Antony Higginbotham

HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world.

We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We draw on all available information, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.

These Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework for assessing export licence applications and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.

We are mindful of the commercial pressures exporters face and keep our licensing process under continuous review.

The Department’s plans for Register Reform and improvements to the powers of Companies House will deliver significant improvements to the integrity of the UK’s register of companies and assist greatly in the fight against economic crime.

We will legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement made on 2^nd November 2021, the Government remains committed to establishing a new beneficial ownership register of overseas entities that own UK property. This register will help combat money laundering and achieve greater transparency in the UK property market. We are continuing to finalise the draft legislation, to align with the broader reform of Companies House. We will legislate when parliamentary time allows.

We are working to ensure that Parliamentary business can continue as far as possible during this period.

The Government published its response to the recommendations made by the Independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance in April 2022. The Government recognises the need for the long-term financial sustainability of football clubs, including those in the lower leagues. The Government will publish a White Paper on Football Governance reforms imminently, to set out our detailed plans to improve the financial stability and governance of football clubs across all leagues.

In addition, throughout the pandemic the Government offered substantial financial support to many football clubs at the National League level through the Sports Survival Package, to ensure their survival throughout the difficult period. Many clubs would have failed without that support.

The Government’s ambition is to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. In April 2022, the Government set out a number of reforms which will see the regulation and aspects of tax treatment of cryptoassets evolve.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s games sector. As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund. The UK Games Fund will continue to provide valuable support to early-stage games development and talented graduates throughout the UK. In addition, the Video Games Tax Relief continues to make the UK one of the leading destinations in the world for making video games.

We are committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and health spas. BEIS published guidance on 23 June to help spas prepare for reopening.

The Government is also in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to reopen these facilities, hopefully from mid-July.

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

Arts Council England (ACE) funds a number of national music and cultural education programmes across the country focused on children and young people.

For example, DCMS works closely with DfE to deliver Music Education hubs which help hundreds of thousands of young people learn to play an instrument in whole classes every year. Alongside this, ACE supports a range of organisations that provide cultural programmes specifically aimed at children.

DCMS has also committed £2m to the Creative Careers Programme: an industry-designed and led initiative to raise awareness amongst children and young people of opportunities for work across the creative economy.

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.

From August 2020, all starts will be on the new apprenticeship standards which are replacing frameworks. Over 530 standards, designed and driven by industry, have already been approved for delivery. These high-quality standards are directly benefitting young apprentices as they allow them to gain transferable skills, knowledge and behaviours which are recognised by industry and to become fully competent in their chosen occupations.

We are working hard to encourage take-up of apprenticeships among young people. The first 2 phases of the Fire it Up campaign have targeted young people, parents and schools to improve the perception and take-up of apprenticeships by young people. The third phase of the Fire it Up campaign, which launched in January, will continue this work as well as targeting audience groups that contribute to widening participation in apprenticeships.

Our 13^th annual National Apprenticeship Week took place in February. Nearly 900 events were held across the country, aiming to change perceptions of apprenticeships.

In January 2018, we introduced a legal requirement for schools to give training providers the chance to talk to pupils about technical qualifications and apprenticeships so that young people hear about the alternatives to academic routes.

We also offer a free service to schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge for Schools and Colleges (ASK) programme to ensure that teachers have the knowledge and support to enable them to promote apprenticeships to their students. In the last academic year, ASK reached over 300,000 students throughout England. We have recently extended the programme to include younger pupils in key stage 3 (years 7 to 9).

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to apprenticeships to improve their quality and encourage employers across England, include those in the engineering sector, to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer.

In 2018-19, there were almost 60,000 starts in the engineering and manufacturing technologies sector. There are currently 122 high-quality industry-designed apprenticeship standards available in the engineering sector, including engineering and manufacturing technician and rail and rail systems engineer, with a further 24 standards in development.

We continue to work closely with employers and industry sector bodies, including the Institute for Engineering and Technology, MAKE UK and the Royal Aeronautical Society, to help them make the most of the long-term benefits of apprenticeships.

This support ranges from direct engagement with key employers to support growth in apprenticeships, helping to promote apprenticeships on employers’ websites and social media, and running sector-specific apprenticeship events. We also provide guidance for small employers who do not pay the levy to transition onto the apprenticeship service, through webinars, workshops and face to face meetings.

Our Intermediary Ambassador Network, which currently has 60 members, includes representation from the engineering and manufacturing sector. We are supporting these ambassadors to effectively promote apprenticeships in their sectors.

