Andrew Gwynne Portrait

Andrew Gwynne

Labour - Denton and Reddish

First elected: 5th May 2005

Shadow Minister (Social Care)

(since September 2023)

Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
4th Dec 2021 - 6th Sep 2023
Home Affairs Committee
11th May 2020 - 7th Mar 2022
Animal (Penalty Notices) Bill
1st Dec 2021 - 8th Dec 2021
Skills and Post-16 Education [HL] Bill
24th Nov 2021 - 7th Dec 2021
Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill
22nd Sep 2021 - 27th Oct 2021
Co-National Campaign Coordinator
14th Jun 2017 - 6th Apr 2020
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
9th Jan 2018 - 6th Apr 2020
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
14th Jun 2017 - 9th Jan 2018
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
7th Oct 2016 - 14th Jun 2017
Campaigns and Elections Chair
11th Feb 2017 - 14th Jun 2017
Shadow Minister (Health)
7th Oct 2011 - 28th Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Transport)
8th Oct 2010 - 7th Oct 2011
Procedure Committee
12th Jul 2005 - 18th Jan 2010
Crossrail Bill
14th Nov 2007 - 18th Nov 2007


There are no upcoming events identified
Division Votes
Tuesday 28th November 2023
Business without Debate
voted No - in line with the party majority
One of 149 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 281 Noes - 201
Speeches
Tuesday 28th November 2023
Oral Answers to Questions
3. What recent discussions she has had with businesses on the Government's net zero targets.
Written Answers
Wednesday 29th November 2023
Parking: Pedestrian Areas
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of levels of support for a default …
Early Day Motions
Thursday 2nd December 2021
Closure of TSB Denton branch
That this House regrets the announcement by TSB that it intends to close a further 70 of it's branches and …
Bills
Wednesday 29th June 2016
Disability Equality Training (Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers) Bill 2016-17
A Bill to make the completion of disability equality training a requirement for the licensing of taxi and private hire …
MP Financial Interests
Monday 30th October 2023
4. Visits outside the UK
Name of donor: (1) Government of Pakistan and (2) Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Address of donor: (1) Foreign …
EDM signed
Tuesday 11th October 2022
Sheila Bailey
That this House pays tribute to the life and career of Councillor Sheila Bailey of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council after …
Supported Legislation
Wednesday 14th July 2021
Planning and Local Representation Bill 2021-22
A Bill to give people who have made representations about development plans the right to participate in associated examination hearings; …

Division Voting information

During the current Parliamentary Session, Andrew Gwynne has voted in 627 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

25 Mar 2021 - Coronavirus - View Vote Context
Andrew Gwynne voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 21 Labour No votes vs 176 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 484 Noes - 76
View All Andrew Gwynne Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)
(32 debate interactions)
Penny Mordaunt (Conservative)
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(30 debate interactions)
Toby Perkins (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Nature and Rural Affairs)
(28 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(155 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(115 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(90 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Andrew Gwynne's debates

Denton and Reddish Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Denton and Reddish signature proportion
Petition Debates Contributed

The Government should require that student nurses be paid while on placement as part of their training. This should be at least the minimum wage for apprentices.

Most NHS midwifery, nursing and paramedic programmes are full-time courses running 46 weeks of the year. They are hard work and students play a vital role. However, students are not classed as workers, and are therefore not entitled to the 30 hours of free childcare available to working parents.

Pay healthcare students at least minimum wage for placement hours. It cost each student a minimum of £17 per shift in fuel. £186 in tuition and lost earnings. Some students pay £170 on fuel alone each week for 37.5 hours of work.

1.Restaurants to put all information about allergens in their food on the face of the main menu so customers have full visibility on what they're ordering.
2.Servers must initiate a discussion with customers about allergies on all occasions.
3.National register for anaphylaxis deaths

The Government should appoint an Allergy Tsar to act as a champion for people with allergies to ensure they receive appropriate support and joined up health care to prevent avoidable deaths and ill health.

Continue to give free NHS prescriptions to over 60s. The Government is consulting on aligning the upper age exemption for NHS prescription charges with the State Pension age (SPA), which would render many people in their 60s ineligible.

There has been a significant increase in heart attacks and related health issues since the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines began in 2021. This needs immediate and full scientific investigation to establish if there is any possible link with the Covid-19 vaccination rollout.

We demand the Government restore England’s publicly funded, publicly provided NHS by reversing all privatising legislation, ending ongoing PFI contracts, and scrapping plans for Integrated Care Systems and for-profit US-style ‘managed care’.


Latest EDMs signed by Andrew Gwynne

11th October 2022
Andrew Gwynne signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 11th October 2022

Sheila Bailey

Tabled by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
That this House pays tribute to the life and career of Councillor Sheila Bailey of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council after she sadly passed away at the age of 74; acknowledges the 32 years of service that Councillor Bailey gave to her community since first being elected in 1990; recognises that …
12 signatures
(Most recent: 13 Oct 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 9
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Conservative: 1
Scottish National Party: 1
26th January 2022
Andrew Gwynne signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 26th January 2022

Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone

Tabled by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
That this House notes that some 1,200 deaths a year are attributable to poor air quality in Greater Manchester; believes that, on that basis, movement towards establishing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Greater Manchester is vital; stresses that a CAZ must be properly resourced to prevent it simply becoming …
15 signatures
(Most recent: 8 Feb 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 14
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Andrew Gwynne's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Andrew Gwynne, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Andrew Gwynne has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Andrew Gwynne has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

2 Bills introduced by Andrew Gwynne


A Bill to make the completion of disability equality training a requirement for the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers in England and Wales; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Commons
Friday 25th November 2016
(Read Debate)

A Bill to require certain public procurement contracts let by public authorities to include a commitment by the contractor to provide apprenticeships and skills training; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Commons
Friday 1st November 2013

901 Written Questions in the current parliament

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
6 Other Department Questions
14th Apr 2022
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what further discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on banning conversion therapy in all circumstances following the withdrawal of over 100 LGBTQ+ organisations from the Government's Safe To Be Me conference.

The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to ban conversion therapy. We are currently analysing responses to our recent public consultation.

The Government’s actions to protect people from conversion therapy extend beyond legislating. We are procuring a support service for victims and those at risk via a helpline and website which will provide initial pastoral support, and signposting to services such as counselling and advice about emergency housing.

The Government has reluctantly taken the decision to cancel this summer’s Safe To Be Me conference. We have been proud to work alongside civil society partners, businesses and others to develop ambitious plans for the conference and appreciate the time and effort that all stakeholders have put into this.

We are disappointed that the conference will no longer be going ahead and remain committed to strengthening LGBT rights and freedoms. We will continue to support human rights defenders globally and to influence and support countries on the path to decriminalisation.

Mike Freer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
15th Oct 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answers to Questions 98904, 101251 and 101252, what discussions members of the House of Commons Commission have had with the members of the House Service on (a) the decision on the House Twitter account to no longer cover Divisions, (b) other changes to that Twitter account and (c) the compatibility of those changes with (i) the objective in the Strategy for the House of Commons Service 2016-21 of involving and inspiring the public and (ii) other objectives in that strategy.

The Commission has had no discussions with House Service staff regarding the House of Commons Twitter account. The account is managed by the House of Commons Communications Office, part of the House Service, and it is for the House Service to take any decisions about its content.

A core task of the House Service is to support the House of Commons, its committees, and individual members of all parties and their staff. As such, its commitment to, and perception of, impartiality is critical.

9th Oct 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2020 to Question 98904, if the Commission will discuss (a) the decision on the House Twitter account to no longer cover Divisions, (b) other changes to that Twitter account and (c) the compatibility of those changes with (i) the objective in the Strategy for the House of Commons Service 2016-21 of involving and inspiring the public and (ii) other objectives in that strategy.

The Commission has no plans to consider the House of Commons Twitter account. The account is managed by the House of Commons Communications Office, part of the House Service, and it is for the House Service to take any decisions about its content.

A core task of the House Service is to support the House of Commons, its committees, and individual members of all parties and their staff. As such, its commitment to, and perception of, impartiality is critical.

9th Oct 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2020 to Question 98904, what consultation the Commission has carried out with (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the public and (c) other stakeholders on the decision to stop the House of Commons Twitter service covering the results of divisions.

The Commission has no plans to consider the House of Commons Twitter account. The account is managed by the House of Commons Communications Office, part of the House Service, and it is for the House Service to take any decisions about its content.

A core task of the House Service is to support the House of Commons, its committees, and individual members of all parties and their staff. As such, its commitment to, and perception of, impartiality is critical.

5th Oct 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions the Commission has had on (a) the decision that the House Twitter account is no longer to cover Divisions, (b) other changes to that account and (c) the compatibility of those changes with (i) the objective in the Strategy for the House of Commons Service 2016-21 of involving and inspiring the public and (ii) other objectives in that strategy.

The Commission has not discussed this matter. The priority of the House Service is to provide the results of divisions as speedily as possible while maintaining its impartiality and not becoming part of the commentary. The House has recently invested in a number of new ways of keeping the public updated on Parliamentary business and division results, including further development of Parliament Live TV and UK Parliament Now, and the House of Commons Twitter account regularly links to these to keep followers updated.

14th Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 13 June 2023 to Question 188494, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether those rules were breached.

The Cabinet Office does not routinely comment on internal assessments, whether they have happened or not.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
8th Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2023 to Question 161251 on Members: Correspondence, when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 10 January 2023 from the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish.

The Cabinet Office does not routinely comment on leaks of government information, but further information on the rules relating to access to government papers by former ministers for the purposes of publishing a memoir are set out in the Ministerial Code at 2.9 and 8.10.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to help mitigate potential bias in the Covid-19 infection survey following its digitisation.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Questions of 4 July is attached.

4th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the digitisation of the Covid-19 Infection Survey on the level of responses.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Questions of 4 July is attached.

4th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Covid-19 infection survey is ending door-to-door testing.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Questions of 4 July is attached.

24th Jun 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is the Prime Minister’s policy to maintain the obligations set out under Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and whether the Prime Minister has discussed the Government’s tobacco policy with (a) Lynton Crosby or (b) any people or organisations with links to the tobacco industry.

As outlined in my answer of 23 May 2022 to PQ 7958, Sir Lynton Crosby is not a Government Adviser; any assistance he may provide is in a party political capacity to the Conservative Party.

In relation to Government policy on tobacco control, I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 June 2022, Official Report, HCWS87. In developing the new Tobacco Control Plan, I can confirm the Government will continue to follow WHO principles.

23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his in-person meeting with the Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa on 17 June 2021, whether he had discussions on human rights in Bahrain during that meeting.

The Crown Prince and I discussed a wide range of matters. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Bahrain and continue to engage with the Government of Bahrain to support its reform agenda.

29th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of employees with epilepsy working for Government departments.

Data on the number of staff across the Civil Service with epilepsy is not held centrally. The Annual Civil Service Employment Survey which is used to produce Civil Service Statistics, collects diversity information on Civil Servants including disability status but does not specify the type of disability.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
25th Mar 2021
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2021 to Question 171542, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on implementing the recommendations made by Baroness Cumberlege in First Do No Harm - The report of the IMMDS Review; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 11 January 2021 (HCWS692) made by my Hon Friend the Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. The Government will respond in full to the report later this year.

25th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the notice period for the 2021 covid-19 lockdown on the ability of wholesale distributors to effectively make business plans.

Throughout this crisis, the government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods while also supporting businesses and public services across the UK. We are aware of the challenges faced by the wholesale sector, and the foodservice wholesale sector in particular. Officials have been working closely with the wholesale sector to understand the scale of the challenge. The Government has made a range of support available to wholesalers, and continues to consider the needs of the sector.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
6th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 1 October 2020 to Question 94353, and with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what plans the Government has to delay the 2021 local elections in England.

Primary legislation states that the elections will go ahead in May 2021.

We continue to work closely with the electoral community, including electoral suppliers, and public health bodies to resolve challenges and ensure everyone will be able to cast their vote safely and securely - and in a way of their choosing.

Measures are planned to support absent voting at short notice. Guidance will be published in good time ahead of the polls and this matter will be kept under review. The House will be kept updated.

The Government has also engaged with the Parliamentary Parties Panel to ensure that views from political parties are taken on board.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing covid-secure bingo halls to open in areas under Tier 3 local covid alert level restrictions once the national covid-19 lockdown ends.

For areas which move in future to a Tier 3 Level, we will work with local leaders to agree measures specific to that area’s situation.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
23rd Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the 2021 local elections in England being conducted through all-postal votes.

The UK Government is of the view that it would not be appropriate to impose an all-postal vote for the local and mayoral elections in England, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, in May 2021. All-postal voting increases fraud risks, and removes choice from voters who wish to cast their vote in person.

Postal voting on demand already allows any registered elector to apply for a vote by post.

The Government is working with the electoral administrators and Public Health England to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and covid-secure places to vote. People will be able participate in the polls safely, and in a way of their choice, whether by post, proxy or in-person.

This work is outlined in my recent letter to Electoral Returning Officers, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-chloe-smith-mp-to-returning-officers

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63246 on List of Ministerial Responsibilities: Coronavirus and the Answers to Questions 57317, 43737, 38867, 27615, 27613, 25033, 23666, 23630, 21909 and 5342, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of updating the responsibilities section of Minister’s profiles on the gov.uk website to reflect changes to ministerial responsibilities during the covid-19 outbreak.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQs 65138-65157 on 1 July 2020.

23rd Jun 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2020 to Question 27615, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing an updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities on gov.uk to reflect new responsibilities during the covid-19 outbreak.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQs 57314, 57315, 57316 and 57317 on 15 June 2020.

20th May 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to release updated guidance on marriages during the covid-19 outbreak.

As stated in 'Our Plan To Rebuild', the Government's COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, the Government is examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
10th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2020 to Question 25034, how many times Ministerial responsibilities have changed since 11 October 2019 when the last updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities was published on gov.uk.

Ministerial responsibilities change for a variety of reasons, including following changes in appointments. Details of ministerial responsibilities can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Updates to the List of Ministerial Responsibilities document are made periodically to reflect the Government as it stands on the day of publication. An update will be published in due course.

10th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2020 to Question 25033, what criteria the Government uses to determine when to publish an updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities on gov.uk.

Ministerial responsibilities change for a variety of reasons, including following changes in appointments. Details of ministerial responsibilities can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Updates to the List of Ministerial Responsibilities document are made periodically to reflect the Government as it stands on the day of publication. An update will be published in due course.

9th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of Civil Service Fast Stream entrants graduated less than a year before starting the programme in each of the last five years.

We do not cross-tabulate information relating to the year of graduation for candidates recommended for appointment. This could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Service does not have post-programme tracking by grade for completed Fast Streamers.

The next Civil Service Fast Stream Annual Report will be published in due course. This report will include indicators.

Further information can be found in previous reports.

9th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants at each grade are graduates of the Civil Service Fast Stream programme.

We do not cross-tabulate information relating to the year of graduation for candidates recommended for appointment. This could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Service does not have post-programme tracking by grade for completed Fast Streamers.

The next Civil Service Fast Stream Annual Report will be published in due course. This report will include indicators.

Further information can be found in previous reports.

9th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish the next Civil Service Fast Stream Annual Report.

We do not cross-tabulate information relating to the year of graduation for candidates recommended for appointment. This could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Service does not have post-programme tracking by grade for completed Fast Streamers.

The next Civil Service Fast Stream Annual Report will be published in due course. This report will include indicators.

Further information can be found in previous reports.

9th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what indicators are used to measure the effectiveness of the Civil Service Fast Stream programme.

We do not cross-tabulate information relating to the year of graduation for candidates recommended for appointment. This could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Service does not have post-programme tracking by grade for completed Fast Streamers.

The next Civil Service Fast Stream Annual Report will be published in due course. This report will include indicators.

Further information can be found in previous reports.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2020 to Question 21909, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting targets for the publication of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities; and if he will take steps to publish an updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities on GOV.UK within two weeks of any change to ministerial responsibilities.

Further to my answer of 3rd March 2020 to PQ21909, the Government has no plans to introduce a specific publication target.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2020 to Question 21909, how many times ministerial responsibilities have changed since 11 October 2019 when the last updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities was published on GOV.UK.

Ministerial responsibilities change for a variety of reasons, including following changes in appointments. An updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published in due course.

27th Feb 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what targets he has set for the publication of an updated List of Ministerial Responsibilities on the gov.uk website after changes to ministerial responsibilities; and how often these targets have been met since the 2017 General Election.

The Government does not set targets for the publication of the list of Ministerial Responsibilities. However, details of Ministerial responsibilities can be found on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers).

The List of Ministerial Responsibilities document has been updated periodically to reflect the Government as it stood on the day of publication. The history of updates can be seen on the ‘Government Ministers and responsibilities’ page on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities).

1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of businesses in Denton and Reddish constituency that are BME owned.

The Government does not hold regional information on the proportion of BME-owned businesses in Denton and Reddish. The Government is aware of the challenges faced by ethnic minority businesses and is taking action to support them and working with stakeholders to agree interventions to improve access to finance. Since its launch (2012) the Start Up Loans programme has issued around 20% of its loans to Black, Asian, and Ethnic-minority business.

We are also delivering actions set out in the Inclusive Britain report (2022), which aim to support ethnic minority entrepreneurs. Ministers regularly engage with ethnic minority business leaders and networks to better understand the issues facing them.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of homes that have been retrofitted through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in Denton and Reddish constituency since the introduction of that fund.

The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period. SHDF Wave 1 awarded around £179m of grant funding, delivering from 2022 into 2023, of which £10.4m was awarded to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to retrofit 1,280 homes, including homes in Denton and Reddish. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition, which closed on 18th November 2022, will allocate up to £800m of grant funding, with successful projects likely to be notified in March 2023.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on which wards in Denton and Reddish constituency have the highest number of homes with retrofitting measures installed.

The Government estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) schemes, external wall insulation measures have been installed in the following wards in Denton and Reddish: Reddish North, Audenshaw and Denton South.

The ward in Denton and Reddish with the highest number of energy efficient measures installed is Dukinfield. The order from highest to lowest is as follows:

  1. Dukinfield;
  2. Denton South;
  3. Reddish South;
  4. Audenshaw;
  5. Reddish North;
  6. Denton North East;
  7. Denton West.
Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on in which wards in Denton and Reddish constituency external wall insulation has been fitted.

The Government estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) schemes, external wall insulation measures have been installed in the following wards in Denton and Reddish: Reddish North, Audenshaw and Denton South.

The ward in Denton and Reddish with the highest number of energy efficient measures installed is Dukinfield. The order from highest to lowest is as follows:

  1. Dukinfield;
  2. Denton South;
  3. Reddish South;
  4. Audenshaw;
  5. Reddish North;
  6. Denton North East;
  7. Denton West.
Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are receiving the correct level of support from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme in the Denton and Reddish constituency.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme is set out in legislation. It will be applied in a uniform way by all licensed suppliers. The regulations include a robust compliance and enforcement regime to ensure requirements are being met. Suppliers are also required to inform customers about the details of support, including the amount of the discount and discounted supply price.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to mitigate the effect of the increase in the energy price cap on domestic consumers.

We have announced a package of support worth £9.1 billion, which will help over 28 million households. This includes a £150 Council Tax rebate for bands A-D, £144 million discretionary funding for local authorities and £200 energy bill reduction for every household.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the price cap increase on the level of demand for support from household customers with dual fuel energy.

Our Energy Price Cap remains in place, protecting millions of households from sudden price spikes. We are also supporting the most vulnerable and low-income households with the cost of fuel bills through initiatives such as the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments

6th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the level of accessibility to Covid Recovery Scheme loans for small and medium-sized businesses that are requesting amounts of less than £50,000.

The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is open to businesses requesting amounts of less than £50,000. The minimum facility size varies in the RLS, starting at £1,000 for asset and invoice finance, and £25,001 for term loans and overdrafts. As of 7 December 2021, the British Business Bank’s RLS portal showed that 29% of businesses had applied for a facility of less than £50,000. Note that the portal is continually updated and some lender data is still to be captured.

20th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support he is providing to increase the UK’s green shipbuilding capabilities.

The Department is supporting the Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, as well as a range of research and innovation programmes to develop technologies that will have spill-over benefits in various markets, including the shipbuilding sector.

The Department is also supporting several green shipping projects, including hydrogen ferry trials in Orkney and a hydrogen refuelling port on Teesside,. Innovate UK is also facilitating the delivery of the Department for Transport’s £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Programme to bring forward green propulsion solutions for the maritime sector.

In addition, the Department is working closely with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to ensure that UK shipyards are aware of the organisation’s funded programmes and facilities, so that they have the opportunity to access these.

Lee Rowley
Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
20th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme to support the development of UK shipbuilding.

The Department has consulted on the reintroduction of a Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme as a potential contribution to a refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy. The case for the scheme is under consideration at the current time and a final decision will be announced in due course.

The Government already offers a range of financial support instruments to businesses through the British Business Bank and through UK Export Finance.

Lee Rowley
Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
15th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what additional steps his Department is taking to support businesses and residents in Denton and Reddish constituency affected by the rise in energy prices.

The energy price cap will protect millions of domestic customers, including the residents of Denton and Reddish in the Northwest of England, this winter. The Government is also supporting low income and fuel poor households with their energy bills. The Warm Home Discount provides eligible households with a £140 rebate off their winter energy bills. The Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments will help ensure those most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the colder months.

The Government recognise the impact rising energy price will have on businesses of all sizes. The Government and Ofgem, the independent regulator are in regular contact with business groups and energy suppliers to understand the challenges they face and explore ways to protect businesses.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a 2040 target for floating wind deployment.

A Government priority is the growth of offshore wind to 2030 and beyond. The Government is committed to supporting the development of floating offshore wind, as reflected in our ambitious target of 1GW of floating wind by 2030.

Floating offshore wind projects will be eligible to bid in the next Contract for Difference allocation round, which will open in December 2021. The Government recently announced a minimum allocation for floating offshore wind in this round. This approach will provide the foundation for investment in a sustainable, competitive UK based supply chain.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the Government's 2030 floating wind deployment target.

A Government priority is the growth of offshore wind to 2030 and beyond. The Government is committed to supporting the development of floating offshore wind, as reflected in our ambitious target of 1GW of floating wind by 2030.

Floating offshore wind projects will be eligible to bid in the next Contract for Difference allocation round, which will open in December 2021. The Government recently announced a minimum allocation for floating offshore wind in this round. This approach will provide the foundation for investment in a sustainable, competitive UK based supply chain.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
26th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support the development of the geo-engine in the UK.

Titan Electricity based in Birkenhead manufacture the geo-engine for extracting power from the heat in extracted natural gas. This low-carbon power can be used to separate carbon dioxide and other contaminants from the natural gas and return them underground for long term storage.

The geo-engine could help achieve the ambitious decarbonisation targets set in the North Sea Transition Deal for offshore gas published by BEIS in March. This commits the UK offshore oil and gas sector to a carbon dioxide production emission reduction of 10% in 2025, 25% in 2027, and 50% in 2030 compared to a 2018 baseline.

Geo-engine has benefited from innovation support in its development through UK Research and Innovation. For example, Innovate UK funded Croft Filters in conjunction with Titan Electricity to develop a gas filter which will withstand the extremely hostile conditions the geo-engine will operate within.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether guidance issued by his Department to local authorities relating to the £425 million discretionary business grant funding announced in Budget 2021 will include reference to wholesale distribution businesses.

My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced an additional £425m will be made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) meaning that more than £2bn has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020.

Local Authorities are responsible for managing grants schemes locally and determining eligibility. Local Authorities can determine how much funding to provide to businesses from the discretionary Additional Restrictions Grant funding provided, and exactly which businesses to target. They may choose to target business who have not been mandated to close but have had their trade adversely affected. It is for Local Authorities to determine the best use of the Additional Restrictions Grant in their area, this is reflected in the guidance published on the 4th March for both Local Authorities and Businesses.

4th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the inclusion in guidance issued to local authorities of instructions to include wholesale distribution businesses in the eligibility for the £425 million discretionary business grant funding announced in the 2021 Budget on the financial viability of those businesses.

The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Local Authorities are responsible for managing grants schemes locally and determining eligibility.

The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) continues to enable Local Authorities to put in place discretionary business support. Local Authorities are free to provide support that suits their local area including to support those businesses not required to close but which have had their trade severely affected by the restrictions and those businesses that fall outside the business rates system such as market traders.

This grant scheme forms part of a wider package of support, including business loans and the Coronavirus Job Support Scheme, to assist businesses during this unpresented time.

4th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the inclusion in guidance issued to local authorities instructions to include wholesale distribution businesses in the eligibility for the £425 million discretionary business grant funding announced in the 2021 on the levelling up agenda.

The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives.

The discretionary Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) forms part of a wider package of support for business that have been mandated to close and also had their trade adversely affected by the Coivd-19 Restrictions. Local Authorities can determine how much funding to provide to businesses from the discretionary Additional Restrictions Grant funding provided, and exactly which businesses to target.

Levelling up is central to the Government’s agenda and we are working with local leaders to ensure every region, city and town will recover from Covid-19 and ultimately level up. The pandemic has rightly necessitated resources across Whitehall and in local government being re-allocated to tackling Covid-19 and on economic recovery. The Spending Review announced a £27 billion investment towards transport, energy and digital communications this year to level up the country.

25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on negotiating mutual recognition agreements with the EU that would apply to mountain professionals.

The recognition of professional qualifications, including for mountain professionals, is important for individuals wishing to practise their chosen profession outside the jurisdiction in which they qualified. It is for this reason that UK negotiators worked hard to secure a best-in-class Free Trade Agreement with the EU, in which the recognition of professional qualifications is covered.

We have secured a framework under which regulators and professional bodies from across the UK and EU may agree arrangements on the recognition of professional qualification (such as Mutual Recognition Agreements) covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted by the Partnership Council under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their professional qualifications within EU Member States. The Department has set up a unit to assist regulators and professional bodies negotiating these arrangements.

11th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether and in what circumstances (a) foot health practitioners and (b) chiropodists and podiatrists are permitted to practise during the national covid-19 lockdown in England that has been in place since 5 January 2021.

Foot health practitioners, chiropodists and podiatrists can continue operating under the National Lockdown regulations.

