Bell Ribeiro-Addy

The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.

Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.

The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.

The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.

The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.

The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.

Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.

The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.

Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.

The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.

Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.

The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.

The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.

The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.

The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.

Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.

The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.

Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.

The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.

Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.

The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.

The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.

The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.

The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.

Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.

The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.

Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after graduating from higher education in the graduate outcomes survey. More information is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

The percentage of undergraduate leavers in the 2017/18 academic year who progressed to postgraduate study in the 15 months[1] after graduation have been provided in the table for each ethnic group.

Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study¹ by ethnicity

Leavers in the academic year 2017/18

English Higher Education Providers

Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data

Notes:

¹ Percentages refer to undergraduate leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.

² Subject percentages are calculated using full-person-equivalents. Where a student was studying more than one subject, they have been apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.

³ Science subjects have been identified using the HESA methodology, principal subject categories A to K of the JACS3 subject classifications framework are categorised as Science subjects. These can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-principal.

⁴ Base counts are the number of UK domiciled undergraduate leavers who responded to the GO survey, and can also be found in Figure 5 of HESA’s Open Data: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb257/figure-5.

[1] Includes leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after graduating from higher education in the graduate outcomes survey. More information is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

The percentage of undergraduate leavers in the 2017/18 academic year who progressed to postgraduate study in the 15 months[1] after graduation have been provided in the table for each ethnic group.

Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study¹ by ethnicity

Leavers in the academic year 2017/18

English Higher Education Providers

Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data

Notes:

¹ Percentages refer to undergraduate leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.

² Subject percentages are calculated using full-person-equivalents. Where a student was studying more than one subject, they have been apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.

³ Science subjects have been identified using the HESA methodology, principal subject categories A to K of the JACS3 subject classifications framework are categorised as Science subjects. These can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-principal.

⁴ Base counts are the number of UK domiciled undergraduate leavers who responded to the GO survey, and can also be found in Figure 5 of HESA’s Open Data: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb257/figure-5.

[1] Includes leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.

The Department for Education has worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) to develop and refresh the system of controls, which include cleaning hands thoroughly more often than usual, minimising contact between individuals, and keeping occupied spaces well ventilated to reduce the risk of transmission in schools. Robust testing regimes and the system of controls, when implemented in line with schools’ own workplace risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. The way to control the COVID-19 outbreak is the same, even with the current new variants. The system of controls is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#system-of-controls.

The system of controls is kept under review and is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, including the context of prevalence, new variants, and progress of the vaccination programme. The Department will continue to develop comprehensive guidance and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils, students, and parents.

In areas where there is a high prevalence of the Delta variant, the Department is increasing the availability of testing for staff, pupils, and families and working with Directors of Public Health to reduce local transmission. The reintroduction of face coverings for pupils, students, or staff may be advised for a temporary period in response to particular localised outbreaks. Further information on responding to individual or regional outbreaks can be found in the contingency framework for education and childcare: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings.

The Department recognises that extended school restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and we are committed to helping pupils make up education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In June 2021 £1.4 billion was announced to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and nurseries. This money will provide an additional £1 billion for tutoring, which will provide up to 100 million hours of tuition for 5 to 19-year-olds by 2024, targeting disadvantaged children and key subjects such as Mathematics and English. This is in addition to the £1.7 billion already committed, bringing total investment announced for education recovery over the past year to over £3 billion.

The Department is also making available an extra £400 million to help to provide 500,000 teacher training opportunities across the country, alongside professional development for early years practitioners.

Responsibility for the welfare of children while transported is noted under Regulation 12 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The registered person and the local authority overall have a responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe and their welfare is promoted.

Restraint should only be used in very limited circumstances and, under the Children’s Home Regulations (2015), all incidents of restraint when a young person is cared for by a children’s home must be recorded. When transport is arranged by the children’s home, regulation 20(1) states that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home.

If this was arranged by the local authority which had responsibility for the child, then the care of the child would fall to them.

When restraint involves the use of force, it must not be more than is necessary and should be applied in a way that is proportionate (i.e. the minimum amount of force required to avert injury or serious damage to property for the shortest possible time).

Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. Should anyone breach these rules the department would expect Ofsted to take swift action.

The department is clear that restraint that deliberately inflicts pain cannot be proportionate and should never be used on children in children’s homes. The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 state under regulation 20(1) that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home.

Regulation 35(1) of the Children’s Home (England) Regulations 2015 requires each home to prepare and implement a behaviour management policy. This policy should describe the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in the home.

Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. We have recently contacted all children’s homes in England to remind them of their responsibilities regarding restraint. Together with Ofsted, we will act swiftly against anyone breaching these rules.

The January 2021 census will be used to determine pupil premium eligibility for alternative provision and pupil referral units for the financial year 2021-22. Pupil premium eligibility for mainstream and special schools will be based on the October 2020 census. The Department will confirm pupil premium allocations for the financial year 2021-22 in June 2021. This will provide the public with information on the specific amounts that regions, local authorities and schools are receiving through the pupil premium for 2021-22.

Data on the number of pupils who have become eligible for free school meals since 2 October 2020 is currently being collected in the spring school census and is not yet available.

The Department publishes information on pupil premium allocations and the number of pupils eligible annually. The most recent publicly available figures can be found via this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2020-to-2021.

The Department has published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf

As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas, where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a limited period until Easter. As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated, as necessary.

Physical Education (PE) and school sport plays an important role in supporting children and young people to be physically active during the current COVID-19 restrictions. That is why the Department confirmed that the Primary PE and Sport premium would continue at £320 million for the 2020/21 academic year.

The Department is considering arrangements for the Primary PE and Sport Premium for the 2021/22 academic year and will confirm the position as soon as possible.

The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This significant injection of laptops and tablets is on top of an estimated 2.9 million already owned by schools before the start of the outbreak.

The laptops and tablets are to help support schools, academy trusts and local authorities to provide access to remote education and online social care. Schools, colleges, academy trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing the laptops and tablets and are best placed to know which children and young people need access to a device.

As of Monday 8 February 2021, over 980,000 laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, trusts, local authorities and further education providers.

More information on the number of devices delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities, can be viewed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data.

In 2014 the government removed the requirement for adoption agencies to give “due consideration to a child’s religious persuasion, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background” when matching a child and prospective adopters. This was to avoid any suggestion that the legislation placed a child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background above other factors which the agency should consider. As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, said in his speech of October 2020, “we want to make sure that far more people from all sorts of different backgrounds are willing to become adoptive parents, and to do that we must end this obsession with finding the perfect ethnic match for children”.

Adoption agencies must still have regard to any of the child's characteristics that the agency considers relevant. This could include a range of issues including health, disability, education, religious persuasion, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background. This is about creating a children’s social care system that works for all children, giving them the best possible chance to succeed in life.

Latest published analysis shows that in 2014-15, Black and minority ethnic children were being placed for adoption 5 months earlier than in 2012-13. More recent Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board (ASGLB) figures also show that waiting times fell by 35% for Black and minority ethnic children between 2014-15 and 2017-18. Since then, ASGLB data shows that waiting times for all children have increased which is due to a national shortage of adopters.

During the 2020-21 financial year, we gave the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) Leaders Group £1 million to develop a sector led recruitment campaign. This campaign launched on 16 September 2020 and challenged preconceived conceptions about who can adopt and encouraged more people to come forward.

Part of the campaign had a specific focus on Black and minority ethnic communities through outreach work in 2 pilot areas, London and Birmingham. The RAA Leaders Group are also funding Home for Good to run a triage service to support prospective adopters from these pilot areas. This included a safe space to explore adoption and ask further questions, but also seek extra support during the process. Ensuring that the right adopters come forward for the children we have waiting for forever homes remains a priority for the government.

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.

However, ensuring that parents and carers continue to have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government, particularly for parents of vulnerable children and those who are critical workers. That is why we have ensured that before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able 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 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

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, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak#types-of-setting.

However, we recognise 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. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed 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 2020. Further information on these financial packages is available here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

Given the value this sector offers to our children and young people, as well as to working parents, we have also encouraged all local authorities to consider using local grants, made available to them by the government, to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas and safeguard sufficient childcare provision. This includes making use of grants, such as the discretionary funding already mentioned, as well as funding provided as part of the holiday activities and food programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.

In addition, the department has engaged and met with representatives from the sector on a regular basis to discuss the impacts of COVID-19. We will continue to do so to help inform the government’s ongoing response to the outbreak, and how we may continue to best support the sector going forward.

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.

However, ensuring that parents and carers continue to have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government, particularly for parents of vulnerable children and those who are critical workers. That is why we have ensured that before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able 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 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

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, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak#types-of-setting.

However, we recognise 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. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed 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 2020. Further information on these financial packages is available here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

Given the value this sector offers to our children and young people, as well as to working parents, we have also encouraged all local authorities to consider using local grants, made available to them by the government, to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas and safeguard sufficient childcare provision. This includes making use of grants, such as the discretionary funding already mentioned, as well as funding provided as part of the holiday activities and food programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.

In addition, the department has engaged and met with representatives from the sector on a regular basis to discuss the impacts of COVID-19. We will continue to do so to help inform the government’s ongoing response to the outbreak, and how we may continue to best support the sector going forward.

During the period of national lockdown announced on 4 January 2021, primary, secondary, alternative provision, special schools, further education providers, and wraparound childcare providers and other out-of-school settings for children have been able to remain open to vulnerable children and young people.

We are committed to ensuring the safety and protection of vulnerable children and young people. Work is being co-ordinated across government to address the increased needs of vulnerable children and young people and their families. Throughout all restrictions to date, children's social care services and early help services have continued to support vulnerable children and young people and their families. We will continue to ensure this is the case during this period of national restrictions. There are a range of exemptions to national restrictions which allow key services to operate including childcare, contact between birth parents and children in care, therapy, or other forms of support, as well as other essential youth services, such as 1-to-1 youth work and support groups.

We also recognise the value the wraparound childcare 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 how they could use local grants made available to them by government to help 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 discretionary funding, such as the £594 million fund provided by government to local authorities to help them support local businesses affected by the new lockdown restrictions, as well as 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. This is further to the wider financial support packages that government has made available throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to support private businesses, which includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Support Scheme.

The government recognises the vital importance of supporting the mental health of children and young people, particularly throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. In September 2020, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched its £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme. It has supported education staff to respond to the emotional and mental health pressures some children and young people may be feeling as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, DHSC also launched a campaign in September through the Every Mind Matters website to raise awareness of the guidance and tools available to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing. Public Health England continues to update and promote the Every Mind Matters website. The government has also provided over £10 million of additional funding to mental health charities to support adults and children.

We also recognise the value the wraparound childcare sector offers in this regard, in terms of supporting children and young people’s general wellbeing and the positive effects it can have on their mental health through the enriching social opportunities they provide.

Given the valuable support this sector can provide, the government has therefore ensured that before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs and other out-of-school settings have been able to stay open for all children eligible to attend school on-site, and during the national lockdown for vulnerable children and young people, as well as the children of critical workers. We have also published protective measures guidance for the sector, to ensure they can offer this provision as safely as possible, 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, given the importance of this provision for supporting parents to work, and providing enriching activities for children that improve their wellbeing and support their education. 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#types-of-setting.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have provided unprecedented support to the early years sector, making grants and loans available and ensuring early years providers can access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for their non-government funded income, and that childminders can access the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

If an employee is on sick leave or self-isolating as a result of COVID-19, they may be able to get help with Statutory Sick Pay, guidance for which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay. The CJRS is not intended for short-term absences from work due to sickness: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. Short term illness or self-isolation should not be a consideration in deciding whether to furlough an employee. If, however, employers want to furlough employees for business reasons and they are currently off sick, they are eligible to do so, as with other employees. In these cases, the employee should no longer receive sick pay and would be classified as a furloughed employee.

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

The department does not currently hold a central register of wraparound providers. Therefore, we are unable to make an accurate assessment of the financial viability of providers. However, we do understand and recognise 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 COVID-19 outbreak. 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.

We are also still encouraging all local authorities to consider using local grants that have been made available to them during the COVID-19 outbreak to support the wraparound childcare sector in their areas and to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for all families, but particularly those with vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This includes the expanded Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities. This programme will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021.

The department does not currently hold a central register of wraparound providers. Therefore, we are unable to make an accurate assessment of the financial viability of providers. However, we do understand and recognise 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 COVID-19 outbreak. 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.

We are also still encouraging all local authorities to consider using local grants that have been made available to them during the COVID-19 outbreak to support the wraparound childcare sector in their areas and to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for all families, but particularly those with vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This includes the expanded Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities. This programme will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021.

