Bill Grant

I meet regularly with the devolved administration Ministers, including the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Wales on the UK’s exit from the EU. This is through regular bilaterals and through the Joint Ministerial Committee for EU Negotiations, which I will chair again in December.

I meet regularly with the devolved administration Ministers, including the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Wales on the UK’s exit from the EU. This is through regular bilaterals and through the Joint Ministerial Committee for EU Negotiations, which I will chair again in December.

In 2016 the Department for Energy and Climate Change published a report which makes recommendations for how local planning authorities can assess amplitude modulation and use planning conditions to control it where necessary.

I regularly have conversations with my counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues, most recently on 24 October. The Government is rightly proud of its record on reducing emissions, and we continue to be ambitious in the deployment of renewables. Working with Devolved Administrations, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal aims to deliver 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, while boosting the UK economy, enhancing growth in the regions and continuing to reduce costs.

As planning policy is a devolved matter, it is for the Devolved Administrations to establish their planning policy and approach to deciding planning applications.

I regularly have conversations with my counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues, most recently on 24 October. The Government is rightly proud of its record on reducing emissions, and we continue to be ambitious in the deployment of renewables. Working with Devolved Administrations, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal aims to deliver 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, while boosting the UK economy, enhancing growth in the regions and continuing to reduce costs.

As planning policy is a devolved matter, it is for the Devolved Administrations to establish their planning policy and approach to deciding planning applications.

The Civil Aviation Authority set the requirements for warning lights on wind turbines in excess of 150 metres tall, to ensure high safety standards. Planning policy is a devolved matter in Scotland and it will be for the relevant Scottish Local Authority to consider the impact of light pollution from wind turbines.

Biomass Boilers supported under the RHI scheme must meet strict air quality and feedstock sustainability rules. The air quality requirements ensure applicants for both RHI schemes with a biomass boiler (including Combined Heat and Power) will need to have emissions levels no higher than 30 grams per gigajoule (g/GJ) net heat input for particulate matter (PM) and 150g/GJ for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which are the two main pollutants.

In the Clean Air Strategy, the Government committed to consult on removing Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme support for new biomass installations in urban areas which are on the gas grid. The Government published the consultation Renewable Heat Incentive: Biomass Combustion in Urban Areas in May 2018, seeking views on a number of proposals including the removal of RHI support for some or all new biomass boilers in urban areas, imposing geographical restrictions on biogas combustion and introducing regular maintenance checks on existing biomass boilers under the RHI. The consultation also contains an assessment of the impacts of this policy change. We will be publishing a government response to this consultation shortly.

The Secretary of State for DCMS met with the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs this August to discuss a range of issues, including Scottish tourism. We currently have no plans to meet East Ayrshire Council or South Ayrshire Council.

Additionally, DCMS officials meet regularly with officials from the Scottish Government to discuss a range of topics relating to tourism. The Scottish Government are also observers on the Tourism Industry Council.

The £190m Local Full Fibre Networks Programme’s Challenge Fund will be allocated directly to local bodies. As a condition of the grant agreement, all funding allocated to local bodies will need to be spent by the end of March 2021. Each local body will operate as the delivery lead for their project, so the timetable for spending their funding prior to this deadline will vary for each project according to their delivery schedule.

The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding is being informed by independent advice from an expert panel, chaired by Philip Augar.

The panel have undertaken an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering. They will report in 2019 before government concludes the overall review.

In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement in place, the EU will require UK exporters to provide a Catch Certificate and an Export Health Certificate (EHC) when exporting most fish and fisheries products to the EU. Direct landings made by UK fishing vessels into EU ports will need to be accompanied by a Catch Certificate but will not require an EHC.

Export health certification is a devolved matter. Responsibility for Scottish exports to third countries lies with the Scottish Government. The Animal and Plant Health Authority issues EHCs for Scotland. Charges for signing EHCs vary by local authority and are made on a cost recovery basis. The consolidation of export consignments into larger consignments covered by a single certificate could reduce this cost burden.