6th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) extending eligibility for the Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs to social clubs and (b) providing back payments to those clubs.

The Christmas Support Payment was put in place specifically to help pubs without a significant food offering, whose businesses were severely impacted by the local restrictions over the festive period. The scheme eligibility period ended on 28 December 2020 and the closing date for applications is 12 January 2021.

12th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on ensuring that local authorities administer grant funding to wholesalers as part of the Plan for Jobs five per cent discretionary fund in line with the recommendations in clause 23 of the Additional Restrictions Grant Guidance for Local Authorities.

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 since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

The Additional Restrictions Support Grant is a discretionary fund and local authorities are free to determine which support best fits their area.

3rd Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with Debenhams on their redundancy process during the covid-19 outbreak.

Officials are in regular contact with Debenhams.

Whilst we cannot protect every job during this crisis, we continue to do everything we can to help people get through and back into work.

We know this continues to be a worrying time for their employees and families, and we stand ready to support them in any way we can.

20th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on employers using money from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to make redundancy payments.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants cannot be used to cover redundancy payments. The Government wants to ensure that employees do not lose out on their employment rights because they have been furloughed. New legislation which commenced on 31 July will ensure that pay received in relation to statutory redundancy pay, statutory notice pay, unfair dismissal compensation and pay for short-time working are based on an employee’s normal pay, rather than their furlough pay (potentially 80% of their normal wage).

16th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether employers should calculate (a) redundancy and (b) notice pay based on (i) employees' salary; and what the relevance of payments through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is to those calculations.

During this difficult period, we urge employers to exercise discretion and not use the Job Retention Scheme to make someone redundant on less favourable terms than they would otherwise have received.

The provisions relating to calculation of redundancy and notice pay under the Employment Rights Act continue to apply when an individual is on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Employees who are dismissed due to redundancy and who satisfy certain qualifying conditions are statutorily entitled to a lump sum from their employer, based on their age, length of service and contractual weekly earnings, subject to a statutory upper limit, payable at, or soon after, the dismissal date.

Employees are also eligible for notice pay if they have worked for at least one month for their employers. The entitlements include one week’s notice if employed between one month and 2 years and an additional week’s notice for each year employed more than 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.

26th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling pubs and bars to host music performances from the 4 July 2020 in accordance with covid-19 social distancing guidelines.

Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement, all pubs, restaurants, bars, and cafes in England can begin to offer services to customers from Saturday 4 July as long as they follow the safer working guidelines.

Guidance is clear that venues should not permit indoor performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience.

Indoor performances or loud music can increase the risk of aerosol transmission from either the performer(s) or their audience.

19th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a new industrial site reclamation scheme to help bring regional strategic employment sites forward for development.

Officials in the Department recently met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and will continue discussions on plans for Tameside and the vision for the city region.

The Government has made funding available to support these types of scheme. This includes £663.4 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund 1, 2 and 3 to Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, of which £3.5 million went to the Tameside Minors project for highway and rail access improvements, as well as cycle links.

Tameside will soon have the opportunity to apply for further funding to support local regeneration. This includes a further round of the Future High Streets Fund to welcome proposals from local authorities to change their high streets. There are also plans to enable further places to benefit from the Towns Fund.

It is vital that we have well-resourced, efficient, and effective planning frameworks in place to unlock regeneration, investment, and business growth. Our ambitions build on the Government’s recent Planning White Paper, which aims to make the planning system clearer and more accessible. The White Paper includes options to introduce a new planning fee structure to ensure that planning authorities are resourced to improve the speed and quality of decisions.

19th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he will meet with (a) the Hon Member for Denton and Reddish and (b) officers from Tameside Council to discuss plans for bringing the Ashton Moss regional strategic employment site forward for development.

Officials in the Department recently met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and will continue discussions on plans for Tameside and the vision for the city region.

The Government has made funding available to support these types of scheme. This includes £663.4 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund 1, 2 and 3 to Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, of which £3.5 million went to the Tameside Minors project for highway and rail access improvements, as well as cycle links.

Tameside will soon have the opportunity to apply for further funding to support local regeneration. This includes a further round of the Future High Streets Fund to welcome proposals from local authorities to change their high streets. There are also plans to enable further places to benefit from the Towns Fund.

It is vital that we have well-resourced, efficient, and effective planning frameworks in place to unlock regeneration, investment, and business growth. Our ambitions build on the Government’s recent Planning White Paper, which aims to make the planning system clearer and more accessible. The White Paper includes options to introduce a new planning fee structure to ensure that planning authorities are resourced to improve the speed and quality of decisions.

19th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will provide support to Tameside Council to help bring forward the borough’s employment site investment strategy.

Officials in the Department recently met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and will continue discussions on plans for Tameside and the vision for the city region.

The Government has made funding available to support these types of scheme. This includes £663.4 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund 1, 2 and 3 to Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, of which £3.5 million went to the Tameside Minors project for highway and rail access improvements, as well as cycle links.

Tameside will soon have the opportunity to apply for further funding to support local regeneration. This includes a further round of the Future High Streets Fund to welcome proposals from local authorities to change their high streets. There are also plans to enable further places to benefit from the Towns Fund.

It is vital that we have well-resourced, efficient, and effective planning frameworks in place to unlock regeneration, investment, and business growth. Our ambitions build on the Government’s recent Planning White Paper, which aims to make the planning system clearer and more accessible. The White Paper includes options to introduce a new planning fee structure to ensure that planning authorities are resourced to improve the speed and quality of decisions.

18th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when pubs without outdoor space will be allowed to reopen.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out a roadmap in his speech on the 10 May outlining steps, or ‘phases’, to get people in the UK back to work in a way that is safe.

The roadmap sets out our ambition to reopen sections of the hospitality industry, including pubcs, in Step Three of our strategy, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing. Any decision to reopen this sector will be subject to the scientific advice at the time.

We are working at pace to develop safe ways for pubs to reopen at the earliest opportunity it is safe to do so, through our pubs and restaurants taskforce, and this work is progressing well.

17th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of small (a) cafes, (b) restaurants, (c) bars and (d) other hospitality businesses which will be unable to reopen because of social distancing rules due to the covid-19 outbreak.

We recognise the challenges facing this industry during this time. Our extensive package of support continues to be available, including our furlough scheme which has been extended until October, 100% business rates holidays, and tens of bullions of pounds’ worth of business loans and guarantees.

Information regarding the number of hospitality businesses which are currently unable to reopen is not in the public domain and is, therefore, classed as commercially sensitive information.

We are working with the sector at pace to develop guidance on how these businesses can reopen safely. The Pubs and Restaurants working level Technical Group comprised stakeholders from a cross-section of the sector, with representation from trade bodies to small and medium sized operators, unions, as well as the supply chain, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. We consulted these stakeholders due to their expertise and real-life knowledge and experience of the challenges faced by the industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This Guidance will be published ahead of time to allow the sector to prepare.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2020 to Question 21910, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the merits of including measures to decrease the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to one year in the Employment Rights Bill.

The Government has no plans to make an assessment of the merits of decreasing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to one year. The qualifying period aims to strike the right balance between fairness for employees and flexibility for employers.

27th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2020 to Question 19784, whether his Department has evidence of a causal link between increasing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to two years and employment and unemployment rates in the UK.

There is a correlation between regulatory frameworks and how an economy performs but it is difficult to attribute a causal link to specific aspects of regulation within the UK’s labour market framework. The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business. In the recent Queen’s Speech, we announced that we would bring forward an Employment Rights Bill to deliver the greatest reforms of workers’ rights in over 20 years.

24th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reverting to a one-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims.

At the time of increasing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims to two years, the policy intention was to increase business confidence in recruiting and retaining staff. The UK now has record levels of employment and the lowest rate of unemployment since 1975.

14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Government has provided to the youth sector in each year since 2015.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. Between 2015 - 2021 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), including the National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust, have provided over £1.1 billion to the youth sector. This does not include funding provided to the youth sector by DCMS’ other arms-length bodies, other government department programmes or Local Authorities, as we do not hold this data.

Over this Spending Review Period, DCMS is investing over £500 million in youth services to deliver the National Youth Guarantee, a government commitment that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
24th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether it was her Department's policy to allow Birmingham Council to apply a hotel tax during the Commonwealth Games.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games were delivered on time and within budget, creating huge benefits for Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK. It was not Government’s policy for a hotel tax to be applied during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and so, as such, legislation to provide for such a levy was not brought forward as part of the preparations for the Games.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
8th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing additional sector specific support to the tourism and travel industry.

We continue to engage with tourism stakeholders to assess the role of the Government’s unprecedented support measures in supporting the sector through this period. Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport are doing the same with the travel sector.

In total, over £25bn has been provided during the pandemic to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. The Government is continuing to support businesses and individuals - including through various government-backed loans, grants and the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes. A UK-wide VAT cut for the tourism sectors from 20% to 5% is in place until September 2021, and 12.5% for the rest of the financial year.

The Government published the Tourism Recovery Plan on 11th June. Alongside addressing short and medium term challenges, the plan sets out a long-term framework for how the Government will work with the sector to build back better from the pandemic - and develop a more sustainable, innovative, and data-driven tourism industry.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to findings from Bite Back that young people in the UK are exposed to 15 billion junk food adverts a year online, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce statutory online advertising restrictions on junk food, as proposed in its original consultation, at the same time as those for television.

The Covid-19 health crisis has underlined the need to reduce levels of obesity in the general population, and that it is critically important that we encourage healthy eating habits, particularly for our young people. The Prime Minister is clear that this is a priority.

The Biteback 2030 campaign has helped to inform our work to understand the impacts of junk food advertising on young people. Government officials recently attended a session hosted by the Bite Back campaign, and were able to hear first hand from the Biteback Youth Ambassadors on the problem of junk food advertising and its effects in particular on young people.

In 2019 and 2020, the government consulted on bold proposals to restrict HFSS advertising on TV and online, and we will soon publish our response to both consultations. As the government set out in its Tackling Obesity strategy (published in July 2020), we intend to simultaneously legislate for an online restriction and a TV watershed by the end of 2022.

9th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 158881, what assessment his Department has made of whether visa processes for mountain leaders and other similar professionals are as prompt and smooth as possible under the UK's agreement with the EU.

My Department has not made an assessment of how smoothly the visa process for mountain leaders is running. As stated in my previous answer, the Government continues to engage with stakeholders, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders, to understand their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Where this concerns visa processes, this will be fed into the relevant Departments - in this case BEIS and the Home Office.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK-EU Trade Cooperation Agreement on the UK mountain leaders sector.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework under which the UK and the EU may agree Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on the recognition of professional qualification covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition for their professional qualifications within EU Member States.

Arrangements are implemented on a profession-by-profession basis and depend upon reciprocal cooperation from both the UK and EU Member States. The framework enables UK and EU professional bodies or authorities to make recommendations on MRAs to the Partnership Council.  Once an arrangement has been adopted, a professional qualified in the UK (e.g. an engineer) will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their qualifications within an EU Member State.

The Government continues to engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector to hear their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Officials are currently engaging with the tourism trade bodies, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) to gather feedback on priority regulators and qualifications for the tourism sector.

The government will provide help and guidance to UK regulatory authorities and professional bodies to help them benefit from these provisions as well as other recognition paths. Where visas apply, our agreement with the EU contains measures that will help ensure processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answers of 14 January 2021 to Question 135862 and of 20 January 2021 to Question 138408 on Musicians: Visas, for what reason those answers do not explain whether the EU offered visa arrangements during negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU which would have allowed UK musicians to tour in the EU visa-free for 90 days.

During the negotiation, the EU tabled a declaration accompanying their proposals on visa-free travel. The declaration identified which paid activities could be allowed as part of visa-free visits. However, these proposals would not have addressed the creative and cultural sectors’ concerns. The proposals were non-binding, did not include touring but only ‘ad hoc’ performances, did not include technical staff, and did not address work permits. The EU’s proposals were also part of a package on visa-free travel that was not consistent with the UK’s manifesto commitment to take back control of our borders.

The UK had proposed more comprehensive and binding provisions on touring musicians and their staff, which would have provided more flexibility and protection for musicians and staff than the EU proposals. These measures were developed following consultation with the UK’s creative industries and would have allowed musicians and their technical staff to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. Regrettably, these proposals were rejected by the EU.

We have been engaging extensively with the sector to assess impact and are committed to continuing this close dialogue to ensure they have the support they need to thrive.

15th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2021 to Question 135862 on Musicians: Visas, whether the EU offered visa arrangements during negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU which would have allowed UK musicians to tour in the EU visa-free for 90 days.

I refer the honourable member to the Secretary of State’s answer to Written Question 135862 on 14th January.

14th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the provision of financial support for online travel agencies that have not been eligible for business support schemes during the covid-19 outbreak.

We hold regular discussions with Her Majesty’s Treasury and across Government regarding the significant impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the travel sector, including online travel agencies.

The Government has introduced a number of support measures for businesses and individuals through COVID-19, which online travel agencies can access. These include various government-backed loans, as well as the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes.

The Chancellor also announced that Local Authorities in England will be given an additional £594 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted. The guidance for this funding encourages Local Authorities to develop discretionary grant schemes to help those businesses which - while not legally forced to close - are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions. We encourage local authorities to be sympathetic to applications from businesses such as online travel agents who may not have been eligible for other grants.

We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including UKInbound and the Association of British Travel Agents, to assess how we can best support the sector’s domestic and international recovery.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
11th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what visa arrangements for touring musicians were offered by the EU during negotiations on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals. We acknowledge that there will be some additional processes for those in creative industries working across the EU now that the transition period has come to an end. However, our agreement with the EU contains Transparency and Procedural Facilitation measures that will help ensure visa processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.

During our negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed measures, reflecting the views of the music industry itself, that would have allowed musicians to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. Specifically, we proposed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors.

In practice this would have delivered an outcome that is closer to the UK’s approach to incoming musicians, artists and entertainers from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, who can come to perform in the UK without requiring a visa. Unfortunately, these proposals were repeatedly rejected by the EU.

The EU did not propose and wouldn’t accept a tailored deal for musicians, artists and their support staff to tour across the EU and UK.

Going forward, we will continue our close dialogue with the creative and cultural sectors to ensure that they have the support they need to thrive.The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals, and has engaged extensively with the creative industries and arts sector since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to ensure they are aware of the new requirements.

Oliver Dowden
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
11th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure visa-free travel for (a) UK musicians touring in the EU and (b) EU musicians touring in the UK.

The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals. We acknowledge that there will be some additional processes for those in creative industries working across the EU now that the transition period has come to an end. However, our agreement with the EU contains Transparency and Procedural Facilitation measures that will help ensure visa processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.

During our negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed measures, reflecting the views of the music industry itself, that would have allowed musicians to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. Specifically, we proposed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors.

In practice this would have delivered an outcome that is closer to the UK’s approach to incoming musicians, artists and entertainers from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, who can come to perform in the UK without requiring a visa. Unfortunately, these proposals were repeatedly rejected by the EU.

The EU did not propose and wouldn’t accept a tailored deal for musicians, artists and their support staff to tour across the EU and UK.

Going forward, we will continue our close dialogue with the creative and cultural sectors to ensure that they have the support they need to thrive.The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals, and has engaged extensively with the creative industries and arts sector since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to ensure they are aware of the new requirements.

Oliver Dowden
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a live music industry support scheme similar to the Government of Germany's €150 million package for that country's industry.

DCMS appreciates the important role that the live music sector plays in the UK’s cultural economy, and that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many businesses operating in these sectors.

The Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors. This support package will benefit the live music sector, including music venues and many other organisations in the Creative Industries that host live events, to stay open and continue operating.

From 15th August, and as part of the Government’s 5 stage roadmap to get performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running as soon as possible, venues and organisations have been able to put on live indoor performances in front of a socially-distanced audience. This is in addition to the earlier announcement that from 11 July we can all enjoy performances outdoors with social distancing.

We are committed to continuing to work with the live events sector to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.

6th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support his Department has provided to the culture and arts sector in (a) Tameside, (b) Stockport and (c) Greater Manchester during the covid-19 outbreak.

To support the sustainability of the culture and arts sector during the covid-19 outbreak, DCMS has worked closely with Arts Council England (ACE) to provide a tailored package of financial support. In March, ACE announced a £160m emergency response package to complement the financial measures already announced by the Government and to ensure immediate resilience of this vital sector.

This includes £20 million of financial support for individuals and £140 million of support for organisations, so they can better sustain themselves, and their work, in the coming months. To date over 9000 individuals and organisations across the country have been successful in applying for this support. Over £9 million of ACE emergency response funds were awarded to 53 ACE National Portfolio Organisations (NPO) in the North of England, and over £14 million has been awarded in the region in the first two rounds of ACE’s emergency response funds for individuals and non-NPO organisations.

On 5 July, DCMS also announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to create a tailored support package for the events industry to support that sector during the covid-19 outbreak.

We are aware that COVID-19 has significantly impacted multiple aspects of the events industry. My officials continue to gather intelligence from the sector and I regularly engage with events stakeholders to monitor the situation through the Visitor Economy Working Group, the Events Industry Board, and the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group.

Government support for the events sector is set out in the International Business Events Action Plan, which was published in June 2019. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the sector’s recovery from COVID-19.

Businesses and workers in the events industry can access the Government’s comprehensive economic support package, including the recently extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Bounce Back Loans scheme.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on improving Tameside Children’s Services since June 2022.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Tameside Children's Services on a target date for obtaining a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to monitor the effectiveness of her Department's improvement processes at Tameside Children’s Services.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's interventions to improve Tameside Children's Services.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Ofsted on Tameside Children’s Services.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance officials in her Department have provided to Tameside Children's Services in each of the last three years.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to monitor the adequacy of Tameside Children's services in each of the last three years.

The adequacy of a local authorities children’s social care is officially assessed by Ofsted’s inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. Children’s social care services in Tameside were judged as Requires Improvement in the 2019 ILACS inspection, which was an improvement from the inspection in 2016 where services were found to be Inadequate. Focused Visits were carried out by Ofsted in May 2021 and April 2022 to monitor services, as per Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Focused Visit in April 2022 identified two Areas of Priority Action (APAs).

Following this, in line with the department’s early intervention policy, the department placed Tameside into intervention and issued an Improvement Notice. The department has continued to work closely with Tameside, carrying out formal 6 monthly reviews and tailoring effective support to target the APAs. An Improvement Adviser is in place to provide ongoing support and challenge to the service including early support to the Council in establishing an Improvement Board to provide the mechanism for corporate and political leadership to scrutinise and challenge the improvement journey.

In addition, the department has provided Tameside with targeted improvement funding and brokered support from Sector Led Improvement Partners as well as co-ordinating the Local Government Association to provide a package of leadership support for the senior leadership team and wider Council, including politicians.

The priority for the department’s intervention has been to oversee progress of the two APAs identified in Ofsted’s 2022 Focused Visit. Progress of improvement has relied on stability of senior leadership and capacity within the Council. The imminent Ofsted ILACS inspection will result in a graded judgement for Tameside’s children’s services and will clearly set out what is working well and where further improvements can be made, including what further steps are needed to achieve Good or Outstanding, if appropriate. The inspection will also determine the effectiveness of the Council’s response to the department’s intervention and support.

The department continues to monitor progress and provide support via the intervention policy and regular interactions with the Council. Should assessments indicate the Council is making insufficient progress, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may choose to invoke her statutory powers of intervention (under s497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a Statutory Direction.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the financial capability of Tameside Council to effectively provide and manage her Department's improvement process for Children’s Services.

The department is not responsible for the overall financial health of local authorities. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities provide authorities with an overall funding agreement which local authorities are then responsible for dispersing within their services, of which children’s services is a part of. It is therefore for the local authority to decide how funding is allocated to improve its children’s services.

The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion, or 9.4% in cash terms, in 2022/23. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced, in recognition of local authorities being best place to understand local priorities.

A breakdown of the key element of annual funding for each local authority in England, including Tameside Council, since 2016/17, as announced at that year’s settlement, are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-information-for-local-authorities-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2023-to-2024.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has received the data from the Tameside Children’s Services diagnostic exercise conducted before summer 2023.

The exercise referenced did not conclude as the Council re-directed the resource to concentrate on improvements. As a result, a formal report was not provided. However, the department has discussed the findings with the Council and are assured that the areas identified are embedded within the Council-owned Improvement Plan.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will allocate additional funding for high needs provision in schools.

The majority of high needs funding from the department is allocated to local authorities, as they are responsible for allocating that funding to schools to support pupils with complex needs. The department has substantially increased high needs funding in recent years and has announced a further increase of £440 million for the 2024/25 financial year, which will bring the total high needs budget to over £10.5 billion, an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of ventilation in schools at reducing the risk of covid-19 transmission.

Maintaining good ventilation creates a healthy indoor environment for staff and pupils and helps to improve alertness and concentration. Scientific evidence also shows that letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove virus particles and reduce the risk of respiratory illness, including COVID-19, flu, and Strep A. Evidence from Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) demonstrates that CO2 monitoring is an effective method of identifying poor ventilation in multi occupant spaces. This is why the Department provided over 380,000 CO2 monitors to cover approximately 50% of teaching spaces in England during the height of the pandemic through the first phase of the ventilation programme. The Department has since provided a further 320,000 CO2 monitors to allow all eligible settings to have an assigned monitor for every teaching and childcare space.

In addition to CO2 monitors, the Department has provided over 9,000 air cleaning units (ACUs) to over 1,300 settings that identified rooms with sustained high CO2 readings. These units filter pollen, dust and microorganisms, including particles containing the COVID-19 and influenza virus, removing much of it from the air. The use of ACUs in poorly ventilated spaces is backed by SAGE’s Environmental Modelling Group (EMG) which advised that ACUs have limited benefit in spaces that are already adequately ventilated and should only be considered where the ventilation is inadequate and cannot be easily improved.

Maintaining adequate ventilation ultimately remains the responsibility of individual settings. The Department has recently published guidance to enable education settings to make the most out of their devices, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-co-monitors-and-air-cleaning-units-in-education-and-care-settings.

27th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the Hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss the future of the Two Trees school site.

The Department is currently assessing applications for new free schools and is looking to approve up to 15 new schools in areas where they are likely to have the biggest effects on improving outcomes. The Department will prioritise proposals located in Education Investment Areas, where outcomes in literacy and numeracy are the poorest. Applications are assessed against the published criteria, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-application-guide/how-to-apply-to-set-up-a-mainstream-free-school. This is a competitive process and the successful applications will be announced before the summer.

No applications were received for Tameside and as such, it is difficult to advise on the suitability of the Two Trees site. Plans for future waves will be announced in due course. The free school presumption process is the route for Local Authorities to bring about the establishment of new schools where a Local Authority identifies the need for additional places. More information on this can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844346/Free_school_presumption_051119.pdf.

The Regional Director’s office has been asked to contact the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to meet and discuss this matter further, together with my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System and Student Finance, who is responsible for free schools policy.

27th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a bid for a Free School secondary school for Denton on the Two Trees site.

The Department is currently assessing applications for new free schools and is looking to approve up to 15 new schools in areas where they are likely to have the biggest effects on improving outcomes. The Department will prioritise proposals located in Education Investment Areas, where outcomes in literacy and numeracy are the poorest. Applications are assessed against the published criteria, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-application-guide/how-to-apply-to-set-up-a-mainstream-free-school. This is a competitive process and the successful applications will be announced before the summer.

No applications were received for Tameside and as such, it is difficult to advise on the suitability of the Two Trees site. Plans for future waves will be announced in due course. The free school presumption process is the route for Local Authorities to bring about the establishment of new schools where a Local Authority identifies the need for additional places. More information on this can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844346/Free_school_presumption_051119.pdf.

The Regional Director’s office has been asked to contact the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to meet and discuss this matter further, together with my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System and Student Finance, who is responsible for free schools policy.

30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will outline the planned timescales for building work on Russell Scott Primary School.

The 239 schools selected for the School Rebuilding Programme in December 2022, including Russell Scott Primary School, will start delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five-year period. The Department is currently undertaking feasibility and due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them. The Department met Responsible Bodies at information events in March 2023, where they were provided with an update on expected timescales. The Department will also be writing to all Responsible Bodies with an indicative timescale before the summer break.

23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet the Rt hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss Denton Community College.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has a statutory duty to make an academy order in respect of any maintained school judged as Inadequate by Ofsted, to enable it to become an academy and receive additional support from a sponsor.

The academy order was issued to the governing body of Denton Community College and Tameside Local Authority on 22 March 2023. The Regional Director for the North West, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, will take responsibility for ensuring that Denton Community College becomes a sponsored academy as swiftly as possible, including identifying the most suitable academy trust and brokering the new relationship between that academy trust and the school.

In accordance with the academy order made under Section 4(A1) or (1)(b) of the Academies Act 2010, the governing body and the Local Authority will be under a duty to facilitate Denton Community College’s conversion into an academy by taking all reasonable steps towards that end. During the interim period before the school re-opens as an academy, the Local Authority retains the responsibility for the school’s performance, including provision for school improvement.

Once the Regional Director has identified the academy trust for Denton Community College, the academy trust has a duty to communicate information to parents regarding their plans for improving that school, before it is converted into an academy.

The Regional Director’s office has been asked to contact the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to meet and discuss this matter.

23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department's estimated timescale is for seeking improvements at Denton Community College following Ofsted's inadequate finding of that college and the decision to make an academy order.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has a statutory duty to make an academy order in respect of any maintained school judged as Inadequate by Ofsted, to enable it to become an academy and receive additional support from a sponsor.

The academy order was issued to the governing body of Denton Community College and Tameside Local Authority on 22 March 2023. The Regional Director for the North West, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, will take responsibility for ensuring that Denton Community College becomes a sponsored academy as swiftly as possible, including identifying the most suitable academy trust and brokering the new relationship between that academy trust and the school.

In accordance with the academy order made under Section 4(A1) or (1)(b) of the Academies Act 2010, the governing body and the Local Authority will be under a duty to facilitate Denton Community College’s conversion into an academy by taking all reasonable steps towards that end. During the interim period before the school re-opens as an academy, the Local Authority retains the responsibility for the school’s performance, including provision for school improvement.

Once the Regional Director has identified the academy trust for Denton Community College, the academy trust has a duty to communicate information to parents regarding their plans for improving that school, before it is converted into an academy.

