Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Create an emergency fund for ASD (autism) & ADHD assessments
Gov Responded - 14 Dec 2021 Debated on - 6 Feb 2023 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsThe Government should create an emergency fund to deal with the massive waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults. This would provide resources for local health services deal with current waiting lists and new patients.
Review management of ADHD assessments and increase funding
Gov Responded - 21 Apr 2022 Debated on - 6 Feb 2023 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsThe Government should commission a review of how Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessments are managed by the NHS, including through Shared Care Agreements, and increase funding to reduce waiting times.
Grant an urgent Amnesty to Undocumented Migrants living in the UK
Gov Responded - 18 Mar 2021 Debated on - 19 Jul 2021 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsUndocumented Migrants are suffering in silence, with no access to adequate Financial support, or any help. The Government should grant an urgent Amnesty of 5years to those with no criminal record so that they could live their lives as normal human beings and pay tax to help the UK economy.
Give all key workers a 100% tax and Nat. Ins. holiday through COVID-19 crisis
Gov Responded - 27 Apr 2020 Debated on - 14 Dec 2020 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsThe government is helping private firms to protect jobs by paying up to 80% of staff wages through this crisis. If it can do this why can it not help key workers who will be putting themselves/their families at risk and working extra hard under extremely challenging and unprecedented circumstances.
Give government workers a fair pay rise
Gov Responded - 16 Oct 2020 Debated on - 14 Dec 2020 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsDuring the pandemic government workers have delivered vital public services and kept our country safe and secure. After ten years in which the real value of civil service pay has fallen, many face hardship. The Government must start to restore the real value of their pay with a 10% increase in 2020.
Scrap removal of free transport for under-18s from TfL bailout
Gov Responded - 10 Aug 2020 Debated on - 30 Nov 2020 View Bambos Charalambous's petition debate contributionsTo not decide to scrap free travel for those who are under 18. As a teenager who has relied so much on free travel, it has allowed for me to go to school without the worry of an extra expense and explore around the beautiful city of London also. Destroying free travel would hurt so many of us.
These initiatives were driven by Bambos Charalambous, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Bambos Charalambous has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Bambos Charalambous has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to make provision about children's access to medical services; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about children’s access to medical treatment; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the provision of comprehensive palliative care to those with terminal illnesses, including adults over the age of 60; to require certain public bodies to co-operate with hospices in the provision of palliative care; to make provision for support for those caring for individuals with a terminal illness; and for connected purposes.
Breast Screening Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Steve Brine (Con)
Wellbeing of Future Generations (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (Green)
Sexual Offences (Sports Coaches) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tracey Crouch (Con)
Disabled Facilities Grants (Review) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Liz Twist (Lab)
Compulsory Purchase and Planning Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Emma Hardy (Lab)
Smoking Prohibition (National Health Service Premises) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tracy Brabin (LAB)
National Health Service Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Eleanor Smith (Lab)
There is growing evidence to show that when salary information is not transparent, it has an impact on how people, particularly women and those from ethnic minorities, negotiate pay. This can ultimately result in lower starting salaries and smaller pay rises. In light of this, we have considered the merits of making this a requirement.
However, we appreciate that some employers may find it challenging to be fully transparent about pay, and for many organisations, moving immediately to a system of full pay transparency would require a period of adjustment. We therefore do not believe that introducing a legal requirement to disclose this information is the right course of action.
However, in order to encourage and assist employers in voluntarily adopting this, we are considering what further support employers may need. In addition, our pay transparency pilot will provide insights on the impact it can have.
Police data does not provide a fully reliable picture of trends of Violence Against Women and Girls. These crimes are often hidden and can go unreported to the police.
Pleasingly, levels of reporting have gone up. This may be in part be due to improvements in recording practices, but also because victims and survivors are more comfortable in coming forward.
We want to see these increases, so the victims and survivors can be supported so more perpetrators are rightly brought to justice.