The department does not currently hold a central register of wraparound providers. Therefore, we are unable to make an accurate assessment of the financial viability of providers. However, we do understand and recognise 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 COVID-19 outbreak. 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.

We are also still encouraging all local authorities to consider using local grants that have been made available to them during the COVID-19 outbreak to support the wraparound childcare sector in their areas and to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for all families, but particularly those with vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This includes the expanded Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities. This programme will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021.

In line with the requirements placed on the department by the public sector Equality Duty, we continue to examine the impacts on people with protected characteristics in regards to the government’s policy on restrictions or closures of businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, as outlined in the guidance on ‘Protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ wraparound childcare providers can currently remain open for face-to-face provision for all children eligible to attend school for on-site provision. This includes:

• children of critical workers, where it is reasonably necessary to enable their parents to work, search for work, attend education or training, or attend a medical appointment; and
• vulnerable children and young people.

Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak#equality.

The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and so is not able to give an assessment of the number of business closures in the wraparound childcare sector and therefore the effect of this on levels of inequality.

We acknowledge 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. Depending on their circumstances, businesses may be eligible for tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. 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 2020, has also been made available.

Given the important role these providers offer in terms of support for working parents, and enriching activities for children, we have also encouraged all local authorities to consider using local grants made available to them to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas. This includes the discretionary funding already mentioned, as well as the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The expanded HAF programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will give children eligible for free school meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays this year.

Education is a devolved matter, therefore the following information applies to schools in England.

Schools in England will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. Schools have autonomy over these budgets and their employment arrangements and decisions on staffing are made at the local level.

If supply staff employed via employment agencies are unable to work due to COVID-19, their employment agency can place them on furlough and use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to claim for 80% of their wages, including during school holiday periods, provided that the eligibility criteria are met. Details about the CJRS and eligibility criteria can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Employers can now flexibly furlough their employees for the hours the employee would usually have worked in that period, whilst also being able to work outside of the hours they are furloughed, details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#flexible-furlough-agreements. Employees can work for any amount of time, and any work pattern but they cannot do any work for their employer during hours that employers record them as being on furlough.

The decision to furlough an employee, fully or flexibly, is entirely at the employer's discretion as it is dependent on a range of factors that the employer is best placed to determine, for example, the amount of work available for employees.

The independent review of children’s social care launched on 15 January, and the review’s terms of reference are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952624/terms_of_reference_independent_childrens_social_care_review.pdf.

As the review is independent, it will be up to the reviewer to consider the evidence and decide the direction and recommendations of the review.

The importance of cultural literacy in social workers is ensured by the professional standards that social workers must meet (post-qualification standards, which set out expectations for children and family social workers, and the education and training standards that training providers must meet).

The Social Work England Professional Standards set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and be able to do. Professional standards, and the education and training standards which training providers must meet, ensure the importance of cultural literacy in social workers.

The department continues to champion the improvement of equality and diversity among social workers through supporting the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of social workers. While individual local authorities will take decisions about CPD provision, the department funds leadership programmes such as the Practice Supervisor Development Programme and Practice Leader Development programme. These programmes cover equality and diversity issues, and provide tools and resources for leaders to develop both their own understanding and their social workers’ understanding of children and families’ perspectives and lived experiences.

In the wider children’s social services workforce, the Children’s Homes Regulations quality standards outline that the registered person in children’s homes, secure children’s homes and residential special schools provide personalised care, including taking into account ethnicity, culture and linguistic background.

Other staff in the children's social care workforce may be subject to other standards, depending on their areas of specialism.

The Extended Extraordinary Regulatory Framework published by Ofqual sets out how vocational and technical qualifications, including Pearson BTECs, can be adapted to mitigate disruption from COVID-19 to the teaching, learning and assessment of these qualifications.

The department allowed the January 2021 assessment window to proceed where schools and colleges judge it right to do so. Some students need to complete a practical assessment to obtain a licence to practice and enter the workplace and it is right that they should have the opportunity to do so, so that they are not prevented from progressing onto the next stage of their lives. To support providers, we have published guidance on conducting exams in a COVID-secure way and advice on how to restrict attendance during the national lockdown.

On 13 January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to Ofqual setting out that, where possible, practical assessments that are required to demonstrate occupational regulation or competence should proceed as planned, where they can be conducted in line with Public Health England safety measures. The letter also sets out that it is no longer viable for the written exams and assessments scheduled this academic year in February and March to go ahead, and the expectation that alternative arrangements would also be needed for exams between April and August 2021. Views on alternative arrangements will be sought through a consultation we are taking forward with Ofqual.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 4 January 2021 that early years settings remain open for all children during the national lockdown. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home.

Schools have been restricted because additional measures are needed to contain the spread of the virus. The wider significant restrictions in place as part of the national lockdown to contain the spread of the virus in the community enable us to continue prioritising keeping nurseries and childminders open, supporting parents and delivering the crucial care and education needed for our youngest children.

Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff. Current evidence suggests that pre-school children (0 to 5 years) are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission. There is no evidence the new strain of the virus causes more serious illness in either children or adults and there is no evidence that the new variant of coronavirus disproportionately affects young children.

PHE advice remains that the risk of transmission and infection is low if early years settings follow the system of controls, which reduce risks and create inherently safer environments.

Early years settings have been open to all children since 1 June 2020 and there is no evidence that the early years sector has contributed to a rise in virus cases within the community. Early modelling evidence from SAGE showed that early years provision had a smaller relative impact on transmission rate when modelled with both primary schools and secondary schools.

Early years childcare providers were one of the first sectors to have restrictions lifted last summer, in recognition of the key role they play in society. Childminders and nursery staff across the country have worked hard to keep settings open through the COVID-19 outbreak so that young children can be educated, and parents can work. The earliest years are the most crucial point of child development and attending early education lays the foundation for lifelong learning and supports children’s social and emotional development. We continue to prioritise keeping early years settings open in full because of the clear benefits to children’s education and wellbeing and to support working parents. Caring for the youngest age group is not something that can be done remotely.

These plans are being kept under review in the light of emerging scientific evidence. We are working with the scientific community to understand the properties and dynamics of the new variant VUI-202012/01 in relation to children and young people.

The department has been working closely with local authorities to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, setting up dedicated regional teams that are in frequent contact. Bringing together expertise from across the department, these teams monitor the challenges local authorities are facing. Our London regional team is in close contact with Havering and will be assessing the situation for early years settings in the authority.

This is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. The government expects universities and other higher education providers to continue delivering a high-quality academic experience and help students to achieve qualifications that they and employers value.

The government is extremely grateful to all students who opted into a paid clinical placement in the NHS during the COVID-19 response. We have ensured that all these students were rewarded fairly for their hard work. Nursing, midwifery, and allied health students who opted into a paid clinical placement received a salary and automatic NHS pension entitlement at the appropriate band. Time spent on paid placements as part of the COVID-19 response also counted towards the requirement for students to complete a specified number of training hours in order to successfully complete their degrees. There are no plans for tuition fee refunds or a specific debt write-off scheme for student volunteers.

Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. Universities and other higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees. In deciding to keep charging full fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.

If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint.

Protecting the mental health and wellbeing of students continues to be a priority for this government and I have convened representatives from the higher education (HE) and health sectors to specifically address the current and pressing issues that university students are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak. In my recent letter to Vice Chancellors in October, I outlined that student welfare should remain a priority.

We expect HE providers to continue to support their students and identify and address the needs of their student body. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing mental health services and adapted delivery mechanisms, which includes reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable, to ensure that students are able to access the support that they need. Staff at universities and colleges have shown resourcefulness and there are many examples of good practice.

We have worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to provide Student Space, which has been funded by up to £3 million by the OfS. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and is designed to work alongside existing services. Ensuring students have access to quality mental health support is my top priority, which is why I asked the OfS to look at extending the platform. I am delighted they have been able to extend the platform to support students for the whole of the 2020/21 academic year because no student should be left behind at this challenging time. This resource provides dedicated one-to-one phone, text and web chat facilities as well as a collaborative online platform providing vital mental health and wellbeing resources.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has overall policy responsibility for young people’s mental health. We continue to work closely with them to take significant steps to support the mental health and wellbeing support for students in higher education settings.

The DHSC is committed, through the NHS Long Term Plan, to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24. This will see an additional 345,000 children and young people, and adults, able to access support through NHS-funded services.

Over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. Students struggling with their mental health can also access support via online resources from the mental health charity Mind, the NHS and Public Health England, and via the following website: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

As outlined in the guidance for education and childcare settings on new national restrictions from 5 November 2020, out of school activities such as private tuition may continue to operate during the period of national restrictions. Guidance on this is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss. Providers of these activities who are operating out of their own homes or private studios should ensure they are only being accessed for face to face provision by parents if their primary purpose is registered childcare. Other possible allowances are that they are providing other activities for children where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work, or to undertake training or education, or for the purposes of respite care. Out of school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full time education (which could include, for example, private tutors) may also continue to operate for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions.

Where online lessons are not reasonably possible, providers are permitted to offer face to face provision in pupils’ homes, where it is necessary for them to continue to work.

Tutors that continue to operate face-to-face provision during this period should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in the following guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Providers operating out of other people’s homes should also implement the guidance on working safely in such an environment: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.

All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes and that can offer remote education, should close for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. This will minimise the amount of mixing between different groups of people and therefore reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus.

Pupils in all year groups and from all types of school should now have returned to school full-time, as this is the best place for them to be for their education, development and wellbeing.

Parents have a duty to ensure that any of their children who are of compulsory school age receive a full-time education, either through regular attendance at school or through alternative arrangements, such as home schooling. A local authority will only serve a school attendance order if parents fail to satisfy the local authority that their child is receiving this.

Guidance on protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable is clear that all pupils should continue to attend school at all local COVID alert levels, unless they are one of the very small number of pupils under paediatric or other specialist care and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend school. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

Schools have their own measures in place to limit the risk of transmission. If parents of pupils with significant risk factors are concerned, we have recommended that schools discuss their concerns and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.

In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.

The department funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).

Approximately half of the AEB is devolved to 7 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority (GLA). These devolved authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.

In non-devolved areas, we do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL. Colleges and adult training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally.

In devolved areas, providers have the opportunity to work with MCAs and the GLA to shape the ways in which they can contribute to meeting skills needs locally so that more people of all ages and backgrounds are given opportunities to develop the skills and experience they need, including ESOL provision.

We are committed to open dialogue with MCAs and the GLA on how best skills provision and reforms can be shaped to fit the needs of local areas.

This government remains committed to the 2019 manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.

In 2018/19, the Department for Education supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.

The Department for Education funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).

Approximately half the AEB is devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). The authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.

In non-devolved areas colleges and adult learning providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities and this includes planning, with local partners, the ESOL courses that they will deliver locally.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I have given today to Question 54195.

The government provides Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs). They are an independent source of advice for trafficked children, working with multi-agency partners to advocate on behalf of the child so that they are protected from further harm and to promote the child’s recovery. Last year, ICTGs were successfully rolled out to one third of all local authorities in England and Wales and the Government remains committed to rolling ICTGs out nationally.

The ‘Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010’ were amended in 2014 to require that local authorities’ duties to care for looked after children are fulfilled with particular regard to a child’s circumstances and needs as a trafficked child. The Regulations apply to all children, regardless of their immigration status, nationality or documentation.

The departments statutory guidance ‘Care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery (2017)’ sets out detailed steps that local authorities should take to care for children who are victims of modern slavery, including trafficking. It emphasises that care placement decisions should take particular account of protecting the child from any continued risk from traffickers and processes should be in place to monitor policies and performance relating to child victims of modern slavery. Responsible managers should understand the risks and issues facing child victims of modern slavery and review best practice in planning for the care of these children.

The statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children (2018)' actively promotes a child centred, multi-agency approach to safeguarding all children and specifically highlights the need to manage complex risks to children from exploitation by criminal gangs, including trafficking and modern slavery.

HM Government has been clear that the NHS will remain free at the point of need.

When HM Government is negotiating trade agreements, we have been clear that the NHS will not be on the table. The price the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. The services the NHS provides will not be on the table. The NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or at home.

This position was reaffirmed in our negotiating objectives for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America, published on 2^nd March 2020.

The Department has regular meetings with the Directors of South East Trains on a range of historic, current and future franchise issues, which can include discussions relating to the role of third parties in the delivery of South Eastern Trains Ltd operations.