The Regional Director’s office has been asked to contact the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to meet and discuss this matter.

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of educational provision for children diagnosed with cancer.

The department is committed to ensuring that pupils with medical conditions are properly supported at school, so that they have full access to education.

In 2014, the department introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions, including cancer. Statutory guidance for schools on how to support pupils with medical conditions has been published and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The guidance does not specify which medical conditions should be supported in schools. Instead, it focuses on how to meet the needs of each individual child and how their medical condition impacts school life.

Schools also have duties under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments and not to discriminate against disabled children, including those with cancer from the point of diagnosis, in relation to their access to education and associated services. Schools must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures, and policies, to ensure that they are not putting such children at a substantial disadvantage.

Where a child cannot attend school due to health needs, and would not otherwise receive a suitable full-time education, the local authority is responsible for arranging provision under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. Local authorities should ensure that a child receives “suitable education” in terms of their age, ability and aptitude, taking account of any special educational needs and keeping consistent with the provision that he or she would receive at their home school.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
21st Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the cost of living crisis on the attainment of children in Denton and Reddish constituency.

The Government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and affected pupils and their families, including those in the Denton and Reddish constituency. The Department is working hard to manage the current pressures facing schools and continues to monitor the financial health of schools closely.

The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional net increase in the core schools budget of £2 billion in the 2023/24 financial year and a further £2 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, over and above totals announced at the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021. This brings the core schools budget to a total of £58.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. This additional funding will enable head teachers to continue to concentrate funding in areas the Department knows has a positive effect on educational attainment, including high quality teaching and targeted support to the children who need it most.

Alongside this, from October 2022 to 31 March 2023, schools will benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, protecting them from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Denton and Reddish is part of the Tameside Education Investment Area (EIA), meaning substantial support is available to drive improvement. This includes priority for trust capacity funding to help trusts grow and improve underperforming schools in the area, which the Department is making up to £86 million available nationally. In EIAs the Department will also provide support for schools’ digital connectivity through £150 million investment in the Connect the Classroom programme. Tameside is also one of 24 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIAs), and therefore is in receipt of further investment in addition to the significant support available to all EIAs.

Tameside has also benefited from over £160,000 of funding through the Opportunity Areas programme between 2017 and July 2022 helping to drive the attainment of all children across the area.

31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of whether the current school building conditions at Russell Scott Primary School require emergency assistance from her Department.

The Department is aware of the condition of Russell Scott Primary School. Departmental officials have been engaging with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to understand the Council’s capital maintenance programme for the school and advise on these issues. My Noble Friend, the Minister for the School System, also met with the hon. Member to discuss the school in June.

The Department provides local authorities with an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest in priorities across their maintained schools. The Department looks to local authorities to allocate these funds to what they identify to be the most urgent priorities across the school estate, ensuring schools are kept safe and operational.

For the 2022/23 financial year, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has been allocated £1,545,072 in SCA funding. In addition to annual condition funding, the Department has also launched a ten-year School Rebuilding Programme. The Department has announced the first 100 schools that will benefit from the programme as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. Russell Scott Primary School has been nominated for the School Rebuilding Programme under the exceptional route. Assessment is ongoing and further information will be available in due course.

31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her colleagues on Russell Scott Primary School in Denton since her appointment.

The Department is aware of the condition of Russell Scott Primary School. Departmental officials have been engaging with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to understand the Council’s capital maintenance programme for the school and advise on these issues. My Noble Friend, the Minister for the School System, also met with the hon. Member to discuss the school in June.

The Department provides local authorities with an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest in priorities across their maintained schools. The Department looks to local authorities to allocate these funds to what they identify to be the most urgent priorities across the school estate, ensuring schools are kept safe and operational.

For the 2022/23 financial year, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has been allocated £1,545,072 in SCA funding. In addition to annual condition funding, the Department has also launched a ten-year School Rebuilding Programme. The Department has announced the first 100 schools that will benefit from the programme as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. Russell Scott Primary School has been nominated for the School Rebuilding Programme under the exceptional route. Assessment is ongoing and further information will be available in due course.

31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the Rt. hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss building conditions at Russell Scott Primary School.

The Department is aware of the condition of Russell Scott Primary School. Departmental officials have been engaging with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to understand the Council’s capital maintenance programme for the school and advise on these issues. My Noble Friend, the Minister for the School System, also met with the hon. Member to discuss the school in June.

The Department provides local authorities with an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest in priorities across their maintained schools. The Department looks to local authorities to allocate these funds to what they identify to be the most urgent priorities across the school estate, ensuring schools are kept safe and operational.

For the 2022/23 financial year, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has been allocated £1,545,072 in SCA funding. In addition to annual condition funding, the Department has also launched a ten-year School Rebuilding Programme. The Department has announced the first 100 schools that will benefit from the programme as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. Russell Scott Primary School has been nominated for the School Rebuilding Programme under the exceptional route. Assessment is ongoing and further information will be available in due course.

20th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he will confirm the Primary and PE Sport Premium Funding for academic year 2022-23.

I refer the hon. Member for East Ham, the hon. Member for Streatham and the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish, to the answer I gave on 16 June 2022 to Question 16901.

25th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2022 to Question 3510 on Secondary Education: Tameside, whether he will take steps to improve secondary school attainment by children in (a) Tameside and (b) Denton.

The department was pleased to announce the borough of Tameside, including Denton, as a Priority Education Investment Area (EIA) as part of the recent Schools White Paper.

The Schools White Paper sets out our vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential founded on achieving word-class standards of literacy and numeracy and confirmed our headline ambitions, including at key stage 4, to increase the GCSE average grade in English language and maths from 4.5 to 5.

In Priority EIAs, the department will offer intensive investment in addition to the significant support available to all EIAs, so that we can drive improvement further and faster. This has the potential to transform pupils’ outcomes at both primary and secondary school, by overcoming entrenched barriers to improvement and strengthening the school’s system in these areas.

In all 55 EIAs, the department will be taking steps to support underperforming schools to make the necessary improvements, build trust capacity, support improved digital connectivity in the schools that need this most and offer the Levelling Up premium, worth up to £3,000 tax free, to eligible teachers. Our additional support to Priority EIAs includes a share of around £40 million worth of funding to address local needs, such as those acting as a barrier to improvement at primary and priority access to a number of the department’s other programmes.

My noble Friend, the Minister for School System, has written to all Members of Parliament with Priority EIAs in their constituencies to update them on our next steps for the programme.

18th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers he has to compel children's services in England to improve when they have been judged by Ofsted to (a) be inadequate and (b) require improvement to be good.

In line with the department’s intervention policy which is set out in its ‘Putting Children First’ guidance, whenever Ofsted finds children’s social care services to be inadequate, an adviser is provided to diagnose problems and support the local authority on its improvement journey. The guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/554573/Putting_children_first_delivering_vision_excellent_childrens_social_care.pdf. The department would expect most of those local authorities to improve with support and challenge from experts.

If there is insufficient improvement in a local authority’s performance, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may issue an improvement notice. The improvement notice requires the local authority to take steps to improve its services for children, such as putting an improvement plan in place to address areas of weakness identified by Ofsted. Improvement notices may be issued as a way of forewarning a local authority of a future statutory direction if there is no improvement in its performance.

Should the local authority be unwilling or unable to comply with an improvement notice, or if ministers are not satisfied with the local authority’s progress at any stage, the Secretary of State may choose to invoke his statutory powers of intervention (under Section 497A of the Education Act 1996) by issuing a statutory direction. The Secretary of State can issue directions to ensure that functions are performed to an adequate standard, such as directing the local authority to set up an improvement board or appointing a children’s services commissioner to work with the local authority to help secure improvement.

A children’s services commissioner is usually appointed when local authority failure is systemic (an inadequate rating across all three of Ofsted’s key judgments in one report) or has become persistent (two or more inadequate judgments within five years), to determine whether the local authority has the capacity and capability to retain and improve children’s social care services in a reasonable timeframe. If not, the Section 497A power can also be used to direct that children’s social care services will be removed from local authority control for a period of time and transferred to a different organisation, usually a trust, in order to secure sustainable improvement.

The department’s improvement programme also seeks to identify and work collaboratively with local authorities where children’s services have been judged ‘Requires Improvement’, providing targeted support to help them improve the services they provide to vulnerable children. The department has increased the amount of funded sector-led improvement activity that can be delivered from 2021 by expanding our cohort of strong performing local authorities to work as sector-led improvement partners.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the secondary school attainment of children in (a) Tameside and (b) Denton.

The department publishes a wide range of GCSE attainment data for pupils at the end of key stage 4 in state-funded secondary schools in England. The latest information can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2020-21.

The latest data, for the academic year 2020/21, shows that the average Attainment 8 score for pupils in state-funded schools in Tameside is 48.5 and in Denton is 48.8. These are lower than the national average of 50.9.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss any disposal application for the Two Trees site in Denton.

Local authorities require my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and Schedule 1 to the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on a number of issues, but no formal response was received, and the application was closed down accordingly.

In November 2021, an application to dispose of non-playing field land was received. As the site includes playing field land, officials advised that a new application on the correct form was required. To date, no such application has been received.

There is no current application from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council upon which the department can provide an update on. However, the Secretary of State will keep the hon. Member updated should the council re-apply for consent.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has received an application from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to release the former Two Trees High School site in Denton from educational use.

Local authorities require my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and Schedule 1 to the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on a number of issues, but no formal response was received, and the application was closed down accordingly.

In November 2021, an application to dispose of non-playing field land was received. As the site includes playing field land, officials advised that a new application on the correct form was required. To date, no such application has been received.

There is no current application from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council upon which the department can provide an update on. However, the Secretary of State will keep the hon. Member updated should the council re-apply for consent.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a new secondary Free School to serve Denton to increase parental choice in the area.

Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 places the duty on local authorities to ensure that there are sufficient primary and secondary school places in their area. This is with a view to providing diversity in the provision of schools and increasing opportunities for parental choice. Where a school is an academy and wishes to make changes, including increasing the number of pupils, the academy will follow the department’s published guidance for making significant changes.

Where there is forecast growth in demand and a shortfall of places in an area, the Local Authority will meet this future demand, such as by expanding existing schools.

The Schools White Paper also confirmed our intention to seek proposals for new mainstream free schools in areas with the greatest need for more additional places, prioritising proposals in Priority Education Investment Areas such as Tameside. The department will set out further detail on the application process in due course. Separately, where a local authority thinks there is a demographic need for a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish a new free school.

In 2021, 85.1% of pupils were offered their first-choice secondary school in Tameside and 94.5% received offers from one of their top three choices. This compares to the national average where 81.1% of pupils were offered their first choice secondary school and 93.4% received offers from one of their top three choices.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help extend parental choice for parents in respect of the education of children nearing secondary school age in (a) Tameside and (b) Denton.

Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 places the duty on local authorities to ensure that there are sufficient primary and secondary school places in their area. This is with a view to providing diversity in the provision of schools and increasing opportunities for parental choice. Where a school is an academy and wishes to make changes, including increasing the number of pupils, the academy will follow the department’s published guidance for making significant changes.

Where there is forecast growth in demand and a shortfall of places in an area, the Local Authority will meet this future demand, such as by expanding existing schools.

The Schools White Paper also confirmed our intention to seek proposals for new mainstream free schools in areas with the greatest need for more additional places, prioritising proposals in Priority Education Investment Areas such as Tameside. The department will set out further detail on the application process in due course. Separately, where a local authority thinks there is a demographic need for a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish a new free school.

In 2021, 85.1% of pupils were offered their first-choice secondary school in Tameside and 94.5% received offers from one of their top three choices. This compares to the national average where 81.1% of pupils were offered their first choice secondary school and 93.4% received offers from one of their top three choices.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of appointing (a) an independent Children’s Trust and (b) Commissioners to manage Tameside Children’s Services.

The safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people remains a priority. The decision to intervene in a local authority is not taken lightly, and it is important to base that decision on robust evidence of failure. The department acts quickly and decisively to intervene in local authorities found to be failing in their delivery of children’s social care and judged inadequate by Ofsted.

In line with the department’s intervention policy set out in ‘Putting Children First’, whenever Ofsted finds children’s social care services to be inadequate, an adviser is provided to diagnose problems and support the council on their improvement journey. The government would expect most of those councils to improve with support and challenge from experts.

A commissioner is usually appointed, when council failure is systemic or has become persistent, to determine whether the council has the capacity and capability to improve children’s social care services in a reasonable timeframe. If not, services will be removed from council control for a period of time and transferred to a different organisation (usually a Trust) in order to secure sustainable improvement.

Tameside Children’s Services are currently rated as ‘requires improvement’. The department’s improvement programme seeks to identify and work collaboratively with local authorities who require targeted support to help them improve the services they provide to vulnerable children. The government has increased the amount of funded sector-led improvement activity that can be delivered from 2021 by expanding our cohort of strong performing local authorities to work as sector-led improvement partners.

‘Putting Children First’ is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/putting-children-first-our-vision-for-childrens-social-care.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss Ofsted's finding of serious failings at Tameside Children’s Services.

I would be happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss Ofsted’s findings once the report has been published.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of when Ofsted’s most recent assessment of Tameside Children’s Services will be published.

A full inspection of Tameside’s local authority children’s services was last completed in May 2019. The report was published on 1 July 2019 with a rating ‘requires improvement to be good’.

For local authorities judged ‘requires improvement’, like Tameside, up to two focused visits will be completed in between full inspections. Tameside has recently had a focused visit and the report is expected to be published on 6 June 2022.

17th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss (a) secondary education attainment levels in Tameside, (b) parental choice of secondary schools in Denton and (c) the possible disposal of the Two Trees site in Denton.

In the Schools White Paper, the department has set out a list of the 24 areas where more intensive investment will take place. Tameside is one of these priority areas.

Officials will be meeting with local stakeholders to discuss the local needs for the young people of Tameside.

24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on urgent improvements to Russell Scott Primary School in Denton and Reddish constituency; and whether officials from his Department have met with officers from Tameside Council.

We are aware of the condition issues at Russell Scott Primary School and officials within the department have been engaging with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to understand and advise on these issues. The department has committed to review and discuss evidence from any further investigative work or surveys undertaken.

The department provides local authorities with an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest in improving the condition of their maintained schools. We expect local authorities to effectively prioritise this funding on what they identify to be the most urgent priorities across the school estate, ensuring schools are kept safe and operational.

For the financial year 2021-22, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has been allocated £1,328,013 in SCA funding. Allocations for the financial year 2022-23 will published in due course.

In addition to annual condition funding, the department has launched a ten-year School Rebuilding Programme. We have announced the first 100 schools that will benefit from the programme as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade.

We recently consulted on how to prioritise future places on the programme. We plan to set out our response to the consultation and details of further rounds of the programme early this year.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the accessibility of support services available to parents.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to ensure that parents are part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing funding for parental support services in the 2021 Spending Review.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to expand its support services for parents.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to expand the Government's online support services for parents.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of Action for Children’s online Parent Talk resource for parents.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Action for Children’s research entitled Parenting through the Pandemic, published on 21 October 2021.

The government has prioritised support for children and families in the Spending Review. The government has announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children in half of local authorities in England, helping to deliver our levelling up ambitions.

It includes funding to create a family hub network, for each local authority to publish their Start for Life offer, support for breast feeding, parent-infant relationships and parenting programmes. It also includes a smaller number of pilots to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models needed to support babies and families.

Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and putting relationships at the heart of family help.

£50 million will be available for parenting support. The department will ensure online parenting programmes are available to new parents in the 75 selected local authorities, alongside additional targeted support to families most in need. The department will set out more detail in due course, including on which parenting programmes will be available in the selected local authorities.

26th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on parents.

The department recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak has been challenging for pupils and their families. The department has been regularly surveying parents and carers of school pupils throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. This has helped to inform our response on a range of issues and is also helping to shape our education recovery. The reports from these surveys were published on 29 October 2021 on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parent-and-pupil-panel-omnibus-surveys.

The department also commissioned a bespoke sub-study as part of the Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) which explored the experiences of the children and their parents during the COVID-19 outbreak. This has helped to inform our response on a range of issues. It is important to note that while this report documents the experiences of children and their parents in the SEED study covered by the COVID-19 outbreak, the department cannot conclude from these analyses that their experiences were as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, these findings cannot be used to evaluate specific government policies including those in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The report from this survey was published on 29 October 2021 on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-development-coronavirus-covid-19-study.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak the department has worked to help parents support their children’s education. The department has published guidance that sets out what they need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges. This guidance is updated regularly and can be found 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 guidance includes links to online resources to aid parents in supporting their child’s mental health and wellbeing as the department acknowledges that some children may be experiencing feelings of anxiety, stress or low mood as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

During periods of restricted attendance, schools have remained open to both vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers, ensuring that those parents who work in key sectors could continue to provide vital services. For those pupils learning from home the department recognises the challenges this has presented to parents and have published guidance which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19. To support access to remote education, the department has distributed over 1.35 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people as part of a £400 million investment. The department has ensured that children who usually receive benefits-related free school meals have had access to this support during periods of restricted attendance and provided a National Voucher Scheme to support eligible pupils required to stay at home. Over £450 million of voucher e-codes had been redeemed into supermarket gift cards for families during this period. The department has continued to ensure that eligible pupils are offered good quality lunch parcels when they are required to stay home.

15th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2021 to Question 51628 on Children in Care, for what reasons the Department does not account for the outcomes of children placed in care across borders; and if the Department will reconsider conducting research into the long-term outcomes of children placed across borders.

Statistically, the department collects data on placement type, reason for placement change and three separate pieces of information in relation to the locality of placements. The location data includes:

  • Information about the distance the child is placed away from their home postcode
  • Whether the placement is located inside or outside their responsible local authority
  • The country of the placement (England, UK or otherwise)

Figures on placements, distance from the home placement and the location of the placement, inside or outside the council boundary, were published in the underlying data, ‘National - children looked after at 31 March by placement type, distance of placement and locality of placement’ of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2019 to 2020’ at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020.

It is the duty of the local authority to ensure placements are suitable for the young people in their care. Alongside this, Virtual School Heads have a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of the children in their local authority's care, wherever they live or are educated. This includes children who are placed out of area. Virtual School Heads manage additional funding of £2,345 per looked-after child, that we have provided through the pupil premium plus.

This government is committed to making a real difference to the needs, experience and outcomes of those supported by children’s social care. To do this, we need to make fundamental changes to the current system. That is why we launched the bold, broad and independently led Care Review, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform systems and services. The government will respond to the recommendations made by the review once it concludes.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of secondary-level education attainment of pupils in Denton, Greater Manchester and (b) the level of demand for a new free school in that area.

There are two secondary schools in Denton, Greater Manchester: St Thomas More Roman Catholic College, a voluntary aided school, and Denton Community College, a local authority maintained school. Both are judged good by Ofsted. Attainment and progress at Denton Community College were below average for the three years up to 2019. At St Thomas More, attainment was above local and national averages for the three years up to 2019 and progress was at or above average for the three years up to 2019. Further detail is available at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

The latest published School Capacity Data (SCAP19) shows that Tameside has a 3% (456 place) surplus for the 2021/22 academic year. Forecasts suggests a growth in demand in the area with an estimated 2% (326 place) shortfall by academic year 2023/24. The council has confirmed to us that they intend meeting the future demand through expanding existing schools, and we are working with them on this.

There are currently no free schools in the pipeline in Tameside. Further free school waves will be considered as part of the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will keep the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish informed of any proposal relating to the Two Trees High School site in Denton.

Local authorities require the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA) and Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (the Council) applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on several issues in August 2017. No formal response was received from the Council and there have been no recent discussions with the Council as to the use of the closed school site.

The Council’s 2016 application has now been closed and the Council would need to re-apply to seek consent to dispose of the site. The site was last used by a maintained school in May 2015 so the requirement for the Council to seek consent will expire in May 2023 (for consent under the Academies Act) and May 2025 (for consent under the SSFA).

Any new application under the SSFA would be considered by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, whose role is to provide an independent recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education. Sport England has an observer on the Panel and their comments would be considered as part of the decision-making process.

The department will keep the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish updated should the council re-apply.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to consult with Sport England on the future disposal of the former Two Trees High School site in Denton.

Local authorities require the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA) and Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (the Council) applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on several issues in August 2017. No formal response was received from the Council and there have been no recent discussions with the Council as to the use of the closed school site.

The Council’s 2016 application has now been closed and the Council would need to re-apply to seek consent to dispose of the site. The site was last used by a maintained school in May 2015 so the requirement for the Council to seek consent will expire in May 2023 (for consent under the Academies Act) and May 2025 (for consent under the SSFA).

Any new application under the SSFA would be considered by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, whose role is to provide an independent recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education. Sport England has an observer on the Panel and their comments would be considered as part of the decision-making process.

The department will keep the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish updated should the council re-apply.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the process is for Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to be able to dispose of the former Two Trees High School site in Denton.

Local authorities require the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA) and Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (the Council) applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on several issues in August 2017. No formal response was received from the Council and there have been no recent discussions with the Council as to the use of the closed school site.

The Council’s 2016 application has now been closed and the Council would need to re-apply to seek consent to dispose of the site. The site was last used by a maintained school in May 2015 so the requirement for the Council to seek consent will expire in May 2023 (for consent under the Academies Act) and May 2025 (for consent under the SSFA).

Any new application under the SSFA would be considered by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, whose role is to provide an independent recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education. Sport England has an observer on the Panel and their comments would be considered as part of the decision-making process.

The department will keep the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish updated should the council re-apply.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has had any recent discussions with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council on the declassification of the former Two Trees High School site in Denton for education use.

Local authorities require the Secretary of State for Education’s consent to dispose of their school playing field land under section 77 of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA) and Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (the Council) applied for consent to dispose of the Two Trees High School site in 2016. Officials sought clarification on several issues in August 2017. No formal response was received from the Council and there have been no recent discussions with the Council as to the use of the closed school site.

The Council’s 2016 application has now been closed and the Council would need to re-apply to seek consent to dispose of the site. The site was last used by a maintained school in May 2015 so the requirement for the Council to seek consent will expire in May 2023 (for consent under the Academies Act) and May 2025 (for consent under the SSFA).

Any new application under the SSFA would be considered by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, whose role is to provide an independent recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education. Sport England has an observer on the Panel and their comments would be considered as part of the decision-making process.

The department will keep the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish updated should the council re-apply.

20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2021 to Question 41094 on Children in Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting research into the long-term outcomes for children placed across borders.

The department has not made an assessment in this area. Where possible, local authorities should provide accommodation that is within their local area as moving a child away from their home area is not a decision to be taken lightly. There are clear statutory requirements in place to safeguard young people, and it is the responsibility of the placing local authority and Directors of Children’s Services who must approve all distant placements.

Statistically, the department collects data on placement type, reason for placement change and three separate pieces of information in relation to the locality of placements. The location data includes:

  • information about the distance the child is placed away from their home postcode
  • whether the placement is located inside or outside their responsible local authority
  • the country of the placement (England, UK or otherwise).

Figures on placements, distance from the home placement and the location of the placement, inside or outside the council boundary, were published in the underlying data ‘National - children looked after at 31 March by placement type, distance of placement and locality of placement’ of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2019 to 2020’ at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria his Department uses to determine whether to allocate funding for urgent building work to a primary school building that has been found to be structurally unsafe.

Local authorities receive an annual School Condition Allocation to invest in capital maintenance and upgrades across the schools for which they are responsible. This funding should be used to ensure their schools are kept in safe, working order. The Department will always engage with those responsible for school buildings to discuss particular issues and provide support on a case by case basis, considering the relevant circumstances, including severity of need.

The Department has also launched a new School Rebuilding Programme with a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. The Department is currently consulting on how to prioritise future places on the programme and expects that there will be opportunities for evidence of severe condition, including structural issues, to be submitted for consideration. Further details and the criteria for prioritisation will be set out in due course.

The Department is in ongoing discussions with Tameside Council regarding the condition of a primary school in Denton and Reddish.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the structural safety of school buildings in Denton and Reddish constituency.

Local authorities receive an annual School Condition Allocation to invest in capital maintenance and upgrades across the schools for which they are responsible. This funding should be used to ensure their schools are kept in safe, working order. The Department will always engage with those responsible for school buildings to discuss particular issues and provide support on a case by case basis, considering the relevant circumstances, including severity of need.

The Department has also launched a new School Rebuilding Programme with a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. The Department is currently consulting on how to prioritise future places on the programme and expects that there will be opportunities for evidence of severe condition, including structural issues, to be submitted for consideration. Further details and the criteria for prioritisation will be set out in due course.

The Department is in ongoing discussions with Tameside Council regarding the condition of a primary school in Denton and Reddish.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if (a) he or (b) a Minister in his Department will urgently meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss the dangerous structural condition of a primary school in Denton and Reddish constituency.

Local authorities receive an annual School Condition Allocation to invest in capital maintenance and upgrades across the schools for which they are responsible. This funding should be used to ensure their schools are kept in safe, working order. The Department will always engage with those responsible for school buildings to discuss particular issues and provide support on a case by case basis, considering the relevant circumstances, including severity of need.

The Department has also launched a new School Rebuilding Programme with a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. The Department is currently consulting on how to prioritise future places on the programme and expects that there will be opportunities for evidence of severe condition, including structural issues, to be submitted for consideration. Further details and the criteria for prioritisation will be set out in due course.

The Department is in ongoing discussions with Tameside Council regarding the condition of a primary school in Denton and Reddish.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether emergency funding is available to local authority primary schools in the event that school buildings are found to be structurally unsafe.

Local authorities receive an annual School Condition Allocation to invest in capital maintenance and upgrades across the schools for which they are responsible. This funding should be used to ensure their schools are kept in safe, working order. The Department will always engage with those responsible for school buildings to discuss particular issues and provide support on a case by case basis, considering the relevant circumstances, including severity of need.

The Department has also launched a new School Rebuilding Programme with a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. The Department is currently consulting on how to prioritise future places on the programme and expects that there will be opportunities for evidence of severe condition, including structural issues, to be submitted for consideration. Further details and the criteria for prioritisation will be set out in due course.

The Department is in ongoing discussions with Tameside Council regarding the condition of a primary school in Denton and Reddish.

