Angela Crawley

The Government has no plans to implement trials of a four-day working week in the UK Civil Service.

The Employment Bill is a core part of Building Back Better, supporting the Government’s aim to build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business. COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the labour market, so it is right that we introduce the Employment Bill when we are sure it will address the needs of businesses and workers in the post-Covid economy. We will bring forward the Employment Bill when the Parliamentary time allows it. In the meantime, we will continue to take necessary action to support businesses and protect jobs.

Subject to the outcome of two public consultations, later this year, the Government plans to introduce ecodesign measures that promote the repairability of consumer products, such as household fridges, washing machines and televisions, in order to increase their lifespan. These measures aim to improve the resource efficiency of energy related products and this will include ensuring that spare parts are available for a minimum of seven years after the placing of new products on the market. They will also ensure that parts can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools, tackling premature obsolescence. We are also seeking powers through the Environment Bill that will enable government to require products to carry information for example relating to product lifetimes, durability and reparability.

Our forthcoming world class energy-related products framework will push products to use even less energy and material resources, in order to reduce carbon emissions and consumer bills, and improve resource productivity.

The Government recognises the outbound travel sector has been particularly hard hit by covid-19, and we will continue to engage regularly with ABTA and its members about the sector’s recovery.

Businesses in the outbound travel sector have been able to access Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, the loan schemes, VAT deferrals and cash grants of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, as well as a broad range of other economic support.

Additionally, on 18 July the Government announced that ATOL-protected holidaymakers can book with confidence following confirmation that the Government will protect refund credit notes offered if packages are cancelled as a result of COVID-19.

Accrediting new lenders for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) is a priority for the British Business Bank. The Bank is working at pace to accredit more lenders to further extend the Scheme’s reach and provide more choice for smaller businesses.

The Bank has put substantial additional resources in place to create a streamlined process within the Bank to help onboard new lenders seeking accreditation as quickly as possible. For example, existing lenders accredited under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) may have an expedited accreditation process for the BBLS.

There are currently 16 accredited lenders for the BBLS.

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has been introduced to help small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000. Businesses are not required to bank with a lender in order to apply for a Bounce Back Loan with them. A full list of accredited lenders can be found on the British Business Bank website.

To be eligible for the scheme, businesses must:

• be based in the UK
• have been negatively affected by coronavirus
• not have been an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ on 31 December 2019
• not already be claiming under:

o Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

o Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS)

o COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility

To apply for the scheme businesses must complete a short, simple, online application form, meaning that applications can be submitted and processed rapidly. Businesses should then be able to access loans within a matter of days. The Government is providing lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan to give them the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country.

The Government continues to work with banks and other finance providers to help SMEs access the finance they need.

Great Britain has a reliable energy system and maintaining a safe and secure energy supply is a key priority for this Government.

Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, we have been in daily contact with gas and electricity operators, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), National Grid Gas (NGG), and Ofgem, to ensure our electricity and gas supplies are secure.

We have received assurance from all critical gas and electricity operators that they have contingency plans in place to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19; and we are closely monitoring staff absenteeism levels, as well as the supply of key commodities.

Currently, electricity and gas margins are adequate and there is sufficient supply to meet demand. The implementation of the Government policies to delay the spread of Covid-19 is resulting in a measurable reduction in the national demand for electricity and gas.

We are confident that electricity and gas supplies will keep flowing.

The Government is working closely with the UK’s aerospace industry, including at sector level through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, to help retain jobs and return the sector to growth as soon as possible.

The Global Travel Taskforce has also undertaken extensive engagement with the transport industry, international partners, the tourism sector, business leaders, and the private testing sector and invited submissions from all of these partners on its work. The Taskforce has received contributions from a wide range of partners, including the aerospace industry, and is due to report its recommendations to the Prime Minister in November.

The Government is actively working on the practicalities of using testing to release people from self-isolation earlier than 14 days. The Global Travel Taskforce is working at pace to consider how testing, technology and innovation can drive a recovery for international travel and tourism, without adding to infection risk or infringing on our overall NHS test capacity.

The taskforce will report to the Prime Minister no later than November, setting out recommendations for how the UK can support the recovery of international travel. I will update the House on its conclusions and outputs shortly.

