Angela Crawley

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 recognises the significant challenge the current pandemic poses to our world-beating cultural and creative industries and to the many individuals and freelancers working across the sector. We are working very hard to help freelancers in those sectors access support.

According to the latest statistics (published on the 25th November), over two thirds of all those who are self-employed in the country have been eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. Those statistics showed that 76,000 self employed people in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector got SEISS support in phase 1 earlier this year, and 72,000 in phase 2.

Of the £119m available through Arts Council England as part of their Covid emergency support, over £26m has been distributed to individuals, including freelance workers, and organisations via the Emergency Relief Fund and Project Grants Funding (as of 5 November 2020).

Within the £26m, £17m has been distributed to individuals via ACE’s Emergency Response Fund (now closed) and c.£9m has so far been distributed to both organisations and individuals via Project Grants (out of a total of c.£80m available until April 2021).

In addition to the two Funds above, the £119m also includes the following:

• £6 million distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on self employed individuals; and

• £18 million available through their Developing Your Creative Practice Fund

The £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) is also benefiting freelancers. Around 40% of CRF awards have gone to non-building based companies (and building based companies are also likely to employ significant numbers of contracted employees), and it is estimated that around 12.5% of business costs by CRF recipients will go to freelancers, artists and casual events staff.

Under the new Tiers which came into force in England on 2 December live audiences are permitted in indoor covid secure venues in Tiers 1 and 2 in line with the capacity caps now in place and provided social distancing is maintained in line with the Performing Arts Guidance.

We recognise the crucial role that individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. As a result of the £1.57 billion Culture Renewal Fund, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, albeit in a socially distanced way, which will increase employment opportunities for freelancers.

Each organisation that receives money will know what best they can do to support their workforce, including their freelance workforce.

To complement Government Funding, ACE have made over £115m of funding available for individuals, including freelancers, to apply to. That includes:

• £17.1m through the Emergency Response Fund for individuals;

• £18m through their Developing Your Creative Practice fund;

• £75m through National Lottery Project Grants (available to both individuals and orgs); and

• £6m distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on the self employed.

In response to Covid-19, my Department has agreed a package of measures with the UK’s major fixed and mobile providers to support and protect vulnerable consumers, and those who may become vulnerable, with their connectivity needs. This package came into effect on 29 March 2020.

Providers have committed to supporting their customers facing difficulties in paying their bills, removing data caps on all current fixed broadband packages, and giving customers new and generous offers on mobile and landline services (such as data boosts at low prices and free landline calls).

Additionally, providers have committed to giving those who are vulnerable, or have been asked to self-isolate, alternative methods of communication if their fixed broadband services cannot be repaired in the event of faults.

The TCA is a good deal for British fishermen, it recognises UK sovereignty over our fishing waters, delivers an immediate uplift in quota for the UK fleet and ensures there are zero tariffs on trade in UK and EU goods. We continue to support the industry through the unique circumstances created by the COVID pandemic and adjusting to the new requirements.

Discussions between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) about staff safety in relation to Covid-19 began before the initial lockdown was announced and have been ongoing throughout. The Department for Transport has also been involved in those discussions where appropriate.

Staff safety remains an absolute priority for the department and the DVLA and all appropriate measures have been put in place.

The PCS has made clear that our proposals are acceptable in terms of addressing their staff safety concerns.

From its inception the Global Travel Taskforce was a time-limited body, and it has now concluded its work.

However, the Government is working closely and at pace with industry and our international partners to implement the taskforce recommendations and ensure a safe and sustainable return to international travel as quickly as possible.

The taskforce recommendations addressed three priorities: implementing effective public health measures; encouraging safe growth in demand; and driving a co-ordinated response with global partners.

As a first step, on 15 December the Government introduced the ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ scheme in England, allowing arrivals to pay for a privately provided Covid-19 test and reduce their required period of self-isolation if the test is negative.

From its inception the Global Travel Taskforce was a time-limited body, and it has now concluded its work.

However, the Government is working closely and at pace with industry and our international partners to implement the taskforce recommendations and ensure a safe and sustainable return to international travel as quickly as possible.