The UK Government and the Marine Management Organisation have developed an IT system to allow exporters to obtain a Catch Certificate around the clock at no cost to the exporter. Assuming that the information submitted is correct, the Catch Certificate will be issued immediately without the need for further checks before export.

This is a devolved matter and the below information relates to England only. The Government will report annually on progress towards meeting the goals set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan to leave the environment in a better state for the next generation. These annual reports will explore what further action is required to meet these goals including delivery mechanisms, resources and consideration of available sources of funding.

Our plans for future farming policy are set out in the Agriculture Bill. At the heart of our new policy in England will be a system that pays public money for public goods, rewarding farmers for enhancing animal welfare, improving soil health and creating habitats for wildlife. We are also introducing measures to support investment in farm productivity and to improve fairness in the supply chain.

The government has published guidance for the whole UK seafood sector on what steps should be taken to prepare for no deal. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commercial-fishing-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/commercial-fishing-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

As set out in the Fisheries White Paper, the Government is committed to seeking a deep and special partnership with the EU, encompassing the best possible deal for the seafood sector. This includes the shellfish, processing and aquaculture sectors, while ensuring that consumers continue to have a wide choice of high-quality food products at affordable prices.

After leaving the EU, the UK will become an independent coastal state under international law (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and will have the right to control and manage access to fish in UK waters out to 200 nautical miles or the median line.

UK Ministers meet regularly with Ministers from the Scottish and Welsh governments, through JMC (EU Negotiations), JMC (Europe), the Ministerial Forum (EU Negotiations), as well as bilateral and trilateral meetings. In the absence of an Executive, we also engage at an official level with the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Yesterday the Prime Minister met with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales as part of ongoing discussions to find a consensus around the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU. Both Ministers have been invited by the Prime Minister to attend all relevant meetings of a new Cabinet sub-committee that will bring together work on preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU, spanning both deal and no deal outcomes.

This builds on the increasing engagement in recent months between the UK government and the devolved administrations and our commitment to give them an enhanced role in the next phase of the Brexit process, respecting their vital interests in these negotiations.

UK Ministers will attend the next meeting of the Ministerial Forum (EU Negotiations) in Scotland next week.

To help address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and alleviate the burdened health system, the UK has provided £1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) Appeal. This will help treat patients in 11 hospitals under pressure in Gaza, by restocking vital medical supplies including surgical equipment, bandages and medical supplies, and to help provide physical rehabilitation services for around 4,000 people, following the recent surge in violence. To help disabled people regain mobility the ICRC will also continue to support the Artificial Limb Centre in Gaza. In addition, the UK has increased its assistance to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees by an extra £17m this year to help support the provision of basic healthcare in 22 health centres in Gaza.

Our support in the longer term looks to address the underlying causes of humanitarian strife and raise living standards by focussing on increasing trade and job creation, enabling greater movement and access for people and goods, and enhancing the supply of electricity and clean water. We continue to regularly press the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority about the need to expedite medical permits and the unimpeded passage of medical personnel.

In March the Department clarified the scope of two exemptions to the EU Regulation on operator licensing in guidance and enacted a new additional exemption; so that community transport operators can carry on taking people to the shops, work, school, hospital and the doctor.

The definitive view of what the non-commercial exemption means will be a matter for the High Court. Once it has reached a decision, the Government will revise its guidance in line with the High Court’s judgement.

The Space Industry Act 2018 was a major step towards establishing the safe and supportive regulatory framework needed to enable launches to take place from the early 2020s. Work across the Government is now under way to develop the secondary legislation required before the Civil Aviation Authority can formally assess licence applications for horizontal spaceports.

Expansion at Heathrow is expected to deliver 100 additional flights to and from Scotland per week. Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) believes that if it receives development consent by 2022, it will start construction soon after and that the new runway can be operational and in passenger use by 2026.

While the exact timing for the introduction of new flights will be for HAL and it partners determine, the Airports National Policy Statement requires HAL to work constructively with its airline customers to strengthen existing routes and develop new connections.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with HAL to discuss various issues, including domestic connectivity. Furthermore, the Department and HAL agreed in their Relationship Framework Document to establish a Domestic Connectivity Forum later this year to discuss the provision of these additional routes to Scotland, alongside the other commitments made on domestic connectivity.

Expansion at Heathrow is expected to deliver 100 additional flights to and from Scotland per week. Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) believes that if it receives development consent by 2022, it will start construction soon after and that the new runway can be operational and in passenger use by 2026.

While the exact timing for the introduction of new flights will be for HAL and it partners determine, the Airports National Policy Statement requires HAL to work constructively with its airline customers to strengthen existing routes and develop new connections.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with HAL to discuss various issues, including domestic connectivity. Furthermore, the Department and HAL agreed in their Relationship Framework Document to establish a Domestic Connectivity Forum later this year to discuss the provision of these additional routes to Scotland, alongside the other commitments made on domestic connectivity.

Royal Assent of the Space Industry Bill on 15 March 2018 was a major milestone in establishing the environment for safe, responsible and commercial spaceflight operations from UK spaceports. We are now working swiftly to put in place the detailed regulations, including licence requirements for spaceports and spaceflight operators. We opened a call for evidence on 27 March that will assist in formulating policy related to liability, insurance and charging; and are continuing to engage with prospective licensees. We are planning to publish and consult on the detailed regulations in 2019. Once the detailed licensing requirements are in place, it will enable companies to apply to become a licenced spaceport or spaceflight operator.

Universal Credit awards are assessed and paid on a monthly basis. There is, therefore, no annual entitlement, as many claimants’ circumstances change from month to month.

Universal Credit payments reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period. Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income falls, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.

Some claimants receive earnings from work multiple times within an assessment period if they are paid via four-weekly, fortnightly, or weekly patterns. This in turn may reduce, or in some cases, nil the Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. We have produced guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware and it is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles

Claimants can always discuss the implications of this with their case managers and work coaches and can be referred to Personal Budgeting Support to help them manage their budgeting.

The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers, and HMRC have recently updated guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles.

We have already spent £1.5 billion on improvements during the first assessment period. We have already committed more money to protect the most vulnerable, including the 500,000 people currently receiving the Severe Disability Premium. A million disabled people will be better off.

Successive Governments have taken care to give proper consideration to the impact of the proposals made in the Pensions Acts of 1995, 2007 and 2011, which each made changes to the State Pension age that affected women born in the 1950s. The exact form of the assessments has changed over time as the requirements on Government to carry out standardised impact assessments have changed.

The Pensions Act 1995 legislated to equalise men and women’s SPa at 65, over a 10 year period between 2010 and 2020. Standardised impact assessments had not been introduced at the time, but an overview of the options and evidence considered when developing the policy is provided in the 1993 white paper ‘Equality in State Pension age’. (See attached)

The Pensions Act 2007 legislated to introduce a timetable for the increase of SPa to 66, 67 and 68, so that these rises took place by 2026, 2036 and 2046.

The impact assessment for the Pensions Act 2007 can be found here: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121204130650/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pensions-bill-ria.pdf

The Pensions Act 2011 brought forward the equalisation of the male and female State Pension age at 65 by 18 months, so that it takes place by November 2018 rather than April 2020. It also brought forward the increase from 65 to 66 by five and a half years, so that it takes place by October 2020 rather than March 2026.

The impact assessment for the Pensions Act 2011 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181462/pensions-bill-2011-ia-annexa.pdf

The latest available information on the number of people on Universal Credit by parliamentary constituency and local authority is published and can be found at:

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

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

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

The 2015 NHS Pension Scheme is valuable part of staff reward packages and remains one of the best schemes available. The reforms to public service pensions ensured that schemes are sustainable and the costs are fair to both staff and the taxpayer.

Data is not collected on the impact of the new National Health Service pension scheme, other cumulative changes, or the annual allowance on the level of hours worked by practitioners, or practitioner morale.