The Government is actively working on the practicalities of using testing to release people from self-isolation earlier than 14 days. The Global Travel Taskforce is working at pace to consider how testing, technology and innovation can drive a recovery for international travel and tourism, without adding to infection risk or infringing on our overall NHS test capacity.

The taskforce will report to the Prime Minister no later than November, setting out recommendations for how the UK can support the recovery of international travel. I will update the House on its conclusions and outputs shortly.

The Government is actively working on the practicalities of using testing to release people from self-isolation earlier than 14 days. The Global Travel Taskforce is working at pace to consider how testing, technology and innovation can drive a recovery for international travel and tourism, without adding to infection risk or infringing on our overall NHS test capacity.

The taskforce will report to the Prime Minister no later than November, setting out recommendations for how the UK can support the recovery of international travel. I will update the House on its conclusions and outputs shortly.

The Department is working very closely with the logistics industry to keep supply chains moving, including to address this and other matters to keep workers safe. Public Health England updated their advice on 24 March and further work with Public Health England is ongoing.

My colleague Baroness Vere has reiterated in writing the need for guidance to be followed and truck drivers to be allowed access to facilities including toilets, which is consistent with the Public Health England advice.

There are no plans to introduce a crisis minimum income at this time.

The Government has been clear in its commitment to support those affected in these difficult times and we have made a number of changes to the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. These changes include:

• making it easier to access benefits. Those applying for Contributory ESA will be able to claim from day 1 – as opposed to day 8 - and we have removed the need for face-to-face assessment. Both Universal Credit and Contributory ESA can now be claimed by phone or online;
• increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and working tax credit for this year by around £1000 per year;
• temporarily relaxing the application of the Minimum Income Floor (MIF) for all self-employed claimants affected by the economic impact of COVID-19 to ensure that the self-employed can access UC at a more generous rate;
• making Statutory Sick Pay available from day 1 – as opposed to day 4 - where an eligible individual is sick or self-isolating; and
• increasing the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants so that it covers at least 30% of the market rents in an area – which is on average £600 in people’s pockets.

Taken together, these measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

The 82% referenced in my oral contribution of 27 January 2020, referred to the overall satisfaction of PIP claimants in 2017/18 as published in the “Claimant Service and Experience Survey 2017/18”, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-claimant-service-and-experience-survey-2017-to-2018

PIP Assessment Providers, Independent Assessment Services (IAS) and Capita, have a separate Claimant Satisfaction target, set at 90%. They have consistently exceeded this target since the measurement began in 2016.

The Department has announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended further to 16 months. There are no plans to introduce this earlier.

Claimants can access up to 100% of their total expected Universal Credit monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. Proposed repayments of the advance are explained in advance, and all claimants are advised to request a level of advance which is manageable when considering the repayments required. Work Coaches gauge claimants’ financial needs from their first interview. For those who need help with budgeting, we can signpost to additional support, for example through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), who can help with personal budgeting and money management through its free helpline, printed guides and digital guidance.

Management information at 5 January 2020 shows that so far we have cleared 720,000 cases under the MH decision and 820,000 cases under the RJ decision.

Continuous monitoring of the outcomes of the administrative exercise has shown which cases are most likely to benefit from the exercise. We remain on track to complete the exercise in 2020.

Claimants unlikely to benefit will be contacted in writing and provided with the information they need to decide whether they might be affected. If they feel they may be affected they will be offered the opportunity for their case to be reviewed.

We are currently re-estimating the number of claimants and associated costs as further data on the number of claimants with revised awards has become available as part of our continuous monitoring of the exercise.

We remain committed to delivering the new single, integrated assessment service for health assessments across PIP, ESA and UC. We are developing the new digital service and are already using it in a small number of assessment centres. To date the service has handled over 300 assessments. We are using feedback from DWP staff, service users, our assessment providers, and wider stakeholders to involve them in the design of our digital service, making sure we deliver a more user-friendly, streamlined process.

Any complaint received by the department relating solely to the service provided by the Assessment Provider is passed to them to action. Providers have their own complaints process to deal with dissatisfaction about the service they provide.

Information on the total number of complaints received by Independent Assessment Service (IAS), formally ATOS and Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA), which is a MAXIMUS company, for the period January 2019 to December 2019 are shown in the table below.