21st Jun 2021
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of catch-up funding for disadvantaged pupils.

All children have had their education disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but it is likely that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will have been hardest hit.

Since 2011 we have spent more than £20 billion to provide Pupil Premium funding for school leaders to use, based on the needs of their disadvantaged pupils. Between 2011 and 2019, the attainment gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils narrowed by 13% at age 11 and 9% at age 16.

On top of this funding, we increased core schools funding by £2.6 billion last year and are increasing core schools funding by £4.8 billion and £7.1 billion in 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively, compared to 2019-20.

In addition, over the past year we have made three major interventions to support education recovery, totalling over £3 billion additional spend: £1 billion in June 2020, a further £700 million in February 2021 and our latest £1.4 billion package announced in June 2021.

Recovery programmes have been designed to allow early years, school and college leaders the flexibility to support those pupils most in need, including the most disadvantaged. The latest announcement expands our reforms in two areas where the evidence is clear our investment will have a significant impact for disadvantaged children, high quality tutoring and great teaching.

We are providing over £1.5 billion for tutoring programmes, including an expansion of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), an ambitious scheme that supports schools to access targeted tutoring intervention for disadvantaged pupils who have missed out on learning due to school closures. 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 NTP. This new blended offer ensures that the NTP works for all disadvantaged children, giving schools the flexibility to choose what type of approach best suits their needs and those of individual pupils.

The £302 million Recovery Premium has been weighted so that schools with more disadvantaged pupils receive more funding and includes £22 million to scale up proven approaches to reduce the attainment gap.

We have also invested more than £400 million to provide internet access and over 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.

14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure that covid-19 restrictions on youth residential and summer camps are lifted as soon as possible and in line with other leisure activities.

Since 17 May all out of school settings, which would include youth residentials and summer camps, have been able to undertake residential visits for children. These settings can currently do so in groups of six, or two households, including at least one member of staff. From 21 June these settings will be able to do so in groups of 30 children, in line with the position for school residential visits. The Department has provided updated guidance on ‘Protective measures for holiday or after-school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children’, which sets out how providers can conduct residential visits safely. The guidance can be found here: 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.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has received advice from the scientific community, in particular from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its subgroups, when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the outbreak. Gathering in larger groups, including as part of residential visits, does increase the risk of transmission. COVID-19 spreads more easily indoors, especially over prolonged periods, for example, in shared sleeping arrangements, which increases the risk of residential visits. The Department continues to keep these restrictions under constant review and will ensure they remain proportionate to the threat to public health posed by COVID-19.

As new evidence or data emerges, the Government will act accordingly to ensure that all settings have the right safety measures in place.

The advice on residential visits will be reviewed again in advance of Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown.

12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using calculated grades to award Access to Higher Education qualifications in line with those calculated grades being used for the award of other qualifications as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

We want all students to progress to the next stage of their lives, including students taking the Access to Higher Education qualification. Calculated grades are not being used for awarding any qualifications this year and given the wide range and diverse nature of qualifications, one approach to awarding cannot be taken for all qualifications.

Assessments for Access to Higher Education qualifications are continuing where possible and will continued to be marked and graded by tutors. However, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education recognises that in some exceptional circumstances the assessments may need to be adapted to meet the needs of students and are allowing the diploma to be awarded using alternative evidence.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on academic freedom.

Tougher legal measures to strengthen free speech and academic freedom at universities in England have been announced by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, on 16 February, to stamp out unlawful ‘silencing’ on campuses. The new measures set out in the February 2021 policy paper will ensure that our universities are places where free speech can thrive.

We engaged with other government departments on the policy paper prior to being laid in parliament. Officials and ministers will continue to work together to ensure that government commitments are met.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
13th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the provisions of The School Admissions (England) (Coronavirus) (Appeals Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 beyond the expiry date of 31 January 2021.

The temporary regulations introduced in April 2020 contain provisions allowing school admission appeal hearings to be heard by telephone or video conference, or to be decided based on written submissions only.

The regulations were due to expire on 31 January 2021. However, due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak and the continuation of social distance rules, we have introduced another set of temporary regulations (The School Admissions (England) (Coronavirus) (Appeals Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2021) which extend the temporary provisions until 30 September 2021.

These will come into force on 31 January 2021 and updated guidance will be published. We will keep the temporary arrangements under review.

The temporary regulations and guidance only apply where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the School Admission Appeals Code for a reason relating to the incidence or transmission of COVID-19. This means the temporary arrangements are available to use when they are needed – when they are not, the duty to comply with the The Schools Admission (Appeal Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 and the School Admission Appeals Code remains.

13th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reforming the schools appeals process in line with the temporary changes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Temporary regulations to amend the school admission appeals process were introduced in April 2020 to address the fact that the COVID-19 outbreak meant admission appeals could not go ahead in line with the existing statutory requirements.

Due to the ongoing nature of COVID-19 and the continuation of social distancing rules, we have introduced another set of temporary regulations which will extend the temporary provisions until 30 September 2021.

We will continue to monitor and review the impact of the temporary arrangements and will take account of feedback from local authorites, schools and parents when considering whether there is scope for wider reform of the appeals process in the longer term. Any proposals for permanent changes would require changes to legislation which would include a full public consultation and all changes would be subject to parliamentary approval.

17th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support his Department is providing to wraparound and holiday childcare providers who have seen a loss of earnings as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the value that wraparound and holiday childcare providers offer, in particular with supporting vulnerable children and supporting our critical workers to continue to work. That is why we have ensured these providers can continue to remain open for the duration of the national lockdown for all vulnerable children and young people; and for all children of critical workers, where it is to enable their parents or carers to work, search for work, to undertake training or education, or to attend a medical appointment or address a medical need.

We recognise that the wrapround childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason why the Government has made a range of financial packages available, throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, to support private businesses, who have been adversely affected by COVID-19; details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder. Depending on their circumstances, businesses may be eligible for tax relief, loans or cash grants through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. In addition, as part of the £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants to support businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors recently announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Government is making a discretionary fund of £594 million available for local authorities and the devolved administrations to support businesses that might be affected by the new lockdown restrictions, but that are not part of the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors. Wraparound childcare providers should apply to their local authorities to determine if they are eligible for this funding.

Given the importance of ensuring that vulnerable children and critical workers can access the support and childcare that they need, I also wrote to Directors of Children’s Services in all local authorities in England in December to strongly encourage them to consider whether wraparound childcare providers can be supported using grants that have been made available to local authorities. This includes the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, and which will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays this year. Local authorities will be able to use these grants to arrange childcare provision through a range of settings, providing valuable support to families on lower incomes and giving them the opportunity to access rewarding activities alongside healthy meals over the school holidays.

17th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to meet with sector representatives from the wraparound and holiday childcare sector to discuss the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and so does not routinely collect data on the number of providers in operation.

However, ensuring sufficiency of childcare provision for critical worker parents and carers remains a government priority. This is why we have ensured that wraparound childcare providers, and other providers of out-of-school activities, can continue to remain open for the children of critical workers during the current national lockdown to allow critical worker parents or carers to work or to search for work, to undertake training or education, or to attend a medical appointment or address a medical need.?? Vulnerable children and young people can also continue to access wraparound childcare and other out-of-school settings during the national lockdown. The guidance on protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out of school settings during the COVID-19 outbreak will shortly be updated to outline the measures providers should put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible if they continue to offer face-to-face provision during the national lockdown. It is available here: 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.

Schools may also continue to open up or hire out their premises for use by external wraparound childcare providers, such as after-school or holiday clubs, that offer provision to children of critical workers and/ or vulnerable children. We have also ensured that schools that operate their own breakfast and after school clubs can continue to run wraparound provision for those attending school full-time. Doing so, will support critical workers to undertake their jobs, and help to safeguard the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people. We are encouraging schools that can, to maintain their wraparound childcare provision for this reason, and we will be publishing guidance to support them in doing so shortly.

The department has engaged and met with representatives from the wraparound childcare sector on a regular basis, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 and protective measures on the sufficiency of childcare provision, and will continue to do so. In addition, our Real-time assessment of community transmission (REACT) teams , comprising education and social care staff from both the Department for Education and Ofsted, are working closely with local authorities and will act as a valuable source of intelligence on the sufficiency of wraparound childcare places for the children of critical workers, and for vulnerable children and young people during the current national lockdown.

17th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the closure of wraparound and holiday childcare services on the ability of key workers to attend work during the covid-19 outbreak.

The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and so does not routinely collect data on the number of providers in operation.

However, ensuring sufficiency of childcare provision for critical worker parents and carers remains a government priority. This is why we have ensured that wraparound childcare providers, and other providers of out-of-school activities, can continue to remain open for the children of critical workers during the current national lockdown to allow critical worker parents or carers to work or to search for work, to undertake training or education, or to attend a medical appointment or address a medical need.?? Vulnerable children and young people can also continue to access wraparound childcare and other out-of-school settings during the national lockdown. The guidance on protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out of school settings during the COVID-19 outbreak will shortly be updated to outline the measures providers should put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible if they continue to offer face-to-face provision during the national lockdown. It is available here: 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.

Schools may also continue to open up or hire out their premises for use by external wraparound childcare providers, such as after-school or holiday clubs, that offer provision to children of critical workers and/ or vulnerable children. We have also ensured that schools that operate their own breakfast and after school clubs can continue to run wraparound provision for those attending school full-time. Doing so, will support critical workers to undertake their jobs, and help to safeguard the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people. We are encouraging schools that can, to maintain their wraparound childcare provision for this reason, and we will be publishing guidance to support them in doing so shortly.

The department has engaged and met with representatives from the wraparound childcare sector on a regular basis, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 and protective measures on the sufficiency of childcare provision, and will continue to do so. In addition, our Real-time assessment of community transmission (REACT) teams , comprising education and social care staff from both the Department for Education and Ofsted, are working closely with local authorities and will act as a valuable source of intelligence on the sufficiency of wraparound childcare places for the children of critical workers, and for vulnerable children and young people during the current national lockdown.

7th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of closures in the wraparound care sector due to financial unviability on the (a) learning and (b) development of children.

The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision or routinely collect data on closures of providers. The department does not, therefore, have a recent assessment of the effect of closures on the learning and development of children.

However, we recognise that before and after-school provision plays an important role in providing enriching activities for children and promoting their wellbeing, as well as being an important source of additional childcare for working parents and carers. That is why we have sought exemptions for this sector in The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 to ensure that wraparound childcare is able to remain open at all tiers, and that parents can continue to access this provision for their children as normal. We have published further updated guidance for providers who run before and after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings for children on the protective measures that should be in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible. The guidance is available here: 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.

We have also been encouraging schools to resume their breakfast and after-school club provision, where possible, since the start of the autumn term. As part of our guidance to schools on full opening, we have provided them with guidance to support them in reopening this valuable provision. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#wraparound-provision-and-extra-curricular-activity.

In addition, our REACT teams, comprising education and social care staff from both the Department for Education and Ofsted, are working closely with local authorities and will act as a valuable source of intelligence on the sufficiency of wraparound childcare places in local areas. We have also been in close communication with several wraparound providers since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and we will continue this communication over the coming months.

27th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with universities on ensuring that pupils from schools in the north of England do not miss out on places at high-ranking universities as a result of having to self isolate due to the covid-19 outbreak at the time of interviews or entrance exams.

The government is working closely with partners across the education sector, and with higher education providers, to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the disruption it has caused to young people’s education, including for those who will be taking exams and applying to university next year.

Universities understand the unprecedented difficulties that students have faced this year. Whilst, as autonomous institutions, they are in charge of their own admissions arrangements, the government has asked that universities be as flexible as possible. We will continue to make every effort to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on young people’s education, so that they are well placed to progress to the next stage of their lives, wherever they live and whatever choices they make.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
2nd Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October to Question 105309, what assessment he has made of the effect of the withdrawal of teaching bursaries for arts, English and humanities subjects on the ability of people (a) switching careers and (b) from less affluent backgrounds to train to teach those subjects.

The bursaries offered for initial teacher training (ITT) are reviewed before the start of the annual recruitment cycle. In doing this, several factors are considered, including forecast economic conditions, previous recruitment, and teacher supply needs in each subject. Being able to change bursary amounts gives flexibility in responding to the need to attract new teachers and ensures money is spent where it is needed most.

In the academic year 2019/20, the postgraduate ITT targets in history (127% of target), geography (119% of target) and English (110% of target) were exceeded. Teaching remains an attractive proposition for graduates, including those in arts, English and humanities subjects. As a result, the Department has decided to focus the bursaries for the academic year 2021/22 on subjects where it is expected that it will be hardest to attract sufficient applicants.

Trainee teachers on tuition fee-funded ITT routes can apply for a tuition fee loan so they do not have to pay the fee upfront. They can also apply for a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

19th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on levels of teacher recruitment of the withdrawal of teaching bursaries for arts, English and humanities subjects.

The Department reviews the bursaries that we offer for initial teacher training (ITT) before the start of the annual recruitment cycle. In doing this, we take account of a number of factors including forecast economic performance, the number of graduates, and teacher supply need in each subject. Being able to change bursary amounts gives us the flexibility to respond to the need to attract new teachers and means we are spending money where it is needed most.

In academic year 2019/20 we exceeded the postgraduate ITT targets in history (127 per cent of target), geography (119 per cent of target) and English (110 per cent of target). Final recruitment figures for 2020/21 are not yet available but between February and September this year there has been a 32 per cent increase in applications for those looking to enter the classroom compared to the equivalent period last year: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/ucas-teacher-training-statistical-releases.

Teaching remains an attractive proposition for all graduates, including those in arts, English and humanities subjects. As a result, we have decided to focus the bursaries we are offering for academic year 2021/22 on subjects where we expect it will be hardest to attract sufficient applicants.

15th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to update guidance for schools to ensure that health risks for teachers who shielded during the covid-19 lockdown are minimised.

On 2 July the Department published guidance to help schools prepare for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full time from the beginning of the autumn term. This guidance is kept under review and updated as necessary. The guidance can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

The guidance includes information on school workforces and the public health advice schools must follow to minimise the risks of COVID-19 transmission. The public health advice in the guidance makes up a Public Health England endorsed ‘system of controls’, building on the hierarchy of protective measures that have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, these measures create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

Shielding measures were paused from 1 August. Clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable staff are able to return to school. While in school they should follow the advice in the Department’s guidance to minimise the risks of transmission. This includes taking particular care to observe good hand and respiratory hygiene, minimising contact and maintaining social distancing where possible.

The Department recommends that school leaders discuss any concerns individuals may have around their particular circumstances and reassure staff about the protective measures in place.

2nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Answer to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish in the oral statement on Education settings: Autumn opening on 2 July 2020 and his Department's document, Guidance for full opening - schools, published on 2 July 2020, what funding will be made available to schools that will be required to make significant adaptations to their site to enable the safe return of all pupils in September.

The Government intends all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. On 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements to welcome all children back for the autumn. There are no plans at present to reimburse additional costs incurred as part of that process.

Schools have been able to claim additional funding for exceptional costs incurred due to COVID-19, between March and July 2020, such as additional cleaning required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases and increased premises costs to keep schools open for priority groups during the Easter and summer half term holidays. Schools have also continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20.


24th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for local authorities to cover additional costs incurred to ensure that early years settings can re-open safely as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

We have worked closely and have regular conversations with the HM Treasury on support for nurseries, pre-schools and childminders during what must be a worrying and uncertain time.

On 17 March, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed the government will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the free entitlements for two-, three- and four-year-olds, providing reassurance for early years settings in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A package of support is available for individuals and businesses which will benefit childcare providers, including a business rates holiday, business interruption loans, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and help for the self-employed. Details of support available for childcare providers are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#funding.

On 24 May 2020, we published a planning guide for early years and childcare settings. The guidance sets out considerations for settings as they prepared to open to more children and the protective measures to put in place to limit the transmission of COVID-19. It was developed in consultation with early years sector bodies and providers from a variety of different settings and is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-early-years-and-childcare-settings.

We are continuing to work with the sector to understand how the early years sector can best be supported to ensure that sufficient safe, appropriate and affordable childcare is available for those returning to work now, and for all families who need it in the longer term.

22nd Jun 2020
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support for early years providers during the covid-19 outbreak.

We know this is a challenging time for many businesses.

I am in continual contact with early years sector organisations through regular meetings and working groups and are feeding those messages right into the heart of government.

This year we plan to pay £3.6 billion into early years entitlements.

We will continue to ensure that early years providers get the best possible support from the numerous government schemes.

22nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support sixth form education in (a) England and (b) Greater Manchester during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government wants to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn. 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, the Department has asked schools with sixth forms and further education providers, 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. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time. This applies schools in all parts of England.

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 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job.

We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

We have also published guidance for further education providers, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) continues to be in regular dialogue with all sixth form colleges in Greater Manchester to establish their plans to continue to support sixth form learners.

22nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on sixth form students in (a) England and (b) Greater Manchester.

The Government wants to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn. 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, the Department has asked schools with sixth forms and further education providers, 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. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time. This applies schools in all parts of England.

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 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job.

We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

We have also published guidance for further education providers, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) continues to be in regular dialogue with all sixth form colleges in Greater Manchester to establish their plans to continue to support sixth form learners.

22nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health needs of BAME children; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers and officials in the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care are meeting regularly to discuss the effect of the changes to education and how to provide support for mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

We are aware that there is emerging evidence that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals can be more severely affected than the general population by COVID-19. We also know that people from BAME backgrounds are more at risk of experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues and that they access mental health care less than people from white backgrounds.

NHS England and Improvement is working closely with BAME experts, health professionals, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners and others to support rapid knowledge and information sharing to encourage timely access to NHS mental health services, and just as importantly, good BAME experiences within those services.

In May, the Department of Health and Social Care announced £4.2 million for mental health charities, including Young Minds to enable them to continue to support people experiencing mental health challenges at this time. The department then provided a further £5 million of additional funding for mental health charities to support adults and children, including charities that offer some support to children and young people from BAME communities, such as the What? Centre, which supports young people with furthering their understanding of race, culture and identity in relation to mental health.

The Department for Education has been working closely with health partners to provide resources and update guidance to support and promote all children and young people’s mental health during the outbreak and to prepare for the return of pupils and students. We have encouraged schools to focus on mental wellbeing as pupils return and published a list of resources to help those supporting children at home, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources/online-science-pe-wellbeing-and-send-resources-for-home-education#mental-wellbeing.

All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.

Guidance on safeguarding in education settings includes specific information on mental health and is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-safeguarding-in-schools-colleges-and-other-providers.

Guidance and for parents and carers to support their children’s education during the COVID-19 outbreak is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

As pupils return, schools will need to be especially sensitive to the needs and wellbeing of BAME members of staff, BAME parents and BAME pupils. The department’s guidance to schools sets out that they should ensure they have considered the impact on staff and pupils with protected characteristics, including race and disability, in developing their approach.

15th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to issue pedagogical guidance on safe socially-distanced play-based learning for reception pupils.

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

The Department for Education has published guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings to prevent the spread of coronavirus, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

The Department has also provided information on planning what to teach, and how, in the case of a phased return of some children into mainstream primary schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools#planning-what-to-teach-and-how.

It sets out that the priorities for young children at this time should be resocialisation into school routines; speaking and listening, and regaining momentum in particular with early reading.

21st Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the levels of microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Manchester University led research is currently ongoing to investigate the microplastic load taken on by fish in the River Tame. The Environment Agency issued a permit to a PhD student in October 2022 to take samples of minnow, which will be analysed alongside sediment, water and macroinvertebrates, to better understand the mechanisms of uptake.

Under the Natural Course Project, the Environment Agency, United Utilities and Greater Manchester Combined Authority are jointly funding a study to further understand loading of microplastics in a variety of flow conditions.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy that a Clean Air Zone can be a (a) category B zone and (b) non-charging zone.

Air pollution is the most significant environmental threat to public health, and so we have an ambitious programme of work to deliver cleaner air. Our 2017 UK Plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide concentrations sets out that if a local authority can identify measures other than charging zones that are at least as effective at reducing NO2, and are at the same or lower cost, those measures should be preferred. Our Clean Air Zone framework sets out the principles for setting up a zone in England to give councils maximum flexibility to fit their local context.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with (i) the Prime Minister and (ii) Number 10 officials on the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 2 March 2022, Official Report, column 1037, regarding the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone.

The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone plan is currently under review by their authorities as announced on 4 February. Prior to this, Ministers held discussions with the Mayor in agreeing to the review. Since then, there have been no further discussions between the Secretary of State and the Mayor on the proposals, but our officials continue to engage with Greater Manchester’s.

We have not yet received any detailed proposals and evidence from Greater Manchester authorities regarding their proposal, or setting out how it fulfils their legal obligations and can be implemented and delivered.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Mayor of Greater Manchester, (b) the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and (c) Transport for Greater Manchester on their request for a non-charging Clean Air Zone.

The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone plan is currently under review by their authorities as announced on 4 February. Prior to this, Ministers held discussions with the Mayor in agreeing to the review. Since then, there have been no further discussions between the Secretary of State and the Mayor on the proposals, but our officials continue to engage with Greater Manchester’s.

We have not yet received any detailed proposals and evidence from Greater Manchester authorities regarding their proposal, or setting out how it fulfils their legal obligations and can be implemented and delivered.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 2 March 2022, Official Report, column 1037, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the request from the Greater Manchester Mayor and Combined Authority for a non-charging clean air zone for Greater Manchester.

The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone plan is currently under review by their authorities as announced on 4 February. Prior to this, Ministers held discussions with the Mayor in agreeing to the review. Since then, there have been no further discussions between the Secretary of State and the Mayor on the proposals, but our officials continue to engage with Greater Manchester’s.

We have not yet received any detailed proposals and evidence from Greater Manchester authorities regarding their proposal, or setting out how it fulfils their legal obligations and can be implemented and delivered.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in light of the proposed Environment Act targets published by his Department on 16 March 2022 to increase tree canopy and woodland cover from 14.5 per cent to 17.5 per cent of total land area in England by 2050, what assessment he has made of the (a) tree canopy cover provided by existing hedgerow trees and (b) potential area enhanced hedgerow trees could provide in the future by 2050.

Hedgerows are one of the most important ecological building blocks in our farmed landscape. They maintain the distinctive character of our countryside, providing crucial habitats and food for wildlife. The trees that appear in hedgerows and outgrown hedges are defined as 'linear features in the National Forest Inventory', which details all tree cover in Britain. Forest Research's ' Tree Cover Outside Woodland in Great Britain', 2017, reported the last comprehensive inventory and is due to be updated again in 2022/23. This will act as the proposed target's baseline for trees outside woodlands, including hedgerow trees, and both losses and gains from that baseline will be accounted for.

Along with the proposed tree target, the Environment Act 2021 requires us to set a world leading target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, alongside other biodiversity targets we are consulting on. The species abundance target will require creating more, better joined up habitats, which will include hedgerows to help tackle the causes of decline and drive actions to deliver nature recovery. We also propose that hedgerows should be one of the wildlife-rich habitats in our proposed legally binding target to create or restore in excess of 500,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites by 2042.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
18th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her meeting of 9 March 2022 with the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish, what steps she expects the Environment Agency to take in response to further reports of pollution in the River Tame arising from illegal pollutants being discharged into the tributary Wilson Brook.

Following information received through further reports of pollution at Wilson brook, Hyde Park on Thursday 17 March 2022, the Environment Agency (EA) attended Hyde Park to investigate. The pollution was traced to a point upstream of a local industrial estate. The EA investigation into this incident is ongoing, and it will be attending the location again this week to further progress its investigation. Should this uncover further lines of enquiry, further investigations to understand the source, pathway, cause and nature of the pollution will commence.

If the EA identifies any offences attributable to a suspect, then enforcement action will be taken in line with its offence response options available here:

Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) offences - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Taking into consideration alongside its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy:

Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The EA has also been in contact with local businesses in that area to ensure they are acting responsibly.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
7th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what changes to the Service Level Agreement have been made between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency since December 2021.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Border Force (BF) teams do not have a Service Level Agreement in place. AHPA and BF have an operational agreement for the Port of Dover.

Dover BF officers continue to make referrals to the APHA officers. There has been one change to the operational agreement. This change means that Dover BF will no longer hold the vehicle/consignment for more than 30 minutes. If APHA is unable to deploy staff to attend within 30 minutes the vehicle/consignment will be released. Details of the vehicle, person responsible for the animals and the consignment will be provided to APHA to follow up retrospectively.

If APHA attend within 30 minutes and identify non-compliance, UK Dover will not support this part of the process. APHA will be required to request assistance to manage any issues as required from the Port of Dover Police or Kent Police, if they are not present.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
22nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss tackling microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are working with academia, National Highways, and the UK water industry to improve our understanding of the scale of the microplastic pollution problem, to identify the key sources, and to evaluate the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes in removing microplastics from wastewater effluent before it is discharged to the water environment.

My officials met with Professor Jamie Woodward earlier this year to discuss his latest study on microplastics in the River Tame. We will consider the outcomes of this study, alongside other new and emerging research in this field, when developing policy options for tackling microplastic pollution.

The EA has made no assessment of the level of microplastic pollution in the River Tame specifically. There is currently no statutory requirement for the EA to undertake this activity. However, in 2018 the EA undertook an investigation on the River Tame to identify whether there were any permitted activities based in the Tame catchment with the potential to discharge microplastics or plastic into the watercourse, which led to recommendations to an operator in the catchment. This operator has since surrendered its permit and relocated.

I invite the hon. Member to write to me with regard to meeting to discuss microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using a river catchment approach to remove micro plastic pollution from the River Tame.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are working with academia, National Highways, and the UK water industry to improve our understanding of the scale of the microplastic pollution problem, to identify the key sources, and to evaluate the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes in removing microplastics from wastewater effluent before it is discharged to the water environment.

My officials met with Professor Jamie Woodward earlier this year to discuss his latest study on microplastics in the River Tame. We will consider the outcomes of this study, alongside other new and emerging research in this field, when developing policy options for tackling microplastic pollution.

The EA has made no assessment of the level of microplastic pollution in the River Tame specifically. There is currently no statutory requirement for the EA to undertake this activity. However, in 2018 the EA undertook an investigation on the River Tame to identify whether there were any permitted activities based in the Tame catchment with the potential to discharge microplastics or plastic into the watercourse, which led to recommendations to an operator in the catchment. This operator has since surrendered its permit and relocated.