I know the CPS recognises the serious impact hate crimes have on peoples’ lives and will always seek to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so, regardless of the offence or how it is committed. Their efforts have led to a continued rise in successful sentence uplifts for recorded hate crime, which this year reached its highest rate yet at 79.1% of cases.
Each CPS Area also has a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor as a strategic hate crime lead and nationally there is a hate crime lead at Chief Crown Prosecutor level. A network of dedicated Hate Crime Coordinators operate across all 14 CPS Areas, providing experience and expertise on matters relating to hate crime and supporting front line prosecutors to secure sentence uplifts.
The CPS directly engages with communities affected by hate crime to ensure a greater awareness of the law and how it is applied. Within the Jewish community, the CPS sits on the cross-government antisemitism working group with the Community Security Trust, Board of Deputies, and Jewish Leadership Council. The CPS External Consultation Group on hate crime provides a further community perspective on prosecutorial activity.
Diversity monitoring forms, which include the Enterprise Resource Planning system used in the Cabinet Office, use question sets in line with the Office for National Statistics harmonised standards. This is considered best practice across government.
As set out in the Autumn statement, the audit of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) spending is coming to its conclusion and, subject to further work, the Government is streamlining EDI training and HR processes with a view to getting value for the taxpayer. As the Minister for the Cabinet Office, I will be outlining the final proposals in due course.
The Government is committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with The Royal National Institute of Blind People to improve the voting process for blind and partially sighted people.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to PQs 45274 and 907859.
To help the public comply with the latest guidance, Please Give Me Space cards and badges were created in collaboration with the RNIB, and are available on gov.uk for download and print for those who are exempt from wearing face coverings. The badge and other assets were shared via Government social media channels, with disability charities, and with relevant enforcers of face covering guidelines to raise awareness, such as the police and public transport firms. COVID-19 guidance is published on gov.uk and amplified via our public information campaign.
The Postal Services Act 2011 designates Ofcom as the independent regulator for the postal sector with the powers to impose and enforce regulatory requirements on postal operators to fulfil its functions in relation to postal services.
In its review of postal regulation in 2022, Ofcom committed to ongoing monitoring of operators’ complaints handling performance and keep under review the need for additional regulation to protect customers.
Ofcom publishes an annual monitoring update which includes views from a representative sample of SME users of postal services.
The Government’s preference is for the UK to associate to Horizon Europe. However, given the EU’s persistence in delaying our association, it is only right and responsible that we are prepared for all outcomes, including one where we are not able to associate.
On 20 July we published proposals on how the UK would transition to a new R&D programme, should the EU’s delays to our association to Horizon Europe continue. These include details of our proposed transitional measures and an overview of our longer-term alternative plans.
We will continue to engage with researchers from a diverse range of sectors to make sure that the UK is a desirable place for R&D in all future scenarios. Over the next few months, we plan to step up our engagement with businesses, universities and research institutions, to support them if association is not possible.
The Government’s preference is for the UK to associate to Horizon Europe. However, given the EU’s persistence in delaying our association, it is only right and responsible that we are prepared for all outcomes, including one where we are not able to associate.
On 20 July we published proposals on how the UK would transition to a new R&D programme, should the EU’s delays to our association to Horizon Europe continue. These include details of our proposed transitional measures and an overview of our longer-term alternative plans.
We will continue to engage with researchers from a diverse range of sectors to make sure that the UK is a desirable place for R&D in all future scenarios. Over the next few months, we plan to step up our engagement with businesses, universities and research institutions, to support them if association is not possible.
There will be different considerations for consumers depending on their circumstances and the way in which they pay their energy bills. All domestic electricity customers who have a direct relationship with a licensed electricity supplier will be automatically eligible for this Scheme.
The Government continues to work with consumer groups and suppliers on the delivery of the Scheme and is exploring options for other ways in which customers who do not have a domestic electricity contract might receive similar support. The full suite of help from the government is covered here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet.