* All data collated from provider MI, all numbers rounded to the nearest 10

Universal Credit has now rolled out in every Jobcentre with a caseload of 2.7 million, growing every month, now able to access the additional support and flexibilities it offers. The latest data shows the proportion of all Universal Credit claims that received their full payment on time was over 95 per cent.

The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey (June 2018) shows that 9 months into a Universal Credit claim, 40 per cent of claimants are working for an employer in a paid role, as opposed to only 23 per cent at the start of their claim, and people on Universal Credit spend around 50% more time looking for a job than they did under Jobseeker’s Allowance. 86 per cent of people on Universal Credit were actively looking to increase their hours, compared to just 38 per cent of people on Jobseeker’s Allowance. This is because they can take on more hours without losing their benefit.

The guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to public health officers will include guidance on wellbeing and personal circumstances. However, public health officers are trained in taking into account a person’s wellbeing. This will be no different for responding to someone suspected of having COVID-19.

The guidance to public health officers (PHOs) will set out that a PHO should give particular consideration to the needs of people with protected characteristics for example, the needs of children, the elderly, those with disabilities, those with existing medical conditions, those with mental health conditions, those who are pregnant, those who may not speak English, and any other groups on whom the impact of those requirements might be greater than would otherwise be the case. For example, individuals with mobility needs may need to be provided with appropriate accommodation and adjustments made if they are to be placed into supported isolation.

On Monday 23 March, new COVID-19 measures came into effect in the United Kingdom. These measures have reduced day-to-day contact with other people in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The new measures include the following:

- Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes;

- Closing of certain businesses and venues; and

- Stopping of all gatherings of more than two people in public.

Individuals suspected of having COVID-19, who live alone, are required to stay at home for seven days from when the symptoms began. After the seven day period, if the individual no longer has a high temperature, they do not need to continue to self-isolate. Every citizen is instructed to comply with these all of new measures.

Further information can be found online at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Screening may include requiring an individual to answer questions about their health or other relevant circumstances; produce supporting health documents; allow biological samples to be taken; and to provide suitable tracing information. Only those screening requirements which are deemed as necessary and proportionate will be used.

Assessment facilities will be determined as adequate if there is availability of staff with the clinical expertise to take samples and/or medical history; staff have the relevant protective equipment; they are able to safely take biological samples; and the facility is cleaned appropriately.

A Public Health Officer will advise on what can be considered as a suitable facility including for those who are unable to self-isolate at home and will work with relevant authorities to ensure this.

An individual will be deemed as being potentially infected with COVID-19 if they display symptoms associated with COVID-19; have travelled from a country which is considered high risk; or have come into close contact with anyone known or believed to have COVID-19.

In assessing whether there are reasonable grounds to suspect an individual may be infected, constables and immigration officers will have regard to public health guidance and, where practicable, consult public health officers to determine if it is necessary and proportionate to require that the individual undergo screening and assessment.

In my Written Ministerial Statement on 17 December 2020, I outlined the three main channels through which London Capital & Finance plc (LCF) bondholders can seek compensation. These are the administration process, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Complaints Scheme.

My statement also announced that, taking into consideration the specific and complex set of circumstances surrounding the collapse of LCF, the Treasury will set up a compensation scheme which will assess whether there is justification for further one-off compensation payments in certain circumstances for some LCF bondholders . The Government will announce further details in due course.

In my Written Ministerial Statement on 17 December 2020, I outlined the three main channels through which London Capital & Finance plc (LCF) bondholders can seek compensation. These are the administration process, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Complaints Scheme.

My statement also announced that, taking into consideration the specific and complex set of circumstances surrounding the collapse of LCF, the Treasury will set up a compensation scheme which will assess whether there is justification for further one-off compensation payments in certain circumstances for some LCF bondholders . The Government will announce further details in due course.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has provided and will continue to provide support to the self-employed, including freelance performers and musicians who meet the eligibility criteria. The third grant, combined with up to £14,070 worth of support for each individual from the first and second grants, makes the SEISS one of the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world.