I invite the hon. Member to write to me with regard to meeting to discuss microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of microplastic pollution in the River Tame, Greater Manchester.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are working with academia, National Highways, and the UK water industry to improve our understanding of the scale of the microplastic pollution problem, to identify the key sources, and to evaluate the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes in removing microplastics from wastewater effluent before it is discharged to the water environment.

My officials met with Professor Jamie Woodward earlier this year to discuss his latest study on microplastics in the River Tame. We will consider the outcomes of this study, alongside other new and emerging research in this field, when developing policy options for tackling microplastic pollution.

The EA has made no assessment of the level of microplastic pollution in the River Tame specifically. There is currently no statutory requirement for the EA to undertake this activity. However, in 2018 the EA undertook an investigation on the River Tame to identify whether there were any permitted activities based in the Tame catchment with the potential to discharge microplastics or plastic into the watercourse, which led to recommendations to an operator in the catchment. This operator has since surrendered its permit and relocated.

I invite the hon. Member to write to me with regard to meeting to discuss microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the study of microplastic pollution in the River Tame, Greater Manchester published by Professor Jamie Woodward, University of Manchester.

Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) are working with academia, National Highways, and the UK water industry to improve our understanding of the scale of the microplastic pollution problem, to identify the key sources, and to evaluate the efficiency of different wastewater treatment processes in removing microplastics from wastewater effluent before it is discharged to the water environment.

My officials met with Professor Jamie Woodward earlier this year to discuss his latest study on microplastics in the River Tame. We will consider the outcomes of this study, alongside other new and emerging research in this field, when developing policy options for tackling microplastic pollution.

The EA has made no assessment of the level of microplastic pollution in the River Tame specifically. There is currently no statutory requirement for the EA to undertake this activity. However, in 2018 the EA undertook an investigation on the River Tame to identify whether there were any permitted activities based in the Tame catchment with the potential to discharge microplastics or plastic into the watercourse, which led to recommendations to an operator in the catchment. This operator has since surrendered its permit and relocated.

I invite the hon. Member to write to me with regard to meeting to discuss microplastic pollution in the River Tame.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2021 to Question 65537 on Export Health Certificates, what steps his Department is taking with the British Veterinary Association to increase veterinary capacity for Animal Health Certificate requirements; and what information his Department holds on the number of veterinary practises with capacity to issue AHCs.

The Animal Health Certificate (AHC) format is mandated by the EU, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has taken steps to help Official Veterinarians (OVs) complete them including by developing a model AHC together with accompanying printable guidance and associated training. APHA has publicised the availability of the training relating to completing AHCs. The model AHC is easily available on-line and can be accessed by all qualified OVs at any time.

We have been engaging with the British Veterinary Association to develop additional guidance to support vets in completing and issuing AHCs. This includes the development of a 'checklist', which can be used in addition to the comprehensive guidance already available to vets, and an explainer video that will guide vets through a worked-up AHC example.

The number of Official Veterinarians (working in private practice) who are able to issue AHCs is currently 7,896. Defra does not hold information on the related number of veterinary practices that are able to issue AHCs.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
16th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) simplify the application process for Animal Health Certificates for pet owners wishing to bring pets into the EU and (b) incentivise vets to take the requisite courses to issue Animal Health Certificates.

The United Kingdom (UK) has now been formally ‘listed’ as a ‘Part 2’ third country for the purposes of the EU pet travel regulations, which means that new rules now apply to pet movements from Great Britain (GB) to the EU and Northern Ireland (NI). These rules are governed by the EU Pet Travel Scheme, including those relating to certification for travel to the EU and NI.

Defra has been clear that there are no animal health or biosecurity justifications for these additional rules to travel to the EU or NI. We will continue to press the EU Commission in relation to securing ‘Part 1’ listed status, recognising that achieving this would alleviate some of the new requirements for pet owners and assistance dog users travelling, including the requirement for an Animal Health Certificate (AHC).

Our advice for pet owners and users of assistance dogs travelling is that they should continue to contact their vet at least one month in advance to ensure their pet has the correct vaccinations and paperwork to travel abroad. The costs of completing and issuing an AHC are commercial decisions, set by individual veterinary practices.

APHA has publicised the availability of the required training course and has made it easily available on-line. As of 13 July 2021, there are 7,387 Official Veterinarians in Great Britain authorised by APHA to issue Animal Health Certificates. COVID travel restrictions have previously decreased demand for AHCs to allow pets to travel with their owners from January this year; however, we are not aware of any concerns about there being insufficient numbers of authorised OVs to meet expected demand for AHCs in the future as travel restrictions continue to lift.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
25th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2021 covid-19 lockdown on the level of stocks retained by food service wholesalers.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Swansea East on 25 January 2021, PQ 138473.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
7th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of financial support available for the companion animal welfare sector in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

The welfare of companion animals remains a priority for Defra throughout the coronavirus pandemic. My department continues to work closely with the companion animal welfare sector to understand the concerns of the sector and address how organisations that work with companion animals have been affected by Covid-19.

The Government has announced various measures to help businesses and charities cope in these strained times whilst remaining completely focussed on managing and eradicating the virus. Organisations can apply for the full range of COVID-19 support measures that the government has made available:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

There has been a change to the eligibility criteria for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The CBILS requirement for a small to medium-size enterprise to generate more than 50% of its income from trading has been removed for registered charities.

The Charity Commission has also issued comprehensive guidance on running a charity during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector. This includes advice for Trustees on managing financial difficulties with respect to use of reserves, restricted funds and provisions to help businesses continue operating and avoid insolvency during this period of economic uncertainty.

In addition to this, we have worked closely with the sector through the Canine and Feline Sector Group and National Equine Welfare Council to agree and update guidance to animal rescue and rehoming organisations, and other animal charities and businesses. This has enabled them to undertake core operations as far as possible, whilst maintaining compliance with the social distancing rules and need for hygiene precautions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Defra remains committed to continued engagement with the sector to understand the longer-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, monitor the animal welfare implications of this and offer appropriate advice.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what procedures his Department has put in place to monitor compliance with (a) litter and (b) graffiti regulations in relation to public land by (i) the Department for Transport, (ii) Highways England and (iii) Network Rail.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse sets out statutory standards for the removal of litter and refuse from relevant land and highways. It also sets out advisory standards for local authorities for graffiti removal, but there are no statutory requirements to remove graffiti.

Damaging property by leaving graffiti is an offence of criminal damage. Neither Highways England nor Network Rail has enforcement powers in respect of either littering or graffiti.

In 2018, Defra commissioned an independent survey of roadside litter on those parts of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) where Highways England is responsible for maintenance but the local authority is responsible for clearing litter. The results have been shared with relevant local authorities and will be used in policy development.

The Department for Transport published the Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) in March of this year, which sets out the Government’s long-term ambition for the SRN. The RIS2 includes a litter performance indicator in which Highways England will be required to report on the percentage of the SRN covered by Highways England’s Asset Delivery contracts where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice. Highways England performance on this metric will be reported to the Office for Road and Rail and Highways England will publish the data annually. This will ensure that there is an increased level of transparency for road users.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Highways England on litter and graffiti on the motorway network.

The Government’s Litter Strategy for England was developed by Defra, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in consultation with other Government departments and guided by the Litter Strategy Advisory Group, of which Highways England and Network Rail were members. Defra and DfT officials have recently discussed the challenges of roadside litter on the strategic road network but there have been no recent Ministerial discussions.

DfT published the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) in March of this year, which sets out the Government’s long-term ambition for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The RIS2 includes a litter performance indicator in which Highways England will be required to report on the percentage of the SRN covered by Highways England’s Asset Delivery contracts where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice[1]. Highways England’s performance on this metric will be reported to the Office for Road and Rail and Highways England will publish the data annually. This will ensure that there is an increased level of transparency for road users.

We recognise that litter and graffiti are an ongoing problem on our road and rail networks and Defra officials continue to work with Highways England and Network Rail to support them to deliver on their commitments in the strategy, along with our own. The second annual report on delivery of the Litter Strategy was published in September last year and is available at:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/836953/litter-strategy-annual-report-2018-2019a.pdf.

The Secretary of State for Transport is clear that graffiti on the railways is a matter that should be addressed as effectively as possible, and recognises the wider impacts associated with anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and trespass.

Addressing visible signs of crime and anti-social behaviour such as graffiti helps to create an environment of respect for the law. This helps to prevent more serious crimes on and around the railway network, thereby promoting passenger safety, such as the closely linked issue of trespass which can have extremely serious consequences for individuals’ safety and cause significant delays.

Network Rail currently spends around £3.5 million annually on tackling graffiti across the network. This expenditure is planned for and is part of Network Rail’s current five-year funding settlement which runs to 2024. In addition, each railway operator must ensure that its rolling stock and stations are kept to a high standard of condition and presentation.

Network Rail also works closely with the British Transport Police on hardening the rail network to unlawful incursions. This work by the British Transport Police is carried out with other interested parties, such as train operating companies and local authorities, and highlights the series of interlinked issues behind graffiti.

DfT is leading ongoing work across industry to assess the effectiveness of current anti-graffiti measures and develop long-term solutions to better produce a clean and more efficient railway network.

[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Highways England on litter and graffiti on the strategic trunk road network.

The Government’s Litter Strategy for England was developed by Defra, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in consultation with other Government departments and guided by the Litter Strategy Advisory Group, of which Highways England and Network Rail were members. Defra and DfT officials have recently discussed the challenges of roadside litter on the strategic road network but there have been no recent Ministerial discussions.

DfT published the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) in March of this year, which sets out the Government’s long-term ambition for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The RIS2 includes a litter performance indicator in which Highways England will be required to report on the percentage of the SRN covered by Highways England’s Asset Delivery contracts where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice[1]. Highways England’s performance on this metric will be reported to the Office for Road and Rail and Highways England will publish the data annually. This will ensure that there is an increased level of transparency for road users.

We recognise that litter and graffiti are an ongoing problem on our road and rail networks and Defra officials continue to work with Highways England and Network Rail to support them to deliver on their commitments in the strategy, along with our own. The second annual report on delivery of the Litter Strategy was published in September last year and is available at:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/836953/litter-strategy-annual-report-2018-2019a.pdf.

The Secretary of State for Transport is clear that graffiti on the railways is a matter that should be addressed as effectively as possible, and recognises the wider impacts associated with anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and trespass.

Addressing visible signs of crime and anti-social behaviour such as graffiti helps to create an environment of respect for the law. This helps to prevent more serious crimes on and around the railway network, thereby promoting passenger safety, such as the closely linked issue of trespass which can have extremely serious consequences for individuals’ safety and cause significant delays.

Network Rail currently spends around £3.5 million annually on tackling graffiti across the network. This expenditure is planned for and is part of Network Rail’s current five-year funding settlement which runs to 2024. In addition, each railway operator must ensure that its rolling stock and stations are kept to a high standard of condition and presentation.

Network Rail also works closely with the British Transport Police on hardening the rail network to unlawful incursions. This work by the British Transport Police is carried out with other interested parties, such as train operating companies and local authorities, and highlights the series of interlinked issues behind graffiti.

DfT is leading ongoing work across industry to assess the effectiveness of current anti-graffiti measures and develop long-term solutions to better produce a clean and more efficient railway network.

[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Network Rail on litter and graffiti on railway land and structures.

The Government’s Litter Strategy for England was developed by Defra, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in consultation with other Government departments and guided by the Litter Strategy Advisory Group, of which Highways England and Network Rail were members. Defra and DfT officials have recently discussed the challenges of roadside litter on the strategic road network but there have been no recent Ministerial discussions.

DfT published the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) in March of this year, which sets out the Government’s long-term ambition for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The RIS2 includes a litter performance indicator in which Highways England will be required to report on the percentage of the SRN covered by Highways England’s Asset Delivery contracts where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice[1]. Highways England’s performance on this metric will be reported to the Office for Road and Rail and Highways England will publish the data annually. This will ensure that there is an increased level of transparency for road users.

We recognise that litter and graffiti are an ongoing problem on our road and rail networks and Defra officials continue to work with Highways England and Network Rail to support them to deliver on their commitments in the strategy, along with our own. The second annual report on delivery of the Litter Strategy was published in September last year and is available at:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/836953/litter-strategy-annual-report-2018-2019a.pdf.

The Secretary of State for Transport is clear that graffiti on the railways is a matter that should be addressed as effectively as possible, and recognises the wider impacts associated with anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and trespass.

Addressing visible signs of crime and anti-social behaviour such as graffiti helps to create an environment of respect for the law. This helps to prevent more serious crimes on and around the railway network, thereby promoting passenger safety, such as the closely linked issue of trespass which can have extremely serious consequences for individuals’ safety and cause significant delays.

Network Rail currently spends around £3.5 million annually on tackling graffiti across the network. This expenditure is planned for and is part of Network Rail’s current five-year funding settlement which runs to 2024. In addition, each railway operator must ensure that its rolling stock and stations are kept to a high standard of condition and presentation.

Network Rail also works closely with the British Transport Police on hardening the rail network to unlawful incursions. This work by the British Transport Police is carried out with other interested parties, such as train operating companies and local authorities, and highlights the series of interlinked issues behind graffiti.

DfT is leading ongoing work across industry to assess the effectiveness of current anti-graffiti measures and develop long-term solutions to better produce a clean and more efficient railway network.

[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s anti-litter strategy in relation to Government-owned and Government Agency-owned land; and if he will make a statement.

The Government’s Litter Strategy for England was developed by Defra, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in consultation with other Government departments and guided by the Litter Strategy Advisory Group, of which Highways England and Network Rail were members. Defra and DfT officials have recently discussed the challenges of roadside litter on the strategic road network but there have been no recent Ministerial discussions.

DfT published the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) in March of this year, which sets out the Government’s long-term ambition for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The RIS2 includes a litter performance indicator in which Highways England will be required to report on the percentage of the SRN covered by Highways England’s Asset Delivery contracts where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice[1]. Highways England’s performance on this metric will be reported to the Office for Road and Rail and Highways England will publish the data annually. This will ensure that there is an increased level of transparency for road users.

We recognise that litter and graffiti are an ongoing problem on our road and rail networks and Defra officials continue to work with Highways England and Network Rail to support them to deliver on their commitments in the strategy, along with our own. The second annual report on delivery of the Litter Strategy was published in September last year and is available at:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/836953/litter-strategy-annual-report-2018-2019a.pdf.

The Secretary of State for Transport is clear that graffiti on the railways is a matter that should be addressed as effectively as possible, and recognises the wider impacts associated with anti-social behaviour such as graffiti and trespass.

Addressing visible signs of crime and anti-social behaviour such as graffiti helps to create an environment of respect for the law. This helps to prevent more serious crimes on and around the railway network, thereby promoting passenger safety, such as the closely linked issue of trespass which can have extremely serious consequences for individuals’ safety and cause significant delays.

Network Rail currently spends around £3.5 million annually on tackling graffiti across the network. This expenditure is planned for and is part of Network Rail’s current five-year funding settlement which runs to 2024. In addition, each railway operator must ensure that its rolling stock and stations are kept to a high standard of condition and presentation.

Network Rail also works closely with the British Transport Police on hardening the rail network to unlawful incursions. This work by the British Transport Police is carried out with other interested parties, such as train operating companies and local authorities, and highlights the series of interlinked issues behind graffiti.

DfT is leading ongoing work across industry to assess the effectiveness of current anti-graffiti measures and develop long-term solutions to better produce a clean and more efficient railway network.

[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
12th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) the variety of food provided in food parcels to shielding individuals and (b) whether that variety can provide a well-balanced and nutritional diet.

The emergency food parcels are a standardised package designed to be suitable for the majority of people. They contain a basic selection of food and other essential items. The contents of the food parcels have been reviewed by nutritionists and are based on, and broadly in line with, the national food model, the Eatwell Guide. We are currently working with nutritionists to make recommendations as to how to improve the nutritional content of these, and increase variety in any future food parcels.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of the mobile catering industry on the support this industry may be able to provide to society during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. The Government has regular engagement across the industry including the delivery to home sector and the industry continues to monitor the situation closely, taking the necessary steps to address issues where they arise. Following a significant spike in consumer demand, we have now seen stock levels in supermarkets improve. To support the food sector, the government temporarily relaxed competition law and regulations relating to driver hours and delivery times so that the sector could work together to keep putting food on the shelves.

We are working quickly to support those who need help getting essential food supplies, and we are working with retailers and the voluntary sector to ensure that people are supported to shop for others safely. We welcome the actions that industry is taking, including hiring more staff, and prioritising delivery slots and shopping times for those that need them most. We are grateful for the extensive support and positive collaboration that the industry has shown.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support she is providing to increase UK exports of clean maritime technologies.

I refer the Hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Newport West on 27 Oct 2021, UIN: 59048.

Mike Freer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of levels of support for a default pavement parking ban among disabled people.

The Department has consulted on options to help local authorities outside London tackle pavement parking, including a default ban. Views were expressed on a wide range of related issues, including public transport. The Department will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. The Department has not had recent discussions with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council or Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of pavement parking on levels of public transport use.

The Department has consulted on options to help local authorities outside London tackle pavement parking, including a default ban. Views were expressed on a wide range of related issues, including public transport. The Department will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. The Department has not had recent discussions with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council or Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had with discussions with (a) Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and (b) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on prohibition of pavement parking.

The Department has consulted on options to help local authorities outside London tackle pavement parking, including a default ban. Views were expressed on a wide range of related issues, including public transport. The Department will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. The Department has not had recent discussions with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council or Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle pavement parking in Denton and Reddish constituency.

The Department has consulted on options to help local authorities outside London tackle pavement parking, including a default ban. Views were expressed on a wide range of related issues, including public transport. The Department will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken. The Department has not had recent discussions with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council or Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, but the consultation was open to all local authorities.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
23rd Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 203238 on High Speed 2 Line: West Coast Main Line, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of HS2 using the West Coast Mainline on (a) local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester and (b) the viability of new local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester before any decision is made on HS2 services diverting onto the West Coast Mainline through Stockport.

Decisions on the train service that will run when HS2 opens will consider impacts on other rail services and up-to-date information on passenger demand, including those at Stockport Station.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
23rd Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 203239 on High Speed 2 Line: West Coast Main Line, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reconfiguring Heaton Norris Junction to (a) facilitate new local rail services through Stockport, (b) retain local rail services through Stockport and (c) facilitate future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line.

The announcement on 4 October launching Network North represents a significant new £36bn programme of transport investment across the country. Regarding services through Stockport, following this announcement, we are in the early stages of planning next steps, including delivery timelines for these schemes and are working closely with Network Rail.

Regarding future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line and the merits of upgrading Heaton Norris Junction, the Department has received a Restoring your Railway bid to upgrade the existing line between Stockport and Ashton-under-Lyne.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
23rd Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer given on 23 October 2023 to Question 203240 on Railways: Greater Manchester, if he will take steps to ensure the Manchester Taskforce consults with the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish on utilising the line through Reddish South and Denton constituency while considering capacity options in the south east Manchester rail corridor.

The Manchester Taskforce includes representatives from organisations such as Transport for Greater Manchester and Transport for the North to ensure local views are considered. They will continue to work closely with Transport for Greater Manchester as the promoter for the Restoring Your Railway bid to upgrade the existing line between Stockport and Ashton-under-Lyne.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of upgrading Heaton Norris Junction to increase rail capacity in south east Greater Manchester.

The Manchester Task Force, which brings together DfT, Network Rail and local partners, will consider the Junction whilst looking at options to enhance the route between Piccadilly and Stockport.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential need to reconfigure Heaton Norris Junction to (a) facilitate new local rail services through Stockport, (b) protect local rail services through Stockport and (c) facilitate future orbital Tram-Train services along the Stockport-Stalybridge line as a result of HS2 services using the West Coast Mainline.

No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact on (a) local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester and (b) the potential for new local rail services in south-east Greater Manchester of HS2 using the West Coast Mainline.

No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on crossover capacity from Stockport station on the Stockport-Stalybridge line at Heaton Norris Junction of HS2 trains using the West Coast Mainline.

No decisions have been made on the train service that will run when HS2 opens. These will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry. These considerations will include passenger and freight services available on the West Coast Mainline from released capacity.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of HS2 trains using the West Coast Mainline on rail capacity at Stockport station.

No decisions have been made on the train services that will run when HS2 opens, including for Stockport Station. These decisions will be made in due course and be subject to consultation, taking advice from the industry.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) the Stockport-Stalybridge line to Denton, (b) the Ashton Moss line and (c) Crowthorn Curve to (i) facilitate rail growth from Stockport to Manchester Victoria and (ii) alleviate pressure at Piccadilly and the Deansgate-Oxford Road chord.

This Government has committed £593m to improve reliability and capacity in Manchester which passengers are now benefiting from. The Manchester Task Force will consider capacity improvements on the Castlefield corridor and other parts of the network including the areas you list.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
27th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2023 to Question 180901 on Roads: Standards, for what reason he does not challenge National Highways on specific outcomes of individual inspections.

The Department challenges National Highways on its overall performance on litter collection at national level. In addition, as one of the performance indicators in the Road Investment Strategy, it is subject to monitoring by the Office for Rail and Road as independent Highways Monitor. It would not be proportionate for the Department to routinely assess or challenge the outcome of litter inspections by National Highways at individual locations across the country. The Department is, however, happy to take up with National Highways any specific local littering issues relating to the Strategic Road Network that are raised by Honourable members or other members of the public.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is able to challenge the outcomes of National Highways' grading inspections.

The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator which measures the percentage of the SRN where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice. Both the Department and the independent Highways Monitor (the Office for Rail and Road) regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved. National Highways is committed to reporting annually against this indicator and the performance for 22/23 will be known in the Summer. The Department does not challenge National Highways on specific outcomes of individual inspections.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to carry out his statutory responsibilities under the Environment Protection Act 1989 to keep strategic highway land clear of litter and tipping.

The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator. National Highways is committed to reporting the percentage of the Strategic Road Network on which National Highways hold litter clearance responsibility, that had no litter, refuse or detritus, or was predominately free of litter, refuse or detritus apart from some small items in line with the Code of practice on litter and refuse published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Department, alongside the independent Highways Monitor (Office for Rail and Road) regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved.

We are developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) and continue to explore potential metrics for inclusion in RIS3 performance specification, as well as possible improvements to existing metrics such as litter. We are working to ensure that the targeted metrics in RIS3 – the Key Performance Indicators focus on the things that are most important to road users and contribute to wider government priorities. This process will involve considering the responses to the forthcoming public consultation on National Highways’ Strategic Road Network Initial Report.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to facilitate a meeting between National Highways and the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish on site at the M60 and M67 in Denton and Reddish constituency.

National Highways will be happy meet the honourable Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss litter on the Strategic Roads in his constituency.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss cleanliness standards and inspection data for the M67 and M60 in Denton and Reddish constituency.

I am committed to tackling the amount of litter deposited on our roads and I agree that there is more we can all do to keep the Strategic Road Network, roads and streets clear of litter, therefore I would be happy to meet with the honourable Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss how we can best tackle litter on the roads in his constituency.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received any information from National Highways about the cleanliness standards of the M60 embankments, carriageways, hard shoulders, slip roads and junctions between the River Tame and Junction 23.

Three separate litter picks have been undertaken on this section of the M60 since the beginning of February with 65 bags of litter and 8 large pieces of debris removed. National Highways’ most recent assessment of cleanliness within this area was made on 18 April 2023 with another planned for 25 April 2023.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he monitors the performance of National Highways in the North West on keeping strategic highways land free from litter or tipping.

The second Road Investment Strategy (2020-25) includes a litter performance indicator, in line with the Code of practice on litter and refuse published by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). National Highways is committed to reporting against this performance indicator and the Department, alongside the independent Highways Monitor (Office for Rail and Road), regularly monitor performance against this litter indicator and discuss with National Highways how performance can continuously be improved. Performance is monitored at a national level across the whole of the Strategic Road Network rather than a focus on any specific region.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
21st Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the service provided by Avanti.

Avanti West Coast has started to increase its service levels, targeting additional trains every day where they are most needed and train crew resources allow, but the current service remains insufficient. The issues experienced on Avanti West Coast are exactly why we need to modernise the railways, to ensure passengers get a reliable timetable no matter when they travel and are not relying on drivers working overtime in order to run a full service.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the number of UK expats in Spain who are no longer able to drive legally in that country with a UK license and who were not able to swap to a Spanish license prior to the deadline of the 1 January 2021; and if she will have discussions with his Spanish counterpart on that matter.

We assess the majority of UK licence holders in Spain registered their intent to exchange, as they were advised to, before 31 December 2020. They are therefore unaffected.

UK licences holders resident in Spain and currently unable to drive primarily fall in three groups:

  • UK licence holders who are long-term residents in Spain and did not exchange or register their intent to exchange, as advised, before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020).
  • UK licence holders who did register their intent to exchange before the end of the transition period, but did not complete the exchange process by 30 April 2022
  • UK licence holders who have arrived as residents in Spain after 31 December 2020 and have been residents in Spain for longer than 6 months.

Negotiations with the Spanish Government are ongoing.

25th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the prevalence of UK expats in Spain who are no longer able to drive legally in that country with a UK license and who were not able to register their intention to swap to a Spanish license prior to the deadline of the 1 January 2021 as a result of not yet being a resident in Spain; and whether he has had discussions with his Spanish counterpart on that matter.

The lack of a driving licence exchange agreement with Spain primarily affects three groups:

  • UK licence holders who are long-term residents in Spain and did not exchange or register their intent to exchange, as advised, before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020).
  • UK licence holders who did register their intent to exchange before the end of the transition period, but did not complete the exchange process by 30 April.
  • UK licence holders who have arrived as residents in Spain after 31 December 2020 and have been resident Spain for longer than 6 months.

The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of people affected in each group.

The UK and Spain have rapidly accelerated talks on driving licence exchange since the Secretary of State for Transport discussed the issue with Spanish ministers on 29 April 2022.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the duration of accessibility to the Bus Recovery Grant beyond April 2022.

We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.

We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.

To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support bus providers that may be unable to offer full services after the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant in April 2022.

We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.