Under the terms of the Service Contract between the Secretary of State, DOHL and South Eastern Trains Ltd, the operator is contractually obliged to effectively cooperate with all third-party suppliers and a South Eastern Ltd Trains director has already met with Churchill’s regarding the industrial dispute.

Under Chapter 9.6, Paragraph 1 of the Service Contract between The Secretary of State for Transport, DOHL and South East Trains Limited, the Department is unable to provide confidential commercially sensitive information between a train operator and a third party.

Under Chapter 9.6, Paragraph 1 of the Service Contract between The Secretary of State for Transport, DOHL and South East Trains Limited, the Department is unable to provide confidential commercially sensitive information between a train operator and a third party.

Under Chapter 9.6, Paragraph 1 of the Service Contract between The Secretary of State for Transport, DOHL and South East Trains Limited, the Department is unable to provide confidential commercially sensitive information between a train operator and a third party.

Under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), if requested, the Department will consider whether it is able and appropriate to publish relevant correspondence between the Department and South East Trains with regards to any issues.

The contract between South East Trains and Churchill’s is currently scheduled to expire on the 13^th of October 2024, with break clauses to allow the contract to be ended early if necessary.

SE Trains Ltd board members are entitled to free rail travel on the SE Trains Ltd network during working hours. The Managing Director of SE Trains Ltd, who is also a board member, is also entitled to free rail travel and rail staff travel facilities at all times. One SE Trains Ltd board member is also entitled to free rail travel and rail staff travel facilities on other services, as a result of employment benefits obtained before assuming their role at SE Trains Ltd.

Salary details for South East Train’s Directors are expected to be published in Southeastern Train’s Annual Accounts by 31 December 2022 in compliance with the company’s statutory requirements.

One member of the SE Trains Ltd board does have non-executive roles outside of SE Trains Ltd that results in renumeration.

The South East Train’s Engineering Director met with Churchill’s Senior Team on 4 February 2022 to discuss their current pay arrangements, the upcoming industrial action, and Churchill’s contingency planning for industrial action. A follow-up meeting is planned for Friday 11 March.

Under Chapter 9.6, Paragraph 1 of the Service Contract between The Secretary of State for Transport, DOHL and South East Trains Limited, the Department is unable to provide confidential commercially sensitive information between a train operator and a third party.

The government has been clear that given the spread of the virus globally, people should not travel to amber or red list countries.

Changes to the traffic light system are implemented as quickly as possible, balancing the public health risks posed by those countries and the time required to operationalise changes at the border. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are guided by the latest scientific evidence.

There are a range of border measures in place to protect the UK from the importation of coronavirus and variants of concern (VoCs), including self-isolation, managed quarantine and testing. These measures are kept under regular review.

Restrictions for England introduced on 29 March 2021 remain in place meaning everyone must “Stay in the UK” unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons. The limited number of exemptions from enhanced border measures for travellers are kept under regular review to ensure they are only in place while absolutely necessary.

The government unveiled a roadmap by which international travel restrictions could be lifted no earlier than 17 May 2020. The Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) developed a framework for a safe, sustainable and robust return to non-essential travel, that is risk based and does not compromise UK public health. The government will confirm by early May whether non-essential international travel can resume from 17 May.

The Government takes the impact of traffic noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Vehicles are required to meet strict noise limits before being placed on the market and police have powers to act if they suspect an exhaust has been altered to increase noise.

To support police efforts, the Department commissioned trials of a prototype acoustic camera to assess the potential of the technology for more efficient enforcement. Results are anticipated to be published in the spring following a re-phasing of the work due to pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to introduce enhanced border measures is in direct response to scientific and medical data, which represents an increased risk to UK public health and an increased risk of community transmission of the new COVID-19 variants identified in other countries. These are intended to be temporary measures and the government keeps data for countries and territories under constant review.

The government has made it consistently clear that it will take decisive action to contain the virus, including adding further countries to the red list if the public health risk of people returning from a particular country without self-isolating becomes too high.

There are an extremely limited number of exemptions from enhanced border measures, and only introduced where absolutely necessary for reasons of national importance. Exemptions from enhanced border measures are set out on Gov.uk and are kept under regular review.

We are committed to providing a digital channel - “PIP Apply” - to widen claimants’ choices on how to make a new claim for PIP. In October 2020 we introduced – testing on a small scale - an online version of the PIP 2 claim form for claimants to complete using an HTML link sent via an email. We will use the learning from this as we develop this service further. Our aim is to scale this service by Spring 2021. We are also working on how we enable claimants to access this service directly from gov.uk removing the need for the initial telephone call. As this digital channel will be optional, we will ensure we continue to offer our telephony service and paper form for those who are unable or prefer not to use our online services.

The Department is committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately. We have introduced telephone assessments as part of the Department’s Covid-19 response and we are now testing video assessments. Building on changes already made, the upcoming Health and Disability Support Green Paper will consult on how to make further improvements to our services to make them better and easier for disabled people to access and use.

The provisions of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 (Schedule 4, para 13), as amended in 2008, set out the rules in relation to this matter. Where an individual is required to make a claim to be entitled to State Pension the law allows for such claims to be backdated for a maximum period of up to 12 months.

After careful consideration of the ongoing public health situation and the national working environment, the current easement of the suspension of the Minimum Income Floor in Universal Credit that was due to expire on 12^th November 2020 will be extended to the end of April 2021.

Regulations will be laid and made prior to 12^th November 2020.

The Government introduced a package of temporary welfare measures worth around £9.3 billion this year to help with the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included the £20 weekly increase to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance rates and Working Tax Credit basic element as temporary measures for the 20/21 tax year. There are no plans to extend this to legacy benefits.

The Department has taken swift action in response to the pandemic, supporting millions of families across the country to claim Universal Credit and we stand ready to help those in need.

We are already supporting people into work through our Plan for Jobs and will continue to do so. Kickstart will provide high quality paid work placements for thousands of young people and our new Job Entry Targeted Support and the Job Finding Support Service will provide targeted support for the newly unemployed. We are also doubling the number of Work Coaches across our nationwide network of Jobcentres to ensure claimants have access to personalised support so they can move back into employment.

DWP continues to support the cross-government commitment, actively supporting people of the Windrush generation and working closely with the Home Office.

The policy on up-rating UK state pensions overseas is a long-standing one of successive post-war Governments. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so. There are no current plans to change this.

Primary care and general practice is within scope of the Health and Social Care Leadership Review and we have been engaging with stakeholders from the sector. We have had regular engagement with General Sir Gordon Messenger and officials throughout the review. The Review is expected to conclude in spring 2022.

No recent discussions have taken place.

The information requested on patient list size is not held centrally.

As self-employed contractors, it is for general practitioner (GP) practices to determine the appropriate workforce, including the number and range of health professionals necessary to respond to the needs of their patients. There is no recommendation for how many patients should be assigned to a GP. This can be affected by various factors, including rurality and patient demographics. No further analysis is currently being undertaken.

The information requested on patient list size is not held centrally.

As self-employed contractors, it is for general practitioner (GP) practices to determine the appropriate workforce, including the number and range of health professionals necessary to respond to the needs of their patients. There is no recommendation for how many patients should be assigned to a GP. This can be affected by various factors, including rurality and patient demographics. No further analysis is currently being undertaken.

While we have no plans to make a formal assessment, we have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harassment. We are investing in better security at general practitioner surgeries and working with the National Health Service to ensure primary care workers are supported.

The local clinical commissioning group and the Lambeth Together Training Hub regularly engage with practices in Streatham and have recently provided dedicated training for primary care staff on dealing with these situations.

Under the GP Contract, contractors must provide essential services. The Contract defines essential services as those services which practices must provide to meet the ‘reasonable needs’ of their registered and temporary patients in core hours. This includes providing consultations, referrals and ongoing treatment and care as necessary and appropriate. This places broad responsibilities on practices while allowing a level of clinical discretion to determine how to meet patients’ reasonable needs. Clinical commissioning groups are also responsible for monitoring and responding to demands placed on general practitioners and their teams.

We have made £520 million available to improve access and expand general practice capacity during the pandemic, including in London. We are continuing to assess the impact of the pandemic on general practice staff retention and working with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the profession to support general practitioners and improve their working environment.

The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is designed to be used for reimbursing the salaries and on-costs of roles included in the Scheme. As private contractors, general practitioners plan their recruitment and workforce decisions.

The information requested is not held centrally.

There were 1,672 more full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice in December 2021 compared to December 2019. As self-employed contractors to the National Health Service, it is for general practitioner (GP) practices to determine the appropriate workforce for their practice. As such, there is no central plan for the proportions of the future workforce in the format requested. In December 2021, there were 8,394 headcount qualified, permanent GPs working on a full-time basis.

The 2020 updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new retention schemes alongside existing schemes for the general practice workforce. The National GP Retention Scheme had 632 doctors on the scheme as at 31 December 2021 by headcount, contributing 250 FTE. Doctors in training to become GPs in training are unable to work as independent general practitioners until they have gained their Certificate of Completion of Training. As in hospital settings, doctors in training are delivering direct patient care whilst being safely supervised and supported.

The General Medical Council (GMC) may place restrictions on an individual’s ability to practise medicine where serious concerns arise about their fitness to practise. In addition to holding a GMC registration and licence to practise, any doctor who wishes to provide primary general medical services must also be included on NHS England’s Medical Performers List, which can also include restrictions on the work the doctor can undertake. The GMC’s restrictions do not necessarily prevent the doctor from continuing to provide those services.

We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in London. We have increased the number of general practitioner (GP) training places and in 2021/22, 4,000 doctors accepted a place on GP training – an increase from 2,671 in 2014.

The updated GP Contract Framework announced new retention schemes and continued support for existing schemes for the general practice workforce. These include the GP Retention Scheme, the International Induction Programme, the Return to Practice Programme, the Fellowship Programme, the New to Partnership Payment and Supporting Mentors Scheme.

South East London Clinical Commissioning Group is working with the Lambeth Together Training Hub to support the recruitment and retention of staff in GP practices. These include peer-to-peer support groups, protected learning time events and support for workforce planning to recruit additional roles such as mental health practitioners, physician associates and social prescribers.

We are investing at least an additional £2.3 billion a year to expand mental health services by 2023/24 and enable a further 345,000 children and young people to access National Health Service-funded mental health support. In March 2021, we announced an additional £79 million for children’s mental health services in 2021/22. This will allow approximately 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services and accelerate the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

In 2021/22, £15 million has been invested in local authority areas in the most deprived parts of the country for prevention and early intervention services, including for families, children and young people. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided a further £40 million in 2021/22 to address the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health. In addition, the Government has announced £500 million for support for families, more than £80 million for family hubs.

While no formal assessment has been made, access to children and young people’s mental health services is monitored through periodic population surveys and the National Health Service Mental Health Dashboard. This records data on the number of children and young people under 18 years old accessing support from NHS-funded community services.

‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 survey’ published by NHS Digital in October 2020, found that approximately 16% of children aged between five and 16 years had a probable mental health disorder in 2020, compared to 10.8% in 2017. This may be partially attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

The following table shows the number of children and young people from a non-white ethnic background with at least one contact with secondary mental health, learning disabilities and autism services. This data collection started in 2017/18, therefore information on previous years is not available.

Source: Mental Health Service Data Set, NHS Digital

1. Data specific to secondary mental health services and specific mental health condition type is not separately identifiable.
2. Comparisons between years should be made with caution as the number of providers submitting data has increased. For instance, in 2017/18 this increased from 110 providers to 178 in 2018/19 and to 302 in 2019/20.
3. Does not include records where ethnicity has been recorded as either 'Not Stated' or 'Not Known' or is unknown.
4. The source statistics are classified as experimental and undergoing evaluation and should be used with caution.

We have made no formal assessment. The National Health Service Mental Health Dashboard reports 605,012 children and young people have accessed support through NHS-funded community services in Quarter 1 2021/22, the most recently available data. This is an increase from 589,705 at the end of 2020/2021.

We have previously announced an additional £79 million to expand capacity in children’s mental health services in 2021/22, allowing 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services; 2,000 more to access eating disorder services; and a faster increase in the coverage of new mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have invested a further £40 million in 2021/22 to address the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health. These investments are in addition to the extra £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24, which will allow 345,000 more children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old to access NHS-funded mental health support.

We remain committed to the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan to invest at least an additional £2.3 billion a year into expanding and transforming mental health services by 2023/24. This will enable an extra 345,000 more children and young people with a range of mental health conditions including eating disorders, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder to access National Health Service (NHS) funded mental health support and expand the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 healthcare professionals.

