Alison McGovern

The Government recognises that it is important that artists are fairly remunerated for their work. We are aware of the concerns that have been raised recently with regards to artists’ revenue from music streaming. The Government welcomes the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming, and we have provided evidence to inform the inquiry. We look forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which we will respond to.

We will continue to encourage the ongoing dialogue between music creators, record labels, and streaming services on this issue. The Government has funded a 12-month industry-led research project investigating the flow of money from streaming to creators which is due to report this summer.

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the implications of what was set out in the letter from artists to the Prime Minister, but we are considering the issues relating to music streaming more generally.

We welcome the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming, and have provided evidence to inform the inquiry. We look forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which we will respond to. We will also be happy to consider any meeting requests from interested stakeholders as appropriate.

The Government has funded a 12-month industry-led research project investigating the flow of money from streaming to creators which is due to report this summer. We will continue to encourage the ongoing dialogue between music creators, record labels, and streaming services on this issue.

The Government recognises that it is important that artists are fairly remunerated for their work. We are aware of the concerns that have been raised recently about artists’ revenue from music streaming.

We welcome the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming, and have provided evidence to inform the inquiry. We look forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which we will respond to.

The Government has funded a 12-month industry-led research project investigating the flow of money from streaming to creators which is due to report this summer. We will continue to encourage the ongoing dialogue between music creators, record labels, and streaming services on this issue.

The Department continuously meets with a range of DCMS stakeholders to discuss matters, including the return of fans. However, neither Ministers nor officials met with representatives of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City football clubs in advance of the Super League announcement.

The full list of Ministerial meetings can be found on gov.uk.

The Government is committed to tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity. Our strategy ‘Sporting Future’ sets out a clear ambition to increase levels of physical activity amongst under-represented groups. We are working closely with Sport England, DCMS’s arm’s length body for grassroots sport in England, to ensure that inequalities are being tackled effectively.

The £20 million Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) is an important part of the £270 million support package that Sport England has committed to directly reduce the negative impact COVID 19 and the widening of inequalities in sport and physical activity.

The fund is a focused approach to increasing physical activity for four under-represented groups: lower socio-economic groups, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions. Currently, £13.5 million has been awarded, and £9.7m of this has already reached community organisations and groups directly through 42 Active Partnerships and 30 national partners across the country. As a result there are over 2,800 projects actively being delivered by trusted partners closer to the communities that have previously been unserved by more traditional delivery structures.

Tackling inequalities is also at the heart of Sport England’s recently launched new ten year strategy, ‘Uniting the Movement’, reinforcing their commitment to diversifying participation. DCMS will continue to work closely with Sport England to ensure that inequalities are addressed and tackled in sport and physical activity.

The National Leisure Recovery Fund sought to support eligible public sector leisure centres to reopen to the public, giving the sport and physical activity sector the best chance of recovery to a position of sustainable operation over the medium term. It was delivered in conjunction with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Sport England.

A total of £100 million was available as a biddable fund to eligible local authorities in England, which was allocated in a single funding round. Eligible local authorities include: those in England who hold responsibility for the provision of leisure services, those who have outsourced their leisure provision to an external body to and those whose outsourced leisure arrangements have ended since 20 March 2020 and services are now delivered as an in-house function. This is in addition to the wider financial support provided to councils throughout the pandemic.

As part of the National Leisure Recovery Fund, the government has set up a data capture system to show how the fund has supported the reopening of these vital community assets and the impact on the rate of participation across Local Authorities. Early information will be available at the end of the month and will help to inform future government policy in this space.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we have made sure that people can exercise throughout the national restrictions.

We know that high quality multi-use local green spaces can play a key role as sporting venues and as alternative settings for sport and healthy activity. Last month Sport England published its new strategy Uniting the Movement which sets out their 10 year vision to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity. A key part of the strategy is creating and protecting the local places and spaces that make it easier for people to be active including encouraging walking and cycling.

Last year, Public Health England published Improving Access to Greenspace. The report highlights the strong evidence that regular physical activity supports both individual and community outcomes such as increasing educational attainment, improving self-esteem and reducing social isolation and that greenspace can support higher levels of physical activity.

The Government is committed to tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity. Our strategy ‘Sporting Future’ sets out a clear ambition to increase levels of physical activity amongst under-represented groups, working closely with the sector to achieve this. The Tackling Inequalities Fund is an important part of the £270 million support package that Sport England, DCMS’s arm’s length body for grassroots sport in England, has committed to directly support community sport clubs and exercise centres through COVID-19.

The £20 million Tackling Inequalities Fund aims to reduce the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on physical activity levels for four groups: lower socio-economic groups, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions. Currently, £13.5 million has been awarded to partners, funding over 2,800 projects being delivered through 43 Active Partnerships and 30 national partners across the country.

Sport England’s recently launched new ten year strategy, Uniting the Movement, also reinforces their commitment to diversifying participation and tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity. DCMS will continue to work closely with Sport England to ensure that inequalities are addressed and tackled in sport and physical activity.