The taskforce recommendations addressed three priorities: implementing effective public health measures; encouraging safe growth in demand; and driving a co-ordinated response with global partners.

As a first step, on 15 December the Government introduced the ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ scheme in England, allowing arrivals to pay for a privately provided Covid-19 test and reduce their required period of self-isolation if the test is negative.

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector?as a result of?COVID-19 and is committed to tackling this virus while enabling a sustainable and responsible return to travel.

Commercial air transport routes are a matter for airlines, and therefore decisions on how soon to operate a route after a period of inactivity is a matter for those airlines.

Since 10 July under the Travel Corridor policy, passengers arriving from a number of countries and territories are no longer required to self-isolate on arrival unless they have visited or transited through a non-exempt country or territory. Ministerial decisions on Travel Corridors are informed by risk assessments provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, working closely with Public Health England, using a methodology endorsed by the 4 Chief Medical Officers of the UK.

As a further measure in support of international travel, the Test to Release scheme was launched on 15 December. This provides passengers arriving in England with the option to shorten the self-isolation period by up to half following a negative COVID-19 test.

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.

It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the impact of removing the £20 uplift on child poverty. This is particularly the case at the moment given the uncertainty around the speed of the economic recovery, and how this will be distributed across the population.

The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. Helping parents to move into and remain in work offers the best opportunity for families to move out of poverty and to improve children’s long-term outcomes. A child living in a household where every adult is working is about 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than a child in a household where nobody works.

Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; Restart, which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year; and JETS, which provides light touch employment support for people who are claiming either Universal Credit or New Style Jobseekers Allowance, for up to 6 months, helping participants effectively re-engage with the labour market and focus their job search. We have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job. In total, our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.

This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.

This year, we are also investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has been expanded to every Local Authority across England. Participating children will benefit from a range of support, including a healthy and nutritious meal as well as fun and engaging activities covering the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021. We also increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 in April, which helps eligible low income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins.

People who are under State Pension Age and have a disability or health condition that affects their ability to work can apply for New Style Employment and Support Allowance (NS ESA), subject to the wider eligibility criteria.

Where an individual is not furloughed, and they are sick or incapable of work, they may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay from their employer subject to satisfying entitlement conditions.

In addition, where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to receive Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances. Those with long term health conditions may also be eligible for help with the additional costs that can arise from a long-term health condition or disability through Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, depending on their age.

In relation to your question on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Information on lower level medical conditions is not currently available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The available information on the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants by high level medical conditions is published here:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

In respect of your question on Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the information you requested is not held by the Department. A specific diagnosis code for Long Covid does not exist in the PIP Computer System. Claimants who experience Long Covid symptoms will have a disability recorded that links with the claimant’s functional needs.

Statistics on the number PIP Claims with Entitlement broken down by disability for each month from April 2013 – October 2020 is published on Stat-Xplore:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

We have introduced a balanced package of support for people who are affected by the effects of Covid 19. This includes over £6.5 billion of extra support through the welfare system as part of the unprecedented series of measures, announced by the Chancellor, to support businesses and their employees to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

For Jobseeker’s Allowance we have ensured that any periods of sickness experienced by a person who, is infected or contaminated with coronavirus, in self-isolation or caring for a child or qualifying young person in their household who is infected, will not count towards the maximum permitted number of sickness periods applicable to a claimant, whilst in receipt of that benefit. This means entitlement can continue if this causes them to exceed the maximum of 13 weeks in a 12-month period.

We have also introduced a range of additional measures to support legacy claimants deal with the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic. We made the decision to temporarily suspend the requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments from 19 March for all claimants on Universal Credit, new styles Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance, and legacy benefits. Claimants will continue to receive benefits as normal and they will not be sanctioned for not taking part in appointments with Jobcentres.

We also removed waiting days for ESA for claimants affected by Covid-19, so it will be payable from day one of the claim, subject to the claimant satisfying the normal conditions of entitlement.

We have increased the Local Housing Allowance rates for private renters claiming Housing Benefit to the 30th percentile of local rents. As a result, Housing Benefit claimants will gain on average an additional £600 this year in increased housing support. In addition, we have increased the additional earnings disregard in Housing Benefit from £17.10 to £37.10 per week to ensure that the increase of approximately £20 a week we have introduced to the basic element of Working Tax Credit is not clawed back.

