Bim Afolami

My Department published a consultation in January 2021 asking whether further reforms to the Electronic Communications Code are needed in order to ensure the Code provides the right legislative framework to promote fast, cost effective network provision. The consultation covered a range of issues, including matters relating to negotiations and dispute resolution, rights to upgrade and share apparatus and problems relating to the renewal of expired agreements.

This consultation closed on 24 March 2021. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the possible outcomes of the consultation at this stage, as responses are being considered. The consultation response will be published in due course and we will bring legislation forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.

The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act gained Royal Assent in March 2021. This Act aims to address one stated policy barrier: making it easier for telecoms companies to access multi-dwelling buildings (such as blocks of flats) where a tenant has requested a new connection, but the landlord has not responded to requests for access rights.

The Act inserts a new Part 4A to the Electronic Communication Code which provides a process that telecommunications operators could use to gain code rights to multi-dwelling premises for a defined period. This only applies where:

• a lessee in occupation in a multi-dwelling building has requested a telecommunications service from an operator

• to connect the property the telecoms operator requires an access agreement with another person such as the landlord

• the landlord has not responded to the telecoms operator’s request for access

My Department has also recently launched a consultation which seeks views on the terms which will accompany the interim Code rights provided to operators who have successfully applied for an order made under Part 4A of the Electronic Communications Code. This consultation closes on Wednesday 4 August. Responses will be considered and the consultation response will be published in due course.

As for Remembrance Sunday, VE and VJ Day events are funded and delivered by a wide range of organisations. As well as central Government support for the National commemorations, local communities are delivering projects and events across the nation to commemorate both VE and VJ Day.

Local Authorities (LAs) are best placed to understand the needs of the people they serve and respond in the most appropriate way. My officials worked closely with colleagues in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Local Authorities to design the grant scheme in a way that ensured support was delivered quickly to those in need while maintaining appropriate controls and oversight. They did this through issuing guidance on what the money should be used for in general terms (for example, vouchers for food and essential supplies). Reporting requirements were designed to be light touch to make sure the money was spent on supporting people not administration. LAs are reporting expenditure to MHCLG as part of their normal processes and Defra will be collecting further evidence on how the money was spent.

Biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked crises and cannot be tackled in isolation. This is why nature will be one of the key areas of focus at UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow and why we will be pushing for the agreement of ambitious global targets for biodiversity at CBD COP15 in China.

To amplify the linkages between the two agendas, at COP26 we will be encouraging countries to use nature based solutions as a way to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change including mobilising more finance for nature, investing in sustainable and resilient agriculture and protecting important ecosystems such as forests. We will work with China to ensure that the outcomes of both COPs are mutually supportive.

We are committed to ensuring that the UK leads the world to promote a green, fair and resilient global recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 and central to that is the importance of resetting the global relationship with nature.

We will support the adoption of ambitious and practical targets on nature at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Summit (COP15) in China next May, strengthened by coherent implementation mechanisms that will deliver a new global biodiversity framework that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge. Nature is also a top priority for our upcoming Presidency of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP26) next year and we are pushing for tangible and ambitious commitments from partner governments to champion nature and nature-based solutions. Given this, and the multi-faceted benefits of nature-based solutions, we are working with the Chinese Government, who are hosting COP15, to press for mutually reinforcing outcomes at the two Conferences. In addition, we will continue leading global ambition on conserving endangered species, following our hosting of the international Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018.

On marine biodiversity, we are driving forward efforts to protect and enhance the ocean and eliminate harmful fisheries practice as we have done domestically and in 2018 we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance with Vanuatu, which now convenes 34 Commonwealth countries to tackle plastic pollution. We have also committed to a new, £500 million Blue Planet Fund, and are building on the ‘30by30’ campaign which the UK launched at the UN General Assembly in 2018, leading the Global Ocean Alliance calling to protect 30% of the world’s global ocean by 2030. This ambitious target is underpinned by domestic commitments through the Blue Belt Programme, which is on course to deliver over 4 million square kilometres of protected ocean around the British Overseas Territories by the end of 2020.

Our international leadership on nature must be underpinned by credible action at home. In England, our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step change in ambition for nature and the natural environment. We are taking action to fulfil this ambition by introducing bold new legislation and new funding to support nature’s recovery.

The Government does not provide any specific advice or support to local authorities with regard to this issue. It is for local authorities to determine their own local measures and exemptions as part of their local plan submitted to the Government.

We are also supporting the development of cleaner alternatives that affected businesses can switch to by doubling the funding provided for the energy innovation programme, accelerating the design and production of clean energy technologies.

Emissions from transport refrigeration units are governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/1628, which controls gaseous and particulate pollutants from engines of Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM). This Regulation implements legislative requirements that an engine for NRMM must be approved against before it can be marketed within the UK.

The Department will be working closely with DEFRA and BEIS to ensure the emissions of NRMM, such as transport refrigeration units, reduce in line with the Government’s net zero commitments.

To improve air quality, the UK Government announced its intention to remove the entitlement to use red diesel from April 2022, except for non-commercial heating, agriculture, fish farming and rail. This will ensure that the tax system incentivises users of polluting diesel fuel to change practices or pay for their harmful emissions. The Government has recently consulted on this and is currently analysing responses.

Individual refrigeration units can cause significant levels of pollution; however the standards set out for charging Clean Air Zones (CAZs) set out in the CAZ framework are focussed on vehicle tailpipe emissions, which are the greatest source of roadside pollution by a significant margin.

There are also technical limitations to using CAZs to control such vehicles. CAZs rely on Automated Number Plate Recognition to identify the Euro class of a vehicle but cannot identify whether or not they are a refrigerated vehicle; it would not, at present, be possible to use a CAZ in this way.

Evaluation of the latest national campaign on abdominal cancer symptoms which ran between November 2020 and January 2021 is currently underway.

The UK helped found the GPE and we have been its largest donor, having contributed $1.6 billion since 2002. Since its creation, the GPE has contributed to the largest expansion of primary and lower secondary schooling in history.

Global education will be a key focus of the UK’s G7 Presidency and we call on all donors to step up with ambitious pledges to help the GPE secure its target of up to $5 billion. No decision has been taken yet on the UK’s next contribution to GPE, and details will follow in due course.

The UK is committed to tackling climate change, which is why we bid to host COP26 in Glasgow in partnership with Italy. Through diplomatic effort, in both bilateral and multilateral fora, and working with governments, businesses, and civil societies, we are calling for all countries to bring forward long-term climate strategies and are leading the world's response to tackle climate change. As the first country to legislate to end our contribution to global warming, the UK is leading by example as a global force for good. We have also committed to doubling the UK's International Climate Finance funding to at least £11.6 billion between 2021/22 and 2025/26. Humanity faces the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss. These are two sides of the same coin; it is impossible to solve one without fixing the other. The conventions on biological diversity (COP15) and climate (COP26) provide excellent opportunities to take effective action on climate change and biodiversity loss and deliver a step change on both of these global crises.

We will support the adoption of ambitious and practical targets on nature at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Summit (COP15) in China next year, strengthened by coherent implementation mechanisms that will deliver a new global biodiversity framework that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge. Nature is also a top priority for our upcoming Presidency of COP26 next year and we are pushing for tangible and ambitious commitments from partner governments to champion nature and nature-based solutions. Given this, and the multi-faceted benefits of nature-based solutions, we are working with the Chinese Government, who are hosting COP15, to press for mutually reinforcing outcomes at the two Conferences. In addition, we will continue leading global ambition on conserving endangered species, following our hosting of the international Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018.

To?give?the?devolved administrations?the?upfront?certainty to plan and deliver their coronavirus response, the UK Government have guaranteed they will receive at least £14bn in additional funding this year on top of their Spring Budget?funding.

The Barnett consequentials associated with the funding the UK Government allocated to English local authorities in June 2020 will contribute towards this guarantee.

As part of the Government’s support for businesses during COVID-19, businesses were given the option to defer their VAT payments between 20 March and 30 June in order to manage their cash flow through the initial stages of the pandemic. Approximately 500,000 businesses deferred £30 billion in VAT. Approximately £16 billion of VAT was received into the Exchequer covering the deferral period, as some businesses continued to pay VAT as normal.

The recent legislative change gives HMRC second preferential creditor status for certain taxes. This change is designed to ensure that when a business enters insolvency, more of the taxes paid in good faith by its employees and customers, but held temporarily by the business, go to fund public services as intended, rather than be distributed to other creditors.

This change is not expected to have a significant impact on financial institutions, the lending market or wider economy. This measure is forecast to raise up to £220 million a year. To put this into perspective, bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses alone in 2019 was £57 billion.

This reform will have no direct impact on VAT deferral as it only applies to businesses that become insolvent. Like HMRC’s Time to Pay scheme, the VAT deferral supports businesses with their cashflow pressures, making them less likely to be insolvent.

The recent legislative change gives HMRC second preferential creditor status for certain taxes. This change is designed to ensure that when a business enters insolvency, more of the taxes paid in good faith by its employees and customers, but held temporarily by the business, go to fund public services as intended, rather than be distributed to other creditors.

This change is not expected to have a significant impact on financial institutions, the lending market or wider economy. This measure is forecast to raise up to £220 million a year. To put this into perspective, bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses alone in 2019 was £57 billion.

This reform will have no direct impact on VAT deferral as it only applies to businesses that become insolvent. Like HMRC’s Time to Pay scheme, the VAT deferral supports businesses with their cashflow pressures, making them less likely to be insolvent.

The recent legislative change gives HMRC second preferential creditor status for certain taxes. This change is designed to ensure that when a business enters insolvency, more of the taxes paid in good faith by its employees and customers, but held temporarily by the business, go to fund public services as intended, rather than be distributed to other creditors.

This change is not expected to have a significant impact on financial institutions, the lending market or wider economy. This measure is forecast to raise up to £220 million a year. To put this into perspective, bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses alone in 2019 was £57 billion.

This reform will have no direct impact on VAT deferral as it only applies to businesses that become insolvent. Like HMRC’s Time to Pay scheme, the VAT deferral supports businesses with their cashflow pressures, making them less likely to be insolvent.

The legislation requiring landlords to provide six months’ notice to their tenants in most circumstances, apart from the most egregious cases, will be in force from 29 August 2020 until 31 March 2021. Notices served on and before 28 August are not affected by these changes.

If a landlord serves a second notice of the same type under these new requirements, both notices will stand, but it is good practice to withdraw an earlier notice if a second notice is issued.

The Government has committed to improving the assets of community value scheme which was introduced through the Localism Act 2011. As part of this, we will assess the overall the effectiveness of the regulations for local authorities, asset owners and voluntary and community groups to ensure that any legislation the Government introduces will meet our objective of supporting communities to protect those assets that are under threat.

Levels of compliance with social distancing by criminal and civil courts are high. HMCTS are following PHE guidance to ensure that our courts and tribunals support proper social distancing measures for everyone who uses and works in them.

Working with the judiciary, we have agreed how to prioritise the most urgent cases. For example, in crime we are prioritising cases in custody, in family we are dealing with cases to protect vulnerable children such as Emergency Protection Orders, Interim Care Orders and Issue Resolution Hearings in care proceedings.

With the judiciary, we have also moved to hear many more cases remotely by telephone or video wherever possible and appropriate – so that people are able to stay at home.

Jury trials are currently paused for a short time to put appropriate arrangements in place to maintain social distancing for jurors.

I also want to thank the judiciary for their continued work in courts and tribunals to keep the wheels of justice turning and keeping the public safe during these unprecedented times.

We believe that that children who offend should have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and move ahead positively with their lives while ensuring ensure the public are adequately protected.

The criminal records disclosure regime is designed to help employers make informed recruitment decisions through the disclosure of appropriate and relevant information, particularly for roles involving children and vulnerable adults.

We have noted the Supreme Court judgment in P and others and my department is working closely with the Home Office to reform the existing regime.