The third grant will be available to self-employed individuals who have been affected by reduced demand or have been unable to trade due to COVID-19, which they believe will lead to a significant reduction in their trading profits. This will ensure that support is targeted at those who most need it.

The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed. Other elements of the package include Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.

The Government has announced a £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund to protect the cultural sectors through the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to help to ensure a vibrant future for the cultural and creative sectors on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. To date, £560m in grant funding has been allocated to nearly 3,000 cultural organisations in England. Organisations supported include galleries, theatres, museums, orchestras, music venues, comedy clubs and festivals. This funding will help to enable performances to restart, protect jobs and create opportunities for freelancers. Further allocations will be announced in the coming weeks.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 24 November to UIN 115585.

I am aware of the challenging conditions facing the aerospace sector. That is why we are supporting the aerospace sector and its aviation customers with over £9 billion support through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, grants for research and development, loan guarantees and support for aerospace exports.

The forthcoming Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Grant Extension will help provide critical support to the self-employed, including freelance performers and musicians. The SEISS Grant Extension will support those who are currently eligible for the SEISS and are actively continuing to trade but are facing reduced demand due to COVID-19. The scheme will last for 6 months, from November 2020 to April 2021.

The extension will be in the form of two grants. The first grant will cover a three-month period from the start of November until the end of January. The second grant will then cover the subsequent three-month period from the start of February until the end of April.

Those who require further support may be able to benefit from other elements of the comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Grant Extension provides crucial support for the self-employed, including those in the hospitality sector. It is targeted at those who are currently actively trading but are facing reduced demand due to COVID-19, in order to help them continue trading in the forthcoming winter months.

The Government understands that some businesses and sectors will be affected by COVID-19 to a greater extent than others. The SEISS continues to be just one element of a comprehensive package of support for the self-employed. Those not eligible for the SEISS Grant Extension may still be eligible for other elements of the unprecedented financial support available.

The Government has temporarily increased the Universal Credit standard allowance for 2020-21 and relaxed the Minimum Income Floor for the duration of the pandemic so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have significantly fallen, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, the self-employed have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

The Government recognises the challenges facing those with cancer, and the current level of unprecedented support for people’s incomes is available for those who are living with cancer. This includes the Self- Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

The Chancellor announced on 12 May that the CJRS scheme will be extended until October.

Before 30 June, any employee could be furloughed. From 1 July, an employee can only continue to be furloughed if they have previously been furloughed for at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June.

For those required to shield after 1 August, they will receive letters/notification advising them of this, and they will continue to be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay on the basis of their shielding status.

For an employee to be eligible for the CJRS they must have been notified to HMRC on a real-time information (RTI) submission on or before 19 March. Those paid annually are eligible to claim, as long as they meet the relevant conditions including being notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020, which relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/2020 tax year. Anyone paid annually and notified on an RTI submission after that date will not be eligible for the scheme, which puts them in the same position as those who are paid more frequently and were not notified to HMRC on or before 19 March. The 19 March date allows as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement and mitigates the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is only available to those whose trading profit makes up 50% or more of their total income, as the SEISS aims to provide financial support to those who rely on self-employment as their main source of income. Many individuals earn small amounts of income from self-employment in addition to income from employment and other sources. These individuals may benefit from other policies such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Individuals may have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances, and the SEISS supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.

The UK has one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme opened on 13 May, ahead of schedule, and it provides support worth up to £7,500 each to millions of individuals. Recipients will have the grants in their bank accounts within six working days of making an application.

The Chancellor indicated that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme would be temporary when he announced it at the end of March, and that it could be extended if necessary. The Government is keeping this under review.

As the economy re-opens, the Government will consider how to adjust support in a way that ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and livelihoods.

HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.

The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.

It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.

The Government will continue to monitor developments and engage with affected sectors, with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) covers employees on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. It covers agency workers (including those employed by umbrella companies), so long as the other eligibility conditions of the scheme are met.

Employers should follow HMRC’s comprehensive online guidance in order to calculate the correct reference pay. This guidance can be applied to all forms of employment contract.

Where an employee has been paid a variable amount, the reference pay is calculated by looking at the average pay over the financial year 2019/20, or in some instances by means of a one-year look-back test. Only payments that the employer was obliged to make should be included.

The Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency.