The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during the pandemic.

These announced measures that have a positive impact on legacy and other working age benefits include:

• Providing more support for benefit claimants in the Private Rented Sector by increasing Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile, helping to alleviate affordability challenges, which will provide additional support for those receiving Housing Support.
• Suspending the requirement for people applying for or receiving benefits to attend jobcentre appointments, which started from Thursday 19 March 2020.
• Allowing disabled and sick claimants who cannot attend a reassessment for Personal Independence Payments, Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit to continue to receive their payments while their assessment is rearranged.
• Allowing carers to retain their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance if they have a temporary break in caring as a result of isolation due to, or infection or contamination with, coronavirus disease of either the carer or the person cared for.
• The 1.7% benefit up-rating was implemented in April, ending the benefits freeze, and the state pension rose by 3.9%, as per the triple lock, reflecting last year’s substantial rise in average earnings,

In addition, we have provided local authorities with £500m to support the most vulnerable households in their area who may struggle to meet Council Tax payments.

The Department is closely liaising with the Association of Medical Research Charities, as well as individual dementia charities, to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this sector and identify how best the Government and charities can work together to ensure that patients continue benefiting from charity funded research.

The Government remains strongly committed to supporting research to combat dementia. The Government’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 contained the commitment to spend £300 million on dementia research over the five years to March 2020. This commitment was delivered a year early with £341 million spent on dementia research over the four years to 31 March 2019.

To date the cost of developing the National Health Service COVID-19 app is £10.8 million.

The international data shows that the hospitalisation rate is greatest in the vulnerable, including those aged 70 and older. Asking this group to be most stringent with social distancing is important for reducing the pressure on intensive care beds. The United Kingdom policy in this regard is based on a review of the scientific evidence by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

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

We are in contact with the Hong Kong SAR Government to minimise the disruption to UK and Hong Kong families and businesses.

However it is the authorities in the country or territory a person wishes to travel to, who are responsible for setting and enforcing the rules for entry. The Hong Kong authorities have informed us that the decisions will be reviewed every two weeks.

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.

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.

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.

The Government continues to examine alternative methods to see whether we can mitigate the impact to those survivors who had remarried or cohabited before the introduction of the 'Pensions for Life' changes in 2015. Much progress has been made and the issue remains a priority for the Ministry of Defence, though it remains very complex.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes annual location statistics for UK Regular Service and MOD Civilian staff. Table 2.1a of the 2020 publication includes the number of MOD personnel based in Scotland as at April each year since April 2012 and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/location-of-all-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-annual-statistics-index

The Government recognises the unique commitment that Service families make to our country and remains sympathetic to the circumstances of those widows who remarried and cohabited before 1 April 2015. However, the Government currently has no plans to reinstate War Widows’ Pensions for war widows who remarried or cohabited before the 2015 changes took effect.

As the Secretary of State for Defence said to the House on 3 February 2020, we are examining alternative methods to see whether we can mitigate the impact. However, this is a complex policy area and it is taking time to carefully consider the potential options within both financial and legal constraints. This work is ongoing, and any recommendations will have to first be agreed with other Government Departments.

The Government has been clear we intend to continue to work in partnership with the devolved administrations and local communities. We have demonstrated this commitment by confirming that devolved administrations will have a place within the governance structures for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Ministers regularly speak to Cabinet colleagues on the UKSPF and my officials routinely engage with their devolved administration counterparts on their priorities. To date, we have conducted 25 engagement events across the UK, many of which were attended by the devolved administrations. We will continue this engagement as we develop the UKSPF investment framework and in advance of its publication.

The UK has strong human rights protections within a comprehensive and well-established constitutional and legal system, and a longstanding tradition of ensuring rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations.

The UK has put in place a combination of policies and legislation to give effect to the international human rights treaties that it has ratified. The UK has a strong record before the various UN treaty monitoring bodies and fully participates in relevant reporting processes.

Naturally, the Government does not disclose the details of private conversations that are had amongst Cabinet colleagues, but there should be no doubt that the Government will continue to be very active in supporting the rule of law.