We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.

To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant in April 2022 on the ability of bus services to maintain levels of service.

We have provided unprecedented support for local transport during the pandemic. For bus, operators and local authorities have received funding through the £1.5bn Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant, and the ongoing £226.5m Bus Recovery Grant.

We recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities and discussions on how best to support them are underway.

To assist in the short term, the Department is making available an additional £29m in recovery funding this financial year, on top of the previously announced £226.5m. This will be provided through the Bus Recovery Grant in the form of an uplift to recipients, including operators and LTAs. This will assist the sector in maintaining high service levels.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the value for money to the public purse of (a) protecting existing levels of bus provision and (b) rebuilding bus service provision from a passenger base which may be up to 30 per cent lower than before the covid-19 outbreak, as reported by the Urban Transport Group in Continuing COVID Funding Support for Urban Public Transport, published in February 2022.

The Department has conducted analysis on current service levels and future passenger trends, informed by input of stakeholders such as the Confederation of Passenger Transport and the Urban Transport Group. We are currently discussing with HMT the costs and benefits of extending the Bus Recovery Grant scheme.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of the cessation of the Bus Recovery Grant on the UK's ability to meet net zero objectives.

The Secretary of State for Transport frequently has discussions with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a wide range of issues. In July 2021 we published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan – the first such Plan in the world – which sets the transport sector on the path to net zero by 2050. Commitments set out in the plan include ending the sale of all new non zero emission road vehicles by 2040, delivering the supporting charging infrastructure network, delivering the National Bus Strategy, which will improve services and support the delivery of zero emission buses and required infrastructure, and investing £2bn in active travel with the aim of half of all journeys in our towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
12th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer on 15 September 2021 to question 47036 on Taxis: Licensing, what plans her Department has to reform regulation of the taxi and private hire vehicle sector; and what plans she has to publish proposed reforms.

The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued last year and is supporting a Private Members’ Bill (Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill) which would further enhance the protection the licensing regime provides to the public. A consultation on updated best practice guidance for licensing authorities will be launched shortly.

The Government is committed to introducing legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to reform the regulation of the sector.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
1st Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time taken by the DVLA is to remove an untaxed vehicle once reported; and if he will take steps to accelerate the process of removing the untaxed vehicle with registration SB07 ZWK, abandoned outside St Anne's Church on St Anne's Road Denton, which has been reported on 27 August, 30 September and 25 October 2021 by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) wheel clamping contractor covers the whole of the UK and visits different areas on a daily basis. Officials will bring the vehicle mentioned to their attention and ask them to visit the area specified as soon as possible.

However, the removal of abandoned vehicles is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. At times an overlap in enforcement activity may occur as an abandoned vehicle may also be unlicensed.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make an announcement relating to the Restoring Your Railways fund bid for the line between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stockport, serving Denton and Reddish South stations.

The Hon Member will have seen that we announced outcomes to the third round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund in the Autumn Budget, and that his bid for Ashton to Stockport has been successful.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
25th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential role of Restoring Your Railways bids in improving connectivity between areas of higher unemployment to areas of employment growth, and (b) economic impact of improving connectivity between Denton, Reddish and (i) Ashton Moss strategic employment site, (ii) the Stockport town centre mayoral development corporation, (iii) the Manchester regional centre and (iv) Manchester international airport and Airport City strategic employment site.

I would like to congratulate the Hon Member on his successful bid to the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund for restoring passenger services on the rail line from Ashton-under-Lyne to Stockport. The Department has not made a detailed assessment of the economic impacts of improving connectivity in the area at this stage, though I look forward to working with Transport for Greater Manchester to explore these issues as they develop the case further.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
20th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of shore power installations and charge point facilities at UK ports.

The Government is allocating funding under its Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to projects including on shore power, and will consult this year on the appropriate steps to support and, if needed, mandate the uptake of shore power in the UK.

20th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, what plans he has to invest in additional maritime decarbonisation initiatives.

The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.

19th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of economic development that investing in maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities.

To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.

In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.

The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.

The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.

Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.

Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.

19th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he made of the implications for his policies of Maritime UK’s proposal for investment in maritime decarbonisation as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.

In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.

The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.

The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.

Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.

Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.

19th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further support his Department plans to provide to help decarbonise the UK’s maritime sector.

To date the Department for Transport has funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £93,897 in grant support through the 2019 Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. In 2020 the TRIG programme provided almost £90,000 to clean maritime projects. Under this programme the Department will allocate up to £400,000 this year to 13 projects in zero emission shipping.

In March this year Government launched a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to decarbonise the maritime sector. The CMDC will allocate up to £23m in R&D funding to 55 projects comprising of feasibility studies and trials in zero emission shipping technologies, accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK.

The Government has carefully considered all industry submissions, including the proposals published by Maritime UK. The Spending review launched on 7 September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will conclude alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October. It would be premature for me to comment on any plans for further investment in maritime decarbonisation before a settlement has been agreed.

The Department has made no assessment of the level of economic development that Government funding for maritime decarbonisation may provide to the UK’s coastal communities. However, in 2019, alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, the Department published an assessment which identified that low and zero emissions shipping could result in potential economic benefits to the UK of around £360-£510 million per year by the middle of the century.

Maritime UK has published its views that investment in maritime decarbonisation could in future create jobs in all four nations of the United Kingdom, particularly in coastal communities with a tradition of maritime economic activity, including shipbuilding.

Industry research estimates that in 2017 the UK maritime sector as a whole directly supported more than 220,000 jobs for UK employees.

15th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will waive the two yearly Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card training requirement for HGV drivers to help increase the size of the HGV workforce.

There is no two-yearly training requirement for driver certificates of professional competence. New lorry drivers obtain driver certificates of professional competence in a testing process alongside HGV driving tests. In order for professional drivers to retain their entitlements, they are required to complete 35 hours (five days’ worth) of periodic training every five years. The requirements are in legislation. The Department is considering this issue alongside taking other measures in the context of the lorry driver workforce.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
17th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2021 to Question 159299, if his Department will provide funding to cover all or part of the re-sit fee for learners whose driving theory test certificate has expired during the covid-19 lockdown.

There are no current plans to provide funding or waive the charge of a theory test for those whose theory test certificates have expired, given that candidates will have already received the service for which they paid.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) pays its contractor, Pearson, per theory test delivered. If candidates were exempted from having to pay for a retake then the DVSA and in turn other fee payers would incur these costs. This would be unfair to fee payers who would not benefit from the arrangement.

In addition, applications for a re-test would need to be validated and systems amended to remove the requirement for payment in these cases. The DVSA’s focus should rightly be on developing solutions to address the backlog of practical driving tests that has arisen as a result of the pandemic.

12th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 11 January 2021 to Questions 131200 and 131201, if he will ask Highways England to mark England’s historic county boundaries on the strategic roads network in line with the Government's guidance on Celebrating the historic counties of England dated 16 July 2019.

Pursuant to the Answers to Questions and 131200 and 131201, the Department has no plans to ask Highways England to implement historic county boundary signs on the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

11th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2020 to Question 131200 on Road Signs and Markings: Cultural Heritage, what steps his Department is taking to implement the Government's guidance on Celebrating the historic counties of England dated 16 July 2019, on the motorway and trunk road network through Highways England.

Pursuant to the answer to Questions 127499, 127500 and 127501, the Department has no plans to ask Highways England to implement historic county boundary signs on the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

17th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 14 December 2020 to Questions 127499, 127500 and 127501, what steps his Department is taking to support the implementation of the Government's guidance on Celebrating the historic counties of England dated 16 July 2019.

The Department for Transport has permitted the use of historic county boundary signs through the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Guidance is provided to local authorities in DfT Circular 01/2016 and in Chapter 7 of the Traffic Signs Manual. Decisions on whether to place such signs are for local authorities.

DfT Circular 01/2016 is available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-regulations-and-general-directions-2016-an-overview

The Traffic Signs Manual is available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 127502, whether the £1 million fund for Control Period 6 (1 April 2019-31 March 2024) is specifically for brick repair and de-vegetation work on the Stockport rail viaduct and no other projects.

The £1 Million fund for Control Period 6 (1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024) is specifically for the upkeep of the Stockport Rail Viaduct, including brick repair, de-vegetation work and maintenance of rainwater goods (downpipes, weep pipes and troughing along the construction joints).

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging local authorities and Highways England to mark the historic boundaries of the County Palatine of Lancaster, which are still extant administrative boundaries for certain Duchy purposes, in accordance with section 3.47 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

The decision on whether to mark historic county boundaries on road signs is for each local highway authority, or, in the case of the Strategic Road Network, for Highways England, to consider. Highways England has no plans to install any such signs.

9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to mark the boundaries of the historic county Palatine of Lancaster and of historic Cheshire on the M60 and M67 motorways through Stockport and Tameside in accordance with section 3.47 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

The decision on whether to mark historic county boundaries on road signs is for each local highway authority, or, in the case of the Strategic Road Network, for Highways England, to consider. Highways England has no plans to install any such signs.

9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of marking England’s historic county boundaries on the motorway network in accordance with section 3.47 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

The decision on whether to mark historic county boundaries on road signs is for each local highway authority, or, in the case of the Strategic Road Network, for Highways England, to consider. Highways England has no plans to install any such signs.

9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to restore the Stockport rail viaduct.

Stockport Viaduct is a vital part of the railway infrastructure and Network Rail take seriously the responsibility to maintain it in safe working order. They carry out detailed examinations of the structure and address any defects or problems these highlight. This year Network Rail have spent £50k on repairing the brick work in areas highlighted by their examinations.

Network Rail have a specific £1m fund for Control Period 6 (1 April 2019- 31 March 2024) to be used on brick repair and de-vegetation work on the viaduct.

Network Rail look to manage any graffiti on the viaduct in accordance with their policies and will review any specific areas of concern and will take action where appropriate.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on the condition of the Stockport rail viaduct.

No recent discussions have taken place with Network Rail on the condition of the Stockport rail viaduct.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ask Network Rail to set out a timetable for (a) the removal of graffiti, (b) the restoration of the brickwork and (c) the removal of overgrowth and vegetation on the Stockport rail viaduct.

Stockport Viaduct is a vital part of the railway infrastructure and Network Rail take seriously the responsibility to maintain it in safe working order. They carry out detailed examinations of the structure and address any defects or problems these highlight. This year Network Rail have spent £50k on repairing the brick work in areas highlighted by their examinations.

The main vegetation growth on the viaduct is buddleia which is challenging to manage as it grows so quickly. Network Rail have a specific £1m fund for Control Period 6 (1 April 2019- 31 March 2024) to be used on brick repair and de-vegetation work on the viaduct.

The viaduct is a listed structure in recognition of its importance to Stockport’s industrial heritage. Network Rail look to manage any graffiti on the viaduct in accordance with their policies and will review any specific areas of concern and will take action where appropriate.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ask Highways England to set out a timetable for the removal of graffiti from gantries and road signs on the M60 motorway through Stockport.

Highways England aims to remove from sight the graffiti currently on its structures in Stockport within the next three months.

Highways England is working closely with the Department to tackle the issue of graffiti on structures along the strategic road network in England. Graffiti on these structures is removed from sight within twenty-four hours of being reported if it is offensive, obscene, blasphemous or racist. Non-offensive graffiti, as appears along the M60 through Stockport, would normally be removed from sight at a later date, when Highways England is undertaking other works in the area in order to minimise disruption to road users, or as part of Highways England’s regular cycle of clean and sweep activity.

9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ask Network Rail to remove the graffiti from the parapet of the Windmill Lane railway bridge in Denton, first reported to them by the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish in September 2019.

My officials have been in contact with colleagues in Network Rail who, in turn, I understand, have been in touch with your office. Network Rail apologise that this issue took so long to rectify.

I can confirm that the local maintenance team visited the site and cleaned the graffiti over the weekend of 12/13 December 2020.

Network Rail colleagues have confirmed they have updated your office of actions taken.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
16th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2020 to Question 114087 on Transport for Greater Manchester and Transport for London: Finance, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in each of the last 10 years.

Payments to Greater Manchester Combined Authority and associated bodies (Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority and Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive) over the last 10 years amount to £1.709.5bn.

Financial Year

10/11

11/12

12/13

13/14

14/15

15/16

16/17

17/18

18/19

19/20

20/21

Total

Amount (£m)

171.1

266.2

188.9

139.4

180.3

178.4

113.2

66.4

65.3

133.3

207.0

1,709.5

11th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding (a) Transport for London and (b) Transport for Greater Manchester has received from the Government for (i) capital projects and (ii) general operations in each of the last 10 years.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has paid £883,925,106 (£884M) directly to Transport for London over the last 10 years. DfT has made payments directly to Transport for Greater Manchester totalling £347.6m in the last 10 years. DfT also makes payments to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority who then pay Transport for Greater Manchester for their required transport needs.

1st Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to reform taxi and private hire licensing.

The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the recently issued Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.

28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implied zebra crossings on side roads.

The layout of zebra crossings is prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD). Under TSRGD, a zebra crossing must consist of black and white stripes, give-way lines, zig-zag markings and yellow globes. TSRGD also requires a driver or cyclist to give way to anyone on the crossing.

Installation of zebra crossings is the responsibility of the local traffic authority. A zebra crossing consisting only of black and white stripes, as proposed by Transport for Greater Manchester, would not meet the requirements of TSRGD, and as such pedestrians would have no right of way when using it.

The Department is aware that Transport for Greater Manchester have been carrying out some research to support their suggestion to introduce simplified zebra crossings at side roads in Manchester, but this has been paused during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zebra crossings have been in use for a long time in this country, they are widely recognised and understood, and have a good road safety record, and the Department has no plans to change their design.

16th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to include Madeira on the list of countries and territories with no self-isolation on arrival in England during the covid-19 pandemic.

Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector. The Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Chief Medical Officer, has developed an approach to assessing the public health risk associated with inbound travel from specific countries and territories. The resulting categorisation methodology has been informed by a number of factors including an estimate of the proportion of the population that is currently infectious in each country, trends in virus incidences and deaths, transmission status and international epidemic intelligence. We have also considered issues such as the testing capacity of each country and the quality of the data available.

Although Madeira was not included in the travel corridors announced on 3 July, the Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant review. The next formal review will be on 27 July 2020.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether Highways England will be fined for breaching clean air obligations to communities adjoining the strategic highway network.

We are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible, without recourse to fines.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether local authorities will be fined for breaching clean air obligations to communities adjoining the strategic highway network.

We are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible, without recourse to fines.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, what steps he plans to take to introduce measures complementary to the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan to reduce air pollution on the Trunk Road Network in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport.

We are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible.

The Mottram Moor link road and A57(T) to A57 link road, which Highways England is due to start construction on in the current road period, will contribute to improvements in air quality in the area.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, what assessment he has made of the air quality for communities living alongside the Strategic Highway Network in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport for which Highways England is responsible.

The Pollution Climate Mapping model is used alongside measurements from the Automatic Urban and Rural Network to assess levels of air pollutants for major urban roads across the UK and report compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide. One, local authority managed, section of road in Tameside, has been identified as exceeding legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the latest national modelling. Five sections of road in Stockport, one Highways England managed and four local authority managed, have been identified as exceeding legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the latest national modelling. As set out in response to Question 72845/72846 we are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether Highways England is legally responsible for managing air quality from its strategic network for the purpose of the UK's legal obligations on clean air.

For purpose of the air quality Directive (2008/50/EC), DEFRA on behalf of the Government are the competent authority. In 2017 the Government published its Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations (The Plan) which set out plans to achieve compliance as quickly as possible.

Highways England is legally required, under the Infrastructure Act 2015 and its Licence, to comply with (or have due regard to) relevant Government policy, which includes the Government’s plans and policies on air quality, and has been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliver its part of The Plan. The Infrastructure Act also obliges Highways England to comply with DfT’s Road Investment Strategy (RIS). The current (second) RIS sets out DfT’s expectations for environmental outcomes to be in line with (but not limited to) The Plan, and sets key performance indicators in relation to air quality, including compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits as soon as possible. The Office of Rail and Road monitors Highways England’s compliance with its obligations as set out in the RIS and Licence, and has enforcement powers in respect of these obligations.

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring responsibility for the strategic highway network to Transport for Greater Manchester to ensure a co-ordinated and strategic approach to the management of the network across the city-region.

The second Road Investment Strategy, published in March, commissioned Highways England to carry out a study into the role of the strategic road network in urban areas. This study will consider the merits of changes in road ownership as well as other options to improve coordination of urban road networks such as that in Greater Manchester.

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in relation to strategic pop-up cycle routes in the city-region.

The Department has regular discussions with the Mayors of Combined Authorities including Greater Manchester Combined Authority. To help fund measures such as pop-up cycle lanes, the Department has allocated Greater Manchester Combined Authority £3,174,000 from tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund and indicatively allocated £12,697,000 from tranche 2. The Department also issued new network management duty guidance to all local authorities in May with advice on measures to reallocate road space, both to encourage active travel and to enable social distancing.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for work to commence on the reconstruction of the bridge at St Anne’s Road, Denton, at Junction 2 of the M67; and if he will make a statement.

Pursuant to the answer to Question 60714, Highways England intends to commence survey work on the bridge between July and December 2020. Enabling works, including opening the closed section of St Anne’s Road to allow implementation of the diversion route, are intended to start in April 2021. Highways England will start main demolition and construction work in October 2021, with construction lasting for two years. It has no further update on the proposed works at this time.

3rd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include the trunk road network in the proposed Greater Manchester Clean Air strategy; and if he will make a statement.

The government and Highways England continue to work with Greater Manchester authorities to finalise their plans to improve air quality as set out in the 2017 UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. We have no current plans to include any parts of the Strategic Road Network in a charging clean air zone.

23rd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take in response to local authorities that do not follow Government statutory guidance on reallocating road space in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring any changes to their road networks are made with regard to the statutory Network Management Duty guidance published on 9 May. This sets out the steps Government expects local authorities to take to reallocate road space to cycling and walking in response to Covid-19. The Department is not responsible for policing what local authorities implement on their roads.

Alongside the guidance, the Department announced emergency active travel funding of £225 million, to help local authorities make changes to their roads to enable more walking and cycling, and to enable social distancing. Any bids for this funding that are not in line with the statutory guidance will not be granted.

17th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Highways England on removing litter on the Junction 2 on-sliproad to the M67 in Denton.

The Secretary of State for Transport has had no such discussions with Highways England on removing litter at Junction 2 on-slip road to the M67 in Denton.

Highways England have confirmed that any restoration measures are required to take place within the timescales set out in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. This states that any areas with special circumstances that falls below grade B, such as carriageways, verges and central reservations of motorways and trunk roads, must be restored back to grade A standard within twenty-eight days or as soon as reasonably practicable. Highways England expect to remove litter from the entry slip road within the next three weeks.

17th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for the reconstruction of the bridge at St Anne’s Road, Denton at Junction 2 of the M67; and if he will make a statement.

The timing of the delivery of the project is subject to a number of factors involving other parties. Highways England intends to commence survey work between July and December 2020.

Enabling works, including opening the closed section of St Anne’s Road to allow implementation of the diversion route, are intended to start in April 2021.

The aim is to start the main demolition and construction work in October 2021, with construction lasting for two years.

14th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Employment boost for thousands of parents on Universal Credit, published on 25 October 2023, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of new Universal Credit work conditionality requirements on family and friend carers.

On 25 October 2023, we increased the maximum hours of work-related activity that lead carers of children aged 3-12 on Universal Credit can commit to with their job centre work coach to 30 hours per week. This change applies to lead carers including family and friend carers, also known as kinship carers, although it is important to note that kinship carers who are within 12 months of having a child coming to live with them are not required to search for or be available for work. This is to allow a period of settling in to a new family arrangement.

Kinship carers play a critical role in the lives of children, often in very difficult circumstances. The increase to 30 hours of work-related activity for lead carers is a maximum and we expect hours to continue to be set at a level that is achievable for the individual claimant according to their circumstances, and in discussion with their work coach.

These changes are designed to support parents and carers to help them move into work or grow their earnings and provide the children in their care with the best possible start in life.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
14th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Employment boost for thousands of parents on Universal Credit, published on 25 October 2023, if he will consider the potential merits of applying similar conditionality requirements for family and friend carers as foster carers.

Friends and family carers, also known as kinship carers, provide incredible care to children who cannot remain with their parents. The government recognises the difficult circumstances in which many kinship carers find themselves when they first take a child into their care. As such, for the first year they are only required to attend jobcentre appointments and are not required to search or prepare for work. This allows time for adjustments to the family’s life and for the children to settle in.

The policy for foster carers reflects their particular circumstances. Universal Credit does not provide claimants with financial support for any foster children in their care and only requires foster carers to attend regular appointments rather than look for work.

We have recently made changes to lead carer (including kinship carer) conditionality – an increased frequency of jobcentre appointments for lead carers of 1 and 2 year olds, and an increase to the maximum hours of work-related activity for lead carers of 3-12s. Alongside this, we have increased support with childcare. These changes in conditionality and childcare availability are designed to provide support to lead carers of children, including kinship carers, to help them move into work or grow their earnings and provide the children in their care with the best possible start in life. We believe that this strikes the right balance.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
13th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the same Universal Credit work conditionality requirements apply to family and friend carers as to foster carers.

Friends and family carers, also known as kinship carers, provide incredible care to children who cannot remain with their parents. The government recognises the difficult circumstances in which many kinship carers find themselves when they first take a child into their care. As such, for the first year they are only required to attend jobcentre appointments and are not required to search or prepare for work. This allows time for adjustments to the family’s life and for the children to settle in.

The policy for foster carers reflects their particular circumstances. Universal Credit does not provide claimants with financial support for any foster children in their care and only requires foster carers to attend regular appointments rather than look for work.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
24th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effect of long-term sickness on economic productivity in each of the last five years.

The specific information requested on economic productivity is not held by the Department.

According to the latest figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS, INAC01 SA), the number of working age (16-64) people who state their main reason for being economically inactive as long-term sickness is 2.5 million, or 28% of the total inactive population.

Long-term sickness is now the most common main reason for being economically inactive and accounts for 65% of the increase in economic inactivity since the start of the pandemic.

Source: INAC01 SA: Economic inactivity by reason (seasonally adjusted) - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
11th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to encourage employers to undertake covid-19 health and safety risk assessments for severely immunocompromised employees.

COVID-19 remains a public health issue. There is no longer a requirement for every business to consider COVID-19 in their risk assessment or have COVID-19 control measures in place. The United Kingdom Health Security Agency has published guidance on reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace.

For people in England who are immunosuppressed (including employees), the Department of Health and Social Care has published guidance entitled: ‘COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk’.

31st Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to communicate with employers on advice for immunosuppressed people to continue to work from home.

In December 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care and UK Health Security Agency released guidance on COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk . This included advice to work from home if possible. If a person is unable to work from home, they should speak to their employer about what temporary arrangements they can make to reduce that person’s risk.

In order to inform employers of this, the Health and Safety Executive updated it’s guidance Protect vulnerable workers - Working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to include a section on workers who are immunosuppressed and the advice mentioned above.

17th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in Denton and Reddish constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.

8th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2021 to Question 62643 on Universal Credit, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the universal credit assessment period and payment structure; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Court of Appeal Judgement of 22 November 2020 [2020] EWCA Civ 778.

The Department has no plans to change either Universal Credit assessment periods or payment structures. They are fundamental parts of the design, reflecting payment patterns in the world of work, where the majority of people are paid monthly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and receiving benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.

The Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Johnson and others, handed down on 22 June 2020, ruled that the way the Department calculated Universal Credit awards involving earnings in an assessment period was a correct application of the regulations, but that the Department’s position of not considering the impact on the small number of specific cases of those paid calendar monthly who are affected by ‘a non-banking day salary shift’ should change.

The Court of Appeal Judgment was narrowly focussed on calendar monthly paid claimants who are affected by a ‘non-banking day salary shift’ resulting in two payments being counted in one assessment period, none in another and the loss of a work allowance. The legislation changes we made to remedy these cases came into force on 16th November 2020 and allow us to move one of these monthly payments to the assessment period where there is none. Moving an additional four-weekly payment from the assessment period with two payments would not have the same effect, but would simply mean there would be two payments in a different assessment period.

David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
5th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing financial support for people in receipt of the State Pension and (b) bringing Government expenditure on the State Pension in line with that in other countries, such as France and Germany.

The State Pension is the foundation of support for older people. Under this Government, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is now over £2,050 higher than in 2010.

The Secretary of State is required by law to conduct a review of applicable benefit and pension rates each year. The review is on-going and decisions will be announced shortly.

International comparisons are misleading due to differences in the pension systems as there are many factors to take into account.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
5th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer to the Oral Question asked by the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk on 3 November, Official Report, col 912, what options the Government is assessing to ensure that 1950s-born women receive fair pensions.

Under this Government, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is now over £2,050 higher than in 2010. For future pensioners, auto-enrolment into workplace pensions has transformed pension saving for millions of workers and our 50 plus: choices agenda aims to maximise the labour market opportunities for people to earn and save for longer.

Auto-Enrolment has been especially transformative for women, low earners and young people, who have historically been poorly served by or excluded from workplace pensions. Between 2012 and 2020 participation for private sector eligible women increased from 40% to 86% (equal to men) and double what it was in 2012.

The Reforms to the State Pension in 2016 put measures in place to improve State Pension outcomes for most women. Over three million women stand to receive an average of £550 more per year by 2030 as a result.

Pension Credit also provides invaluable financial support for the most vulnerable pensioners. We are undertaking a range of actions to raise awareness and increase take up.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
25th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that universal credit claimants who are paid every four weeks and who may on occasion receive a double payment in one assessment period are not penalised.

Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit and the amount of Universal Credit paid each monthly assessment period will reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household in that assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer. As Universal Credit is paid monthly, those who are also paid their earnings on a monthly basis will normally get one payment in each assessment period. For those who are paid differently such as four weekly the frequency of their pay will impact on the amount of Universal Credit they will receive.

Those who are paid four-weekly will normally get one payment in each assessment period and their Universal Credit will reflect the four weekly amount they are paid. For one assessment period a year they will receive two four-weekly payments. This is because there are 12 assessment periods a year and those who are paid four-weekly will receive 13 payments a year. As their income rises in that assessment period, Universal Credit is reduced and this is in line with the long standing general principle of means-tested benefits. However, whilst the Universal Credit amount will reduce in the assessment period where the household has received two payments of four-weekly earnings, they will still have the benefit of the higher income from their earnings.

The Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure are fundamental parts of its design. Universal Credit reflects payment patterns in the world of work. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and claiming benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.

David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
9th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2021 to Question 41749 on State Retirement Pensions: Administrative Delays, what the average waiting time is for initial payments as at 9 September 2021.

This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work & Pensions.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2021 to Question 41749 on State Retirement Pensions: Administrative Delays, when she first became aware of the backlog; and what steps her Department took to notify those people facing payment delays.

The number of State Pension claims awaiting processing increased as a result of Pandemic and its consequences.

We are prioritising any State Pension claims that are currently overdue and claims where the customer is close to their date of entitlement.

We send an SMS text message to customers to let them know that their claim has been received and is being processed, with written confirmation of their award by post.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
8th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will reform the three-year award duration for claims made under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness and bring it in line with longer ongoing awards available under the normal rules.

For the majority of cases made under the SRTI, people are given three year awards. This approach is based on a recommendation from an expert advisory group, initially for DLA, but later adopted in other benefits. The three year awards given to SRTI claims strikes a balance that recognises making a prognosis is not an exact science and that people who do live longer than expected should continue to receive the support provided to them by benefit system, while also enabling those who live for much longer than expected, to be looked at afresh in light of their circumstances as they come towards the end of their award. The majority of claims made under the special rules sadly do not reach three years but for those that do, we want to ensure that people are receiving the right level of support.

As part of the health and Disability Green Paper consultation, we are consulting on reform of assessments and seeking views on policy proposals. Following the consultation, detailed proposals will then be brought forward in a White Paper next year, setting out how we can better enable people to take up work and live more independently, and outline the changes we want to make to the benefits system to better address structural and delivery challenges.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there have been any reported delays in processing initial payments for those who have reached state pension age.

Normal service will be resumed by the end of October 2021.

The Department is working hard to clear backlogs which have occurred by reason of the Covid Pandemic and staffing issues which have now been rectified.

Hundreds of additional staff are currently being redeployed.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
25th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury's oral contribution of 22 June 2021, Official Report, column 745, what recent assessment she has made of state pension inequality in respect of the ongoing Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigation and women born in the 1950s.

All Ombudsman are independent of government. It would be inappropriate to comment while the PHSO investigation is ongoing.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Foreign Secretary, (b) Secretary of State for International Trade and (c) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Canadian Government’s request for a reciprocal social security agreement.

There have been no discussions on the Canadian Government’s request for a reciprocal social security agreement.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
19th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions were held with the Government of Canada before the UK Government that Government's request for a reciprocal pensions uprating agreement.

The UK has not had any recent discussions with the Government of Canada on reciprocal pensions uprating agreements.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of people with epilepsy entering employment.

Government’s Plan for Jobs provides new funding to ensure more people, including those with health conditions get tailored Jobcentre Plus support to help them find work and to build the skills they need to get into work. This includes £895m for 13,500 additional Work Coaches who have been successfully recruited. The Restart Programme will support individuals who have been unemployed for over 12 months and through regular, personalised support providers will work with participants to identify the best way to support them into sustained employment.

From April 2021, the Disability Employment Advisors (DEA) Direct Support will be strengthened to include an element of Direct Support to customers with health condition or disability who require additional support over and above the ESA and Universal Credit core offer. DEA Direct Support will deliver work focussed bespoke support to move individuals with a disability or health condition towards a work outcome.

If employees with epilepsy need workplace support beyond the cost of reasonable adjustment, Access to Work can help. Access to Work is supporting thousands more people with disabilities and health conditions than ever before. In 2019, Access to Work funded tailored and flexible support for 43,000 people, a 20% increase on the previous year.

We also, through Disability Confident, provide employers with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.

1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps the Government has taken to publicise the Payment Exception Service to people who are eligible to use it.

The Payment Exception Service is available in limited circumstances when customers are unable to provide us with bank account, building society, credit union, internet based or basic bank account details. Information about this service is publicised on https://www.gov.uk/payment-exception-service.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
23rd Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support the Government is providing to people aged over 55 who have lost their jobs as a result of the covid-19 pandemic to retrain and re-enter employment.

The department is supporting people of all ages back in to work. The Government’s Plan for Jobs provides new funding to ensure more people, including those aged 50 and over, get tailored Jobcentre Plus support to help them find work and to build the skills they need to get into work. This includes £895m to recruit an additional 13,500 Work Coaches which DWP is on track to achieve by Quarter 1 of 2021/22; a £150m increase in the Flexible Support Fund which will also boost the capacity of the Rapid Response Service to help those facing redundancy move into other jobs; and £10m for a new online support through the Job Finding Support Service which will provide tailored one-to-one job finding support to the recently unemployed.

The Government aims to increase the number of Sector based Work Academy programme placements, supporting unemployed claimants of all ages through training, work experience and a guaranteed interview for a real job. We are also investing £238m into Job Entry: Targeted Support (JETS) to offer new support to those who have been made unemployed for three months.

To support the long term unemployed, £2.9 billion is being invested in the Restart Programme, which is due to go live from summer 2021. The Restart Programme will support individuals who have been unemployed for 12 months plus and through regular, personalised support providers will work with participants to identify the best way to support them into sustained employment.

The Department also has a network of 50 PLUS Champions (formerly Older Claimants Champions) throughout all of the 34 Jobcentre Plus districts. These Jobcentre Plus staff work collaboratively with Work Coaches to raise the profile of over 50s claimants, highlighting the benefits of employing them and sharing best practice.

Further, Government recognises the importance of planning effectively for the future and in encouraging productive workplace conversations. We therefore launched a webpage in 2019 to promote the mid-life MOT, which offers support from the National Careers Service, Public Health England and Money and Pensions Service to those considering a change in career by encouraging them to take stock across the key areas of skills, health and financial planning.

The Department for Education continues to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34bn in 2019/20 and 2020/21). The principal purpose of the AEB is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. It enables more tailored programmes of learning to be made available, which do not need to include a qualification, to help those furthest from learning and in the workplace.

Government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for the National Skills Fund to help adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future, which will start in financial year 2021/22. The National Skills Fund will support adults to learn and reach their potential in the labour market. It will complement other provision available for adults, such as through the Adult Education Budget and other recent reforms to adult skills provision and funding.

The Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving adults aged 19 and over the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.

These were launched in West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region in September 2020, initially focusing on digital skills such as software development, digital marketing, and data analytics. Registrations opened in December 2020 for the Skills Bootcamps in the Leeds City Region, Heart of South West (Devon and Somerset) and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with delivery set to begin in early 2021.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the average time it will take for her Department to process a personal independence claim during the period of the new national lockdown that commenced in England in January 2021.

As throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, we are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence.

We are currently operating within expected levels. Average clearance times from initial claim to a decision being made for new claims are currently 16 weeks (October 2020).

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2020 to Question 123540, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into potential maladministration in her Department's communication of changes to women’s state pension age.

It would not be appropriate to comment on the possible implications of an ongoing Ombudsman’s investigation.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into potential maladministration in her Department's communication of changes to women’s State Pension age.

No discussions have taken place.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
12th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of Government programmes on the employment prospects of the over-60s.

The department is supporting people of all ages back in to work. The Government’s recently announced Plan for Jobs provides new funding to ensure more people, including older workers, get tailored Jobcentre Plus support to help them find work and to build the skills they need to get into work. This includes £895m to double the number of Work Coaches in Jobcentre Plus by March 2021; a £150m increase in the Flexible Support Fund which will also boost the capacity of the Rapid Response Service to help those facing redundancy move into other jobs; £40m for a new online support service will provide tailored one-to-one job finding support to the recently unemployed.

The Government also aims to triple the number of sector-based work academy programme placements, supporting unemployed claimants of all ages through training and work experience to find a job. A further £95m will expand the Work and Health programme to offer new support to those who have been made unemployed.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department has published for employers to support employees suffering from the long-term effects of covid-19.

Research into the long-term health symptoms and impacts of COVID-19 is ongoing. However, it is clear that for some of those who have survived, the virus and the treatment they have received to combat it will have a lasting impact on their health.

Employers have particular responsibilities towards disabled workers including making reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled workers being put at a disadvantage. DWP’s new Employer Help site provides advice on employment of disabled people, explaining how Access to Work and Disability Confident can help businesses to ensure their practices are fair and inclusive.

The law is clear: to discriminate directly, or indirectly, against anyone because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex or disability, race or ethnicity is unlawful. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the coronavirus pandemic.

7th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that claimants suffering from long-term effects of covid-19 can access appropriate welfare support.

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN:78723.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department’s review of how the welfare system works for people with a terminal illness includes issues relating to universal credit for terminally ill people.

In July 2019, the then DWP Secretary of State announced an in-depth evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with the most severe conditions.

The evaluation included three strands of research:

  • hearing directly from claimants, clinicians and charities about their first-hand experiences;
  • considering international evidence to find out what works in other nations and the support they provide; and
  • reviewing current Departmental performance to better understand how the Special Rules for Terminal Illness and severe conditions processes operate and perform.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there has been a reduction in Special Rules for Terminal Illness claims for universal credit as a result of her Department's change to the online application question on terminal illness in May 2019; and if she will make a statement.

The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Data exists in the system that would require matching across a number of data sets, which is a substantial piece of work. The required information is therefore not all readily available to analysts in a format that would enable them to undertake the analysis and quality assure the figures, to answer this PQ in the timescales.

19th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a future jobs fund to assist with job creation in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport.

DWP is engaging cross-government to understand supply & demand across the labour market throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

We are in discussions with other Government Departments and a range of stakeholders to explore all options to ensure the right support is in place for individuals who have been adversely impacted by COVID that will meet the needs of the individual as well as local priorities.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish the findings of the review into how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with severe conditions, announced on 11 July 2019.
20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions her Department has had with NHS England on implementing NICE's final draft guidance on patient access to Paxlovid.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been developing recommendations for the National Health Service on whether licensed antivirals for COVID-19 should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE published guidance in March 2023 that recommends the antiviral Paxlovid for those at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the NHS is now legally required to fund treatment in line with NICE’s recommendations. The Department procured stock of Paxlovid during the pandemic and has set up a distribution network to both primary and secondary care in England, as the devolved administrations have their own arrangements, so that all eligible patients can access the treatment.

NICE is developing recommendations for the NHS on the use of the antivirals molnupiravir and remdesivir, and is also developing guidance for the NHS on the potential expanded use of Paxlovid. NICE published final draft guidance that recommends expanded use of Paxlovid in August 2023. Following discussions between the Department, NHS England and NICE, NICE has recently consulted on an NHS England proposal to vary the funding requirement that normally applies three months after the publication of NICE guidance to allow a phased rollout to all eligible patients. NICE will carefully consider the comments received in response to the consultation in making its final recommendations.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the availability to patients of NICE-approved anti-viral treatments.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been developing recommendations for the National Health Service on whether licensed antivirals for COVID-19 should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. NICE published guidance in March 2023 that recommends the antiviral Paxlovid for those at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the NHS is now legally required to fund treatment in line with NICE’s recommendations. The Department procured stock of Paxlovid during the pandemic and has set up a distribution network to both primary and secondary care in England, as the devolved administrations have their own arrangements, so that all eligible patients can access the treatment.

NICE is developing recommendations for the NHS on the use of the antivirals molnupiravir and remdesivir, and is also developing guidance for the NHS on the potential expanded use of Paxlovid. NICE published final draft guidance that recommends expanded use of Paxlovid in August 2023. Following discussions between the Department, NHS England and NICE, NICE has recently consulted on an NHS England proposal to vary the funding requirement that normally applies three months after the publication of NICE guidance to allow a phased rollout to all eligible patients. NICE will carefully consider the comments received in response to the consultation in making its final recommendations.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2023 to Question 198332 on Community Hospitals: Discharges, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the level of delayed discharges in community hospitals.

On 15 September 2023, NHS England published the Intermediate Care Framework for Rehabilitation, Reablement and Recovery following Hospital Discharge. This best practice guidance aims to improve patient experience and outcomes, as well as improving flow and discharge from acute and community hospitals, freeing-up National Health Service hospital capacity for those who need it most.

Additionally, the Better Care Fund Policy Framework sets out the government’s priorities for 2023-25. These include tackling delayed discharge and bringing about sustained improvements in discharge outcomes and wider system flow. For 2023-25, we have committed at least £16.8 billion to the Better Care Fund. As in previous years, areas are free to contribute further voluntary contributions.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timescale is for publishing a response to the consultation entitled Care workforce pathway for adult social care, which closed in May 2023.

We intend to publish the first version of the Care Workforce Pathway, focused on staff in direct care roles, in autumn 2023. This will include a response to the call for evidence which closed in May 2023.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve workforce retention rates in adult social care.

We are investing at least £250 million over the next two years on workforce reforms, a key objective of which is to improve retention and turnover rates.

In July we announced the £570 million Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund – Workforce Fund to support increased adult social care capacity, improve market sustainability, and enable local authorities to make tangible improvements to adult social care services, with a particular focus on workforce pay. Local authorities can choose to use this funding to increase the adult social care workforce and improve retention.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients in community hospitals had their discharges delayed since January 2023.

On average, since January 2023, 1,956 patients per week, with a length of stay of 14 days or over in a community hospital, no longer met the criteria to reside but had not been discharged. Data is not available on the proportion of beds occupied by those that no longer meet the criteria to reside in a community hospital.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2023 to Question 190126 on Hospitals: Discharges, when his Department plans to allocate funding from the 2023-34 Discharge Fund.

As in 2022/23, the 2023/24 Adult Social Care Discharge Fund has been pooled via the Better Care Fund and divided between local authorities and integrated care boards. We began distributing the 2023/24 funding to local authorities in equal monthly instalments in April 2023, along with other adult social care grants. The integrated care board component was distributed by NHS England in a single instalment at the start of the financial year.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients are admitted to a specialist stroke bed within 72 hours of a stroke.

It is not possible to provide data of how many and what proportion of patients are admitted to a specialist stroke bed within 72 hours of a stroke, as that metric is not measured by NHS England.

NHS England Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme showed that between January to March 2023 showed that 96.8% or 14,759 patients arrived at hospital within 72 hours of onset of symptoms of stroke. The median time from onset of symptoms to arrival at a stroke unit was 11 hours and eight minutes.

91.9% of patients went to a stroke unit as the first admitting ward, being admitted with a median of four hours and 55 minutes from arrival at the hospital.

12th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer 6 July 2023 to Question 192041 on Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination, when he expects to announce his policy position on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme.

Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme are being developed. If policy is approved, only then will Government announce its plans.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2023 to Question 189197 on Smoking, whether his Department holds information on the number of stop smoking services that have been available nationally in each of the last 10 years.

The Department does not hold this data centrally as a variety of ‘Stop Smoking Services’ models are delivered by local authorities throughout England.

3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2023, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of RSV vaccination programmes on the number of (a) GP appointments and (b) hospitalisations.

Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme are being developed. This includes consideration of the impact of RSV on health services.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2023, what steps his Department is taking to implement vaccination programmes in winter 2023.

Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme are being developed as fast as is feasible, including consideration for maternal, infant and/or adult programmes. This includes working with UK Health Security Agency and NHS England on potential implementation timetables, with NHS England leading on delivery.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2022, whether he has a planned timetable for the introduction of RSV vaccination programmes for (a) maternal, (b) infant and (c) other people.

Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme are being developed as fast as is feasible, including consideration for maternal, infant and/or adult programmes. This includes working with UK Health Security Agency and NHS England on potential implementation timetables, with NHS England leading on delivery.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
28th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of the British Heart Foundation in its analysis entitled, Excess deaths involving CVD in England since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis and explainer, published in June 2023, if he will make an assessment of the factors contributing to excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease since the start of the pandemic.

Evidence on excess mortality attributable to non-COVID-19 related causes implies that it is likely due to a combination of factors. This may include disruption to routine care during the first two years of the pandemic, lifestyle factors and disruption to emergency care and urgent elective procedures.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce pressures on NHS cardiovascular care services.

The Government is taking action to reduce pressure on NHS cardiovascular care services by: supporting local authorities to recover NHS Health Checks, England’s national cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme; investing nearly £17 million for the development and roll-out of an innovative new digital NHS Health Check that will enable more people to have a check and free up NHS staff time; rolling out free blood pressure checks to people over the age of 40 in community pharmacies to detect thousands more people living with hypertension earlier. CVD will form a part of the Government’s Major Conditions Strategy which will focus on conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England. The Strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that underpin a shift to integrated, whole-person care, building on measures that we have already taken forward through the NHS Long Term Plan. Interventions set out in the Strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the British Heart Foundation in its analysis entitled, Excess deaths involving CVD in England since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis and explainer, published in June 2023.

Between March 2020 and May 2023 cardiovascular disease was a significant contributor to excess deaths. That is why we are going further to empower and support people to manage their heart health risks through the development of a digital NHS Health Check, and have appointed Professor Deanfield to lead work to develop an ambitious approach to personalised prevention. We will consider the implications of the British Heart Foundation’s findings for policy through the development of the Government’s forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Integrated Care Boards have produced plans for transitioning responsibility for the delivery of post-exposure treatments for Covid-19 from Covid-19 Medicine Delivery Units.

NHS England is working closely with local health systems and supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop service delivery plans which ensure continued timely access to assessment and treatment for COVID-19 that meet the needs of their local populations. To support the transition away from pandemic-specific arrangements NHS England is regularly engaging with charities, patient groups and other stakeholders to understand where national and local action may be required to ensure transition readiness. The NHS will continue to communicate to people most vulnerable to COVID-19 about available clinical interventions, including vaccination and treatments, as well as testing and public health advice.

ICBs are responsible for the continued delivery of COVID-19 treatments, including where appropriate transitioning the delivery of community-based COVID-19 treatments away from COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units to routine care pathways by the end of this month. ICBs have the flexibility to create a routine patient access pathway that best meets local needs and circumstances, including for immunocompromised patients.

ICBs are responsible for their own plans and commissioning schedules. This information is not held centrally by the department.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of charities supporting people who are vulnerable to Covid-19 on the transition of responsibility for the delivery of post-exposure treatments for Covid-19 from Covd-19 Medicine Delivery Units to Integrated Care Boards.

NHS England is working closely with local health systems and supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop service delivery plans which ensure continued timely access to assessment and treatment for COVID-19 that meet the needs of their local populations. To support the transition away from pandemic-specific arrangements NHS England is regularly engaging with charities, patient groups and other stakeholders to understand where national and local action may be required to ensure transition readiness. The NHS will continue to communicate to people most vulnerable to COVID-19 about available clinical interventions, including vaccination and treatments, as well as testing and public health advice.

ICBs are responsible for the continued delivery of COVID-19 treatments, including where appropriate transitioning the delivery of community-based COVID-19 treatments away from COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units to routine care pathways by the end of this month. ICBs have the flexibility to create a routine patient access pathway that best meets local needs and circumstances, including for immunocompromised patients.

ICBs are responsible for their own plans and commissioning schedules. This information is not held centrally by the department.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide information to people vulnerable to Covid-19 on the transition of responsibility for delivering post-exposure treatments for Covid-19 from Covid-19 Medicine Delivery Units to Integrated Care Boards.

NHS England is working closely with local health systems and supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop service delivery plans which ensure continued timely access to assessment and treatment for COVID-19 that meet the needs of their local populations. To support the transition away from pandemic-specific arrangements NHS England is regularly engaging with charities, patient groups and other stakeholders to understand where national and local action may be required to ensure transition readiness. The NHS will continue to communicate to people most vulnerable to COVID-19 about available clinical interventions, including vaccination and treatments, as well as testing and public health advice.

ICBs are responsible for the continued delivery of COVID-19 treatments, including where appropriate transitioning the delivery of community-based COVID-19 treatments away from COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units to routine care pathways by the end of this month. ICBs have the flexibility to create a routine patient access pathway that best meets local needs and circumstances, including for immunocompromised patients.

ICBs are responsible for their own plans and commissioning schedules. This information is not held centrally by the department.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's Guidance for government engagement with the tobacco industry, published on 19 June, what steps his Department plans to take to (a) monitor the application and (b) tackle breaches of that guidance.

The Government has published guidance to ensure public bodies continue to prevent industry interference into health policy. This will be monitored, including through the United Kingdom’s rank on the Global Tobacco Index which has been consistently high. Breaches will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

14th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2023 to Question 184919 on Allergies: Health Services, for what reasons no specific assessment has been made.

No specific assessment has been made on the regional availability of allergy care in England as the majority of these services are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to provide a comprehensive health service to their local populations subject to local prioritisation and funding, including access to specialist medical services for people with allergy where appropriate.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer on 17 May 2023 to Question 185507 on HIV Infection: Prescription Drugs, when his Department expects to publish its response to the Task and Finish Group recommendations on improving PrEP delivery.

The HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group is currently working to develop a roadmap, based on the PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish group’s recommendations, to help guide our efforts to improve equitable access to PrEP for key populations. We will consider our response to the recommendations in due course.

14th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings Ministers within his Department have had with Novo Nordisk in the past (a) 3, (b) 6 and (c) 9 months.

Ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published on gov.uk.

14th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2023 to Question 185509 on Life Expectancy, whether his Department is on track to meet this target.

No specific assessment has been made. Current trends show that Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) is stalled. In the period from 2018 to 2020, HLE at birth in the United Kingdom for males was 62.8 years and 63.6 years for females, showing no significant change since 2015 to 2017.

In England in 2019, the conditions responsible for the greatest share of premature death (measured as years of life lost) were cancers (35%) and cardiovascular diseases (26%). The conditions responsible for the greatest proportion of ill-health (measured as years lived with disability) were musculoskeletal disorders (21%) and mental health conditions (15%), which are also the most cited conditions causing economic inactivity. Around one in four adults in England live with two or more long-term conditions.

The Major Conditions Strategy will tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England including, cancers, cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of local authorities have a specialist stop smoking service open to all smokers.

There is no official data on whether local authorities have a specialist stop smoking service open to all smokers.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 7 June 2023 on Public Health Update, HCWS831, when his Department informed Novo Nordisk that it would be making this statement.

Novo Nordisk was informed about the pilots, under embargo, on Tuesday 6 June 2023.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 7 June 2023 HCWS831 on Public Health Update, when he plans to start the pilot.

The start date is still to be determined. The aim is to be ready to start the pilots as close as possible to when these weight loss drugs are launched in the United Kingdom.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2023 to Question 188215, whether his Department has made an estimate of the minimum number of doses of Semuglutide and Tirzepatide that it will need to operate the pilot.

This is still to be determined. Further details will be shared in due course.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of supply levels of (a) ozempic, (b) trulicity, (c) victoza, (d) Rybelsus and (e) Tresiba 100 FlexTouch Pen.

Medicine supply issues are caused by a wide range of factors as the production of medicines is complex and highly regulated and materials and processes must meet rigorous safety and quality standards. The Department has well-established processes in place to manage disruption to supply.

There are supply issues with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide (Ozempic and Rybelsus), dulaglutide (Trulicity) and liraglutide (Victoza) in the United Kingdom, which are licensed for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. The Department has issued Medicine Supply Notifications for Ozempic (semaglutide injection) and Trulicity (dulaglutide injection), advising healthcare professionals not to initiate new patients and to use these medicines for their licensed indications. Additional Medicine Supply Notifications will also be issued soon for Victoza (liraglutide injection) and Rybelsus (semaglutide tablets) advising healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring these medicines.

There is a supply disruption affecting Tresiba FlexTouch (insulin degludec) pens in the UK, which are licensed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults, adolescents and children from the age of one years old. The Department has issued a Medicine Supply Notification, advising healthcare professionals not to initiate new patients on Tresiba FlexTouch pens and to use Tresiba Penfill cartridges as an alternative.

8th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of children being admitted to A&E with an (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of scurvy per (i) month and (ii) year.

The count of finished admission episode (FAE) for patients aged 0 to 17 years old, with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or scurvy, where the patient was admitted from accident and emergency, split by year and month of admission for the period January 2018 to March 2022 is shown in the table attached.

Data from April 2022 to March 2023 is provisional and is not included.

8th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children were admitted to hospital via accident and emergency with a (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of malnutrition in each month of the last five years.

The count of finished admission episode (FAE) for patients aged 0 to 17 years old, with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or scurvy, where the patient was admitted from accident and emergency, split by year and month of admission for the period January 2018 to March 2022 is shown in the table attached.

Data from April 2022 to March 2023 is provisional and is not included.

7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 7 June 2023 HCWS831 on Public Health Update, whether he has made an estimate of the number of patients who will be eligible for Semaglutide in each year of the pilot.

The precise number of patients to be included in each year of the pilot will be finalised in due course, along with the service models being tested. In addition to Semaglutide (Wegovy), the pilots are expected to include Tirzepatide, subject to this receiving a license and approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and launching in the United Kingdom.

7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 7 June 2023 entitled Public Health Update, HCWS831, how many doses of Semaglutide his Department plans to purchase for these pilots.

We will work with NHS England to ensure appropriate supply of the relevant drugs. This is expected to include Semaglutide (Wegovy) once launched in the United Kingdom and Tirzepatide if licenced and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved.

7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many active users there are of the Better Health: Rewards app.

Registrations for the Better Health: Rewards app were open from 17 February 2023 to 3 April 2023 to adults in Wolverhampton. During this time, 28,858 people registered with the app.

17th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of when healthy life expectancy will have increased by five years compared to 2019.

Our ambition is to improve healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 and reduce the gap between areas where it is highest and lowest by 2030. We will publish a Major Conditions Strategy which will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the Government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity.

17th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of making pre-exposure prophylaxis available as part of plans to make prescription medications accessible directly in community pharmacies.

No specific assessment has been made. As part of the HIV Action Plan, we committed to supporting the system to continue to improve access to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for key population groups.

A PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish group was established in 2022 as part of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group comprised of key delivery partners and sector stakeholders. The task and finish group has delivered recommendations on improving PrEP delivery for key population groups which are currently being considered.

17th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of long covid on trends in the number of people who are not in work; and what recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle long covid.