The National Leisure Recovery Fund sought to support eligible public sector leisure centres to reopen to the public, giving the sport and physical activity sector the best chance of recovery to a position of sustainable operation over the medium term.

A total of £100 million was available as a biddable fund to eligible local authorities in England, which was allocated in a single funding round. Eligible local authorities include: those in England who hold responsibility for the provision of leisure services, those who have outsourced their leisure provision to an external body to and those whose outsourced leisure arrangements have ended since 20 March 2020 and services are now delivered as an in-house function. This is in addition to the wider financial support provided to councils throughout the pandemic.

To help ensure an equitable distribution of the National Leisure Recovery Fund, a Notional Funding Allocation was calculated for each eligible local authority and funding awards were only made in excess of the Notional Funding Allocation in the most exceptional circumstances. The basis of the Notional Funding Allocation is a per capita allocation. This has then been adjusted to take into consideration physical activity levels, number of facilities and health outcome indicators.

Government has worked closely with the Local Government Association (LGA), ukactive, the District Councils' Network, Community Leisure UK, Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association and others to make sure the application and funding process is as fast and simple as possible.

The National Leisure Recovery Fund sought to support eligible public sector leisure centres to reopen to the public, giving the sport and physical activity sector the best chance of recovery to a position of sustainable operation over the medium term.

A total of £100 million was available as a biddable fund to eligible local authorities in England, which was allocated in a single funding round. Eligible local authorities include: those in England who hold responsibility for the provision of leisure services, those who have outsourced their leisure provision to an external body to and those whose outsourced leisure arrangements have ended since 20 March 2020 and services are now delivered as an in-house function. This is in addition to the wider financial support provided to councils throughout the pandemic.

To help ensure an equitable distribution of the National Leisure Recovery Fund, a Notional Funding Allocation was calculated for each eligible local authority and funding awards were only made in excess of the Notional Funding Allocation in the most exceptional circumstances. The basis of the Notional Funding Allocation is a per capita allocation. This has then been adjusted to take into consideration physical activity levels, number of facilities and health outcome indicators.

Government has worked closely with the Local Government Association (LGA), ukactive, the District Councils' Network, Community Leisure UK, Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association and others to make sure the application and funding process is as fast and simple as possible.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and have been shown to treat, manage and prevent a range of conditions including heart disease, cancers, diabetes, stress, depression or anxiety. It can also bring communities together and tackle issues such as loneliness.

Sport England’s Active Lives Adult and Children surveys provide information not only on activity levels but also on social outcomes such as physical and mental wellbeing too. The latest reports can be found here.

In September last year, Sport England published research (undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University) on the social impact and the economic importance of sport and physical activity in England. The findings of this research show that for every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity in England, an economic and social return on investment of £3.91 is generated. In addition, the combined economic and social value (SROI) of taking part in community sport and physical activity in England in 2017/2018 was £85.5 billion.

Furthermore, last month Sport England published its new strategy Uniting the Movement which sets out their 10 year vision to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity. The strategy seeks to tackle the inequalities we have seen in sport and physical activity and provide opportunities to people and communities that have traditionally been left behind, helping to remove barriers to activity.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) engages regularly with representatives of the creative industries on the Covid-19 response, including on economic support and public health policy and guidance. This includes engagement through the working groups on Entertainment and Events and on Broadcasting, Film and Production, which were established with the DCMS Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce.

In addition, DCMS engages with creative industries stakeholders through roundtables and other meetings chaired by ministers, and ongoing, frequent engagement by DCMS officials. DCMS will continue to collaborate with creative industries organisations on the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has engaged with the creative sectors extensively throughout negotiations with the EU and since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

At both a ministerial and official level, we hold roundtables to engage with the creative sectors on EU Exit and the UK-EU future relationship. We also engage directly with stakeholders together with Arm's-Length Bodies, on matters relating to EU Exit.

We are committed to continuing our close dialogue with the sectors to ensure they continue to have the support they need to navigate the changes to their ways of working resulting from the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Ministers have regular discussions with their Cabinet Colleagues on a wide range of issues, including cross-border mobility with the EU for musicians and creative workers.

The Secretary of State had discussions with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster this week on the issues faced by creative workers and possible options to support the sectors.

The Government recognises the importance of touring for our world-leading cultural and creative sectors. We have been engaging extensively with the industry to assess impact and further understandings of new requirements for working in the EU. The Secretary of State held a very productive meeting with representatives from across the creative and cultural industries on Wednesday 20th January. Going forward, we are committed to continuing our close dialogue with the sector to ensure they have the support they need to thrive.

Definitions for professionals working in film and television production have been introduced in order to implement the limited exemption to the quarantine regime for the cast and crew of qualifying productions.

The Government is committed to supporting the continued production of film and television content during the ongoing Covid pandemic. As part of the new Health Protection Regulations, the Government has stated that people who cannot work from home should go to their place of work. This means that even in these circumstances film and television production can continue in line with any additional guidance provided. The Government has supported the sector to develop guidance to allow productions to operate safely, and introduced a limited exemption to the quarantine regime for the cast and crew of qualifying productions, in order to restart those productions which rely on international talent.