We consulted last year on proposals to improve consumer safeguards when purchasing online subscriptions as part of our wider package of reforms to competition and consumer law. Alongside the consultation we published an impact assessment of these proposals: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-competition-and-consumer-policy. We are considering responses to the consultation and will publish our response shortly.
I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce, established to represent a wide range of interests in the weddings sector in England, to understand the impact of the pandemic on jobs and businesses.
Over the course of the pandemic the Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to business, including those in the wedding industry, which we keep under regular review.
Government guidance on the current national restrictions enables tradespeople, such as meter readers and smart meter installers, to work in peoples’ homes if it is a necessary part of their job.
When visiting peoples’ homes, tradespeople should follow the Safer Working guidance and take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions.
Government guidance on the current national restrictions enables tradespeople, such as meter readers and smart meter installers, to work in peoples’ homes if it is a necessary part of their job.
When visiting peoples’ homes, tradespeople should follow the Safer Working guidance and take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions.
The Government launched the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to ensure that the smallest businesses could access loans of up to £50,000 to help businesses through this difficult period. Under BBLS no repayments are due from the borrower for the first 12 months of the loan, giving businesses the breathing space they need during this difficult time. In addition, the Government covers the first 12 months of interest payments charged to the business by the lender.
We have always been clear that businesses are responsible for repaying any finance they take out. However, we recognise that some borrowers will benefit from flexibility for their repayments. That is why we announced the Pay As You Grow measures.
Pay As You Grow will provide Bounce Back Loan borrowers more time and flexibility over their repayments by giving them the option to:
Businesses will be able to use these options either individually or in combination with each other. In addition, they have the option to fully repay their loan early and will face no early repayment charges for doing so.
Together, the 12-month payment holiday and interest-free period for borrowers, along with the Pay As You Grow measures, provide a generous support package giving businesses the time to get back on their feet.
The Government continues to enhance its engagement with a broad range of trade and representative bodies, in particular SME networks, to continue to understand the impact of Covid-19 on businesses and the concerns they have.
UK Sport uses funding provided by the Government to support athletes with potential to achieve success in Olympic and Paralympic sports. As the Deaflympics falls outside of Olympic and Paralympic sport, UK Sport are therefore unable to fund athletes targeting this event.
This is in line with the Government’s approach to other Paralympic sports where competition is not offered in an athlete's particular classification or discipline.
Sport England has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to UK Deaf Sport to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level and build wider participation. They have also agreed to explore a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore these issues and suggest potential solutions.
d/Deaf athletes do receive Government funding. Sport England has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to UK Deaf Sport to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level and build wider participation. Beyond this, they have also agreed to explore a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore support around elite competitions and suggest potential solutions.
UK Sport uses funding provided by the Government to support athletes with potential to achieve success in Olympic and Paralympic sports. As the Deaflympics falls outside of Olympic and Paralympic sport, UK Sport are therefore unable to fund athletes targeting this event.
This is in line with the Government’s approach to other Paralympic sports where competition is not offered in an athlete's particular classification or discipline.
Sport England has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to UK Deaf Sport to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level and build wider participation. They have also agreed to explore a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore these issues and suggest potential solutions.
d/Deaf athletes do receive Government funding. Sport England has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to UK Deaf Sport to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level and build wider participation. Beyond this, they have also agreed to explore a series of small-scale talent pilots for d/Deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore support around elite competitions and suggest potential solutions.
The Youth Investment Fund (YIF) remains a manifesto commitment for levelling up across England over the course of the parliament. In the recently announced Spending Review, £30m of this was committed as capital investment for 2021-22. This will provide investment for new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support from youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture. Further details of the timetable for allocation of YIF funding in 2021-22, and how the funding will be distributed will be announced in due course.
The department is currently undertaking a review of all DCMS spending on services for young people, including future plans for the Youth Investment Fund, which we anticipate will conclude in May this year.
Government recognises the significant impact of Covid-19 on young people, particularly the most vulnerable, and on the youth services that support them. The £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund was announced to protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country. The fund opened for applications on 15 January 2021 and closed 19 February 2021.