The Department recognises that the tapered annual allowance may contribute to decisions by NHS staff to retire early or limit their NHS commitments. The Government is listening carefully to concerns raised by senior doctors and NHS employers about the impact of tapered annual allowance.

The Department has sought to make available to NHS Pension Scheme members all possible flexibility under Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs legislation and the current fiscal framework for public sector pension schemes. The Chancellor is considering the case for further flexibility in the NHS Pension Scheme.

All medical devices placed on the United Kingdom market must comply with the European Union Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC (MDD). The European Conformity (CE) mark for a device is placed on a product by a manufacturer to attest to its compliance with the safety, quality and performance requirements of the MDD.

For higher risk devices, including hip replacement implants, manufacturers must have the product’s safety and performance assessed by an independent certification body, called a notified body, before the CE mark can be affixed.

A notified body’s tasks will vary depending on the classification of the products concerned, but typical activities include an examination of the design dossier relating to each type of product, an assessment of the full technical information, and manufacturer inspections. Under the MDD, manufacturers are required to have clinical and safety data to support their performance claims for the device, which is also assessed by the notified body.

Once a device is placed on the market, the manufacturer is required to continually monitor the performance of their device, submit vigilance reports to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) when incidents occur involving their device and take appropriate safety action when required. Additionally, the MHRA monitors adverse incident reported though the Yellow Card reporting system. Adverse incident reports can be submitted to the MHRA by members of the public, healthcare professionals and the device manufacturer.

Furthermore, the new European Union Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745, which entered into force in May 2017, has introduced more stringent requirements from manufacturers to ensure a high level of patient safety. These include increased scrutiny by notified bodies, particularly for higher risk devices, new standards for clinical evidence and more rigorous vigilance reporting requirements.

The independent financial services regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – is responsible for the regulations in place to protect customers in their dealings with financial services firms. It requires firms to treat their customers fairly and has broad and robust powers to enforce breaches of its rules.

If consumers have a complaint about a regulated financial service, they may be able to take their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS was established to provide for the proportionate, prompt and informal resolution of cases and is designed to be an alternative to resolution of cases through the courts.

The independent financial services regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – is responsible for the regulations in place to protect customers in their dealings with financial services firms. It requires firms to treat their customers fairly and has broad and robust powers to enforce breaches of its rules.

If consumers have a complaint about a regulated financial service, they may be able to take their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS was established to provide for the proportionate, prompt and informal resolution of cases and is designed to be an alternative to resolution of cases through the courts.

At Autumn Budget 2017, the government announced a review of the practice of diluting wine and made-wine after the excise duty has been accounted for. HMRC has invited views from representative bodies and affected businesses. Responses are currently being analysed and assessments of impact will be considered as part of the review process.

The Government is committed to ensuring our migration system works in the national interest by enabling employers to recruit skilled-migrants from overseas.

In July, we exempted doctors and nurses from the annual cap, which freed up hundreds of places a month for other sectors of the economy.

This has had a positive impact and the cap is no longer oversubscribed.

Nothing is more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes. The implementation plan we published in December sets out the far-reaching programme of work that the Government intends to undertake to deliver a fundamental reform of the building safety system.

On 8 May, the United Kingdom Government and the Irish Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding codifying the Common Travel Area (CTA) and associated reciprocal rights.

The UK Government is committed to supporting the Scottish fishing sector as we look ahead to new opportunities when we leave the EU. On 10 December, the Environment Secretary announced £16.4 million of extra funding to prepare the Scottish fishing industry ahead of the UK becoming an independent coastal state from December 2020.

My officials continue to engage with the Ayrshire Partners to refine the Deal proposals and met with the Head of the Ayrshire Growth Deal Team in Kilmarnock on Thursday 6 September where progress with individual projects and the Deal timeline were discussed.

The UK Government began formal negotiations with the three Ayrshire Councils following an announcement by the Prime Minister on 29 March 2018.