The Government has also worked with the UK’s major telecommunications providers to agree measures to support connectivity for vulnerable consumers and the NHS.

In addition, the government recently announced that vulnerable and disadvantaged children across England are to receive laptops, tablets and 4G routers to make remote education accessible. We are also working with the major telecommunications providers to make it easier for families to access selected educational resources by temporarily exempting these sites from data charges.

Extending the cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme beyond 20 March, when the scheme was announced, would enable criminals to exploit the scheme by providing fraudulent payroll data that HMRC could not easily verify. Processing claims beyond 20 March while managing the significant fraud risks would require much greater manual handling by HMRC which would substantially slow down the system and therefore delay the delivery of grants that many businesses desperately need.

Those not eligible for this grant may be able to access the other support the Government is providing, including a package of temporary welfare measures and up to three months’ mortgage payment holidays for those struggling with their mortgage payments.

Banks and building societies are ready and able to support consumers impacted by COVID-19. On the 17 March, the Chancellor announced on behalf of the sector that banks and building societies will offer a 3-month ‘mortgage holiday’ for borrowers that are financially struggling with their repayments. This forbearance measure will enable affected borrowers to defer their mortgage payments for up to 3 months while they get back on their feet.

The FCA have also published guidance on payment holidays and repossession action for firms that engage in mortgage lending activities. This means that second charge mortgages are also captured by the measures. You can view the guidance here:

https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/mortgages-coronavirus-consumers

As a form of forbearance, the option of a mortgage repayment holiday is open to any customer regardless of whether they are in payment shortfall. Any customer who is concerned about their current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss the best option for their them.

The Government has introduced an unprecedented £350bn package of measures to support businesses access the finance they need during this difficult period, and announced significant measures to directly provide support for SMEs including grants, business rates relief and other tax measures.

Banks and building societies are ready and able to support consumers impacted by COVID-19. On the 17 March, the Chancellor announced on behalf of the sector that banks and building societies will offer a 3-month ‘mortgage holiday’ for borrowers that are financially struggling with their repayments. This forbearance measure will enable affected borrowers to defer their mortgage payments for up to 3 months while they get back on their feet.

The FCA have also published guidance on payment holidays and repossession action for firms that engage in mortgage lending activities. This means that second charge mortgages are also captured by the measures. You can view the guidance here:

https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/mortgages-coronavirus-consumers

As a form of forbearance, the option of a mortgage repayment holiday is open to any customer regardless of whether they are in payment shortfall. Any customer who is concerned about their current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss the best option for their them.

The Government has introduced an unprecedented £350bn package of measures to support businesses access the finance they need during this difficult period, and announced significant measures to directly provide support for SMEs including grants, business rates relief and other tax measures.

The Home Office will continue to ensure that the welfare and dignity of all claimants forms a central platform of our decision-making processes.

An individualised assessment of each eligible person’s circumstances will be undertaken prior to any decision to relocate them to Rwanda. We would not relocate someone where it would be unsafe or inappropriate to do so.

Any vulnerabilities will be taken into consideration and every individual who is eligible for removal under this policy will be able to make representations where they are concerned the country in question would not be safe for them.

The Home Office are unable to report how many asylum seekers have applied for and been accepted for permission to work in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as this information is not held in a reportable format or forms part of published data.

The Home Office do not track how many asylum seekers have applied to volunteer as they are able give their time for free to charitable or public sector organisations without any contractual obligation or entitlement. They are not employees or workers as defined by various statutory provisions. Further information can be found at: Permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Information on the shortage occupation list (SOL) is readily available in the public domain as part of the immigration rules: Immigration Rules - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Government does not collect the information required to calculate the number of people with refugee status employed in the UK. Those granted refugee status in the UK have full, unrestricted, labour market access and are free to take employment without notifying the Home Office.

To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, as well as those arriving under one of the UK’s resettlement schemes, have immediate access to the labour market and welfare benefits. If in receipt of Universal Credit, they can receive employment support from the Department for Work and Pensions.

For those arriving through one of the UK’s resettlement schemes, the Home Office funds local and regional authorities to provide a package of support. As part of this, authorities are responsible for ensuring that arrivals are provided with a dedicated source of advice and support to assist with registering for mainstream benefits and services, including assistance with access to employment.