We are making good progress and remain on track for the introduction of the first three T levels this September. A further seven T levels will be delivered in 2021, completing the construction and digital routes and introducing T levels from the health and science route.

We have appointed awarding organisations to deliver T levels for 2020 and 2021 and expect to award contracts for 2022 T levels in the autumn.

We have an extensive programme of support for providers and employers to get them ready to deliver Industry Placements under T levels. Funding of nearly £60 million in 2018/19 and nearly £55 million in 2019/20 has helped providers to build capacity and deliver T level industry placements, with over 18,000 T level-style placements already successfully completed in 2018/19 and many more expected this academic year.

Up to March 2020, £20 million has been allocated to help teachers and leaders prepare for the introduction of T levels, with a further investment of £15 million for 2020/21.

We want T level students to have access to the latest, high quality equipment and state-of-the-art facilities during their studies. £38 million capital funding supports the 2020 rollout and we have announced an extra £95 million to help upgrade the facilities of 2021 providers.

The Agriculture Bill currently before Parliament sets out how farmers and land managers in England will in future be rewarded with public money for public goods including improved access to the countryside. These improvements should benefit horse riders and pedestrians on bridleways and other paths.

Local highway authorities are also required to maintain a rights of way improvement plan which should consider the needs of multiple types of user.

Burnley and the wider North West economy already benefit from the higher productivity and better-quality jobs associated with international trade. According to new experimental research, 630,000 jobs in the region were estimated to be linked to exports in 2016, and Foreign Direct Investment projects created over 5,000 new jobs in 2019-20.We are confident the new Free Trade Agreements we are striking around the world will create even more opportunities for Burnley companies and that this increased trade will help level up the UK economy further.

The Government has made available nearly £2 billion since March 2020, through emergency and recovery grants, to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the bus sector. This support is currently in place until the end of March 2023. The Department is actively considering its support for the bus sector beyond that point.

The Government already provides around £250 million annually to support bus services through the Bus Service Operators Grant, and supports spending of around £1 billion a year so that older and disabled people can travel on buses throughout England for free.

The Government is also taking proactive steps to help increase patronage by providing £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. Over 140 operators covering more than 4,600 routes are participating in the scheme, which will help increase patronage on buses and help millions save on their regular travel costs.

The Government supported the reopening of the Todmorden Curve in 2015 which has allowed a new faster and direct train service between Manchester Victoria and Burnley, opening up job prospects and tourist and leisure opportunities.

Work is progressing to assess the potential role of a re-opened Skipton-Colne rail line to deliver real benefits for passengers in East Lancashire, freight users and the local economy to complement the initial Strategic Outline Business Case completed in December 2018. These will inform the Government’s decision as to whether a reinstatement scheme should progress to the ‘develop’ stage of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.

More widely, to help communities both in East Lancashire and across the country, we have pledged £500m to start reopening lines closed following the Beeching report.

This Government is committed to providing targeted support for people, regardless of the length of time they have been unemployed, so that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work.

In both Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit, the Work and Health Programme uses the expertise of private, public and voluntary and community sector providers to deliver sustained employment for disabled people, certain priority groups and the long term unemployed (more than 2 years).

For claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Additional Employability Support provides additional time for claimants who are long term unemployed – 18 months or longer – with their Work Coach to tackle barriers to work: it also includes targeted group sessions; case conferencing with a work psychologist; mock interviews and job application support; and a rigorous skills assessment.

This Government is committed to providing targeted support for people, regardless of the length of time they have been unemployed, so that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work.

In both Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit, the Work and Health Programme uses the expertise of private, public and voluntary and community sector providers to deliver sustained employment for disabled people, certain priority groups and the long term unemployed (more than 2 years).

For claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Additional Employability Support provides additional time for claimants who are long term unemployed – 18 months or longer – with their Work Coach to tackle barriers to work: it also includes targeted group sessions; case conferencing with a work psychologist; mock interviews and job application support; and a rigorous skills assessment.

Hardworking NHS Staff delivered 102% of pre-pandemic diagnostic activity in September 2022, and we are well on our way to delivering 120% of pre-pandemic activity.

The Government has committed to invest £2.3 billion in capital to help increase the volume of diagnostic activity and reduce patient waiting times.

Most of this will help increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres to up to 160 by March 2025, expanding and protecting elective planned diagnostic services.

NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Burnley. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Burnley.

The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

We are committed to recovering cancer services by the end of March 2022, returning to February 2020 levels for waiting times between a general practitioner appointment and referral and the number of people waiting for over 62 days for treatment.

Diagnostic capacity is being increased, particularly in endoscopy, computerised tomography and targeted lung health checks. Rapid diagnostic centres are bringing together diagnostic equipment and expertise and increasing capacity. The National Health Service is maximising innovative treatments adopted during the pandemic, including new radiotherapy methods to deliver targeted treatment in fewer hospital visits.

At the Spending Review 2021, we announced an extra £5.9 billion to support elective recovery, diagnostics and technology over the next three years. This includes £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and launching community diagnostic centres to address backlogs of clinical tests.

The Government continues to support the integrated provision of health and social care because of the improvements it brings to the quality of care people receive. Integrated provision has been found to improve health, quality of care and patient satisfaction.

Integration across health and social care commissioning also enables improved co-operation and joint decision-making between health and social care partners in delivering shared outcomes. A number of local areas have reported improved outcomes through the adoption of integrated approaches.

At the national level, evidence of savings due to integrated provision is limited, therefore, the Department does not have an estimate of the annual savings of integration.

The information is not available in the format requested.

The UK is clear that Hamas is fully responsible for these appalling acts of terror in Israel. We are also clear that Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel. We have long condemned Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial, and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hamas, Hizballah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and further escalates tensions. In his meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister on 3 November, the former Foreign Secretary made clear that Iran must use its influence with groups in the region to prevent escalation, and that Iran bore responsibility for the actions of groups they had supported over many years. We continue to work closely with our partners to hold Iran to account, and we currently have over 350 sanctions in place against the Iranian regime. We expect to see total international condemnation of the atrocities committed by Hamas. The UK Government will continue to stand with Israel as it faces pressing challenges to its security. We have deployed UK military assets to the region to carry out surveillance and act as a deterrent. On 14 November, the Foreign Secretary also announced targeted sanctions, coordinated with the US, against Hamas leadership (four Hamas leaders and two financiers) to disrupt Hamas operations in Gaza and wherever their leaders base themselves.

The Government is calling for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access for aid, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies, to reach civilians in Gaza. We urge all parties in the conflict to protect civilians, provide safe spaces and comply with International Humanitarian Law. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have pushed for agreements on ongoing humanitarian access to Gaza in meetings with their counterparts in Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Palestinian Authority. We have worked with partners to see the Rafah crossing opened and are now urging Israel to open additional border crossings. We are also pushing for the release of British hostages and foreign nationals and securing safe passage for British Nationals to leave Gaza.

The UK is providing more than £1.6 billion in economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine. UK support has helped save lives, keep vital Ukrainian public services running and repair energy infrastructure. We continue to assess and monitor all programme assistance to Ukraine. A review of humanitarian spend will be published in late 2023.

The Treasury is responsible for considering the implications of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and blockchain in the Financial Services sector; this includes activities relating to cryptoassets.

The government’s ambition is to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. In April 2022, the government set out a number of reforms which will see the regulation and aspects of tax treatment of cryptoassets evolve.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill ensures that the Treasury can establish the framework for regulating cryptoassets and stablecoins. The government has consulted on the regulation of stablecoins and will consult on its approach to regulating a broader set of investment-related cryptoasset activities in due course. The government believes that having robust and effective regulation will boost innovation - by giving people and businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies safely.

The government has taken a range of broader measures to support blockchain innovation in the UK. The Treasury will set up a Financial Market Infrastructure (FMI) Sandbox in 2023, which will allow firms to experiment with new technologies and innovations, including DLT, in providing the infrastructure services that underpin markets. The Treasury is taking powers through the Financial Services and Markets Bill to implement one or more sandboxes.

The government is also exploring the use of DLT in debt instruments to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of financial technology development.

Further consultation on cryptoassets is expected to be published shortly.

The Government has no current plans to apply an excise duty to non-tobacco nicotine or vaping products. We believe these are an effective way of encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives.

Non-tobacco nicotine and vaping products are currently subject to the standard rate of VAT at 20%. Medicinally regulated products are subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5%.

The Government has no current plans to apply an excise duty to non-tobacco nicotine or vaping products. We believe these are an effective way of encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives.

Non-tobacco nicotine and vaping products are currently subject to the standard rate of VAT at 20%. Medicinally regulated products are subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5%.