Football clubs are the bedrock of our local communities. Many public studies demonstrate the significant economic benefit that football clubs bring to towns across the country. These include EY’s Economic and Social Impact Assessment which estimates that the Premier League alone contributes £7.6bn to the UK's Gross Domestic Product.

That is why we have provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many football clubs have benefited from. Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic.

We have been clear that we expect the game - where it can at the top tiers - to support itself. The Government is focusing its support on those in the sector most in need as a result of the decision not to readmit spectators to stadia from 1 October. We therefore provided the National League with assurances that financial support from the Government will be forthcoming so they could start their season on 3rd October.

On 22 September it was announced that all sports pilot events currently ongoing would be paused with immediate effect, due to the sharp upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases nationally. A?s set out in our Roadmap, sports events pilots, and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so in this country.

We are committed to getting spectators back into stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so. We will continue to work closely with a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this, and which will consider international best practice. This will supplement the draft government guidance, and the SGSA supplementary guidance to their Green Guide, which has been internationally welcomed and is now also available in French and Spanish translations.

If transmission rates decrease then we will of course take the opportunity to look again at getting spectators back into stadiums and remain mindful of international efforts to do the same

On 22 September it was announced that all sports pilot events currently ongoing would be paused with immediate effect, due to the sharp upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases nationally. A?s set out in our Roadmap, sports events pilots, and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so in this country.

We are committed to getting spectators back into stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so. We will continue to work closely with a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this, and which will consider international best practice. This will supplement the draft government guidance, and the SGSA supplementary guidance to their Green Guide, which has been internationally welcomed and is now also available in French and Spanish translations.

If transmission rates decrease then we will of course take the opportunity to look again at getting spectators back into stadiums and remain mindful of international efforts to do the same

Our performing arts and sport guidance makes clear the need for organisers of cultural and sporting events to adhere to government requirements around the NHS Test and Trace system.

Organisers of events should assist the NHS Test and Trace service by keeping a temporary record of spectators for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for their business, and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.

The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.

On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.

The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.

On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.

The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.

On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.

The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.

On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.

DCMS Ministers and officials continue to engage extensively with representatives from across the cultural sector, including with musicians and music sector representative bodies, on the impact of the end of the transition period on musicians working in EU countries.

Over the coming months, as the transition period concludes, and beyond we will maintain our close dialogue with the sector to assess the challenges and support the opportunities that will arise as we enter into to new trading relationships with Europe and the rest of the world.

On 18th August, the Government amended its guidance to provide extra clarification for organisers of non-elite sports events to help them manage and admit spectators safely, adhering to social distancing.

This includes having a named person with responsibility for ensuring adherence with government guidelines and ensuring the facility is COVID-19 secure. This person should carry out and publish a risk assessment for the activity which limits the number of spectators and focuses on the need to maintain social distancing on arrival, for the duration of the activity, and on departure.

The Government will continue to monitor the admittance of spectators and the wider prevailing public health factors closely.

Football clubs form a vital part of our local communities and many have a great history. It is vital that they are protected during these difficult times.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses throughout this period, including a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. Many football clubs have benefited from these measures.

The Government is in regular dialogue with the football authorities to understand their financial position - but has been absolutely clear that it expects football to look first at how it can support itself through these difficult times.

The Government continues to liaise closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and sporting bodies whilst developing its guidance to support the safe return of spectators to stadia more widely from October 1st. As announced by the Prime Minister, this remains subject to successful pilots events, which will now be capped at 1,000 people, and wider prevailing public health factors.

Capacity limits and ticketing processes will vary based on individual venues and events. Pilots will still be required to receive all relevant local authorisations including their local Safety Advisory Group. Locations and attendance levels may change depending on the local Covid situation. Maximum safe capacity, as a consequence of social distancing guidance, can be calculated through the SGSA’s supplementary guidance to their Green Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.

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.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.

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.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.

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.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.

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.

The Government has committed to investing an additional £550m into grassroots football facilities over the next 10 years. This will bring the government’s total investment over that period to £730m, and will support the bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.

The FA has produced, in partnership with the Premier League, Sport England and DCMS, the 'National Football Facilities Strategy' (NFSS), which is a coherent overarching shared strategy for capital investment in football over the next ten years.

As part of the NFFS, a 'Local Football Facilities Plan' is being produced for every Local Authority across the country to create a tailored local investment plan.

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots football. The established partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League sees a combined £70m go to new facilities delivered by the Football Foundation. All funding parties are represented on the Football Foundation board.

Government has committed to investing a further £550m into grassroots football facilities over the next 10 years to support plans to bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.

The FA has produced, in partnership with the Premier League, Sport England and DCMS, the 'National Football Facilities Strategy' (NFSS), which is a coherent overarching shared strategy for capital investment in football over the next ten years. This sets out the football facility requirements across the country and the intention to invest in 20,000 improved grass pitches and 1,000 3G facilities.

The Foundation has coverage across the whole country with funding reaching 98% of all local authorities and boroughs in England so far. As part of the NFFS, a 'Local Football Facilities Plan' is being produced for every Local Authority across the country to create a tailored local investment plan. This will help the Football Foundation prioritise its investment most efficiently and effectively.

