being provided for secondary schools, colleges, and special/alternative provision settings as we are asking them to establish testing sites on the school estate.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine(s) the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19.

In the next phase of the vaccine rollout, JCVI have asked that the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other Government departments. The Department for Education is working with DHSC and Public Health England to ensure that the education and childcare workforce is considered for prioritisation in the roll out of the vaccine.

The COVID-19 outbreak has been extremely challenging for many families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). That is why we asked schools to stay open for vulnerable children, including those with an education, health and care plan, during the period of national lockdown. On 7 January 2021, we published guidance for schools on the current national lockdown, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

We want these children and young people to continue to receive high-quality teaching and specialist professional support. The system of protective measures that schools have in place means that any risks associated with attendance are well managed. If a child does not attend, we expect the school to provide remote education.

Specialists, therapists, clinicians and other support staff for pupils with SEND should provide interventions as usual where this is reasonably necessary, including where this requires them to move between settings. On occasion, special schools may encounter circumstances where they cannot provide their usual interventions and provision at adequate staffing ratios, or with staff with vital specialist training. In these circumstances they should seek to resume as close as possible to the child of young person’s specified provision as soon as possible. Pupil level risk assessments, which were used last spring, should not be used to filter children and young people in or out of attendance, but could be helpful to prioritise the provision a child or young person can get if full time provision for all is not possible.

We will issue updated guidance and as part of this we will be providing more detailed advice and support for special schools.

During the period of national lockdown, primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools will remain open to vulnerable children and young people, including those with an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

We have updated the remote education guidance for schools and colleges, including guidance for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to clarify and strengthen expectations while on-site attendance is restricted, drawing on our evolving understanding of best practice in remote education: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952443/210114_School_national_restrictions_guidance_FINAL_14012021.pdf.

For pupils with SEND, their teachers are best-placed to know how the pupil’s needs can be most effectively met to ensure they continue to make progress even if they are not able to be in school due to COVID-19

Schools should follow the age-related guidance on remote education for primary schools and secondary schools. For example, for key stage 1 children in a special school, a minimum of 3 hours should be the aim on average across the cohort, with less for younger pupils. However, we expect schools to consider these expectations in relation to the pupils’ stage of development and special educational needs, for example, where this would place significant demands on parents’ help or support.

Many pupils with disabilities will also have special educational needs. The legal duty on schools to use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils remains unchanged, whether they are attending school or at home for any period. In addition, where a pupil has an EHCP, it remains the legal duty of the local authority to secure the special educational provision specified in the plan.

Schools should work collaboratively with families, putting in place reasonable adjustments as necessary, so that pupils with SEND can successfully access remote education and an ambitious curriculum appropriate for their level of need alongside their peers.

To ensure pupils with SEND are supported effectively, we have provided additional funding to one of our Demonstrators National Star College to provide specialist training in assistive technologies to teachers, leaders and special educational needs coordinators in all state funded schools in England.  This training will help to secure remote education arrangements for pupils with special educational needs with advice and guidance is also available to support the development of an inclusive curriculum.

In addition, the department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy to provide video lessons in a broad range of subjects for Reception up to year 11. Specialist content for pupils with SEND is also available.

To support schools looking for help to improve the quality of their remote provision in line with the expectations, the department has published a sector-led good practice guide. The guide provides practical advice and suggestions for school leaders as part of the support package on Get Help with Remote Education: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-remote-education.

During national lockdown restrictions, special schools and special post-16 settings should continue to welcome and encourage pupils to attend full-time (or as per their usual timetable) where parents and carers wishes for their child to be able to attend (or for post-16s, where the young person wishes to attend). This is because we know that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families, can be disproportionately impacted by being out of education. The Department for Education (DfE) has published new guidance on the period during the national lockdown, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak#history.

It is important that staff in these schools continue to be supported. The rapid asymptomatic testing programme will include testing staff, vulnerable pupils and students, and children of key workers, including those within special schools and special post-16 settings. Further announcements on the roll out of testing to staff in primary schools will follow in due course, to help support the reopening of education settings.

As outlined in the department’s published guidance, additional use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 related purposes is only needed in a small number of cases, such as if a pupil or student becomes ill with COVID-19 symptoms and a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained, or when undertaking aerosol generating procedures. If a pupil or student already has routine intimate care needs that involve the use of PPE, the same PPE should continue to be used. Public Health England have advised that the current guidance on the system of controls, including the use of PPE and face coverings, should continue to be followed.

The PPE portal can be used by residential special settings to access COVID-19 PPE. These providers will have received an email invitation to register with the portal. Depending on local arrangements, special schools and special post-16 settings may be able to access PPE for their COVID-19 needs via their local authority or local resilience forum.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are independent experts advising the government on which vaccine(s) the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems, and as the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19. In the next phase of the vaccine rollout, JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other government departments. The DfE will input into this cross-governmental exercise.

The department has worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) to publish comprehensive guidance based on a system of controls which, when implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, creates an inherently safer environment for staff, pupils and students where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced. This provides a framework for all schools to put in place proportionate protective measures to measure risk effectively. New guidance has been published on the period during the national lockdown, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak#history.

We recognise that social distancing and other protective measures can be harder to implement in specialist settings, particularly when working with children and young people with complex needs, or those who need close contact care. The guidance for full opening: ‘Special Schools and other specialist settings’ has been developed with experts from PHE and provides advice on how special schools and other special education settings specifically can implement a system of controls to reduce the risk of transmission. Specialist settings should use their discretion and assess their own individual circumstances to achieve the greatest reduction in contacts. This should not unduly limit the quality or breadth of teaching, or access to support, specialist staff and therapists. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings#the-system-of-controls-protective-measures.

The government is delivering a programme of rapid asymptomatic testing from the start of January 2021 for staff, pupils and students in secondary schools and colleges. The DfE has provided guidance on delivering asymptomatic testing in specialist settings to support delivering testing in special schools and specialist colleges. More information can be found via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/mass-asymptomatic-testing-in-specialist-settings. The government also announced that all primary schools, including primary special schools, will receive testing kits for staff from the 18 January 2021.

The PPE portal can be used by residential special settings to access COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE). These providers will have received an email invitation to register with the portal. Depending on local arrangements, special schools and special post-16 settings may be able to access PPE for their COVID-19 needs via their local authority or local resilience forum.

Following the reintroduction of shielding, clinically extremely vulnerable staff are advised not to attend the workplace. Staff who are in this group will previously have received a letter from the NHS or their GP telling them this. Staff who are identified as clinically extremely vulnerable should follow government guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

We want to ensure that no student is disadvantaged if they cannot take their exam or assessment. In consultation with Ofqual, awarding organisations and the sector we will develop an approach to ensure students receive a fair grade. If a student is unable to take their exam or assessment in January 2021, for example, if they are shielding or their provider is unable to offer the assessment, they will not be disadvantaged.

We will continue to develop our approach in consultation with Ofqual, awarding organisations and the sector, providing more detail on the way forward for vocational exams and assessments for February 2021 onwards.

We are working with Ofqual, awarding organisations and other stakeholders to discuss the next steps and provide more detail on the way forward. We will put in place arrangements to ensure students are not disadvantaged.

We want to ensure that students who have worked hard to prepare for January assessments and exams have the opportunity to take them, if their school or college decides to go ahead.

In the event that is not possible, we will put in place arrangements to ensure they are treated fairly in comparison to their peers taking similar assessments and have a way to progress with as little disruption as possible.

We will continue to develop our approach in consultation with Ofqual, awarding organisations and the sector, providing more detail on the way forward for vocational exams and assessments for February 2021 onwards.

Keeping schools and colleges open is one of the Government’s highest priorities. Testing capacity is the highest it has ever been. The UK’s daily COVID-19 testing capacity passed the 500,000 mark on Saturday 31 October and testing capacity continues to expand to help meet demand over the winter period. All essential workers continue to have access to priority testing via the online booking portal. This includes all education and childcare workers, including support and teaching staff, social workers, and specialist education professionals. In addition to this, the Department is supplying COVID-19 test kits directly to schools and further education colleges for both staff and students who develop the symptoms of COVID-19 and face significant barriers to accessing a test through other routes.

The Government is also committed to introducing mass asymptomatic testing using new technologies to minimise the risk of infection spread in our communities. Pilots have begun in a small number of secondary schools and colleges using new Lateral Flow Devices that deliver fast, on-site results. The pilots cover secondary school students and staff. These pilots will help us better understand how this new technology can be operationalised for further roll-out in schools and nurseries to ensure we protect those at high risk, find COVID-19 cases, and help enable us to return to as normal a way of life as possible.

The COVID-19 outbreak has been extremely challenging for many families, including for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Supporting pupils with SEND continues to be a priority for this government, and their wellbeing has been central to our response throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

That is why we have supported online educational resources, including specifically for children with SEND, and why we are providing £37.3 million for the Family Fund this year to help over 75,000 families raising children with disabilities or serious illnesses, which includes £10 million specifically in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

We have published comprehensive guidance throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, including for the full opening of all schools in July, with separate guidance on specialist settings. This guidance is updated regularly.

We have also started a programme of visits by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, working with local areas to understand the experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to support local areas to prioritise and meet their needs.

Short breaks (or ‘respite care’) are funded opportunities for disabled children and young people to be cared for away from the family homes, which local authorities have a statutory duty to provide.

Supporting the most vulnerable children and young people is a priority for us, especially at this time. We know that this period is particularly hard for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND), their families and those who support them.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has made an additional £3.7 billion available to local authorities. This can support local authorities to deliver their respite offers (in line with their existing duties) and to address increased costs. This money is un-ringfenced, as local authorities are best placed to understand the needs of their area and to commission provision appropriately. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has also just announced a further £1 billion of funding for local authorities.

We have also committed this year £37.3 million (including £10 million in response to the COVID-19 outbreak) to the Family Fund, which provides grants to low income families caring for disabled children or seriously ill children, including for family breaks.

The government remains fully committed to a thorough and fundamental review of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

The issues that the SEND system face are complex, but we are determined to deliver real, lasting improvements, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

I have met with many stakeholders across the SEND sector, to ensure that the review responds to the concerns of families and representative organisations.

The findings of the review will be published as soon as it is practicable to do so.

Alongside wider adult skills reforms, the government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) over the course of the Parliament, for a new National Skills Fund to help adults learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future.

Work is progressing to develop detailed plans for the National Skills Fund, including considering what role the fund could play in response to Covid-19. We will be consulting on the National Skills Fund in due course when those with an interest are better able to actively engage with it.

Apprenticeships will also have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities and supporting employers in all sectors to access the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow post-Covid-19. They can also help people re-train and re-enter the workforce. To help employers offer new apprenticeships at this time we’ve introduced a new payment of £2,000 for employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1 August to 31 January 2021.

We are currently looking at how best to support young people in these institutions given the disruption to education caused by COVID-19.

The government is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people as a central part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We welcome the reports that Barnardo’s and others have published to help inform how that can be done most effectively.

The report calls for reassurance for children and young people and parents about returning to school. We agree the return is a key part of promoting mental health and wellbeing as attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. Children in reception, year 1 and year 6 are now able to return to primary, and year 10 and year 12 pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary. Primaries with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective measures, and we have given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’ with all pupils during the summer term, which will ensure more children and young people are able to achieve this benefit. Our intention is for all children to return to school from September and guidance will be published soon.

We are clear that children, young people and parents need to know it is safe to return to school. That is why our advice sets out further information on how this can be achieved safely and effectively, and it is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

The report also calls for the education system to prioritise child welfare and wellbeing as well as guidance to support schools with staff and pupil mental health and wellbeing. We have put it at the heart of our guidance both for children at home and in the guidance and planning frameworks for children returning to school. We will continue to develop this guidance to reflect the latest situation and scientific advice.

Online education resources are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.

The planning framework for return is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england.

We have put in place further support for children and teachers on mental health and wellbeing. This includes training for teachers, such as a new module developed with clinical experts on how to teach about mental health in health education, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.

We have also provided grants to the Education Support Partnership and Timewise to support teachers’ mental health and flexible working.

As the report suggests, schools need to be able to make additional provision to support pupils to make up for time lost to COVID-19. That is why the government has announced a £1 billion COVID-19 ‘catch-up’ package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time. More information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.

We want to get all children and young people back into face-to-face education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

From the week commencing 15 June, we have asked schools with sixth forms and further education colleges, which includes sixth form colleges, to offer some face-to-face support to pupils in year 12 and to 16-19 students in the first year of a two-year study programme, as they are preparing for key examinations next year. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time.

Whilst we are unable to welcome back more sixth form students at this time, we have recently announced that other students under 19 years old can be offered a face-to-face meeting before the end of the summer term, where it would be beneficial. As long as this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of pupils permitted on-site at any one time, we would encourage this where possible.

Our priority is to ensure that year 13 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job, and to support year 12 students to prepare for examinations next year.

We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools;

as well as guidance for further education providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

We want to get all children and young people back into face-to-face education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

From the week commencing 15 June, we have asked schools with sixth forms and further education colleges, which includes sixth form colleges, to offer some face-to-face support to pupils in year 12 and to 16-19 students in the first year of a two-year study programme, as they are preparing for key examinations next year. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time.

Whilst we are unable to welcome back more sixth form students at this time, we have recently announced that other students under 19 years old can be offered a face-to-face meeting before the end of the summer term, where it would be beneficial. As long as this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of pupils permitted on-site at any one time, we would encourage this where possible.

Our priority is to ensure that year 13 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job, and to support year 12 students to prepare for examinations next year.

We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools;

as well as guidance for further education providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

The review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, alongside the development of T Levels, is central to building a world-class technical education system. The first stage of the qualifications review consultation ran from March to June 2019. The second stage consultation is due to be published later in 2020. The review is looking at complex questions about the range of qualifications needed at post-16 and we want to take the time to get this right. We are taking a number of steps in advance of this to drive up quality and reduce complexity in the system.

From 1 August 2020, we will withdraw funding approval for new starts on 163 older qualifications that have been superseded by newer more rigorous versions. From 1 September 2020, we will not approve new qualifications for funding for students aged 16 and above, to stabilise the publicly funded offer in advance of further reform. We have also, this year, started the process to remove public funding approval of qualifications with low or no publicly funded enrolments. Subject to the outcomes of this process, from August 2021 we will remove funding approval for qualifications with no publicly funded enrolments; and from August 2022 we will remove funding approval for qualifications with low numbers of publicly funded enrolments, unless doing so would have a significant adverse impact on a particular sector, geographical area or student group.

The government announced at the Local Government Finance Settlement that English councils' core spending power is rising by over £2.9 billion this financial year. This includes £1 billion of new grant funding that can be used flexibly by local authorities to deliver adult and children’s social care services.

Further to this, the government has provided over £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures, including within children’s services. We will keep this under review over the coming weeks and months.

Longer term funding considerations are a matter for the next Spending Review.

Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people, and supporting employers in all sectors to access the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow post-Covid-19. They can also help people re-train and re-enter the workforce.

Employers are at the heart of our reforms to apprenticeships, designing high-quality standards that deliver the skills that they need. Standards developed by the renewable and clean energy sectors include: dual fuel smart meter installer, commercial energy specialist and power engineer.

Additionally, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is undertaking work on a number of initiatives to support the energy, and wider engineering sector. This includes: scholarships that are focused on helping young people into areas of growth in the industry during the economic recovery period; connected competence to identify and facilitate transferrable skills, so that training doesn’t need to be replicated within the industry; and ‘Train to retain’ allowing existing graduates to be retained and ultimately reskill them according to emerging industry requirements.

The ECITB is also developing a programme for those at economic risk due to COVID-19 impacts on their part of the industry. This will be similar to the work ECITB and EDF collaborated on for workers at Cottam coal-fired power station, helping them transition from established parts of the energy sector into growth areas.

We continue to work with further education providers and employers to ensure they deliver the skills our workers and economy need. We are looking to support employers of all sizes, and particularly smaller businesses to take on new apprentices this year. We will set out further details in due course. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year. In addition, we have launched a new online Skills Toolkit to provide free high quality digital and numeracy courses, the skills most sought after by employers.

Alongside wider adult skills reforms, the government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) over the course of the Parliament, for a new National Skills Fund to help adults learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future.

It is for the governing body of a school (or the academy trust, in the case of academies) to decide whether there should be a school uniform, and if so, what it should be. It is also for the governing body or academy trust to decide how the school uniform should be sourced. To support them to do this the Department issues best practice guidance which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform.

Our guidance is clear that the Department strongly encourages schools to have a school uniform and recognises the valuable role it can play in contributing to the ethos of a school and setting an appropriate tone.

The Government is pleased to support the Private Members' Bill, Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill, in order to make our guidance on the cost considerations for school uniform statutory at the earliest opportunity. This guidance will further support governing bodies in their decisions regarding school uniform policies.