In response to calls that current law on economic crime may require reform, the Government carried out a Call for Evidence in 2017 and published its response in November 2020. This is an extremely complex area of the law and the public consultation unfortunately proved inconclusive.

The Government has therefore asked the Law Commission to undertake an in-depth review of the laws around corporate criminal liability for economic crime and - if considered necessary - make recommendations on proportionate and appropriate options for reform. The Commission is aiming to publish an Options Paper shortly.

It is important that we get this right, and any reforms must be proportionate and evidence-based. We intend to engage with the Law Commission on the findings of the review once it has concluded.

The Home Office is developing comprehensive plans to improve processing times.

The Asylum Transformation programme aims to bring the system back into balance and modernise it. It is focused on increasing productivity by streamlining, simplifying and digitising processes to speed up decision making to increase efficiency and output.

We have increased the number of asylum caseworkers by 80% from 597 staff in 2019/20 to more than 1,000 today. We are on course for a further 500 people by March 2023, which would take our total to approximately 1,500. We are planning fresh recruitment of decision makers to ensure that vacancies can be filled quickly, and to build a sustainably resourced decision-making system. In addition, we have implemented a recruitment and retention allowance which has reduced Decision Maker attrition rates by 30%, helping us maintain experienced asylum Decision Makers.

Since 2018, Border Force staffing has increased from 7,700 to over 8,700 to boost wider operational resilience. This includes a brand-new Readiness Task Force (RTF) of c. 300 multi-functional officers, available to deploy across the UK at short notice in response to emerging issues and peaks in demand.

The Government is developing a new global border and immigration system that makes better use of data, biometrics, analytics and automation to improve both security and fluidity across the border

We intend to introduce a requirement for visitors and transit passengers who do not currently need a visa to come to the UK to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), as an additional security measure. This will enable the Government to conduct security checks on passengers and make more informed decisions on information obtained at an earlier stage, as to whether individuals should be allowed to travel to and enter the UK.

We are also investing in new technology, including ePassport gates and other modern detection technology to improve security and prevent illegal entry.

As previously announced, we intend to phase out the acceptance of EEA and Swiss national identity cards to enter the UK in the future. National identity cards are often the most insecure and forged documents detected at the border and are not compatible with the ePassport gates. By making better use of digital technology and automation, Border Force will be able to provide an improved service whilst maintaining security.

Burnley Borough Council have received £1,080,784 in Homelessness Prevention Grant funding since the first year of the grant, 2021/22. Burnley Borough Council have also been beneficiaries of up to £650,497 through direct allocations and as members of joint local authority bids in Rough Sleeping Initiative funding since they were first funded in 2020/21.

The funding allocations for the Homelessness Prevention Grant are published here: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24-2024/25. The funding allocations for the Rough Sleeping Initiative are published here:2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23-2024/25.

Policy, guidance, research and grant funding allocations for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping are published here Homelessness and rough sleeping - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Burnley Borough Council have received £1,080,784 in Homelessness Prevention Grant funding since the first year of the grant, 2021/22. Burnley Borough Council have also been beneficiaries of up to £650,497 through direct allocations and as members of joint local authority bids in Rough Sleeping Initiative funding since they were first funded in 2020/21.

The funding allocations for the Homelessness Prevention Grant are published here: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24-2024/25. The funding allocations for the Rough Sleeping Initiative are published here:2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23-2024/25.

Policy, guidance, research and grant funding allocations for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping are published here Homelessness and rough sleeping - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Government is supporting local authorities to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping through, for example, the Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) and the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI). Allocations of Government funding are published on gov.uk.

DLUHC’s dedicated team of homelessness and rough sleeping advisers also work regularly with local authorities to provide expert support in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in their area.

As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, infrastructure and connectivity are key to levelling up the country.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently conducting a review of the annual Government grant provided to the Canal and River Trust, and the potential role of the canal network in the levelling-up agenda is being considered as part of that review.

Local authorities are equipped with a range of powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes, including those that are derelict. Through the New Homes Bonus, they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as for building a new one. Billing authorities have the discretion to charge up to 100 per cent extra council tax – on top of the standard bill – on properties that have been empty for at least two years.

In certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years and bring it back into use. Local authorities have a variety of compulsory purchase powers which they can use to acquire and develop derelict or empty property, including for housing purposes. However, compulsory purchase is intended for use as a last resort and there must always be a compelling case in the public interest.