In March 2021, we announced an additional £79 million funding in this financial year, which will allow around 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more to access eating disorder services and accelerate the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.

We are also investing £15 million in local authority areas in the most deprived parts of the country to help stimulate and boost prevention and early intervention services to support those hardest hit by the pandemic, including children and young people.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. The symptoms of ADHD usually improve with age, but many adults who were diagnosed with the condition at a young age continue to experience problems. For children with ADHD, the condition can be managed with appropriate educational, health and care advice and support, alongside medicine if necessary. We are taking specific steps through the NHS Long Term Plan to work with local authority children’s social care, education services and expert charities to develop packages to support neurodivergent children, including children with ADHD and their families, throughout the diagnostic process.

No estimate has been made.

The mental health services dataset on the number of children living in insecure housing referred to specialist care for serious mental health conditions shows that 3,221 children were referred in 2020/21 and 3,757 from April to November in 2021/22. However, it should be noted that there has been an increase in the number of providers submitting this data since 2018 and subsequent improvements in data quality.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services have remained open during the pandemic, though some services had to temporarily reduce their face-to-face appointments due to health and safety measures.

No national assessment has been made of the level of unmet need across all SRH services in England during the pandemic. The Department’s plans to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes across the population over the next five years will be set out in our forthcoming sexual and reproductive health strategy.

From 1 December, close contacts who have been fully vaccinated in a non-United Kingdom country will no longer be advised to self-isolate, provided their vaccination is on the World Health Oorganization’s Emergency Use Listing and was administered in one of the countries included in the UK’s travel policy for those who are fully vaccinated. However, as with any other close contact, they will be advised to take a polymerase chain reaction test and to consider other precautions to help minimise the risk of onward transmission.

In their advice to the Secretary of State for Health on 13 September the Chief Medical Officers of the four nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) indicated that they would want the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to give a view on whether and what second doses to give to children and young people aged 12 to 15 years. JCVI’s advice can be found here at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-15-years-against-covid-19/universal-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-15-years-against-covid-19

The JCVI continues to review the evidence on COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12-15 years, including the potential risks and benefits of a second dose, as it becomes available. Any advice will be released through an official statement once the relevant data has been considered. When released this statement will be published on GOV.UK.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is supporting patients with liver disease through interventions to reduce alcohol consumption. We are investing in improving access to preventative health services to tackle health inequalities in the outcomes for liver disease.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is supporting patients with liver disease through interventions to reduce alcohol consumption. We are investing in improving access to preventative health services to tackle health inequalities in the outcomes for liver disease.

Fully vaccinated arrivals from a number of African countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa, currently meet the definition of ‘eligible traveller’ and are subject to reduced testing and quarantine requirements.

We are working with international partners to continue the expansion of the policy to other countries and territories in a phased approach, where this meets our certification requirements. The extension of vaccine certification is reviewed regularly.

We have made no such assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidelines which includes recommendations on the use of electroconvulsive therapy. The Department expects commissioners and providers of services to pay due regard to these guidelines and NICE keeps its guidance under regular review.

Public Health England (PHE) has published guidance on investigation and management of suspected COVID-19 infections that states if people present with new symptoms within 90 days of full recovery of a previous COVID-19 episode, they should be suspected to have COVID-19 until tests consider otherwise. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-investigation-and-management-of-suspected-sars-cov-2-reinfections/investigation-and-management-of-suspected-sars-cov-2-reinfections-a-guide-for-clinicians-and-infection-specialists

PHE has also published guidance for staff and managers in health and social care settings that considers in general, immunocompetent people should not be polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tested if they had a previous positive PCR test in the 90 days prior but that if they do get a test, if people are asymptomatic, a risk assessment should be undertaken to consider whether they are likely to have COVID-19 again. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware of the clinical trial in the United Kingdom for the SaNOtize nasal spray. However, no nasal sprays for the prevention of COVID-19 are currently licensed in the UK. The MHRA together with independent advisory groups, continues to review the emerging body of evidence regarding potential medicines for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have written to the medical directors of National Health Service mental health trusts asking them to review the implementation of Serenity Integrated Mentoring and similar models in trusts, in partnership with local patient representatives and those who might have been in the care of such models.

NHS England and NHS Improvement intend to gather learning from these local reviews, to inform the expansion and transformation of community and crisis care services for adults and older adults with mental health needs as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Government recognises that access to breaks is important support for carers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Care Act 2014 introduced new rights for carers, for the first time putting them on the same footing as the people for whom they care. They now have legal rights to an assessment of and support for, their needs where eligible.

Day services and other forms of respite care are vital services and we are working with local authorities, in collaboration with Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure, where possible, the safe resumption of these services. We have also provided funding through the £1.8 billion Infection Control Fund to support the reopening of day and respite services.

There are no delays in administering the Pfizer vaccine. We have clear plans in place with Pfizer to ensure sufficient supply of the vaccine throughout 2021 and to prevent any shortages. There has been a regular and steady supply of vaccine doses arriving into the United Kingdom since early December and we have sufficient doses to maintain our vaccination programme as it continues to accelerate, working closely with Pfizer to ensure vaccines keep arriving into the UK.

We have sufficient vaccines available to administer second doses for Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, in line with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization) guidance. The decision to offer second doses from 8 weeks for cohorts 1 – 9 factored in that there was sufficient supply to honour the plan. There are no known issues around availability to deliver the first or second dose plan for any vaccine.

A quality assurance framework is in place against which call handlers are scored. Feedback is provided to the call handlers and additional coaching if required.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.

Important research in primary care when women present with endometriosis-like symptoms is currently underway, hosted by the National Institute of Health Research. The results will be published later this year and will help us to understand delays in diagnosis. On 8 March, we launched a 12-week call for evidence as part of the first Government-led Women’s Health Strategy for England. The online survey within the call for evidence seeks information on gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.

The costs of the Test to Release scheme are kept under regular review. We currently have no plans to exempt people from the cost of the testing package who are returning to the United Kingdom from work-related travel.

Border Force will use all the information available to them to identify those who may have travelled to the United Kingdom indirectly from countries where a travel ban has been imposed and will stop them at the border wherever possible. All arriving passengers must complete a passenger locator form that will detail their travel before they arrived in the UK and whether they have been in a ‘red list’ country in the 10 days before their arrival in the UK.

On 21 January 2021, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that during the week commencing 27 December 2020, 301,000 people in England had symptoms that had persisted for between five and 12 weeks. The ONS found that 22.1% of people testing positive for COVID-19 exhibit symptoms for a period of five weeks or longer. That percentage is lower for those between the ages of 2 and 11 years old at 12.9% and 12 to 16 years old at 14.5%.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing a case definition and model of care for children with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

We know more about the impact of the virus following Public Health England’s report on COVID-19 and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. However, as ‘long’ COVID-19 is an emerging condition, a better understanding of how it affects under-represented communities is needed.

Foster carers who are eligible for a vaccine because of their age or other clinical factors such as underlying health conditions, will have access to a vaccine in the first phase.

Phase two of the COVID-19 vaccine programme will cover all adults under 50 year old not already included in phase one. Prioritisation for phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends an age-based approach, which the Government has accepted in principle.

The JCVI has concluded that targeted vaccination to reduce transmission or give priority to occupational groups at higher risk of exposure would not be as effective or as fast in reducing mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation as direct protection of those at higher risk of serious disease.

People are not required to prove they have an exemption or reasonable excuse which means they do not need to wear a face covering and it is for individuals to choose how they communicate this to others.

We expect that the majority of those who do not wear a face covering in regulated settings have a reasonable excuse or exemption. The Government has actively engaged with stakeholders including disability charities to understand the impact of the policy on disabled people. By requesting that members of the public be respectful of circumstances where someone cannot wear a face covering and issuing guidance that no one need prove their exemption, we aim to minimise the negative impact on those with disabilities, which is a protected characteristic. The Department, as a public authority, is legally obliged to give due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty when making policy decisions by considering the impact of policy on groups with protected characteristics.

The Government has no plans to provide funding for travel costs. For those facing significant financial hardship as a result of these there is an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking. We have set out how to apply for this on GOV.UK, in particular for individuals who receive income related benefits. We keep all our measures under constant review.

Shop workers providing essential services will be offered their vaccinations alongside other adults of the same age, or earlier if they have underlying health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. They are not currently being prioritised because of their occupation alone, as age is assessed to be the strongest factor linked to mortality, morbidity and hospitalisations, and because the speed of delivery is crucial as we provide more people with protection from COVID-19.

For the first phase, the Government decided, based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, that the vaccine first be given to 9 identified priority groups. The two highest priority groups were care home residents and staff followed by frontline health and social care workers and everyone aged over 80. Frontline health and social care workers are prioritised in the first phase because they are at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection but also of transmitting that infection to multiple persons who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 as well as to other staff in a healthcare environment. The remaining 7 priority groups in the first phase include all those identified at either higher clinical risk or clinically extremely vulnerable, unpaid carers, and anyone not included in those groups but aged 50 or above. Everyone aged over 50 is included even where the individual has no other risk factors because serious outcomes from COVID-19 are strongly age related.

For Phase 2 of the COVID 19 vaccination programme, the JCVI published its interim advice on 26 February setting out that the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age, rather than by occupation. This advice can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-issues-interim-advice-on-phase-2-of-covid-19-vaccination-programme-rollout

Estimates of efficacy of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and the rationale for the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is available in the statement published on 31 December which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prioritising-the-first-covid-19-vaccine-dose-jcvi-statement/optimising-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-maximum-short-term-impact

Further supporting data has since been published on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which indicate high vaccine efficacy from the first dose of vaccine and better immune responses from the second dose with an extended schedule of up to 12 weeks. Data indicates protection from the first dose is maintained over a twelve-week period. This information is available at the following link:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3777268

The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers wrote to the medical profession regarding the COVID-19 vaccination programmes, stating that setting out a model where vaccinating twice the number of people in the next two to three months provides greater public health protection. The letter is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-the-profession-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-the-uk-covid-19-vaccination-programmes/letter-to-the-profession-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-regarding-the-uk-covid-19-vaccination-programmes

A recent assessment by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) found that early data indicates lower protection in vaccinated adults who are immunosuppressed, including those with blood cancer. Those with severe immunosuppression are therefore more likely to suffer poor outcomes following infection and are less likely to benefit from the vaccines offered.

On 29 March 2021, the JCVI advised that household contacts of the immunosuppressed (such as those with blood cancer) should be offered a COVID-19 vaccination alongside priority group 6 in Phase 1. NHS England and Improvement will now vaccinate these household contacts in priority group 6.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom and nursing associates in England. On 14 January 2021, the NMC made emergency changes to its education standards. The standards give flexibility to Approved Education Institutions (AEIs) to decide how to structure and apportion academic learning and clinical placements for nursing and midwifery students.

AEIs retain responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of students in whatever capacity they are undertaking clinical placements. The NMC’s emergency standards require training providers to ensure placement allocations take account of current, relevant public health guidelines with due regard to the health and wellbeing of individual students.

No such assessment has been made.

The Department is continuing to work closely with colleagues across Government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years sector. Early years staff, as critical workers, continue to have priority access to polymerase chain reaction testing via the online portal, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

The Department is having ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme as well as encouraging local authorities to consider prioritising appropriate testing for staff in private, voluntary and independent settings and childminders via the Community Testing Programme.

Officials at the Department for Health and Social Care have regular discussions with colleagues in Her Majesty's Treasury and the Department for Education on delivering the measures set out in ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ to help achieve our ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030.

On 24 February, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published a clarification of their advice on vaccinating people with a learning disability. The JCVI confirmed their advice that prioritisation should be for those with a severe and profound learning disability as in their view the evidence does not support prioritised vaccination for those with learning difficulties outside this group. However, the committee supported a practical approach of inviting everyone who is on a General Practitioner Learning Disability Register for vaccination in priority group 6. The Government accepted this advice and everyone who is on a GP Learning Disability Register is now included in priority group 6 of Phase 1 of the vaccine programme.

In March 2020, we announced that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) will be routinely available across England in 2020/21 as part of the Government’s aim to end HIV transmission by 2030. This year we provided £11 million to local authorities for routine commissioning of PrEP and this is already in place in the majority of areas.

The Department and Public Health England continue to work closely with local authorities across England, including in London, as well as with other stakeholders to support the roll-out of routine commissioning of PrEP. This includes a package of information and resources shared with local authorities in July. Funding for health promotion activities in specific areas, including for PrEP is the responsibility of local authorities in those areas.