Our future work related to attributable liability for mistakes of artificial intelligence services will be informed by independent expert advice. As part of its current work programme, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is conducting a review into the potential for bias in the use of algorithms and will publish its report in March 2020.
Other measures include promoting a more ethical use of data within government. For example, one of the seven principles of the UK’s Data Ethics Framework is transparency about the tools, data and algorithms used to conduct work to enable greater scrutiny. The Framework encourages sharing models for algorithmic accountability and making data science tools available for scrutiny wherever possible.
Moreover, the Data Protection Act introduced the necessary safeguards such as the right to be informed of automated processing as soon as possible and the right to challenge an automated decision made by a data controller or processor.
Historically, UKRI councils have advocated for responsible research and innovation approaches. EPSRC has advocated and established a flexible and proportionate approach for its community (and staff) to consider what Responsible Innovation means for their activities. The development of the AREA framework was introduced in 2013. This encourages everyone involved in the research to describe and analyse possible impacts that may arise from their research activities, reflect on what that may mean going forward, openly engage with others, and to use these processes to influence the direction and trajectory of the research.
Within the UK, there are a number of activities and initiatives around responsible research and innovation in AI and providing leadership in this space. Examples include the Ada Lovelace Institute, The Alan Turing Institute, The Observatory for Responsible Research and Innovation in ICT (ORBIT).
UKRI is making investments in research to understand and implement the properties of Trustworthy AI across all applications of AI but this is a relatively new research area in which still further research is needed. Responsible, trustworthy AI is also a consistent theme in the investigations and strategic approaches of key UK and international stakeholders. For example, the G20 AI Principles and OECD Recommendations on AI focus on Responsible AI as a key theme for international AI development going forward. Through the Royal Society’s report ‘Machine Learning: The Power and Promise of Computers that Learn by Example’ the breadth of the responsibility challenge was illustrated, with clear current public concerns and barriers to adoption discussed as well as opportunities if fully Responsible AI is adopted.
We recognise that children in care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have contact with the criminal justice system. That is why we published a joint national protocol with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in 2018 on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-protocol-on-reducing-criminalisation-of-looked-after-children. The protocol was produced with the input of local authority representatives, and other partners. Since the publication of the protocol, the proportion of children in care aged 10-17 who are charged with an offence or receive a caution has reduced from 3% in 2019 to 2% in 2023. Latest data for year ending March 2023 also show that 3% of care leavers age 19-21 were in custody. This figure has remained the same for the last 5 years.
We are also taking action on risk factors that can lead to criminal behaviour including through our work to improve school attendance.
Through the care leaver Ministerial Board, we are working closely with MoJ to improve support and outcomes of care-experienced people in the criminal justice system.
The MoJ is currently updating its strategy for people with care experience in the criminal justice system, to ensure that their time in the criminal justice system is used to support them to lead crime-free lives. The strategy will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience, and will link to wider departmental efforts to address racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system. The MoJ are aiming to publish this strategy in 2024.
I refer the hon. Member for Enfield Southgate to the answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8232: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-05/8232.
Mediation proposals are being tested through the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Change Programme. These tests aim to develop a best practice model for delivering high-quality mediation provisions.
The proposals being tested include asking local authorities to: signpost new family friendly guidance on mediation in their local offer; take part in pre-mediation meetings; respond to requests for mediation with available dates within 5 working days; and, where possible, to use mediators listed on the Civil Mediation Council/College of Mediators SEND register.
The department will carefully consider the feedback and findings from the Change Programme. The department expects this to include data on mediation timeliness as well as feedback on outcomes and families' experiences of the process. Testing will also help to better understand the required capacity to deliver timely, high-quality mediation and to identify any delivery challenges.
The department is also testing an advisory tailored list in participating local authorities through the Change Programme to gain feedback on the best way to support families as they choose a placement. To illustrate choice, participating families will receive detailed and relevant information about placements that could be suitable to meet the needs of their child, but there will be no change to the existing statutory framework and their existing rights will be unaffected. The department will use the Change Programme as an opportunity to learn how tailored lists can best support family experiences as well as their potential to support local authorities to manage their placements and provision.
Finally, the Education Health and Care (EHC) plan template that local authorities on the Change Programme are now preparing to pilot was extensively coproduced with a wide range of SEND experts, including families themselves. Following this period of testing, the department will finalise and publish the EHC plan template.
Mediation proposals are being tested through the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Change Programme. These tests aim to develop a best practice model for delivering high-quality mediation provisions.
The proposals being tested include asking local authorities to: signpost new family friendly guidance on mediation in their local offer; take part in pre-mediation meetings; respond to requests for mediation with available dates within 5 working days; and, where possible, to use mediators listed on the Civil Mediation Council/College of Mediators SEND register.
The department will carefully consider the feedback and findings from the Change Programme. The department expects this to include data on mediation timeliness as well as feedback on outcomes and families' experiences of the process. Testing will also help to better understand the required capacity to deliver timely, high-quality mediation and to identify any delivery challenges.
The department is also testing an advisory tailored list in participating local authorities through the Change Programme to gain feedback on the best way to support families as they choose a placement. To illustrate choice, participating families will receive detailed and relevant information about placements that could be suitable to meet the needs of their child, but there will be no change to the existing statutory framework and their existing rights will be unaffected. The department will use the Change Programme as an opportunity to learn how tailored lists can best support family experiences as well as their potential to support local authorities to manage their placements and provision.
Finally, the Education Health and Care (EHC) plan template that local authorities on the Change Programme are now preparing to pilot was extensively coproduced with a wide range of SEND experts, including families themselves. Following this period of testing, the department will finalise and publish the EHC plan template.
Mediation proposals are being tested through the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Change Programme. These tests aim to develop a best practice model for delivering high-quality mediation provisions.
The proposals being tested include asking local authorities to: signpost new family friendly guidance on mediation in their local offer; take part in pre-mediation meetings; respond to requests for mediation with available dates within 5 working days; and, where possible, to use mediators listed on the Civil Mediation Council/College of Mediators SEND register.
The department will carefully consider the feedback and findings from the Change Programme. The department expects this to include data on mediation timeliness as well as feedback on outcomes and families' experiences of the process. Testing will also help to better understand the required capacity to deliver timely, high-quality mediation and to identify any delivery challenges.
The department is also testing an advisory tailored list in participating local authorities through the Change Programme to gain feedback on the best way to support families as they choose a placement. To illustrate choice, participating families will receive detailed and relevant information about placements that could be suitable to meet the needs of their child, but there will be no change to the existing statutory framework and their existing rights will be unaffected. The department will use the Change Programme as an opportunity to learn how tailored lists can best support family experiences as well as their potential to support local authorities to manage their placements and provision.
Finally, the Education Health and Care (EHC) plan template that local authorities on the Change Programme are now preparing to pilot was extensively coproduced with a wide range of SEND experts, including families themselves. Following this period of testing, the department will finalise and publish the EHC plan template.
The department takes the matter of any child going missing very seriously, and statutory guidance is in place which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care.
This guidance outlines the responsibilities of local authorities working with partners, to prevent children going missing and to gather and share information and intelligence to reduce this risk. The guidance applies to all children going missing, whether this is from the family home or from care.
The guidance requires that every children's home has clear procedures to prevent children from going missing. The guidance also ensures there are detailed interviews when a child has returned from being missing.
The department is firmly committed to ensuring that when care is the best choice for a child, the care system provides stable, loving homes close to children’s communities. The government is investing £259 million in capital funding to provide high quality homes for some of our most vulnerable young people, to ensure that they can be closer to families, schools, and health services.
In 2010, 40% of pupils in English state-funded schools at the end of Key Stage 4 entered a GCSE in a modern foreign language, and this has increased to 46% in 2020. Over the same period, the proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering GCSE German reduced from 10% to 7%. German, however, remains the third most popular language in secondary schools, with nearly 41,000 pupils entering a GCSE in this subject in 2020.