For those who were asylum seekers, we provide a further 28 days' support after the grant of refugee status to help with the transition to the mainstream benefits system. This Move-On service includes advice and assistance in relation to applying for Universal Credit and employment support.

Asylum seekers have access to NHS health service.

All Home Office staff and contractors engaging with asylum seekers are trained to adopt a risk-based approach towards potential indications of vulnerability and to refer relevant cases onto the Safeguarding Hub, a dedicated resource assigned to identifying and safeguarding vulnerable asylum seekers.

The Safeguarding Hub works closely with the statutory agencies to signpost vulnerable customers for support with their health and social care needs.

We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year into mental health services by 2023/24, the largest increase in mental health funding in NHS history.

The Guide to Living in Asylum Accommodation sets out what is available for people being accommodated in asylum accommodation and who are eligible for asylum support. Those accommodated in bridging hotels have been evactuated from Afghanistan and are refugees with leave to remain in the country, they are not asylum seekers and therefore are not eligible for asylum support and so the guide does not apply to them.

In 2021 The UK Government undertook the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, helping over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan. Due to the scale and pace of the evacuation we were not able to source appropriate accommodation in the normal way, we therefore had to use bridging hotels as a temporary measure. In these hotels we provide 3 meals a day for residents. All arrivals received an Aspen Card with funds equivalent to those on Universal Credit (UC). The families/individuals will then apply for UC and Aspen Cards will be terminated.

This Government currently has no plans to review the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. We keep drug controls under review, in consultation with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Drugs Legislation forms part of our wider approach to preventing drug misuse alongside prevention and education, supporting treatment and recovery, and tackling the supply of illicit drugs.

Since its launch in 2019, the EU Settlement Scheme advertising campaign has encouraged EU citizens and their family members to apply to the scheme and has helped to drive over 5.6 million applications.

In May the Home Office launched the latest £1.8 million wave of UK advertising to ensure EU citizens and their family members apply to the scheme ahead of the 30 June 2021 deadline. This builds on the successful £6.8 million campaign already delivered since launch.

Below is a breakdown of the campaign spend since launch in March 2019 for each requested channel:

• Outdoor advertising £1,313,000
• Social media £1,024,000
• Radio media (including community radio) £1,605,000
• Television media (including video on demand) £2,608,000
• Print media £194,500

The remainder of the total cost has been spent on other paid media channels such as digital advertising and paid search.

The Home Office issues settled status documentation in the primary name which is used in the official documentation produced as part of an individual’s application.

The Home Office does not capture data on the number of customers who have updated their birth name to their married name since being issued status. To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

The Government has successfully delivered one of the key promises made to the British people at the last election.

Freedom of movement has ended and a new points-based system is in place. This means we can attract those people with the skills this country needs to support our economic recovery and build back better.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Home Office issues settled status documentation in the name which is used in the official documentation produced as part of an individual’s application.

We do not require married applicants to provide evidence of their birth name.

We are making good progress with an ambitious and systematic programme of immigration detention reform, at the heart of which is a Government commitment, over time, to secure a material reduction in the number of people detained and the length of time they spend in detention, coupled with improved welfare for detainees and a culture that maintains the highest standards of professionalism.

As part of this reform, we are maximising the use of existing alternatives to detention and exploring new approaches including a current pilot to support vulnerable women in the community who would otherwise be detained at Yarl’s Wood.

We are progressing these priorities all while continuing to tackle abuse of the immigration system. The immigration estate is safer, more secure, and almost 40 per cent smaller than in 2015, with only four per cent of individuals detained for more than four months, and only two per cent of individuals detained for more than six months in year ending December 2019. Detention only exceeds these timescales in the most complex cases, almost always where serious and/or persistent criminality is involved.

Reducing instances of when the Courts find that we have unlawfully detained an individual is a priority. Often, an initial decision to detain will be appropriate, before a change in the individual’s circumstances undermines this decision. As part of our response to the Home Affairs Committee immigration detention report, the Home Office has begun a programme of work focused on litigation outcomes to ensure that best practice is shared, that lessons are learned, and that we reduce instances of unlawful detention.

The Home Secretary published this report on 19^th March 2020