The Government provided £11 million ring-fenced funding to local authorities for routine commissioning of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2020/21, which has been assessed as meeting PrEP need this year. Routine commissioning of PrEP will benefit tens of thousands of people at highest risk of HIV infection and, along with other measures, will take us closer to our ambition of zero HIV transmissions by 2030.

Public Health England, in collaboration with stakeholders, is currently developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for the routine commissioning of PrEP. This will use established surveillance systems and include measures of PrEP need and use among key population groups to inform equitable delivery and access. These data will be published in routine sexually transmitted infection and human immunodeficiency virus surveillance outputs in 2021.

Local authorities are responsible for providing services which help to prevent late diagnosis of HIV in their communities. Public Health England (PHE) provides local authorities with data on late HIV diagnosis rates to support commissioning to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities.

HIV Prevention England, the national HIV prevention campaign funded by PHE and delivered by the Terrence Higgins Trust, aims to promote HIV testing to reduce undiagnosed and late HIV diagnoses in black African communities, men who have sex with men and other groups in which there is a higher or emerging burden of infection.

PHE’s Innovation Fund has supported a range of projects between 2017 and 2020 that tested and evaluated new approaches to reducing late diagnoses and increasing testing among the most affected populations.

In March 2020, we announced that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) will be routinely available across England in 2020/21 as part of the Government’s aim to end HIV transmission by 2030. This year we provided £11 million to local authorities for routine commissioning of PrEP and this is already in place in the majority of areas.

HIV Prevention England is the national HIV prevention campaign funded by Public Health England (PHE) and delivered by Terrence Higgins Trust. It aims to promote evidence-based safer-sex and HIV prevention interventions such as PrEP to black African communities, men who have sex with men and other groups in which there is a higher or emerging burden of infection. HIV Prevention England’s campaign in October 2020 focussed on raising awareness of HIV PrEP in black African Communities.

PHE also runs the Innovation Fund which supports volunteer organisations spearheading new approaches to HIV prevention, including PrEP and focuses on engaging at-risk or under-served communities.

Local vaccination services play a vital role in reaching vulnerable groups such as those who are sleeping rough or homeless. These services mobilise general practice, working together in groups of Primary Care Networks plus large and small community pharmacy sites. These services provide the largest number of locations and are well placed to support the highest risk individuals, many of whom already have a trusted relationship with their local health services. They also coordinate and deliver vaccination to people who are unable to attend a vaccination site and to reach vulnerable groups such as those who are experiencing homelessness.

The COVID-19 app works on the vast majority of smartphones, approximately nine out of 10 in the United Kingdom. Not all handsets can use the app as it requires Bluetooth technology provided by Apple and Google in the operating system. On 14 December 2020, Apple released a version of their operating system (12.5) that brings the exposure notification contact tracing technology to older iPhone models. However, the app also uses other software components that are not available in these older versions of the operating system. Whilst we do not have plans to re-design the app in order for it to work on older iPhone models, we will continue to look at options to increase uptake of the app.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level.  For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.

If staff working with the homeless or victims of domestic abuse are captured in phase one due to their age or clinical risk factors they will be prioritised. However the Government, as advised by the JCVI, are not considering vaccinating such workers as a phase one priority at this stage.   Care workers providing care for those who are severely disabled and clinically vulnerable to COVID-19  will be prioritised in phase one.

Prioritisation decisions for next phase delivery are subject to surveillance and monitoring data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts such as the JCVI. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

There are currently no planned revisions to COVID-19 restrictions on patient visiting in hospitals. NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue its ongoing review of guidance and revise as necessary. The health, safety and wellbeing of patients, communities and staff remain the priority.

Social care workers include those working in long-stay residential and nursing care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality. This also includes social care staff directly involved in the care of their patients or clients, and others involved directly in delivering social care such that they and vulnerable patients and clients are at increased risk of exposure.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems.

Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and all individuals aged 16-64 years old with underlying health conditions. Phase 2 of the roll out may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

The established mechanism for determining pay rises in the National Health Service are the independent Pay Review Bodies. For recommendations on pay for AfC staff for 2021/22, including nurses, we intend to look to the NHS Pay Review Body. We expect to issue a remit letter to the NHS Pay Review Body in the coming weeks following the conclusion of the Spending Review. The Government will carefully consider the Review Body’s recommendations when we receive them.

Decisions on tiers are made by Ministers based on public health recommendations from senior clinical and scientific advisors, guided by five key indicators - the case detection rate in all age groups, case detection rates among the over 60 year olds, the rate at which case rates are rising or falling, positivity rate and pressures on the National Health Service.  Final decisions on tiering are made by the COVID-19 Operations Committee.

As of 6 January, all areas have been moved into tier 4 and the Government will review the tiering allocations every 14 days.

Legislation relating to social distancing in local Covid alert level high and very high applies to couples in established relationships.

Published Government guidance recommends not travelling into or out of the local Covid alert level very high area, except for exempted purposes. Those living in local Covid alert level very high areas should not stay overnight outside that area, and those living outside local Covid alert level very high areas should not stay overnight inside local Covid alert level very high areas without legitimate reasons.

We want to ensure that all communities, including people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, can access mental health services when they need to. National Health Service mental health services have remained open, and our community, talking therapies and children and young people’s services have deployed digital tools to connect with people as well as face to face appointments where possible to provide ongoing support.

The Government has provided £10.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities to support adults and children. This includes charities that offer some support to BAME communities, such as the What? Centre, which supports young people with furthering their understanding of race, culture and identity in relation to mental health.

National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time, delivering support digitally and over the phone where possible. This includes areas where local COVID-10 alert levels have been put in place.

For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS mental health providers have established 24 hours per day, seven days a week mental health crisis lines.

We have released tailored guidance to help people deal with this pandemic. People can go to the Every Mind Matters website and GOV.UK for advice and tailored, practical steps they can take to support their wellbeing and manage their mental health.

We have provided £10.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities to support their work during COVID-19. A list of charity mental health helplines can be found on the NHS website.

We recognise the additional pressures on mental health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the economy and levels of unemployment. National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time, including delivering support digitally and by phone. For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS mental health providers have established 24 hours per day, seven days a week mental health crisis lines.

We are working with the NHS, Public Health England and other key partners to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts, and plan for how to support mental health and wellbeing throughout the coming weeks and months.

The Department has made no such assessment.

The following table provides Immigration Health Surcharge income figures for the financial years from 2015/16 to 2018/19 – the latest period available, taken from the Home Office’s Annual Accounts which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019

Prior to COVID-19, the Immigration Health Surcharge was forecast to generate over £400 million per year for the National Health Service.

The COVID-19 Nightingale temporary hospitals are the responsibility of the designated sponsoring National Health Service trust. Each such trust appointed a designated and appropriately qualified individual to oversee the design process and installation of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration-related infrastructure where required. All installations within each Nightingale facility were subject to a specific testing and commissioning process prior to operational use.

This information is not collected centrally and so no assessment has been made.

If any debt is incurred when paying for care, we expect the local authority to follow the principles set out in the relevant guidance; that they should act reasonably; and that any arrangements for debt repayments are agreed between the relevant parties.

The Government will continue to ensure that decisions about public services are made by the United Kingdom Government and the devolved administrations, not our trade partners.

When negotiating trade deals, the National Health Service, the price the NHS pays for drugs, and the services the NHS provides will not be on the table. This position was reaffirmed in our published negotiating objectives for UK-United States and UK-Japan trade deals.

The current diversity of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Board of Commissioners is set out in the table below;

Regulations came into force on 29 January 2020 to add Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (now known as COVID-19) to Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. This means there can be no charge made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis, or, if positive, treatment, of COVID-19.

To help ensure that no one is deterred from safely accessing healthcare for COVID-19 this information has been widely communicated to NHS staff and the public and has been translated into 40 languages. This message has been shared with organisations representing vulnerable migrant groups.

The Department is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, including hydroxychloroquine, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.

Hydroxychloroquine is not currently licensed to treat COVID-19 related symptoms or prevent infection. Clinical trials are being established to test hydroxychloroquine as an agent in the treatment of COVID-19. There are centrally held supplies of hydroxychloroquine for those clinical trials.

Separate supplies of hydroxychloroquine for patients that are already using the medicine for its licensed indications can be accessed through usual routes. The Department is in regular contact with suppliers to ensure stock continues to remain available in the supply chain. In addition, there is an export ban in place to protect United Kingdom stocks of hydroxychloroquine that is intended for UK patients.

Around 1,000 additional call handlers have already been trained.

The National Health Service has been clear that investment will increase if demand continues to rise advising that people should only call 111 if they cannot get help online. The new NHS 111 online service provides people with the right advice which frees up clinical call handlers time so that they are able to prioritise those experiencing symptoms.

We are taking steps to review the broad spectrum of current general practitioner services in England to assess how additional capacity might be released if required. Similar work is also taking place across the other primary care professions. Further information will follow in due course should such steps need to be taken. This information will be published on the NHS England website at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/preparedness-letters-for-general-practice/

The Department is aware that there is currently limited availability of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). There have been intermittent supply issues over the last 2-3 years due to manufacturing capacity constraints and an increase in global demand for the vaccine.

Public Health England has issued comprehensive guidance to the National Health Service clinicians on the management of potentially affected patients during this time of limited availability. General Practices have been advised to prioritise PPV23 vaccinations based on clinical risk and to plan vaccinations to ensure demand is more consistent across the year.

On 6 November 2019, PPV23 was added to the list of medicines that cannot be parallel exported, further protecting United Kingdom supplies and vaccine availability.

We are aware of reports concerning the detention and convictions of journalists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and are following the situation closely. A free and independent media is essential to functioning societies. We condemn acts of intimidation against journalists and media organisations, and the suppression of information.

I have raised and continue to raise my concerns over restrictions on media freedom in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani. In the last few weeks, our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil, has also discussed these issues with their interlocutors in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The UK has been at the forefront of the international response towards the fraudulent election and human rights violations in Belarus. Alongside Canada, we led on implementing sanctions against Lukashenko and his inner circle under the UK's Global Human Rights Regime. We have also carried over the EU's Belarus sanctions regime into UK law. We are aware of reported links between Mr Gutseriev and the Lukashenko regime but to preserve the integrity of the sanctions process, it would be inappropriate to speculate publicly on future designations.

The UK condemns the coup conducted by the Myanmar military on 1 February. We have made representations at the highest level within Myanmar to encourage all sides to resolve disputes in a peaceful and legal manner. We condemn restrictions on social media as a means of limiting freedom of expression and the intimidation and persecution of those opposing the military coup. We urge the military to exercise utmost restraint towards them and refrain from actions against civil society and further disruption of communication or freedom of expression and the media. Journalists must be allowed to carry out their job without fear or threat of violence. We and the EU have called for a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Myanmar on 12 February. We condemn the coup in Myanmar and the arbitrary detention of elected politicians & civil society by the military.

The UK Government is concerned about the Government of Sri Lanka's continued decision to mandate cremations for all those affected by Covid-19, and recognises the particular impact this is having on Sri Lankan Muslims and other faith communities. The Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised concerns about this directly with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, most recently in December. Lord Ahmad also raised the importance of minority rights in a call with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in November. The UK's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka has also raised concerns about mandatory cremations several times with the Sri Lankan Government, most recently in January.

The UK has shared guidance with the Government of Sri Lanka on how burials can continue to operate in a safe format, within the WHO guidelines, to ensure all religious groups can practise their rites. We will continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka on this important issue.

On the 30th December 2020 the UK announced a £47 million support package to nine countries affected by food insecurity including Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, £4 million will be used to provide 110,000 people in urban areas with monthly transfers worth USD 12 per person. People targeted include the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed households. Through our ongoing humanitarian programme, the UK is also supporting 156,000 food insecure people in 3 rural districts with food assistance.

The UK continues to work closely with the UN and our humanitarian partners to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19 and sustain life-saving services in Syria. The UK has committed £34 million to help humanitarian partners mitigate the impact of the virus. The funding will help stop the spread of the virus in Syria by supporting health workers with training, medical supplies and sanitation. Additionally, the UK remains a top donor to the Syria crisis. In June 2020 we committed at least £300 million at the Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region". This brings the UK's support to Syria and the region since 2012 to £3.3 billion, the UK's biggest ever humanitarian response. The UK continues to call upon all parties to the conflict to uphold International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.