Studying a foreign language can be very rewarding, provide an insight into other cultures and open the door to travel and enhance future employment opportunities. We know that languages are increasingly important to equip young people in business and trade to make sure we can compete in the global market. A government-commissioned study by Foreman-Peck and Wang published in 2014 states that poor language skills in businesses was holding back UK trade performance. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-costs-to-the-uk-of-language-deficiencies-as-a-barrier-to-uk-engagement-in-exporting.
To improve take-up in German and other languages at GCSE, we have funded the £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot which commenced in in December 2018. The pilot is managed by the National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy (NCELP) and run through 9 school-led hubs. The pilot is developing fully resourced schemes of work for schools in key stage 3 in French, German and Spanish, as well as disseminating best practice and training to support language teachers. The aim is to increase both pupil take-up and teaching quality in French, German and Spanish.
We have recently extended the programme to December 2022 and, during its last year, the NCELP will extend its reach to deliver training to at least 1,350 modern foreign language teachers and will develop fully resourced schemes of work for Key Stage 4. Information on the NCELP can be found at: https://ncelp.org.
We also commissioned a review of modern foreign language GCSEs in French, German and Spanish to make them more accessible and motivating for students. Our ambition is to produce a subject content that aligns more closely with the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 MFL pedagogy review and, in doing so, ensure that subject content reflects research in language curriculum and teaching and makes language GCSEs more accessible and motivating for students. Consultation on this opened on 10 March and closes on 19 May. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcse-modern-foreign-languages-mfl-subject-content-review.
In 2010, 40% of pupils in English state-funded schools at the end of Key Stage 4 entered a GCSE in a modern foreign language, and this has increased to 46% in 2020. Over the same period, the proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering GCSE German reduced from 10% to 7%. German, however, remains the third most popular language in secondary schools, with nearly 41,000 pupils entering a GCSE in this subject in 2020.
Studying a foreign language can be very rewarding, provide an insight into other cultures and open the door to travel and enhance future employment opportunities. We know that languages are increasingly important to equip young people in business and trade to make sure we can compete in the global market. A government-commissioned study by Foreman-Peck and Wang published in 2014 states that poor language skills in businesses was holding back UK trade performance. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-costs-to-the-uk-of-language-deficiencies-as-a-barrier-to-uk-engagement-in-exporting.
To improve take-up in German and other languages at GCSE, we have funded the £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot which commenced in in December 2018. The pilot is managed by the National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy (NCELP) and run through 9 school-led hubs. The pilot is developing fully resourced schemes of work for schools in key stage 3 in French, German and Spanish, as well as disseminating best practice and training to support language teachers. The aim is to increase both pupil take-up and teaching quality in French, German and Spanish.
We have recently extended the programme to December 2022 and, during its last year, the NCELP will extend its reach to deliver training to at least 1,350 modern foreign language teachers and will develop fully resourced schemes of work for Key Stage 4. Information on the NCELP can be found at: https://ncelp.org.
We also commissioned a review of modern foreign language GCSEs in French, German and Spanish to make them more accessible and motivating for students. Our ambition is to produce a subject content that aligns more closely with the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 MFL pedagogy review and, in doing so, ensure that subject content reflects research in language curriculum and teaching and makes language GCSEs more accessible and motivating for students. Consultation on this opened on 10 March and closes on 19 May. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcse-modern-foreign-languages-mfl-subject-content-review.
Ensuring that working parents and carers have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government. That is why we have ensured that all before-school and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people) for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before-school and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the effects of children’s learning and development due to the closure of providers. We recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, in terms of the enriching activities they provide and, in particular, the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
The department also recognises that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason that the government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the current crisis. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the devolved administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support during the current national lockdown, announced on 4 January 2021.
Ensuring that working parents and carers have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government. That is why we have ensured that all before-school and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people) for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before-school and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the effects of children’s learning and development due to the closure of providers. We recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, in terms of the enriching activities they provide and, in particular, the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
The department also recognises that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason that the government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the current crisis. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the devolved administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support during the current national lockdown, announced on 4 January 2021.
The government recognises the vital role wraparound childcare plays in providing enriching activities which provide such an enormous benefit to the health and wellbeing of children. That is why we have ensured that all before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people), for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the potential effects to childhood obesity due to the closure of wraparound childcare providers. We do, however, recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, as well as the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
Although there has been no official assessment made around the effects wraparound closures has on levels of children’s physical activity, the government is acutely aware of the benefits to children’s physical and mental wellbeing of attending these settings. The Department of Health and Social Care published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-obesity-government-strategy/tackling-obesity-empowering-adults-and-children-to-live-healthier-lives?dm_i=21A8,6YUMT,1HTV5R,S1TJS,1.
The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including our ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030, and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS.
The government brought forward the zero rate of VAT on e-publications from December. The extension of the zero rate of VAT has been introduced to provide consistency in approach between certain physical and digital publications. This will make e-publications more affordable for schools and universities. The government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT. No assessment of the effect of the academic publishing industry’s pricing and licensing practices for ebooks is currently planned.
On 1 October, the department announced a further remote education support package, to help schools and further education (FE) providers meet the remote education expectations set out in guidance and direction.
Many elements of the support package are already in place and more will be available over the coming months to schools and FE providers. These can be accessed through the remote education service on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The support package includes access to the right technology to deliver remote education, peer to peer training on how to use this effectively, and practical tools, good practice guidance and school-led webinars. This adds to existing support including the resources available from Oak National Academy, which provides video lessons across a broad range of subjects for every year group from reception to year 11: https://www.thenational.academy/. Oak National Academy will remain a free optional resource for the academic year 2020/21.
As part of over £195 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care, the department is making over 340,000 laptops and tablets available this term to support disadvantaged children whose face-to-face education may be disrupted.
The Department is providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred between March and July due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.
Schools have been eligible to claim for: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.
The first claims window for the COVID-19 schools fund closed on 21 July. There will be a further opportunity in the autumn for schools to claim for exceptional costs that fell between March and July. This second claims window will be available for schools who were unable to claim in the summer and will be for the same eligible cost categories.
Schools have claimed £104 million against the standard expenditure categories in the fund, as set out above. The Department will be making further payments in the autumn term to schools who either claimed outside of the standard categories or whose claims exceeded the cost limit, following an assessment of their claims. Along with other schools who made a claim outside of the standard expenditure categories, Eversley Primary School, Enfield, will receive a payment in the autumn term which will reflect the outcome of that assessment.
We want to do everything we can to support schools and families to continue children’s education while they are at home. We have committed over £100 million to boost remote education, including providing laptops, tablets and internet access for those who need it most.
On Friday 24 April, the Department wrote to local authorities, trusts and other relevant organisations overseeing schools and children’s social care outlining the process for requesting devices.
Building on the success of our existing restrictions on certain single use plastic items and the single use carrier bag charge, the government will restrict the supply of single use plastic plates, bowls, trays, cutlery, balloon sticks and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers from October this year.
We will also, subject to public consultation this autumn, change the law to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic.
The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules. The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.
Food law provides a robust framework that protects public health and requires food businesses that produce, process, and distribute food to apply food safety controls that ensure food they place on the market is safe.
An assessment of the prevalence or labelling of trans fats in food in the UK has not been recently undertaken.
The most recent data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, collected between 2016 and 2019, show that average trans fat intakes in the UK are 0.5-0.6% of total energy intake for adults, and 0.5% for children. This is well within the UK recommended maximum of no more than 2% of total energy.
Trans fat intakes in the UK have declined substantially since the 1980s and 1990s due to the voluntary removal of artificial trans fats from processed foods by the food industry; with some additional work to reduce levels of trans fats in food being undertaken between 2011 and 2013.
Teddington Direct River Abstraction is a water recycling scheme considered in Thames Water’s draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024 (dWRMP24) and Water Resources South East’s (WRSE) Regional Plan as a supply option for 2030/31.
The Environment Agency has scrutinised WRSE’s plan and has responded to Thames Water’s dWRMP24. Any scheme developed will have to meet environmental requirements, and where possible enhancements. The scheme will need environmental permits that the Environment Agency regulate, and planning consents where the Environment Agency is a statutory consultee.
The scheme is being developed through the ‘Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Delivery’ (RAPID) gated process and has undergone environmental assessment largely meeting the Regulators’ expectations for Gate 2. Risks have been identified in the Gate 2 submission. There is a risk to scheme feasibility if environmental impacts cannot be mitigated. The Environment Agency has asked Thames Water to undertake further investigations and studies to address these risks by 31 August 2023.
In April 2021 we published our response to the call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics. The Government has no plans to make charity collection bags biodegradable. Government measures focus on extracting maximum value from plastic materials by making sure we keep it in circulation for longer, moving away from a take, make, throw model and shifting towards a circular economy.
The Government wants to see the recycling of plastic film (including bread bags and plastic carrier bags) increased and plastic films will be included in the plastic recyclable waste stream required to be collected by local authorities from every household in England by March 2027.
The United Kingdom has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise, and be ready to respond to them, including Government intervention when appropriate.
In the past months, the Environment Secretary and I have agreed a series of solutions to increase the efficiency of our supply chain system and support businesses across the food and drink, and hospitality sectors. These include working with the Transport Secretary. We have adopted a series of measures to train, recruit and retain lorry drivers as well as improve the working conditions in the industry. Our joint-Government actions will continue to build more capacity across the food supply chain.
Some of these Government-led key measures include the Driver Vehicle Standard Agency’s action to increase HGV tests to 3,000 per week, the introduction of 16-week skills bootcamps to train new and returning drivers and the Department for Transport’s action to streamline HGV testing with a minimised regulatory framework adding around 50,000 more tests to be conducted. Defra has also announced that up to 4700 visas will be available for HGV drivers delivering food ahead of Christmas 2021.
In addition to this, the Transport Secretary relaxed driver hours regulation, allowing more deliveries to be made during unprecedented times of national driver shortage to manage food supply chain bottlenecks. This relaxation will last up to 9 January 2022 in England, Scotland and Wales covering the Christmas peak demand period for food across the supply chain.
Overall, these measures will improve the efficiency of the supply chain and the movement of food products across the interlinked food, drink, and hospitality businesses.
DFID is working to maximise the development of and roll out of an effective COVID-19 vaccine that is affordable and accessible to low- and middle- income countries. The Prime Minister recently announced an additional £210 million of new UK aid funding to the International Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to help develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The UK is now the biggest contributor to CEPI, committing £250 million this year to support the global effort to fight epidemic diseases, including coronavirus. DFID is currently exploring with existing partners, including IAVI and other Product Development Partnerships, on how they too might contribute to our efforts to combat COVID-19.
The Highway Code changes to improve road safety for people walking, cycling, and riding horses aim to initiate a positive shift in road user behaviour, by making road users aware of their responsibility to use roads safely and reduce the danger they may pose to others.
Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police, who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.
Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services and an extension to the current contract has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices until the end of March 2024.
The DVLA wants its customers to be able to access its services as quickly and as easily as possible and the role of front office counter services will form part of the considerations of future service offerings, utilising government agreements if necessary.
The vast majority of those licensing vehicles already do so online or via the DVLA’s automated telephone service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DVLA will continue to ensure that all customers are able to license their vehicles.
The enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the police. The Department has issued guidance to all local authorities and operators taking part in the trials, and local authorities in trial areas continue to engage with local police forces. The Government will continue to support the police by ensuring they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation including those relating to e-scooters.
The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.
The setting of motor insurance premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience. The government does not intervene or seek to control the market.