The Department regularly discusses long COVID and its impact across Government and with a range of external stakeholders. NHS England has invested £314 million to support the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of people with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

There are 90 post assessment services to support adults and 14 services for children and young people with post-COVID-19 conditions and to direct them into appropriate care pathways. The Government has invested £50 million for research projects into the long-term impacts of COVID-19 infection.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
15th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the regional availability of allergy care provision across England.

No assessment has been made.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of hospitalisations which were attributed to household mould inhalation in each of the last three years.

This information is not held in the format requested.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does not hold data on hospitalisations following household mould exposures or inhalations as they are difficult to define or prove causality. Most reasons for healthcare presentation from household mould exposures would be exacerbation of pre-existing asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis and/or rhinitis. Invasive disease following such exposures is likely to be very rare in non-immunocompromised individuals and would follow overwhelming exposure.

UKHSA currently routinely reports invasive fungal disease from bloodstream infections in our annual English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-surveillance-programme-antimicrobial-utilisation-and-resistance-espaur-report

In addition, UKHSA has recently published data on invasive fungal disease associated with COVID-19 in peer-reviewed literature, available at the following links:

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/JCM.02136-20

https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(21)00665-4/fulltext

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
15th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to support patients receiving a stem cell transplant with the cost of living.

NHS England does not provide any specific cost of living support for patients receiving stem cell transplantation, however, trusts can exercise discretion to provide accommodation and/or other support depending on local and individual patient circumstances. Depending on a patient’s financial circumstances, they may be eligible for financial support with travel costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme and Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

With regards to the Healthcare Travel Scheme, the regulations provide that the amount payable should be calculated by reference to the cost of travelling by the cheapest means of transport which is reasonable having regard to the person’s age, medical condition or any other relevant circumstance.

People with long-term health conditions or disabilities, including those requiring stem cell transplants, may be entitled to financial support to contribute towards their extra costs such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Entitlement to PIP is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Recipients of extra costs disability benefits, such as PIP, will receive a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment in the summer. They may also be entitled to up to £900 of Cost of Living Payments if they are a member of a household receiving a means tested benefit.

15th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 January 2023 to Question 119899.

3rd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of adults that have been hospitalised due to second-hand smoke inhalation in the latest period for which data is available.

The information requested is not held centrally.

19th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the impact of the NHS Pay Settlement is on the Public Health Grant for 2023-24; and whether that Grant is a real-terms increase from 2022-23.

For the 2023/24 pay offer announced on 16 March 2023, the Department has already made funding available for up to 3.5% for pay in 2023/24 in its existing budgets. The Department is working with the Treasury to ensure it has the money it needs to fully fund this pay offer, which will include additional funding, looking across Departmental budgets and wider public spending. In 2023/24, the total Public Health Grant to local authorities will be £3.529 billion, a real-terms increase of 0.7% relative to 2022/23.

17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce cases of type 2 diabetes.

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme operates to identify people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and refers them onto a nine-month, evidence-based lifestyle change programme. Latest figures in February 2023 shows a 20% reduction in risk for those who are referred to the programme compared to those who are not.

Additionally, the National Health Service is delivering a low calorie diet programme for people who are overweight and living with type 2 diabetes.

We have announced plans for a new Major Conditions Strategy to tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England which include cancers, cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The Khan Review: Making Smoking Obsolete published 9 June 2022, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing any of the outstanding recommendations in that review.

The Government carefully considered and assessed all of the recommendations in the Khan Review. In the package of new action that was announced on 11 April, we have committed to implement several of these recommendations. This included significant new funding to reduce smoking, a national vaping swap to stop scheme and a financial incentives scheme for all pregnant smokers. It also included funding to tackle illicit vaping and new measures to address youth vaping.

17th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling his Department has conducted to estimate that England will reach a smoking prevalence rate of 5 per cent by 2030.

We have announced measures to help more people in England quit smoking. These include a new national swap to stop scheme to provide vapes to one million smokers, and a financial incentives scheme to help all pregnant smokers to quit. We are confident that these new measures, in addition to the actions we are already taking, will set us on course to achieve our Smokefree 2030 ambition, and we will monitor progress.

14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling his Department has carried out to assess the potential impact of its swap to stop policy on the Government's ability to achieve its smoke free 2030 target.

Modelling for our Swap to Stop policy has to date been based on effective pilot schemes across the country. For example, in Salford a pilot successfully engaged with over 1,000 smokers, many of whom were from the most deprived communities. Of those smokers who remained engaged in the four-week scheme, 62% were recorded as having successfully quit, by means of carbon monoxide verification. This is a fourfold increase in the number of successful quitters compared to the equivalent period the year before, when the scheme had not been in operation.

As announced on 11 April 2023, our vision for the new national Swap to Stop scheme is to offer a million smokers a free vaping kit alongside expert behavioural support. The impact of the scheme on our Smokefree 2030 ambition will be further modelled following the completion of the first wave of the programme in the coming months.

30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to maintain the prescription waiver for anti-virals for people who are clinically vulnerable and extremely vulnerable to covid-19.

We have no plans to maintain this prescription charge waiver. The waiver was introduced in December 2021 and was extended to remain in force until 31 March 2023.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge and there are a range of exemptions from prescription charges for which those in need of COVID-19 medicines may meet the eligibility criteria. Additionally, those on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for assistance with prescription charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to disband the Covid-19 Enhanced Protection Panel.

There is no COVID-19 Enhanced Protection Panel. Those who remain at higher risk from COVID-19 remain a priority for the Government and will continue to be offered enhanced protections such as treatments, booster vaccines, free lateral flow tests and public health advice. The small internal team within the Department that provided a time limited coordinating function for activity to support this group closed on 31 March 2023. Different parts of the UK Health Security Agency, the Department and NHS England will continue to provide the enhanced protection programme of work and patients will not see any difference in the advice they receive, or their treatment.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2023 to Question 171374 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, whether she has had any discussions with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the decision not to include learning disabled adults in the Covid-19 spring booster 2023 programme.

Ministers have had no discussions with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on eligibility for the spring 2023 COVID-19 booster programme further to their acceptance of the committee’s advice.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason spring booster vaccinations will not be offered to close family members of those acutely vulnerable to covid-19.

The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to reduce the risk of severe disease across the population. Advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has prioritised the most vulnerable of the clinical risk groups for vaccination in this precautionary COVID-19 booster programme for spring 2023.

The programme targets those over the age of 75 years and those who are immunosuppressed. Household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals were eligible in the autumn/winter 2022-23 booster programme. Protection against severe COVID-19 disease does persist for some months, as shown in analyses of real-world data, and previously considered by JCVI. This data is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports

Vaccination does not significantly limit transmission, so there is no strong reason to prioritise vaccination for family members of those who are at high risk of severe illness.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to disband the antivirals taskforce.

In line with the Government’s strategy of living with COVID-19, the Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce closed on 31 March 2023. Ongoing functions were transferred to other teams across the Department and the wider healthcare system, in line with wider responsibilities for research, regulation and deployment of medicines.

The National Health Service will continue to oversee treatment of COVID-19 patients and will operate in line with evidence-based recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, following the established processes in this area.

23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor covid-19 (a) prevalence and (b) mutations, in the context of the suspension of the covid-19 infection survey.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will continue to monitor COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 remains notifiable to UKHSA for all laboratories in England performing a primary diagnostic role. Laboratory reporting of SARS-CoV-2 cases will include any cases identified through testing in hospital undertaken to inform the clinical care of symptomatic patients. This will inform assessments such as positivity.

Within the community and primary care, real-time syndromic surveillance will continue via general practices. These systems will inform measures such as the incidence of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population.

UKHSA’s COVID-19 surveillance work is published in weekly regular reports and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2022-to-2023-season

UKHSA undertakes regular horizon scanning of all available SARS-CoV-2 genomic data for potentially significant mutations or combinations of mutations. This includes global data uploaded to international repositories, as well as all data generated from United Kingdom samples. In the absence of the COVID-19 Infection Survey, the UK data component may include samples from hospitals, adult social care, and some research studies.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of pausing data collection for the covid-19 infection survey on pandemic preparedness.

The UK Health Security Agency will continue to publish regular reports on COVID-19 which will contribute to our pandemic preparedness. These include our weekly surveillance reports, which provide data on infection rates, hospitalisation numbers and vaccination uptake. We also maintain the ability to track the latest variants through our genomics capabilities which assess the risks posed by different strains of the virus.

The approach to COVID-19 surveillance is being actively reviewed to ensure it is proportionate, cost effective and considered alongside how we monitor a range of other infectious diseases that present a similar threat.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for resuming data collection for the covid-19 infection survey.

The COVID-19 Infection Survey data collection was paused on 24 March. Final insights from this data are available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/24march2023

The approach to COVID-19 surveillance is being actively reviewed to ensure it is proportionate, cost effective and considered alongside how we monitor a range of other infectious diseases that present a similar threat.

We remain committed to monitoring the threat posed by COVID-19.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
22nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason learning disabled adults have not been included in the covid-19 spring booster 2023 programme.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is the independent body made up of scientific and clinical experts who advise Government on which authorised vaccines the United Kingdom should use and which groups in the population should be offered initial or further doses of a particular vaccine.

The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease (hospitalisation and mortality) arising from COVID-19. The JCVI advice is that older persons, residents in care homes for older adults and those who are immunosuppressed continue to be at highest risk of severe COVID-19.

For spring 2023 the JCVI has recommended that an extra booster vaccine dose should be offered to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults and individuals aged five years old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in tables three or four in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency Green Book. This can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-the-green-book-chapter-14a

Those in any risk group, as defined in tables three or four of the Green Book, were eligible for a booster as part of the recent autumn 2022 COVID-19 booster programme. This included all those aged five years old or above who have a learning disability.

The JCVI advice published on 27 January 2023 advises that there should be a further booster programme in autumn 2023 for those at higher risk of severe COVID-19. The Government has accepted this advice and the National Health Service is planning for a further COVID-19 booster programme this autumn. Detailed advice from JCVI on which groups should be included is expected to follow in due course.

The Government continues to be guided by the JCVI on COVID-19 vaccine deployment and on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. The JCVI regularly reviews its advice in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination programme, considering new data, evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and the epidemiological situation.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2023 to Question 160224, on Public Health: Finance, if he will take steps to ensure that local public health services will not be affected by the timing of the announcement of the 2023-24 Public Health Grant.

The Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities in England for 2023/24, and indicative allocations for 2024/25, were published on 14 March 2023 and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2023-to-2024

13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of closures of public swimming pools on public health.

No specific assessment has been made.

13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost to the public purse of the appointment of the (a) Government Champion for Personalised Prevention and (b) his taskforce.

The Government Champion for Personalised Prevention is an unpaid role. Neither Professor John Deanfield as the Government Champion for Personalised Prevention, nor any members of his Taskforce, will be paid for their time during the course of the minimum six month appointment.

9th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2023 to Question 146834 on Tobacco, whether his Department plans to publish a Tobacco Control Plan separately to the Major Conditions Strategy.

In due course, the Government will unveil a set of proposals to realise the Smokefree 2030 ambition and respond to the recommendations in the Khan Review. This will be separate to the Major Conditions Strategy.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have signed-up to the Better Health: Rewards app pilot in Wolverhampton, announced on 17 February 2023, as of 8 March 2023.

As of 8 March 2023, over 15,000 people have registered with the Better Health: Rewards pilot.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the cost of rolling out the Better Health: Reward app pilot in Wolverhampton so that it runs nationally.

The Better Health: Rewards pilot is set up in a way which will enable us to generate a range of strong evidence on the impact of the scheme on participants and their health behaviours. We will use the learnings from the pilot to inform the future direction of the programme.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much from the public purse the Government has spent on advertising the Better Health: Reward app pilot in Wolverhampton, announced on 17 February 2023, as of 8 March 2023.

As of 8 March 2023, the total spend on advertising for the Better Health: Rewards pilot is £80,000 excluding VAT.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress the Government has made on achieving its objective of England to be smokefree by 2030.

The most recent Office for National Statistics data from December 2022 shows that adult smoking rates in England are continuing on a downward trend and at 13% the lowest rate on record. Youth smoking rates also continue to decline. The Government remains firmly committed to our bold ambition to be Smokefree by 2030 and we will be setting out further action to achieve this very soon.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 10 January 2023 from the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish.

The matters raised in the letter in question are the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. The correspondence has been transferred there and will be answered shortly.

7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Major Diseases Strategy will be published.

An interim report of the Major Conditions Strategy will be published in the summer.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Public Health Grant has yet to be published.

Public Health Grant allocations require both the Department's Ministerial approval and cross-Government clearance. It will be published shortly.

7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure his timetable for announcing the 2023-24 Public Health Grant will not effect delivery of local public health services.

We will announce the 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities in England shortly.

7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the financial cost of smoking to the NHS.

The cost of smoking to the National Health Service is £2.4 billion each year. On the cost of smoking to the economy, we do not collect information for the United Kingdom as a whole.

7th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of smoking to the UK economy.

The cost of smoking to the National Health Service is £2.4 billion each year. On the cost of smoking to the economy, we do not collect information for the United Kingdom as a whole.

28th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost of developing and updating the (a) Better Health Rewards, (b) NHS Weight Loss Plan, (c) NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker, (d) NHS Food Scanner, (e) NHS Couch to 5k, apps has been to date; and if he will provide a breakdown of costs for each those apps.

Costs to date for the Better Health Rewards app programme pilot are within the advertised contract value of up to £2 million, and the Department has committed up to £3 million to be spent on rewards for participants. The Department, and previously Public Health England, has held multiple contracts to develop and deliver a suite of behavioural change apps to support the Department’s objective to tackle the biggest preventable risk factors for ill health.

The following table shows the costs for the development and delivery of the NHS Weight Loss Plan, NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker, NHS Food Scanner and NHS Couch to 5k apps up to and including March 2022. These figures do not include all the cross-cutting development costs covering multiple services across the digital portfolio, as these cannot be split into the exact cost per app.

App Name

Launch Date

Total development costs up to 2021/22 financial year

Download figures to date

NHS Weight Loss Plan

July 2020

£529,265

2.5 million downloads

NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker

Feb 2017

£882,042

1.35 million downloads

NHS Food Scanner

January 2017

£1,002,849

5.3 million downloads

NHS Couch to 5K

March 2016

£1,090,682

6 million downloads

21st Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost has been to the Government up to 21 February 2023 of the Better Health: Reward app pilot in Wolverhampton announced on 17 February 2023.

In March 2021, the Department committed to develop a new approach to health incentives that aims to support people to eat better and move more. The pilot launched on 17 February 2023 and is available to all adults who live in Wolverhampton. A contract was awarded in October 2021 to develop and deliver the pilot and costs to date are within the advertised contract value of up to £2 million.

The Department has committed up to £3 million to be spent on rewards for participants. The pilot will run for up to six months during which time participants will be able to earn points and redeem them for rewards.

17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to reduce waiting times for children who have been referred to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder pathway.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population including assessments and diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ICBs and NHS Trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. This NICE guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and the quality of care and support that people receive.

The NICE guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD or from assessment to the point of diagnosis.  Consultant-led mental health services are covered by the National Health Service 18-week maximum waiting time.

We are supporting ICBs to generally expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.

In a recent Westminster Hall debate held on 1 February 2023, I committed to look at how we can improve data on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guideline.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 January 2023 on Government Action on Major Conditions and Diseases, HCWS514, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will be a (a) five or (b) ten year strategy.

The Major Conditions Strategy will include both immediate and long term action to tackle major conditions.

The Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2023 to Question 136680 on Smoking: Health education, for what reason (a) the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and (b) his Department is unable to provide information on Public Health England.

Following the dissolution of Public Health England, the Office for Health Information and Disparities or the Department no longer have access to the detailed financial data to enable us to provide information in the format that was requested. Public Health England operated on an annual budgetary cycle which ran from April until March the following year. From the data available, the following table shows the figures on anti-smoking campaigns by the Department and its agencies in the following financial years.

Financial year

Total expenditure

2020/21

£1.32 million

2021/22

£1.45 million

Note:

  1. The figures reference expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national press, regional press, out of home (outdoor), social and digital advertising.
  2. All figures rounded to the nearest £10,000 and do not include VAT.
  3. Recruitment advertising and media partnerships are not included. Paid search is not included.
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent staff are currently working on the Major Diseases Strategy.

The Major Conditions Strategy is led by a core team of 12 staff with one senior responsible officer at director level and is receiving input from staff across the Department.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Major Conditions Strategy, whether his Department still plans to publish a separate Tobacco Control Plan.

The Government remains committed to its bold ambition to be Smokefree by 2030. We are still considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’ and further information will be available in due course.

Tackling smoking and other causes of preventable ill-health and mortality will be central to the Major Conditions Strategy. Smoking substantially increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke and causes seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer.

6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Diseases Strategy will include policies on sexual and reproductive health.

The Strategy will focus on conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.

Focusing on the conditions that contribute most to mortality and morbidity will allow us to focus our efforts on the key actions needed to achieve our manifesto commitment of gaining five extra years of Healthy Life Expectancy by 2035.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled £53 million cash boost to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery, published on 3 February 2023, what metrics were used for the allocation of funding to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery.

The Housing Support Grant is a limited fund with the aim of building evidence on what works in a targeted number of Local Authorities. The 28 upper-tier local authorities eligible for funding were selected using a formula-based methodology agreed between the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. This was based primarily on local authorities with the highest levels of housing-related need amongst people in substance misuse treatment, according to data from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.

6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated for the development and implementation of the Major Diseases Strategy.

Funding for the development of the Strategy will come out of the Department’s existing funding allocation. This funding is not separately identified.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
27th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, (b) North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, (c) West Suffolk NHS Trust, (d) Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (e) Frimely Health NHS Foundation Trust to remediate roofs made from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete.

We have publicly committed to eradicating Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from the National Health Service estate by 2035 and protecting patient and staff safety in the interim period, with the NHS approaching this on a ‘risk basis’, prioritising NHS trusts of concern. We have allocated a total of £685 million for mitigation works in all the affected trusts up to 2024-25.

We are allocating funding annually, based on NHS trust plans and delivery progress. The specific funding for future years has not yet been finalised.

We recognise the need to replace RAAC in the worst affected trusts by 2030 and as such are holding discussions with trusts on a standardised approach and how this could fit with the New Hospital Programme.

NHS Trust

2021/2022 (£m)

2022/2023 (£m)*

Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

20.7

30.8

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

13

20

West Suffolk NHS Trust

30

22.7

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

22

29.7

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

7.5

9.1

* 2022/23 actual spend may vary once the figures are confirmed at financial year end

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans for the proposed Major Conditions and Disease Strategy to replace existing disease and condition-specific strategies.

The Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England including cancers, cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.

In addition to the strategy, the Department will continue work to improve the treatment and care people receive for all other conditions through work such as the ME/CFS Delivery Plan, the Women’s Health Strategy and the Acquired Brain Injury strategy.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role preventative public health policies will play in the context of the implementation of the Government's Major Disease and Conditions Strategy.

The Major Conditions Strategy will apply a geographical lens to each condition in order to address regional disparities in health outcomes, supporting the levelling up mission to narrow the gap by 2030.

The Strategy will cover prevention to treatment for all six conditions and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the ONS data entitled Monthly mortality analysis, England and Wales: December 2022, published on 20 January 2023, what assessment his Department has made for the accuracy of those figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) monthly mortality analysis is categorised as a National Statistics publication, which means that it is produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. ONS are a trusted supplier of Official Statistics and the content of this analysis can be regarded as accurate.

There are a range of organisations producing different estimates of excess deaths based on different methodologies. Other sources include the ONS ‘Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional’ report, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/latest

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities ‘Excess mortality in England and English regions’ reports can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/excess-mortality-in-england-and-english-regions

24th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's Major Conditions and Diseases Strategy, whether public health charities and organisations were consulted on the contents of that strategy prior to its publication.

On 24 January 2023 the Government announced its intention to publish a Major Conditions Strategy. An interim report will be published in the summer. The Strategy will take forward the insights from previous engagement and consultation exercises on mental health, cancer, dementia and health disparities, and bring these into a single, powerful strategy. In addition to this prior engagement, there will be further opportunities for stakeholders, including charities and public health organisations, citizens, and industry to contribute to the development and content of the Strategy in due course.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to support sexual health clinics as a result of the Mpox outbreak.

We continue to work closely with the UK Health Security Agency, local authorities and NHS England to monitor the impact of monkeypox (mpox) on sexual health services and support system-wide action to maintain access to routine sexual and reproductive health services.

In 2022/23, we have allocated more than £3.4 billion to local authorities in England to fund public health services, including sexual health services, through the public health grant and provided additional funding for the mpox response, including the supply of medicines and vaccinations.

We will announce the 2023/24 public health grant allocations to local authorities in due course.

18th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Plan will include targets for reducing STI incidence in England.

In August 2022, we published the Women’s Health Strategy for England which sets out our 10 year ambitions and actions we are taking to improve health for women and girls including sexual and reproductive health. We also published a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) action plan in 2021 which sets out the actions that we are taking over the period 2022 to 2025 to move towards ending HIV transmissions and HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome related deaths within England by 2030. We remain committed to improving sexual and reproductive health, including reducing sexually transmitted infections incidence, in England.

18th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Local Government Association finding that spending on STI testing, contraception and treatment in England has fallen by 17 per cent over the last seven years.

No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual health services to meet local demand and individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need for sexual health services. In 2022/23, we have allocated more than £3.4 billion to local authorities in England to fund public health services, including sexual health services, through the public health grant. We will announce the 2023/24 public health grant allocations to local authorities in due course.

17th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to inform local authorities of their provisional public health grant budgets for 2023-24.

We will announce the 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities shortly.

17th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding of the public health grant to local authorities.

At the Spending Review 2021, we considered the need for local authority public health funding and confirmed that the public health grant to local authorities would increase over the settlement period. In 2022/23, the grant increased by 2.81% to £3.417 billion. This is in addition to targeted investment through local Government in start for life support and drug and alcohol treatment services.

We will announce 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities shortly and in doing so will consider the impact of changes to pay and inflation trends and forecasts since the Spending Review.

17th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the public health grant in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 will increase in line with inflation as announced in the Spending Review 2021.

We will announce the 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities shortly.

17th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with local government on the public health grant allocations for (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.

The Department has frequent contacts with representatives of local Government on a range of public health issues. I met the Local Government Association on 17 January recently to discuss a number of matters relating to the public’s health, including future public health grant allocations.

11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of excess deaths caused by cold homes in 2022.

The Office for National Statistics does not publish data on the number of excess deaths specifically attributed to cold homes.

11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons epilepsy is allocated only one achievement point in the General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) Directions 2019; and what steps he is taking to ensure that GP's put women who are prescribed Valproate and able to have children on a pregnancy prevention programme.

Epilepsy is allocated one achievement point within the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in the General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) (No.2) Directions 2022. QOF clinical indicators are subject to approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and are underpinned by NICE clinical guidelines and are subject to consultation with the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association.

Sodium valproate must not be used in any woman or girl able to have children unless she has a Pregnancy Prevention Programme in place. This is laid out in guidance issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, last updated in February 2021, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/valproate-use-by-women-and-girls.

The programme is designed to make sure patients are fully aware of the risks and the need to avoid becoming pregnant. It includes the completion of a signed risk acknowledgement form when their treatment is reviewed by a specialist, which must take place at least annually.

A Valproate Registry has been set up which, in line with a recommendation of the Cumberlege review, has been extended to other antiepileptic drugs taken during pregnancy. It includes all women in England who are taking National Health Service (NHS) prescribed valproate and identifies when they are pregnant and accessing NHS care for that pregnancy. The registry improves our ability to monitor implementation and compliance with the Pregnancy Prevention Programme.

11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will review the Quality Outcomes Framework to incorporate updates to the Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Program announced by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency,

Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) clinical indicators are subject to approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and are underpinned by NICE clinical guidelines. Any changes to the QOF are subject to consultation with the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of children being admitted to A&E with an (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of malnutrition per (i) month and (ii) year.

NHS Digital has provided a count of Emergency Care Data Set attendances where a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition was recorded and the patient was aged under 0-17 years old, for each month between April 2021 and November 2022 in England. This information is provided in the table below.

Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector

Year

Month

Primary diagnosis

Secondary Only

All diagnosis

2021

April

12

7

19

2021

May

28

2

30

2021

June

20

8

28

2021

July

21

2

23

2021

August

29

10

39

2021

September

25

5

30

2021

October

25

2

27

2021

November

20

7

27

2021

December

22

1

23

2022

January

15

3

18

2022

February

17

4

21

2022

March

16

4

20

2022*

April

27

2

29

2022*

May

29

6

35

2022*

June

19

4

23

2022*

July

22

1

23

2022*

August

19

2

21

2022*

September

13

2

15

2022*

October

19

1

20

2022*

November

26

7

33

Source: Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS), NHS Digital

(* provisional data)

Some health conditions can lead to malnutrition in some children. This includes eating disorders, although malnutrition itself is not an eating disorder. Through the NHS Long-Term Plan, investment in children and young people's community eating disorder services has risen every year since 2016, with an extra £54 million per year from 2022/23. This extra funding will enhance the capacity of children and young people's community eating disorder teams across the country.

10th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle vaccine misinformation.

The Government is committed to tackling vaccine misinformation. The Department is working alongside the National Health Service, other Government departments and social media companies to tackle anti-vaccine messaging, to limit misinformation. Part of this effort includes supporting strategic communication teams to identify and rebut false information, as well as ensuring reputable sources such as NHS.UK or GOV.UK are prominent and readily available. We remain vigilant and will continue this work, applying the lessons learned to our evolving strategy.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
10th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what preventative health measures his Department is (a) taking and (b) planning in order to ease pressures on the NHS.

The Department is pursuing a range of policies which will prevent ill health and make a difference to the demand on services for National Health Services, including policies focused on the main risk factors for preventable ill health and on preventative health services.

We are making progress in restoring services for preventable non communicable conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). For example, based on the current rate of recovery, we expect NHS Health Check delivery, a core part of our CVD prevention pathway, to return to pre-pandemic levels by June 2023. We continue to explore new policies to improve the prevention of ill health, including for the detection, diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

10th Jan