We have actively encouraged the parties back to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in August and urged Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli PM Netanyahu to renew cooperation, and work towards further confidence-building measures and dialogue. The Foreign Secretary welcomed the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority & the Government of Israel to restore cooperation. We encourage the parties to build on this momentum through further dialogue and compromise to move towards a lasting solution to the conflict. We also welcomed the announcement, on 13 August, of the suspension of annexation plans. Annexation would have been contrary to international law, counterproductive to peace and a severe blow to prospects for a two-state solution. We hope both of these developments can be used as a step towards direct talks between the two sides. The UK stands ready to support.

On 29 September, the UK, with Canada, implemented sanctions on Alexander?Lukashenko, his son and six other members of the Belarusian senior leadership under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime for serious human rights violations linked to the presidential election in August.?? We welcomed the EU's decision to impose sanctions on other linked officials and will transfer the existing EU Belarus sanctions regime into an autonomous UK sanctions regime at the end of the Transition Period.? We remain concerned by the situation in Belarus and will consider future designations carefully, guided by the evidence and objectives of the sanctions regime.

We are concerned by increasing rates of demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. I raised our concern about demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 29 October, and issued a statement outlining the UK's concern about the demolitions of structures in Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem visited Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November to reiterate UK support for the community. The UK provides funding to the West Bank Protection Consortium, which is coordinating with the Palestinian Red Cross and the United Nations to provide emergency shelter to the community of Humsa Al-Baqai'a, and determine the community's long-term needs. The UK is focused on preventing demolitions and evictions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

The British Government is supporting the humanitarian response in Central America in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. The Start Fund, to which the UK contributes, has released funding to NGOs in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala for immediate humanitarian assistance. FCDO has also procured aid supplies, including emergency shelter kits, to be distributed by local partners across the region. The British Government funded NGO, Map Action, is providing crucial mapping services to support regional relief efforts.

We have also deployed RFA Argus, a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, to support the US military's relief operations in Honduras. We are donating £1 million to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal. The UK is also a large donor to multilateral agencies already responding across the region, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the World Food Programme. We are continuing to monitor the situation, and will consider providing further support as required.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supports some of the poorest and most vulnerable people through social protection programmes in over 25 countries. We recognise their potential to deliver gender equality outcomes, including girls' education, and are working with governments and international partners to strengthen the gender responsiveness of social protection policies and programmes in developing countries. Our Gender-Responsive Social Protection and Better Assistance in Crises programmes are providing expert advice to FCDO country offices, governments and partner organisations on how to strengthen social protection measures in the COVID-19 response, including how to deliver more effectively for women and girls. We will continue to encourage a strong gender focus in social protection programmes and systems in the COVID-19 recovery.

The UK is committed to supporting children in developing countries to return to school when it is safe to do so, and recognises the important role social protection can play in safeguarding the wellbeing of individuals and their families during times of crisis, and in helping families to meet the direct and indirect costs of sending girls to schools. This is part of the FCDO's wider education programme response to COVID-19 which includes work with partner countries to ensure they have the knowledge and resources to facilitate a safe return.

HMG remains extremely concerned about all dual British nationals detained in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and therefore does not the permit UK Government access to British-Iranian detainees. We continue to urge the Iranian Government immediately to release all dual British nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran to enable them to return to their families in the UK. The welfare of British-Iranian citizens in Iran is of paramount importance, and we call on Iran to uphold its commitments under international law to treat all detainees in line with international standards. We continue to raise all our dual British nationals' cases at the most senior levels, and discuss it at every opportunity with our Iranian counterparts. The Foreign Secretary has done so repeatedly with Foreign Minister Zarif. We raised their cases again when we summoned the Iranian Ambassador on 29 October, and our Ambassador in Tehran consistently raises all our dual national detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The need to support education, particularly girls' education, has never been greater. The UK is committed to a safe return to school for children around the world. We must support education systems to respond and ensure girls and the most vulnerable get back to school and catch up on lost learning.

The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which has flexed £400 million to support education systems globally at this unprecedented time. The Prime Minister recently announced that next year the UK will co-host GPE's financing summit: this will be a crucial step towards achieving this Government's ambition of 12 years of quality education for every girl.

The UK is the largest donor to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies, and has provided an additional £5 million to reach the most vulnerable children in 33 countries during the pandemic. We announced £5.3 million of new UK funding to UNHCR to enable more than 5,000 teachers to provide vital education for children in 10 refugee-hosting countries up to early 2021. Bilaterally, we have adapted and reprioritised our education programmes in 18 countries to provide education and keep pupils safe.

The UK Government follows the human rights situation in Uganda closely. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We continue to call on Uganda to guarantee freedoms enshrined in the Ugandan Constitution. At the 43rd Human Rights Council on 19 June, the UK International Ambassador for Human Rights welcomed the agreement between the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Uganda to renew the mandate of the UN Human Rights office in Kampala. At the UN Security Council on 13 October, we called on the Government of Uganda to ensure their upcoming elections are peaceful, free and fair as reports of shrinking democratic space are concerning. The British High Commissioner in Kampala has raised the importance of free and fair elections and respect for human rights in recent calls with senior Government Ministers. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Our education programmes prioritise the poorest and most marginalised children, especially girls. The UK is a world leader in supporting girls' education and champions the right of all girls to 12 years of quality education by 2030. Between 2015 and 2020 the UK supported at least 15.6 million children around the world to gain a decent education, of which 8.1 million were girls.

The UK is dedicated to supporting education in emergencies and protracted crises: reaching these children is critical to global progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. The UK is the largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies, and Chairs its Executive Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognise that children already living through emergencies are at a double disadvantage. The UK has provided an additional £5 million to ECW as well as £5.3 million to UNHCR to support refugee education.

There are an estimated 65 million children with disabilities, and 1/3 of all out of school children at the primary level have a disability. In 2019, together with the World Bank and the Norwegian Government, we launched the Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI). This initiative is providing technical expertise to help make education more inclusive for children across the spectrum of disabilities.

The UK is committed to ensuring a safe return to school for children around the world. We are taking decisive action through our 18 bilateral education programmes, and we are supporting global efforts, including the UNICEF-led campaign 'Opening Up Better', to ensure children return to school when it is safe to do so. We recognise that children already living through emergencies are at a double disadvantage during the COVID-19 pandemic and have provided an additional £5 million to Education Cannot Wait and £5.3 million to UNHCR to support refugee education.

The UK has played a leading role coordinating the global response, and on 20 and 22 October the UK will be co-hosting an extraordinary Global Education Meeting (GEM) with UNESCO. This extraordinary meeting of the GEM will bring together the international education community to agree on a set of global priority actions to be put in place to support the recovery from COVID-19 and strengthening education systems.

The UK, along with Kenya, will host next year's replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education, the major global fund for education. This will be a key moment to mobilise much needed commitments as we build back from COVID-19.

The education of over 1.3 billion children in over 150 countries has been disrupted since COVID-19 struck.

The UK is committed to ensuring children around the world return to school when it is safe to do so. We have adapted our bilateral education programmes in 18 countries in response to the pandemic and have stepped up funding for education including a £5 million uplift to the Education Cannot Wait fund for emergency education in fragile contexts, and £5.3 million of new funding to UNHCR to enable over 5500 teachers to provide vital education for children in 10 refugee-hosting countries over the crucial next seven months. As the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education we have helped set up a dedicated $500 million COVID-19 accelerated funding window to maintain basic education. We are working closely with UNICEF's Reopening Better Campaign, both globally and in country.

The UK, along with Kenya, will host next year's replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education, the major global fund for education. This will be a key moment, with UK leadership, to mobilise much needed commitments on this agenda.

We welcome the announcement, on 13 August, of the suspension of Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The UK has consistently made clear our firm opposition to annexation, which would be contrary to international law, counterproductive to securing peace in the region, and a severe blow to the prospects of the two-state solution. We therefore profoundly hope that suspension of these plans can be used as a step towards dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians. There can be no substitute for direct talks in order to reach a two-state solution and a lasting peace. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the OPTs on 24-25 August and encouraged the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians to build on this momentum. We urge the Palestinian Authority to resume co-operation with Israel, which is in the interests of the Palestinian people. We also call on both parties to make constructive and open steps towards a return to dialogue.

The Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) was introduced in 2014 to incentivise risk finance investments in qualifying social enterprises and charities. In order to target SITR towards the highest-risk social enterprises, certain activities are excluded from the scheme, including community energy.

HMRC statistics show that up to 2018-19, about 110 enterprises have used the scheme to raise £11.2 million.

The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review in order to ensure they continue to meet policy objectives in a way that is fair and effective. The Government previously published a Call for Evidence in 2019 on SITR’s use to date. A response to the consultation will be published in due course and a decision on SITR’s future will be announced at the Budget.

The Government always welcomes constructive proposals from stakeholders to improve the design of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the suggestion for a Directors Income Support Scheme (DISS) from the Federation of Small Businesses, ForgottenLtd, Re Legal Consulting Ltd, and ACCA UK. This proposal aims to provide a new system for company directors, based on reported profits. The Government has considered this proposal in detail.

The DISS, as currently framed, is intrinsically reliant on self-certification. As the Government cannot readily verify this information, an effect of this reliance on self-certification is to open the scheme up to an unacceptable level of fraud by organised criminal groups and others who would seek to exploit the scheme. The Government cannot expose the tax system to these risks but continues to engage with the FSB regarding these concerns.

The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021.

This policy will cost over £2 billion. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget.

The Government has announced a significant support package to help businesses from a whole range of sectors through the winter months, which includes an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, and an extension of the application window for the Government-backed loan schemes.

The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021.

This policy will cost over £2 billion and it is necessary for a boundary for eligibility to be drawn. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget.

The Government has announced a significant support package to help businesses from a whole range of sectors through the winter months, which includes an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, and an extension of the application window for the Government-backed loan schemes. Alcohol duty was frozen at Budget 2020 to help pubs and the alcoholic drinks sector.

The Government is committed to supporting the self-employed population during the COVID-19 pandemic through a substantial package of support.

The three Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants combined provided up to £21,570 of support for each individual, placing the SEISS among the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world. As of 31 December, about 2.7 million individuals have made claims totalling over £18.9 billion so far across all three grants.

The claims window for the third grant closed on 29 January 2021. Further details of the fourth grant, which will cover February to the end of April, will be announced alongside other economic updates at Budget in March.

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

The department regularly meets a range of stakeholders, which includes discussion of parent’s access to childcare.

The Government appreciates that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employed Support Scheme (SEISS), 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.

Additionally, the Government has encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster 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 Government is also acutely aware of the impact that coronavirus has had on young people. That is why more than £60m of the unprecedented £750m package for the voluntary and charity sector has been directed towards organisations supporting children and young people. This is on top of £200m government investment in early intervention and prevention support initiatives to support children and young people at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment Fund.

In addition to wraparound childcare providers, parents / carers can also utilise the following to support their childcare needs:

• In the most recent national lockdown, the Government has chosen to keep early years settings open for all children. Vulnerable children and children of key workers can also continue to attend access out-of-school settings, for example breakfast clubs and after-school clubs.
• Nannies, which are still able to continue to provide services, including in the home; and
• Parents are also able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is under the age of 14.

Tax-Free Childcare also provides working parents with 20% support on childcare costs up to £10,000. Eligible working families with children under 12 (or under 17 if disabled) will receive up to £2,000 per child per year (or £4000 per child per year for disabled children) towards their childcare bills.

TFC can be used for activities out of school hours.

Low income working parents may be eligible for support through the Universal Credit childcare offer, which covers up to 85% of eligible childcare costs, or through Working Tax Credit, which covers up to 70% of costs. Both can be used for childcare that is outside school hours.

The Government has taken unprecedented steps to support the self-employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme receiving claims from about 2.7 million individuals so far, totalling over £18.9 billion as of 31 December.

The Government recognises that the pandemic may have affected the ability of self-employed individuals to meet their tax obligations. As announced in the Winter Economy Plan, the Government has given the self-employed and other taxpayers more time to pay taxes due in January 2021, building on the self-assessment deferral provided in July 2020.

Taxpayers with up to £30,000 of Self-Assessment liabilities due will be able to use HMRC’s self-service Time to Pay facility to secure a plan to pay over an additional 12 months. This means that Self-Assessment liabilities due in July 2020 will not need to be paid in full until January 2022.

If taxpayers or their agents are struggling to obtain the required information in time for their Self-Assessment return to be submitted by the filing date, they can provide provisional figures on their return and then provide HMRC with the actual figures as soon as they can. They must state that provisional figures are being provided by ticking the appropriate data item box on the return.