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots football. The established partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League sees a combined £70m go to new facilities delivered by the Football Foundation. All funding parties are represented on the Football Foundation board.

Government has committed to investing a further £550m into grassroots football facilities over the next 10 years to support plans to bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.

The FA has produced, in partnership with the Premier League, Sport England and DCMS, the 'National Football Facilities Strategy' (NFSS), which is a coherent overarching shared strategy for capital investment in football over the next ten years. This sets out the football facility requirements across the country and the intention to invest in 20,000 improved grass pitches and 1,000 3G facilities.

The Foundation has coverage across the whole country with funding reaching 98% of all local authorities and boroughs in England so far. As part of the NFFS, a 'Local Football Facilities Plan' is being produced for every Local Authority across the country to create a tailored local investment plan. This will help the Football Foundation prioritise its investment most efficiently and effectively.

In addition to publicly available Government advice/guidance, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is holding weekly meetings with senior medical officials and sport representatives to discuss key issues around Covid-19 and communicates regularly with stakeholders across the sporting sector to share the latest advice. We will maintain these discussions as elite sport develops its plans to retain training and to restart competition.

The Government announced on 30 April that the Rugby Football League (RFL) will receive an emergency loan of £16 million to safeguard the immediate future of the sport for the communities it serves.

The Government recognises the impact that covid-19 is having on the sporting sector. The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of measures to help businesses in this period, including £330 billion worth of government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.

Those support measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and Self-Employed Income Support Scheme are open to businesses across the UK and in every sector, including Sport.

In addition, Sport England, has also announced £195 million of funding to help sport and physical activity organisations deal with the short and long term effects of the pandemic.

The RFL is fully engaged with the process and is ensuring that the sport as a whole is aware of the assistance available and how to access support. It is a matter for individual clubs to pursue the support appropriate for their situation.

We know this is a challenging period for all sports and we continue to work closely with the whole sector to understand the issues they face and how we can best support them through this difficult time.

I am having regular discussions with sector and industry bodies to understand the impact of COVID-19 on sport and how we can provide support. This includes chairing a fortnightly meeting with over 25 sporting organisations. Sport England, the arms-length body of government responsible for growing and developing grassroots sport, have been involved in these discussions. In addition to this, my officials maintain daily contact with the sector.

The Chancellor has already announced a host of measures to help businesses, with £330 billion worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. In addition, Sport England, has also announced £195 million of funding to help sport and physical activity organisations deal with the short and long term effects of the pandemic.

The government is in regular contact with representatives of sports, including cricket, to discuss both the impact of Covid-19 on sports and to explore how and when grassroots sport can safely resume once lockdown restrictions start to ease. The government has asked individual sports to consider the steps that would need to be taken, and the conditions that would need to be met, for their activity to resume.

The government has been clear that any return to sport will need to be consistent with existing guidelines on public health and managed in a way that minimises risk.

The Government recognises the impact that covid-19 is having on the sporting sector. The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of measures to help businesses in this period, including £330 billion worth of government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and Self-Employed Income Support Scheme support measures are open to businesses across the UK and in every sector, including Sport.

In addition, Sport England, has also announced £195 million of funding to help sport and physical activity organisations deal with the short and long term effects of the pandemic.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is fully engaged with the process and is ensuring that the sport as a whole is aware of the assistance available and how to access support. It is a matter for individual clubs to pursue the support appropriate for their situation.

We know this is a challenging period for all sports and we continue to work closely with the whole sector to understand the issues they face and how we can best support them through this difficult time.

Football clubs form an integral part of this country and it is important they are given as much support as possible during these difficult times.

In light of this, the Government announced a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support.

It is also vital that the football community comes together at this time, and I welcomed the Premier League announcement to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League to help clubs throughout the football pyramid. The EFL has also announced a £50m relief fund to help their clubs enduring immediate cash flow problems because of the coronavirus crisis.

The Government will continue to liaise closely with all the football authorities to further understand the difficulties clubs are experiencing.

Tackling the covid-19 outbreak is the Government’s top priority, and unfortunately the actions taken to do so have meant that sports events have had to be postponed or cancelled. We are in regular contact with the sport sector - including football clubs - on the financial consequences of this for organisations.

The Government has announced a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support.

It is also vital that the football community comes together at this time, and I welcomed the Premier League announcement to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League to help clubs throughout the football pyramid.

We recognise the impact that covid-19 is having on the sport sector, and we are continuing to engage with sporting organisations to understand how it is affecting them and provide support.

The Chancellor has already announced a host of measures to help businesses, with £330 billion worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. In addition, our national sports council, Sport England, has also announced £195 million of funding to help sport and physical activity organisations deal with the short and long term effects of the pandemic.

The continuing provision of free school meals to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government. Guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools.

The department does not hold a contract with any provider to provide free school meals of lunch parcels to children. School catering contracts are agreed locally, and are held at school, academy trust, or local authority level. We have guidance in place allowing schools to decide the best approach for supporting free school meal pupils who are at home. This can be through lunch parcels, local vouchers or the national voucher scheme which was available from Monday.