The temporary SDLT relief was designed to stimulate immediate momentum in a property market where property transactions fell by as much as 50 per cent during the COVID-19 lockdown in March. This will also support the jobs of people whose employment relies on custom from the property industry, such as retailers and tradespeople.

The Government will continue to monitor the market. However, as the relief was designed to provide an immediate stimulus to the property market, the Government does not plan to extend this relief.

For all eligibility decisions under CJRS, the Government must balance the need to support as many jobs as possible with the need to protect the scheme from fraud.

Under the CJRS extension, an employer can claim for employees who were employed and on their PAYE payroll on 30 October 2020. The employer must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. The use of RTI allows HMRC to verify claims in the most efficient and timely way, ensuring payments can be made quickly while reducing the risk of fraud. Without the use of RTI returns it would be difficult to verify claims without significant additional checks, which would delay payment for genuine claims.

The 30 October 2020 cut-off date allowed as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement, while balancing the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public. Extending the cut-off date further would have significantly increased the risk of abuse because claims could not be confidently verified against the risk of fraud by using the data after this point.

This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion.

In the 2020 Spending Review, the Government committed further support to businesses, including in retail, hospitality and leisure, by freezing the business rates multiplier for 2021-22. In order to ensure that any decisions best meet the evolving challenges posed by COVID-19, the Government will outline plans for 2021-22 reliefs in due course.

The Government has provided, and will continue to provide, generous support to the self-employed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

If an individual is not eligible based on their 2018-19 Self Assessment return, HM Revenue & Customs will then look at their Self Assessment returns from 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to determine their eligibility. This reduces the impact of one-off events, such as a redundancy payment, in determining eligibility.

To calculate an individual’s average trading profits for the purposes of the SEISS grant, HMRC will consider previous Self Assessment returns prior to 2018-2019, where possible.

The grant is calculated by taking an average of yearly trading profits over the last three tax years and dividing this by four to give a three-month average. The grant will then be provided at 80% of this three-month average, capped at £7,500.

Moreover, the SEISS continues to be just one element of a comprehensive package of support for the self-employed. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.

Since 2012, the Government has engaged in a voluntary signposting agreement with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) for motor and travel insurance. This was set up to certify that where an insurer or insurance broker cannot offer cover due to upper age limits on their policies, it will refer the customer to another insurer who can provide cover, or an appropriate signposting service.

This agreement is periodically reviewed, first in 2015 and most recently in 2019.

All insurers are also required to treat customers fairly under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules.

The smallest brewers in the UK produce less than 2,100 hectolitres and so will be unaffected by the Government’s proposed reforms to the Small Brewers Relief taper.

The temporary £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element forms just one part of a wide-ranging package of measures to protect people’s jobs and incomes. The welfare measures announced in March, which the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates are worth £9 billion this year, are specifically aimed at providing significant temporary support to low-income families who have seen their income fall due to the immediate impact of Coronavirus.

Making the £20 per week increase permanent would require a substantial ongoing increase in public expenditure, with 2020-21 spending on working-age benefits set to be the highest since records began as a share of national income.

The Government has focused on measures that can be introduced and operationalised quickly – the most straightforward way to increase benefits for claimants during this period was to temporarily increase the Universal Credit standard allowance and the Working Tax Credit basic element. In addition, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance, and Income Support were increased by 1.7 per cent in April 2020 as part of the annual uprating exercise.

The Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants provide a lump sum payment based on three months’ worth of profits in order to support eligible self-employed individuals. The first SEISS grant was open for applications from 13 May until 13 July and the second was open for applications from 17 August until 19 October.

The Government has announced that it will provide further taxable grants through the SEISS Grant Extension. The third grant will cover 55% of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £5,160 in total. This grant will be increased from the previously announced level of 40% of trading profits to 80% for November 2020. This therefore increases the total level of the grant from 40% to 55% of trading profits for 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2020. The fourth grant will cover a three-month period from 1 February 2021 until 30 April 2021. The Government will review the level of the fourth grant and set this in due course.

For those who require more support, the SEISS continues to be just one element of a comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support,?increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

Reducing the rate of VAT on refurbishment, repair and maintenance of buildings from twenty per cent to five per cent would be very expensive. For example, such a rate for repair and renovations of buildings would cost the Exchequer approximately £4 billion per year. This would have to be balanced by a reduction in public spending, increased borrowing or increased taxation elsewhere. While the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to change the VAT treatment of the repair and renovation of buildings.

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is calculated on the basis of hours worked, and furloughed workers will not be working any hours for their employer, although they will remain employed by them. Furloughed workers will be paid the lower of 80% of their salary or £2,500, even if, based on their usual working hours, this would be below the NMW. Employers can top up these payments voluntarily.

The Government is also supporting people on low incomes who need to rely on the welfare system through a significant package of temporary measures. These include a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, and a nearly £1bn increase in support for renters through increases to the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants. These changes will benefit new and existing claimants. Anyone can check their eligibility and apply for Universal Credit by visiting https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit.

The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including an initial £330 billion of guarantees – equivalent to 15% of UK GDP.

On 6 May the Government announced a new fund which will enable eligible dairy farmers in England to access up to £10,000 each to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. This will cover 70% of their lost income during April and May to ensure they can continue to operate and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

Businesses in the agricultural sector may benefit from the range of support measures made available, which includes:

• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
• VAT deferral for up to 12 months
• The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs
• Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020

The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support.

On 15 April, the Government announced it would extend the cut-off date for the CJRS to 19 March, to include employees whose payroll information was notified to HMRC by 19 March. Processing claims for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in cases where HMRC did not have RTI data by 19 March would require much greater manual handling by HMRC, which would significantly slow down the system while risking substantial levels of fraud. It would also require greater resource for HMRC when they are already under significant pressure to deliver the system designed. Those not eligible for the scheme may be able to access the other support Government is providing, including a package of temporary welfare measures and up to three months’ mortgage payment holidays for those struggling with their mortgage payments.

The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for businesses and individuals affected by Covid-19, and remains committed to doing whatever it takes to support the economy as necessary.

At the Budget it announced that businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000 would pay no business rates this year. On 17 March the Government went further, and extended the business rates holiday so that all eligible businesses in retail, hospitality or leisure will pay no business rates for 12 months, irrespective of rateable value. Those eligible businesses will also have access to additional cash grants of up to £25,000. The smallest businesses, those eligible for Small Business Rate Relief, will receive a cash grant of £10,000.

Since then, the Government has announced that UK VAT registered businesses can defer VAT payments due with their VAT returns between now and the end of June. No UK VAT registered business will have to make a VAT payment alongside their VAT return to HMRC in that period. These businesses will have until the end of the financial year to repay.

Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employers can put workers on temporary leave and the Government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, providing they keep the worker employed. They will receive the grant from HMRC, and the scheme will be backdated to 1 March 2020.

For Income Tax Self-Assessment, payments due on 31 July 2020 will be deferred until 31 January 2021.

HMRC have also scaled up their Time to Pay service by setting up a new Covid-19 Helpline with more staff to support it. Time to Pay is available to all taxpayers in temporary financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities. Taxpayers can contact the dedicated Covid-19 helpline to get practical help and advice on 0800 0159 559.

The Chancellor will continue to review and make further announcements as events unfold if required.

From late September through to mid-November we saw a series of short interruptions of service for the Border Crossing system and eGates. These had a variety of root causes, and a contributory factor was the need to expedite the roll-out of the new gates, which incorporated checking the Passenger Locator Form as part of reopening the UK’s border - this compression of timescales, meant we experienced more problems than in previous upgrades.

We have since taken a series of actions to review and address the cause of these issues and have increased monitoring to identify system pressures early to avoid interruptions to service - this has been reflected in a reduction of service interruptions.

Border Force works closely with technology partners to minimise the impact of service interruptions and have a series of operational mitigations to manage the impact on passenger flows, whilst ensuring border security is maintained at all times.

In the interests of border security, we are unable to share details of technology incidents. However, we continue to work with our technology users and partners to address the root causes of any interruptions to service.

Passengers may be referred from the eGates to an officer at PCP desks for a variety of reasons, including for safeguarding and security purposes.

There are well defined processes for updating UK border systems when new documents are introduced and the performance of new British passports through UK border controls is being monitored.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in February last year, the Home Office committed to reviewing the child registration fee in line with its duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

A Supreme Court hearing on a separate ground in this case took place on 23rd and 24th June 2021, with the judgement handed down on 2 February 2022. It has been important to give the Supreme Court the opportunity to give its view on the questions raised by this case before finalising the Section 55 assessment. We are now able to do so and will conclude the assessment, and associated review of the fee, shortly.

We will share the results in due course.

The Rules of Procedure for the Interpol General Assembly set out the process and associated oversight for electing members of the INTERPOL Executive Committee, including the INTERPOL President.

That document is published on the Interpol website: Legal documents (interpol.int).

Throughout the pandemic we have been clear queue times may be longer as we ensure all passengers are compliant with the health measures put in place to keep the UK public safe.

We have endeavoured to improve waiting times this week, for example by flexibly deploying staff across Heathrow Airport and continue to work closely with all airports and airlines to make sure passengers can have a safe and hassle-free journey.

Border Force regularly reviews staffing requirements to ensure resources are deployed flexibly when required to carry out the vital function of border security.

In recent weeks there have been a series of short interruptions of service for the Border Crossing system and eGates. We have taken actions to review and address the cause of these issues and have increased monitoring to identify system pressures early to avoid interruptions to service.

Border Force work closely with technology partners to minimise the impact of service interruptions and have a series of operational mitigations to manage the impact on passenger flows and ensure border security has been maintained at all times.

As part of our work to ensure that the police have the powers they need to manage highly disruptive protests, the Home Office has paid due regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and the impact any policies may have on those with protected characteristics.

As part of our work to ensure that the police have the powers they need to manage highly disruptive protests, the Home Office has paid due regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and the impact any policies may have on those with protected characteristics.

On Tuesday 17 March, following Public Health and Government guidance relating to COVID19 and the developing situation, we paused immigration reporting and sent an SMS text message to reportees with a valid mobile telephone number on our systems informing them of this.

On Tuesday 24 March we maintained the decision to close reporting centres and police reporting temporarily following the Prime Minister’s address to the nation. This was because we were not confident that we could practice safe social distancing and operate within a COVID secure environment.

Immigration Enforcement recommenced face to face reporting in July and August for limited, priority cohorts of people. We have implemented Safe Systems of Working (SSOW) and Risk Assessments in all our Reporting Centres where we have put in place robust social distancing measures; health screening questions are asked as a person enters; face masks are offered to those who have travelled without them; one-way systems and sanitiser stations are placed throughout our buildings. We continue to review our current reporting arrangements in line with any new local and national COVID restrictions that are put in place.

Before inviting individuals into reporting, case owners will make an assessment based on the harm that they may pose to the public, as well as the vulnerability and personal circumstances of all of those we ask to report. We continue to keep in contact with the overall reporting population by telephone to update individuals on the current reporting position. An SMS text or email/letter is sent to those required to recommence reporting informing them of the date and time they should report, along with relevant advice on COVID. We have also updated the reporting pages on GOV.UK for those who report and their representatives. This information includes how to travel most safely by public transport, avoiding both busy transport hubs and traveling at peak times; advice on reporting alone where possible; and what to do if those reporting have symptoms or are shielding and how to contact their local reporting centre.

Pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2020 to question 102174, there are no decision-making algorithms used in the processing of visa applications.

Every application is assessed by a decision-maker against the Immigration Rules, on its individual merits and taking into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant and any other relevant factors at the date of the decision.

The Government recognises the vital contribution overseas NHS, health and social care workers have and continue to make in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in the year we offered free visa extensions for health professionals whose visas were due to expire between 31 March 2020 and 1 October 2020. Today we have announced we will extend this offer from 1 October 2020 until 31 March 2021.

More details of this announcement can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-more-health-workers-to-benefit-from-visa-extensions

There are no decision-making algorithms used in the processing of Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU Settled Status and Tier 2 visa applications. Every application is assessed by a decision-maker against the Immigration Rules, on its individual merits and taking into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant and any other relevant factors at the date of the decision

There are no decision-making algorithms used in the processing of Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU Settled Status and Tier 2 visa applications. Every application is assessed by a decision-maker against the Immigration Rules, on its individual merits and taking into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant and any other relevant factors at the date of the decision

There are no decision-making algorithms used in the processing of Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU Settled Status and Tier 2 visa applications. Every application is assessed by a decision-maker against the Immigration Rules, on its individual merits and taking into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant and any other relevant factors at the date of the decision

There are no decision-making algorithms used in the processing of Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU Settled Status, Tier 2 and Returning Resident visa applications.