The images circulating of poor-quality food parcels are unacceptable. On 13 January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, met with Chartwell’s and other leading school food suppliers and caterers to insist on urgent action to make sure lunch parcels meet the standards we expect. We are grateful to those firms who are working hard with schools to provide nutritious, balanced lunches for children.

If a parent is concerned about the standards of their lunch parcel, they should speak directly with their school. If a parent cannot resolve their concern through their school, they can contact the department. The department will make contact with suppliers where concerns are escalated, to ensure they are following the good practice guidance we have set out. We will also alert the school to confirm appropriate contract management arrangements are in place, so that immediate improvements are made.

The most recent statistics on apprenticeship starts by industry sector cover the academic years 2012/13 to 2018/19 and are published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics

The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts in the manufacturing industry in England between academic years 2012/13 and 2018/19.

Data previous to 2012/13 is unavailable and data for 2019/20 will be published in February 2021.

The department does not hold information on the income backgrounds of apprentices.

We publish breakdowns of apprenticeship starts by learner age:

• 2017/18 to 2019/20: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
• 2010/11 to 2018/19: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/848350/Further-education-and-skills-November-2019-main-tables-final.xlsx.

We also publish breakdowns of apprenticeship starts by Indices of Multiple Deprivation of the learner’s home postcode from 2014/15 onwards: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

We are not asking schools to open over the summer holidays. Teachers, support staff and head teachers deserve a break, to recharge and rest.

We are aware that some headteachers may be considering using their catch-up premium to provide summer school activities for their pupils. Where this is the case, they have the flexibility, discretion and autonomy to decide how they want to do this. To support schools in planning how to use the catch-up premium, the Education Endowment Foundation has produced a guide which includes advice on summer schools and contains a link to a Teach First toolkit specifically focused on summer schools, for schools that choose to do this.

Holiday clubs and out-of-school clubs for children will also be able to restart over the summer, with safety measures in place. These clubs will be part of Step 3 of the recovery strategy (from 4 July). We have published guidance for the sector on how to implement the protective measures necessary to open safely:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Sector-based work academies were first launched in August 2011 in England and January 2012 in Scotland. Regular statistical releases on sector-based work academies, covering participation by those on legacy unemployment benefits, began in 2011 and ended in 2017. These statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employment-schemes-work-experience-sector-based-work-academy-and-skills-conditionality-starts-to-november-2017

The scheme was relaunched as ‘SWAP’ in July 2020 as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs. Data for the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 shows that as of 2^nd January 2022, there was a total of 127,360 starts to a Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP). The breakdown of these starts by nation and region is displayed in the following tables:

Table 1: SWAP starts by nation

Table 2: SWAP starts by region

Note on above: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10; components may not sum due to rounding. These figures reflect the number of starts by claimants in receipt of Universal Credit (UC), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support (IS).

The total Staff in Post (SIP) for all Work Coach activity has been provided broken down by district. As of January 2022, the total number of Work Coaches in our Jobcentres is 27,049 SIP. It is not possible to give an exact number for each Jobcentre because Work Coaches work across whole of their district and sometimes beyond.

The standard DWP definition of Work Coach activity includes Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) activity. Also included here are a number of staff carrying out related activities including those in temporary Work Coach Team Leader roles.

The Government is committed to ensuring everyone, no matter their background, has the opportunity to start, stay and progress in work. We will publish our response to the In-work Progression Commission's report shortly, setting out our approach to supporting people on low pay and helping them to progress in work.

As of the 30^th June there were over 243,000 jobs approved for funding by the Kickstart Scheme. We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by region, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer.

Over 145,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for and over 40,000 young people have started Kickstart jobs.

The table below shows the number of Kickstart jobs which have been offered and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain. The figures used are correct as of the 30th June and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Conversations with claimants about the Restart Scheme have begun as of the 28th June, and referrals to providers are expected to start from 12th July.

Restart Scheme providers will deliver an intensive and tailored support offer to participants, aimed at helping them to get into sustained work. With each participant having a unique set of needs and aspirations, we can expect transitions to employment to happen at different points in their journeys.

As of the 16^th June there were over 230,000 jobs approved for funding by the Kickstart Scheme. We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by region, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer.

Over 138,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for and over 36,000 young people have started Kickstart jobs. On average more than 500 young people started a Kickstart job a day between 22/04/2021 and 27/05/2021.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been offered and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures in these tables are correct as of 16/06/2021 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

The Department is supporting people across Great Britain who are most in need wherever they live. The Secretary of State, Ministers and Officials meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss a range of policy issues.

The Department engages regularly with local leaders, including the Mayoral Combined Authorities established in England, centrally and through the Work and Health Service network which has a strong operational presence in all regions. Policy and operational teams in DWP value local leaders’ insight and knowledge of their local labour markets. Local engagement has played an important role in our collaborative response to the pandemic and to support our economic recovery.

Policy teams frequently engage on a range of labour market initiatives, for example, on the Plan for Jobs. We have actively promoted the Kickstart Scheme and my officials have worked with local leaders to ensure the scheme can help as many young people as possible. Engagement with local leaders has also played a key part in the appointment of providers for the Restart employment scheme, which will start receiving referrals from 12^th July. The Government will continue to engage local leaders as we develop the UKSPF’s investment framework and in advance of its publication.

Officials continue to keep their Scottish and Welsh Government counterparts updated on key labour market developments. DWP does not operate in Northern Ireland, but my Department has regular and frequent discussions with the Department for Communities on both policy and operational matters.

The most reliable data on youth unemployment in each region / nation of the UK is drawn from the Annual Population Survey. This is publicly available from the nomis website, at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/aps170

The ONS also produce experimental statistics on ‘Regional labour market: Estimates of unemployment by age’, which is available at:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/datasets/regionalunemploymentbyagex02

This latter source is less reliable, as it is based on the Labour Force Survey which has a smaller sample size. However, its results are more timely.

We are unable to provide an estimate of the proportion of SME employers participating in the Kickstart Scheme. However, we know that many small businesses have applied through approved gateway organisations. In February, the department removed the 30 job minimum requirement for applications to Kickstart to make the scheme more accessible to small businesses and sole traders giving them choice to apply direct or via one of over 900 Kickstart gateways organisations.

The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart Scheme throughout and after its implementation. This will include a longer term evaluation of the outcomes and impact on young people after they have completed their six month Kickstart job placement.

Employers wishing to participate in the Kickstart scheme can apply direct or with the support of a Gateway organisation – a Gateway application will usually include jobs from a number of employers. As of 6^th May (since the beginning of the Scheme) the average number of vacancies per approved Kickstart application is 15 for Employers, 41 for Gateways, and an average of 28 for both Employers and Gateways combined.

*the above figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

£2bn has been allocated to Kickstart to create hundreds of thousands of 6-month job placements for young people aged 16-24, to improve their long term employability. Kickstart placements commenced in October 2020 and eligible young people will be able to start new Kickstart jobs until December 2021, with the final cohort of six-month jobs coming to an end in Summer 2022. Kickstart funding is not capped and we expect to use all funding to provide jobs for young people by the end of the scheme. Details of spend is unavailable at this time but will become available following the completion of the audited accounts.

The Department does not have a projection.

Actual data on the number of people on UC is available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml

Total UC caseload forecast can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2021

As of the 6^th May 2021, over 108,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for through the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Kickstart Scheme. This includes over 20,000 jobs started by young people.

There have been over 200,000 jobs approved by the scheme.

We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by region, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer. We do hold regional information on jobs made available for young people to apply for and for placements started, which is provided below.

The tables below show these figures split by location and sector, the data presented has been rounded according to DWP statistical rounding convention. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

The Department for Work and Pensions collects data on the uptake of the Kickstart Scheme. We have published information on the number of young people who have started in each region, here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-04-12/179100, but we are unable to break this down below the regional level at present.

The need to deliver and operate the Kickstart scheme at pace has led to a current limited clerical data set which, in turn, makes it harder to accurately present a snapshot of a smaller geographical area, such as a Parliamentary constituency. Information is contained across multiple systems as more than one Jobcentre could cover a single constituency. Conversely, Kickstart placements and vacancies are not allocated to one JCP, so we have many vacancies which may be connected to a company based or headquartered in one area, but the vacancies can be filled from a wider geographical area.

As such, it is not currently possible to provide the data below the regional level. We are, however, continuing to develop our management information tools and data collection system which may help in sharing more localised information at a local authority level in due course.

The Government is monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart Scheme throughout its implementation, and will continue to evaluate the longer term outcomes and impact for Kickstart participants.

Our focus is on delivering Kickstart jobs for young people as soon as we can. Eligible young people will be able to start new Kickstart jobs until December 2021, meaning the final cohort of six-month jobs will end in Summer 2022. There are currently no plans to extend the Kickstart Scheme.

As of the 8^th of April, over 11,800 young people had started jobs created by the Department of Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme.

We are unable to provide a breakdown of the approved jobs by region as at the approval stage a company provides their registered address which will often not reflect the location of associated jobs.

The table below shows the number of starts broken down by region. The data in the table has been rounded. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency.

As of 8th April 2021 there have been 18,900 applications received from gateway organisations and employers, of which 5,300 have been approved. These approved applications represent over 180,000 jobs. Over 11,800 young people have started in their Kickstart job.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given for PQ 147859.

We are not able to publish a breakdown of this data by nation or region at this time.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given for PQ 147859.

We are not able to publish a breakdown of this data by nation or region at this time.

The delivery of the Restart programme is dependent on an ongoing commercial exercise, on a robust approval process and on intensive readiness preparations. Should these prove successful, referrals to Restart should peak in winter 2021/22 and provider employment should track referral levels.

The delivery of the Restart programme is dependent on an ongoing commercial exercise, on a robust approval process and on intensive readiness preparations. Should these prove successful, referrals to Restart should peak in winter 2021/22 and provider employment should track referral levels.

From the launch of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme until 04/02/21, there have been:

a. Over 120,000 jobs approved;

b. Over 2,000 jobs started;

c. Over 8,000 applications made. An employer or organisation can make multiple applications to the scheme.

As of 04/02/2021 there were over 120,000 approved jobs on the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme.

Data regarding the uptake of the Kickstart Scheme is collected by the DWP. Local and Combined Authorities are welcome to apply for funding through the scheme and some already have.

The table below shows the number of gateway organisations approved as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme, broken down by region as of 11/01/2021. We are currently unable to break this data down by Local Authority, this data reflects the location of an organisation’s registered address and not necessarily the location where the gateway will be supporting Kickstart job placements.

As of 22/01/2021, there have been over 110,000 new job placements approved for funding by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme. We are actively seeking more Kickstart job placements that can start before December 2021 and would welcome further applications from employers.

As of 19/01/2021, there have been (a) over 110,000 job placements created, (b) 1,916 young people starting job placements and (c) 6,530 applications to, the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme.

The Department published its latest benefit expenditure and caseload tables, including Universal Credit caseload over the next 5 financial years, which is available here [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2020]. This was published in December.

Estimates by age-group are not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

We are pleased to see the significant interest in the Kickstart Scheme from local authorities and recognise the excellent position they are in to support local opportunities.

We regularly meet with ministerial colleagues and our officials have engaged with local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and the mayoral combined authorities throughout the Kickstart Scheme development process.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The chancellor announced at Spending Review £2.9bn for three years of referrals to Restart.

Restart will provide intensive, tailored employment support to help over 1 million people back towards sustained employment.

The commercial process will start in December, contracts will be awarded in Spring 2021, with go live Summer 2021. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course.

The chancellor announced at Spending Review £2.9bn for three years of referrals to Restart.

Restart will provide intensive, tailored employment support to help over 1 million people back towards sustained employment.

The commercial process will start in December, contracts will be awarded in Spring 2021, with go live Summer 2021. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course.

The chancellor announced at Spending Review £2.9bn for three years of referrals to Restart.

Restart will provide intensive, tailored employment support to help over 1 million people back towards sustained employment.

The commercial process will start in December, contracts will be awarded in Spring 2021, with go live Summer 2021. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course.

As of 26/11 there have been 5040 applications for funding through the DWP’s Kickstart Scheme. So far, applications from Gateways and employers covering 23’934 vacancies have been approved.

The Kickstart scheme is a £2bn programme to create thousands of 6-month job placements for young people aged 16-24, to improve their long term employability. Kickstart placements commenced in November 2020.

The information requested is not yet available.

Universal Credit takes into account income in the assessment period (AP) it is received. Payments from the Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is treated as self-employed earnings in UC and we will take them into account when they are received. We will not therefore need to readjust previous months’ awards.

The Universal Credit (Miscellaneous Amendments, Saving and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2018 introduced a package of positive measures announced in the Autumn Budget on 22 November 2017 and the SSWP’s oral statement the following day. It also introduced additional measures that are very technical by nature, which had been highlighted as part of the learning process of Universal Credit and ensured the legislation reflected the intended policy.

We cannot see any merit in suspending these regulations. For example, we have no plans to re-introduce waiting days to Universal Credit during the Covid period, as this would reduce financial support for claimants and delay the initial payment, nor do we have any plans to suspend the Transition to UC Housing Payment (the two-week run on of Housing Benefit), as this would remove vital financial support for people moving to UC.

We treat the Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) payments as self-employed earnings and take them into account in the month in which it is received.

The Department has not made an assessment of the income effect of the SEISS on people who are also claiming universal credit.

The pandemic is expected to leave lasting ‘scars’ on the UK economy's supply capacity, reducing the overall level of output in the long term. The OBR currently assumes there will be a 3% scarring impact on the UK economy from Covid-19, of which 1% comes from labour market supply impacts. This analysis is based on the impact of the pandemic on the labour market overall. More recent forecasts from the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund have revised down their view of scarring in light of recent data. Scarring in the labour market is likely to occur because it can take a long time for some unemployed workers to retrain or relocate appropriately.

That is why the Government has put in place a comprehensive package of support through our Plan for Jobs to help jobs and livelihoods and support the economy. We are continuing to protect jobs in every nation and region of the UK, including for younger workers, through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Provisional HMRC statistics indicate that as at 31 May 2021, 322,400 jobs were furloughed where the employee was aged 24 or under.

As well as protecting jobs, we are also supporting young people to find new employment opportunities. This includes the £2bn Kickstart Scheme, which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people, and our new Youth Offer, which provides a guaranteed foundation of support to all 18-24 year olds on Universal Credit in the Intensive Work Search group.

HM Revenue & Customs publish statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme regularly. The latest statistics were published on 1 July 2021 and can be found on GOV.UK.

Figures from these statistics show that on 31 May 2021, 14% of jobs on furlough (or 322,400) were held by an employee aged under 25. These are provisional figures.

HMRC have not made an estimate of the number of people aged under 25 who are at risk of unemployment once that scheme ends.

Recognising the impact the pandemic has had on young people, the Government has put in place a comprehensive package of support to help young people find work. This includes the £2bn Kickstart Scheme, which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people, and the new Youth Offer, which provides a guaranteed foundation of support to all 18-24 year olds on Universal Credit in the Intensive Work Search group.

The Government has also made significant investment in skills and training support to help young people build the skills they need to find work. This includes the expansion of traineeships for 16-24 year olds, a bespoke offer for school leavers to take high value Level 2 and 3 courses, and increased apprenticeship incentives for employers, with £3,000 for each new apprentice hired between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021.

The public sector pay pause announced at the Spending Review 2020 covers most of the major public sector workforces; Police, Prison officers, School-teachers, Armed forces, National Crime Agency, Senior Civil Service, Civil Service and Judiciary.

Given the unique impact of Covid-19 on the health service, and despite the challenging economic context, the government will continue to provide for pay rises for over 1 million NHS workers. The government will also prioritise the lowest paid, with 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than £24,000 receiving a minimum £250 increase.

In order to ensure fairness and consistency of approach, HM Treasury

expects other public sector employers not covered by the Pay Review Body process or the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance, including public corporations and other employers where there is less central oversight of annual pay awards, to respect and comply with the pay pause. Departments and employers should consult the Office for National Statistics classification guidance to confirm whether they are classified as within the public sector.

Pay for Local Government workers and Devolved Administrations is set independently of Central Government and therefore the pause will not directly apply.

The Government recognises the importance of the UK’s and EU’s thriving cultural industries. This is why, during our recent negotiations with the EU, we pushed for ambitious arrangements for performers and artists to be able to travel without needing work-permits.

Our proposals were developed in consultation with the UK’s creative industries and would have allowed musicians and performers to travel and perform more easily in the EU and vice versa, however, these proposals were rejected by the EU.

Throughout the pandemic, economic analysis has been a key part of the advice that ministers use to inform decisions taken in this fast-moving health environment.

The Treasury continues to provide economic analysis to ministers on an ongoing basis as part of policy making and design. The Treasury does not produce formal forecasts for the UK economy. Economic and fiscal forecasting is the responsibility of the independent OBR. They will publish their next forecast on 25 November.

Economic analysis undertaken by the Treasury draws on a wide range of sources, including analysis from external sources such as the OBR, Bank of England and other independent bodies.

Government officials work together across departments to understand both the health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Senior officials from other government departments, including the Treasury, attend SAGE as observers to ensure a full understanding of the scientific advice the committee give to government.

The OBR prepares an economic and fiscal forecast twice in each financial year.

On 11 September, the Chancellor laid a written ministerial statement in the House of Commons stating that he had ‘asked the OBR to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast to be published in mid to late November’, and the specific date (25 November) was confirmed on 28 October.

The OBR publish a log of substantive contact between the OBR and Treasury Ministers, Special Advisers and their private office staff alongside each forecast.

Just over 5 million individuals were assessed for potential eligibility to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme; about 1.6 million of these were assessed to be ineligible.

To support the emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has temporarily suspended pension abatement rules for certain public service workforces. This temporary change is only being applied where retired public service workers are essential as part of the Government’s response to Covid-19. It includes the temporary suspension of abatement rules in the NHS pension scheme, supporting recently retired NHS staff to return to tackle the outbreak.

HMRC recognise the important role membership organisations play in helping the public, and engaged closely with them while developing and launching the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). While agents, employers and other third parties cannot apply on behalf of eligible individuals, HMRC discussed the process with representative organisations through regular meetings and signposted agents to live webinars and online videos available to help the public understand how to apply for SEISS.

Everyone applying for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) undergoes the same process for confirming their identity.

People who have engaged with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) online in the past using an existing Government Gateway credential – for example, in order to file their Self-Assessment tax return – can reuse their existing online Government Gateway credentials to claim the grant. Most people who are eligible to claim have credentials already.

Those dealing with HMRC online for the first time will be required to verify their identity. HMRC worked quickly with the Driving and Vehicle Licencing Agency to enable people to use a GB driving licence to verify their identity for SEISS. It has not been possible to add non-UK passports or non-GB driving licences to the Government Gateway authentication service in the same timeline. HMRC are currently exploring whether it is possible to connect to Northern Ireland Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) and Irish Passport Service data, as part of their continuing improvement of the Government Gateway.

Those who do not have a UK passport or GB driving licence can use the multiple-choice questions option to verify their identity. This uses a financial checking service that does not require a passport or driving licence. Anyone who is unable to verify their identity in this way can make their claim by telephone.

In January 2019, the Government announced a pause to the cost control element of the valuations of public service pension schemes, due to the uncertainty about benefit entitlements arising from the Court of Appeal’s judgment in McCloud in December 2018.

The Government has committed to addressing the discrimination identified in McCloud in all public service pension schemes, while ensuring all members can keep their accrued benefits. Schemes are currently discussing high-level proposals to achieve this with employer and member representatives, to inform a full public consultation. In addition, Employment Tribunals are considering the remedy for claimants in the various cases. While these processes are underway, the cost control mechanism remains paused as the value of pension schemes to members cannot be assessed with certainty.