Every application is assessed by a decision-maker against the Immigration Rules, on its individual merits and taking into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant and any other relevant factors at the date of the decision.

When the Life in the UK handbook is next reviewed the Home Office will consider all feedback on what should be covered in it.

All those required to pass the Life in the UK test are also required to demonstrate knowledge of spoken English language at a level equivalent to B1 or above on the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR). The Home Office continues to work with the handbook and test provider to ensure the test is accessible to all candidates who meet that level of language proficiency.

When the Life in the UK handbook is next reviewed the Home Office will consider all feedback on what should be covered in it.

All those required to pass the Life in the UK test are also required to demonstrate knowledge of spoken English language at a level equivalent to B1 or above on the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR). The Home Office continues to work with the handbook and test provider to ensure the test is accessible to all candidates who meet that level of language proficiency.

All of the technology used by the Department in the immigration process will contain computer code which meets the definition of an “algorithm”.

It would be of disproportionate cost to the Department to set all of these out.

The Life in the UK test is based on the Life in the UK handbook, “Life in the UK: a guide for new residents”. The handbook is intended to help those seeking to live permanently in the UK to gain a basic understanding of the democratic principles underlying British society, and of aspects of British culture and traditions, and to understand some of the cultural and historical references which occur in everyday conversations.

The Home Office works with the handbook publisher and test provider to monitor test performance to ensure the test remains effective and to respond to feedback from candidates on their experience of studying for and taking the test.

The UK will cease to participate in the Dublin Regulation at the end of the transition period. However, the Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 contain a “savings provision” to enable a Dublin family reunion request, made before 1 January 2021, to continue to be processed after that date.

Migrants who are granted leave to remain in the UK on the basis of a marriage or partnership are directed to inform the Home Office when there has been a change in their relationship, such as separation or divorce. Information on how to do this is available on the following page: https://www.gov.uk/visas-when-you-separate-or-divorce

The purpose of the notification is to enable a review of a person’s circumstances where the basis upon which they were granted leave to remain has changed.

Upon receipt of notification that a relationship is no longer subsisting, the Home Office will review each case on an individual basis before deciding whether it is appropriate to curtail the previously granted leave to remain.

Wendy Williams was appointed the independent adviser of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review on 21 June 2018. Home Office officials met the Review team on a regular basis throughout the period of the Review, and continue to maintain contact with Wendy Williams during the implementation phase.

Under the 2014 Immigration Act, banks and building societies are required to conduct an immigration status check against the Home Office disqualified person data before a current account is opened. Where this check confirms the applicant is a disqualified person, the bank or building society is prohibited from opening the account. There is no requirement for banks or building societies to notify the Home Office if they refuse to open an account.

I apologise for the delay in responding to this question, which was due to a departmental administrative error.

Information on the total number of claims paid and the overall amount paid out by the scheme is available to view on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-september-2020.

Information relating to estimated costs including compensation payments are referred to in the Home Office’s Impact Assessment IA No: HO 0329 dated 29/1/20. The Home Office has secured funding from HM Treasury for the scheme, and there is no cap on the amount of compensation an individual can receive.

We do not publish information on waiting times for decisions to be taken on Windrush Compensation Scheme claims. This could jeopardise a full assessment of the claim and ultimately be potentially detrimental to the claimant. Furthermore, as each claim is unique, we do not prescribe a set list of documentation but work with claimants to obtain evidence when required.

Statistics on use of the online right to work service are published as part of the Home Office’s Transparency data. The most recent publication for online right to work statistics was in February 2020, covering the full year 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-data-february-2020.

The next publication of online right to work statistics will be released by the Home Office in due course, covering Q1 and Q2 2020.

I apologise for the delay in responding to this question, which was due to a departmental administrative error.

Information on the total number of claims paid and the overall amount paid out by the scheme is available to view on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-september-2020.

Information relating to estimated costs including compensation payments are referred to in the Home Office’s Impact Assessment IA No: HO 0329 dated 29/1/20. The Home Office has secured funding from HM Treasury for the scheme, and there is no cap on the amount of compensation an individual can receive.

We do not publish information on waiting times for decisions to be taken on Windrush Compensation Scheme claims. This could jeopardise a full assessment of the claim and ultimately be potentially detrimental to the claimant. Furthermore, as each claim is unique, we do not prescribe a set list of documentation but work with claimants to obtain evidence when required.

The UK continues to meet its obligations under the Dublin III Regulation. It is for the requesting Member State to ensure timely submission of Take Charge Requests. We will continue to work closely with them to facilitate that process until the end of the Transition Period and will continue to process any Dublin family reunion cases that enter the system prior to 31 December.

Information regarding the number of Public Statement: Relationship No Longer Subsisting forms received in each month since 2016 is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office will consider the future publication of data and service standards on Administrative Reviews following the full implementation of the Atlas casework database by the end of 2021.

The Home Office do not routinely publish Memorandum of Understanding documents. We would only consider publication under exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the other parties to the agreement.

As we have previously set out, immigration policy is under continual review and we are working to implement the new immigration system once we end free movement on 31 December 2020.

Visa applications are considered to be complex when an Entry Clearance Officer or caseworker determines that additional information is required in order for a decision to be made.

There are no set standards for processing non-straightforward (identified as complex) by the caseworker. However, if an application is complex and expected to take longer than the standard processing timescale, UKVI will write to the customer within the standard processing time and explain what will happen next.

The published information on processing times for visa applications is published as part of the Migration Transparency data, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration

As noted in the Addendum to the Small Boats Joint Action Plan, signed in September 2019, the UK has since October 2019 funded deployments of 45 officers per day along the French coast to bolster existing French resources. These deployments have proven to be an effective method for detecting attempted crossings across the English Channel.

Over the course of April and May 2020, the French stopped over 1,000 migrants from making this perilous journey. They also prevented over 200 migrants from making the journey last week. The National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and the UK Police will continue to work closely with French authorities to crack down on the criminals who facilitate the crossings.

Nobody should be making these dangerous and illegally-facilitated crossing from France to the UK. France is a safe country with a well-run asylum system.

Government departments, including the Home Office and the National Crime Agency are working around the clock, in collaboration with the French Government and the relevant international law enforcement agencies to stop these illegally-facilitated crossings. We are working to identify and dismantle the organised crime groups that facilitate illegal immigration.

Strengthened security at the juxtaposed controls between the UK and France has also meant it is increasingly difficult for migrants to enter the UK without permission, in line with the UK’s immigration rules, leading to more reckless attempts by boat.

The UK Government has returned over 155 small boats arrivals back to Europe since January 2019 using the legal channels available.

The events noted in PQ 7211 and 7212 were held in London, Loughborough, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield, Halifax, Rotherham and Huddersfield.

The National Community Engagement Team has not received any sponsorship from private or third sectors since January 2019.

Guidance on voluntary return for Home Office staff is available here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/834061/voluntary-and-assisted-returns-v2.0.pdf. The National Community Engagement Team has attended awareness sessions/workshops delivered by the Voluntary Returns Service

The events noted in PQ 7211 and 7212 were held in London, Loughborough, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield, Halifax, Rotherham and Huddersfield.

The National Community Engagement Team has not received any sponsorship from private or third sectors since January 2019.

Guidance on voluntary return for Home Office staff is available here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/834061/voluntary-and-assisted-returns-v2.0.pdf. The National Community Engagement Team has attended awareness sessions/workshops delivered by the Voluntary Returns Service

SITEL UK Ltd is contracted by the Home Office to provide Contact Centre Services for both UK and International enquiries. A £5.48 email charge is levied to fund this contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of the immigration system. Those who use the services are predominantly from outside the UK. Our web site www.gov.uk is the main source of information and advice and is free of charge.

Further details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of these services (including the revenue received) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive

The Home Office collates information for the purposes of publishing statistics and internal management information. We regularly review the information we collate to ensure it supports these purposes.

A full and open competition to appoint the next Independent Reviewer of Prevent was launched on 27 April 2020 and applications for this post closed on 22 June 2020. The successful candidate will be announced in due course.

The role was publicised on the Home Office website and advertised online on the Centre for Public Appointments, Home Office LinkedIn, Vercida and Women on Boards.

A full and open competition to appoint the next Independent Reviewer of Prevent was launched on 27 April 2020 and applications for this post closed on 22 June 2020. The successful candidate will be announced in due course.

The role was publicised on the Home Office website and advertised online on the Centre for Public Appointments, Home Office LinkedIn, Vercida and Women on Boards.

The latest published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications received can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics

The total number of applications received up to 30 June 2020 was 3.71 million (3,713,200).

The published figures refer specifically to applications made to the EU Settlement Scheme and cannot be directly compared with estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published figures include non-EEA family members, Irish nationals, and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in estimates of the resident EU population. Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

The latest published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications received can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics

The total number of applications received up to 30 June 2020 was 3.71 million (3,713,200).

The published figures refer specifically to applications made to the EU Settlement Scheme and cannot be directly compared with estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published figures include non-EEA family members, Irish nationals, and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in estimates of the resident EU population. Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

For immigration applications, data on the number of times reimbursement of costs for lost documents have been paid, and the total amount paid, in the years requested, are not held centrally or published by the Home Office. We are working on the ways in which we may be able to publish this information in the future. The budget from which such payments are made is dependent on the business area liable for the loss of the document.

The most recent data shows that we have attempted to contact all those known to be affected by the requirement to provide DNA evidence, apart from a small number (less than 10) for whom we have been unable to establish contact details.? The most recent data on payments shows that around £340,000 has been paid and there are no requests for payment outstanding. This data is manually collated from different systems, which may not currently be up to date and would require further quality assurance before being suitable for publication by the department

The Secretary of State for the Home Department has been granted

permission to appeal against the Court’s finding which means the case

remains on-going and we will therefore continue to charge Child Registration fees as set out in the Fees Regulations.

While this court case remains active it would not be right to speculate on next steps and potential courses of action.

The Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have worked together to exempt non-UK NHS staff from the Immigration Health Surcharge. On 14 July, the Home Office published further detail regarding the Health and Care Visa. The introduction of this visa route demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver for the NHS and wider health and care sector. The new Health and Care Visa will come with a reduced visa application fee, fast-track entry and dedicated team to process applications. Those applying un-der the Health and Care Visa route will be exempt from paying the Immigra-tion Health Surcharge. Those who would qualify for the Health and Care visa and who paid the Sur-charge on or after 31 March will be refunded. More information will be pub-lished on the Immigration Health Surcharge gov.uk pages. All those working in the health and care sector who paid the Surcharge on or after the 31 March 2020, but who do not qualify for the Health and Care Visa will be eligible for a reimbursement of what they have paid since that date. The Minister for Health announced on 15 July that this reimbursement will be paid in arrears of six-month increments and that this scheme will be launched by 1 October 2020.

Our society is based on a set of shared values which include, but are not limited to, democracy, the rule of law, liberty, tolerance and respect for others.

MHCLG’s Integrated Communities Strategy consulted on the vision of building strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – can live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities.

As a result of customer complaints and refund requests, a total of £150,966 was refunded by the Life in the UK test providers (currently PSI Services (UK) Ltd; previously Learn Direct) between 1st March 2014 and 30th June 2020.

In line with the charging principles set out in the 2014 Immigration Act, fees for immigration and nationality services are set in consideration of the cost of processing the application, the wider cost of running the Border Immigration and Citizenship System (BICS) and the benefits and entitlements provided to successful applicants. Any income from fees set above the cost of processing is utilised for supporting the wider BICS and reducing the reliance on taxpayer funding.

Applying for British Citizenship is not mandatory and many individuals who have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK choose not to do so.?This is because becoming a British citizen is not necessary to enable individuals to live, study and work in the UK as a grant of indefinite leave to remain will

confer access to appropriate services.

The Home Office keeps fees under review.

Complaints and refund requests in relation to the Life in the UK test are handled by the provider of the test.

The Life in the UK test providers have received 3,785 complaints since 1 March 2014. This accounts for 0.38% of the total tests carried out during this period.

Refund request data is not available prior to September 2014. For the period between 1 September and 30 June, 3,720 refund requests were received, of which 2,966 were accepted and refunds given.

A total of 3,059 refunds have been paid out since 1 March 2014. This figure is correct as of 30 June 2020. A breakdown by month is as follows: