Bob Blackman

My officials and I regularly engage the maritime industry on all matters that concern them, including reducing the sector’s emissions, as decarbonising shipping is essential to achieve the target of net zero greenhouse gases across the economy by 2050.

The Clean Maritime Council recently discussed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to develop clean maritime technology.

Before this initiative, the Department funded a £1.5m competition for innovation in clean maritime and provided £193,897 in grant support through the Department’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant Programme to early stage research projects related to clean maritime. Details of the grant winners are available, respectively, on the MarRI-UK website^[1] and on GOV.UK^[2].

^[1] https://www.marri-uk.org/funding-opportunities/clean-maritime-call/clean-maritime-call-winners

^[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/879162/transport-technology-research-innovation-grants-t-trig-funding-winners.csv/preview

Officials and I regularly engage the maritime industry on all matters that concern them, including reducing the sector’s emissions, as decarbonising shipping is essential to achieve the target of net zero greenhouse gases across the economy by 2050.

We continue to work with the maritime industry as part of the Clean Maritime Council to implement the Clean Maritime Plan, which outlines the UK’s pathway to zero carbon emissions in domestic maritime. The Council recently discussed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to develop clean maritime technology.

Further plans on the decarbonisation of the maritime sector will be included in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, to be published in the spring next year.

The Department has regular meetings with ports and their trade representatives on a range of issues including green infrastructure at ports. Most recently, I met with board members of the UK Major Ports Group on the 19^th of November. The discussion included decarbonisation and green infrastructure.

UK ports and the UK domestic maritime sector that rely on our ports, are covered by the Net Zero 2050 target and our national carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act.

The domestic maritime sector falls under the UK’s national net zero target, and in common with the wider economy will need to be decarbonised by 2050 in order to achieve net zero.

The Department has regular meetings with industry and civil society representatives on the issue of decarbonisation, to discuss both domestic Net Zero and the international work to address GHG emissions being undertaken at the International Maritime Organization.

Ministers have not currently received any invitations from London’s Air Ambulance Charity to meet. If and when they receive an invitation, they will be considered in the usual way.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 January 2023 to Question 125324.

NHS England are currently updating the Policy Book for General Ophthalmic Services, previously known as the Policy Book for Primary Ophthalmic Services, and this will be published in due course. The policy book is subject to regular reviews to ensure it reflects contractual and regulatory changes, and NHS England operating procedures.

The statutory duties placed upon NHS England to deliver Primary Ophthalmic Services are set out in section 115 of the NHS Act 2006. The Policy book published by NHS England provides guidance for commissioners in managing General Ophthalmic Services contracts in line with the NHS Act and associated regulations. This includes processes for contract applications, contractual compliance and post-payment verification, as well as the general duties that NHS England must comply with, as set out in the NHS Act.

NHS England are currently updating the Policy Book for General Ophthalmic Services, previously known as the Policy Book for Primary Ophthalmic Services, and this will be published in due course. The policy book is subject to regular reviews to ensure it reflects contractual and regulatory changes, and NHS England operating procedures.

The statutory duties placed upon NHS England to deliver Primary Ophthalmic Services are set out in section 115 of the NHS Act 2006. The Policy book published by NHS England provides guidance for commissioners in managing General Ophthalmic Services contracts in line with the NHS Act and associated regulations. This includes processes for contract applications, contractual compliance and post-payment verification, as well as the general duties that NHS England must comply with, as set out in the NHS Act.

There are no plans to undertake an assessment of the prescribing of oral corticosteroids for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Reducing health inequalities amongst people with COPD and asthma is a key cross-cutting focus for NHS England. Respiratory clinical networks have been established to support delivery of the objectives set out in the Long-Term Plan, which includes a particular focus on reducing health inequalities.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) provide clear guidance on the prescribing of oral steroids for both COPD and asthma. For both conditions, short courses only are recommended in cases of acute exacerbations.

For people with COPD, NICE do not normally recommend maintenance use of oral corticosteroid therapy. However, some people with advanced COPD may require maintenance oral corticosteroids when these cannot be withdrawn after an exacerbation. In these cases, the dose of oral corticosteroids should be kept as low as possible

Expenditure by the Department on smoking cessation promotion for the period 1 October until the end of the financial year 2021/22 was £660,000.

Budgets for the current financial year are subject to ongoing review to enable the Department to respond to external changes and challenges. The figures reference expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national press, regional press, out of home, social and digital advertising. However, recruitment advertising, paid search and media partnerships are not included. The spend figure for the 2022/23 will be available once costs have been consolidated after the financial year has ended.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities spent £901,873 on tobacco control policy and implementation and the 2022/23 budget is up to £1,182,000.

NHS England has commissioned an independent evaluation of their proof-of-concept pilot programme, which has been providing in-school sight testing for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism in special schools.

Views are being sought from a range of stakeholders on the benefits of the Special Schools Eye Care Service. Views to date, include the impact of the pilot on paediatric ophthalmology services, which will be taken into account in the evaluation.

Official data, including information on previous eye care provided and the number of first sight tests provided under the pilot, is not presently finalised but will be considered as part of the evaluation.

NHS England has commissioned an independent evaluation of their proof-of-concept pilot programme, which has been providing in-school sight testing for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism in special schools.

Views are being sought from a range of stakeholders on the benefits of the Special Schools Eye Care Service. Views to date, include the impact of the pilot on paediatric ophthalmology services, which will be taken into account in the evaluation.

Official data, including information on previous eye care provided and the number of first sight tests provided under the pilot, is not presently finalised but will be considered as part of the evaluation.

While no specific assessment has been made, all abortion providers must comply with legal requirements and take regard of any statutory guidance related to children, young people and vulnerable adults. All independent sector abortion providers are inspected by the Care Quality Commission and safeguarding systems and processes are included in its termination of pregnancy inspection framework. Providers must ensure that all staff are trained in recognising the signs of potential abuse in adult women and know how to respond. This includes identifying women who may require more support, such as those who are subject to sexual violence or poor social support or where there is evidence of coercion.

The Department commissioned the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to develop new safeguarding guidance for those aged under 18 years old accessing telemedicine abortion services, which was published on 30 August. The guidance will ensure there is consistency across all abortion services and providers in the implementation of robust safeguarding pathways. All abortions performed in England must be notified to the Chief Medical Officer within 14 days. Cases that exceed the legal limit of 10 weeks gestation and above are identified once HSA4 abortion notification forms are submitted by practitioners to the Chief Medical Officer. The Department will contact the practitioner to confirm these details and the abortion notification system is updated, if necessary.

In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967 and the Abortion Regulations 1991, all abortions performed in England must be notified to the Chief Medical Officer within 14 days.  Any complication known at the time the notification is submitted should be recorded on the HSA4 abortion notification form.  Generally, the HSA4 form does not capture complications arising after the time of discharge for either at-home medical abortion or other patients.

In 2021, the Department conducted a review which identified where action could be taken to improve the quality of data available on abortion complications, including the impact of home use on abortion complication rates. Officials are now progressing this work.

The number of phase I, II and III dementia clinical trials supported by the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research’s Clinical Research Network in England in each of the last 10 years and the number of participants recruited is shown in the attached tables.

NHS England commissioned Leeds Beckett University to develop a guide to supporting continuous development, improvement and innovation in memory services. The guide highlights considerations to address in the provision of personalised, culturally appropriate services including communication/language, testing and assessments. The guide was published March 2022 and is available at the following link: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/-/media/files/research/dementia/taking-memory-assessment-services-into-future-web.pdf

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for services and support for people with dementia, including the provision of community link workers. NHS England expects ICBs to commission services which take into account relevant guidance, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines and the Dementia Care Pathway, to improve the delivery and quality of care and support.

The monthly Recorded Dementia Diagnoses data includes counts of patients with a diagnosis of dementia on their general practitioner patient record by sub-integrated care board location, which also records ethnicity. Monthly data releases are available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/recorded-dementia-diagnoses

The National Health Service and experts are evaluating all available evidence to inform decisions on Evusheld, including whether real world evaluation could improve our understanding of efficacy against new variants. In addition, the Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is engaging with countries using Evusheld to understand any plans for assessing real world evidence as it becomes available.

No formal assessment has been made as the full impact of the funding cannot yet be determined. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly diagnosis rate and are analysing trends at regional and sustainability and transformation partnership level to aid targeted recovery efforts. Work to improve dementia diagnosis rates will continue in 2022/23. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, including on diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research.

NHS England and NHS Improvement collect data on treatments for eligible patients hospitalised due to COVID-19, hospital-onset COVID-19 and non-hospitalised patients treated through COVID Medicines Delivery Units. Data is collected on the numbers of treatments prescribed and administered and published weekly at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-therapeutics-antivirals-and-neutralising-monoclonal-antibodies/

Data is also collected on hospitalisation rates for treated and untreated patients. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with the research community to monitor this observational data and understand the impact of treatments on patient outcomes.

The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce engages with other nations to share learning on the use, deployment and evaluation of COVID-19 therapeutics and antivirals which may inform policy. The UK Health Security Agency is monitoring the effectiveness of all COVID-19 therapeutics, including sotrovimab. The RAPID C-19 collaborative, the National Health Service and other relevant experts provide advice to the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers on whether treatments should be recommended for deployment, taking account of all available evidence.

The Department is currently reviewing prophylaxis and the efficacy of Evusheld. The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel provides advice on the appropriate patient cohorts for potential new COVID-19 therapies, including preventative treatments. Final clinical policies and eligibility would be proposed by the NHS and agreed by the UK Chief Medical Officers.

In 2021/22, we provided £17 million to clinical commissioning groups to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and increase the number of diagnoses. A proportion of this funding was directed towards improving access to personalised pre- and post-diagnostic and carer support, through partnership working between memory assessment services and primary care and Primary Care Network social prescribing and care coordination teams.

In 2022/23, NHS England will provide funding to support general practitioners in specific areas to pilot approaches to address the dementia diagnosis rate and access to post diagnostic support.

In 2021/22, we allocated £17 million to specifically address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. NHS England and NHS Improvement are using this funding to aid the recovery of referrals to and increase workforce capacity within memory assessment services. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.

We have made no specific assessment. On 12 April 2022, we published a call for evidence to seek views on a range of issues from prevention to acute mental health care, which closes on 7 July 2022. This will support the development of a new 10-year cross-Government plan for mental health and wellbeing.

In addition, we have accelerated the deployment of mental health support teams to schools and colleges to support approximately 35% of pupils by 2023. We are working with the Department for Education to provide early intervention and mental wellbeing support in education settings.

Officials keep new evidence on fetal viability under review. There is currently no clear consensus from the medical profession that the age of viability has reduced below 24 weeks.

Parliament decided the circumstances under which abortion can legally be undertaken, including gestational time limits. It would be for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.

It would be a matter for Parliament to determine whether changes to the law on abortion should be made. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.

It would be a matter for Parliament to determine whether changes to the law on abortion should be made. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.

All existing child safeguarding responsibilities on clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will transfer to the respective integrated care board, which must continue to have regard to the duties on safeguarding partners set out in the statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’.

NHS England has a responsibility to safeguard all users of its services, including children. It assures this responsibility, including the safeguarding duties currently with CCGs, through the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework. This is supported by the Safeguarding Commissioning Assurance Toolkit, its network of Regional Safeguarding Leads, and the designated and named professionals for safeguarding in every CCG, general practitioner practice and relevant health provider. This will continue to apply.

Many local child safeguarding partnerships already work across the different geographical footprints of local authorities, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and police forces. ‘Working together to safeguard children’ sets out the expectations for how partnerships should work across geographical boundaries, including on appropriate delegation where a senior leader is responsible for more than one partnership. All existing child safeguarding responsibilities for CCGs will transfer to the respective integrated care board, which must continue to have regard to the duties on safeguarding partners in ‘Working together to safeguard children’.

The statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ designates accountable officers or chief nurses of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and their counterparts in local authorities and police forces as representatives of the three safeguarding partners in an area. This provides an equal and joint responsibility for local child safeguarding arrangements. All existing child safeguarding responsibilities for CCGs will transfer to the respective integrated care board. The guidance sets out clear expectations on appropriate delegation and this will continue to apply to safeguarding partners for health.

Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and the Home Office met in May 2021 to discuss the implications of the Bill for child safeguarding. Officials are considering and mitigating any impacts of the Bill for multi-agency child safeguarding arrangements through regular discussions and will continue to do so throughout the passage of the Bill.

Vaccine toolkits for local services, stakeholders, partners and employers address concerns around pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility. Additionally, we have shared case stories in the media of women of childbearing age who have received the COVID-19 vaccine before, during or after pregnancy to reassure women with concerns. Locally, we have supported webinars and engagement sessions focused on women’s concerns and tailored to demographic groups. We have also introduced new communications through social media focused on younger women.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional teams and providers to ensure that advice on vaccination in pregnancy, including the risks and benefits, is being offered antenatally and that information materials are available across antenatal and primary care settings. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked maternity and primary care services to support all general practitioners, practice nurses, midwives and obstetricians to give objective, evidence-based advice to women on vaccination in pregnancy at every antenatal contact.

Local systems are encouraged to implement best practice on vaccinating pregnant women opportunistically during maternity appointments wherever possible. All National Health Service regions have pathways with maternity providers in place, to facilitate antenatal vaccination through mobile or pop-up clinics, those at maternity sites or local or national vaccination centres. We are currently considering a targeted approach for the identification and invitation of pregnant women under the age of 18 years old.

The Department spent an estimated £1.32 million on smoking cessation promotion in 2020/21.

This figure includes expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national and regional press, outdoor, social and digital advertising. However, it does not include other expenditure on recruitment advertising, media partnerships and paid searches.

The Department uses estimates from the Office for National Statistics of self-reported ongoing symptoms following COVID-19 infection to inform decision-making. Since September 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement have also published activity data and demographic information for patients referred to a post-COVID-19 assessment service.

Additionally, the Department has invested over £50 million in dedicated research to improve knowledge and understanding of the condition.

The publication of England’s national Vaccine Strategy has been delayed as a result of the Department’s ongoing focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Strategy is being kept under review, including new developments from the COVID-19 vaccine and extended National Health Service flu programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2021 to Question 41820.

We are encouraging all those with cancer symptoms to come forward for treatment, though media engagement such as the ‘Help us to help you ‘campaign. There are currently eleven urology or prostate Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) pathways operational or in development, some of which cover multiple hospital sites. RDCs have been developed to deliver faster and earlier cancer diagnosis, including for prostate cancer. RDCs will be the default model for all cancer pathways across all 21 Cancer Alliances in England by 2024.

We are encouraging all those with cancer symptoms to come forward for treatment, though media engagement such as the ‘Help us to help you ‘campaign. There are currently eleven urology or prostate Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) pathways operational or in development, some of which cover multiple hospital sites. RDCs have been developed to deliver faster and earlier cancer diagnosis, including for prostate cancer. RDCs will be the default model for all cancer pathways across all 21 Cancer Alliances in England by 2024.

Data on prostate cancer is not available as a separate data set. It is published monthly as a subset of data on urological malignancies, which includes a number of different possible cancers.

The Department continues to work with the National Health Service to improve services. There are now 11 urology or prostate rapid diagnostic centre pathways either under development or operational to help recover these services.

No formal assessment has been made.

No formal assessment has been made.

The National Health Service Electronic Staff Record does not enable the identification of cancer nurse specialists.

The number of people coming forward with symptoms and being referred with suspected cancer recovered throughout 2020. Urological cancers, including prostate cancer, referrals were almost at pre-pandemic levels by June 2021.

The latest phase of the ‘Help us help you’ campaign raises awareness of abdominal symptoms of cancer, including for urological cancers. Awareness of prostate cancer risk and symptoms is also being raised through media and charities. Those presenting to their general practitioner with symptoms which could be prostate cancer will be assessed and referred in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance, which states that they should be referred on a suspected cancer pathway for an appointment within two weeks. This guidance has remained in place throughout the pandemic.

The NHS People Plan published in July 2020 committed to offering training grants to 250 nurses in 2020/21 to enable them to become cancer nurse specialists. In order to maximise training opportunities, Health Education England awarded 1,238 training grants in 2020/21 to existing and aspiring cancer nurse specialists. This offer was further extended in 2021/22 with a further 250 training grants made available. Uptake data for the current financial year is not yet available.

Health Education England (HEE) provides activity-based education funding to National Health Service trusts which supports continuing professional development, workforce development and the development of the future workforce. Where this funding is provided by HEE, it is managed through the NHS Education Contract. HEE monitors the delivery of education programmes funded by HEE, including those related to the cancer workforce, to ensure delivery of the funding objectives.

NHS trusts have other sources of training income and are responsible for how they invest this money and train their staff. It is the responsibility of individual NHS organisations who invest this funding to undertake relevant assurance processes to ensure outcomes are being met.

The Government’s new Tobacco Control Plan will be published later this year.

It will set out a comprehensive package of ambitious policy proposals and supporting regulatory changes, to meet our ambition to be smoke free by 2030.

The Department has not provided such advice.

The Department’s Standard Operating Procedures, which all independent abortion providers must comply with, set out that all providers should have protocols in place covering support for women following an abortion procedure.

Abortion providers will discuss possible complications with the woman during the consultation and women will be provided with written advice and information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Women have access to a 24 hour telephone helpline should they have any concerns.

All email communications with abortions providers on policy issues is conducted through official Departmental email addresses. All ministers are aware of the guidance around personal email usage and Government business is conducted in line with that guidance

The Government committed to undertake a public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. The consultation has now closed and we will be considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year.

An external company is contracted by the Department to undertake independent analysis of consultation responses. They are supporting the impartial analysis of responses to the consultation on the temporary approval.

Healthcare staff providing care to women accessing abortions should ensure that relevant processes are in place to identify and report breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 and the Required Standard Operating Procedures. Decisions to bring a prosecution in relation to the law on abortion are for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Healthcare staff providing care to women accessing abortions should ensure that relevant processes are in place to identify and report breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 and the Required Standard Operating Procedures. Decisions to bring a prosecution in relation to the law on abortion are for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Government committed to undertake a public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure. The consultation has now closed and we are considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year. We will keep the current measures in place until evidence collected during the consultation has been analysed and Ministers have made a decision on the future of the temporary approval.

Scoping of the Department’s project to review the system of recording abortion complications data is currently underway and we anticipate this work will be completed later this year. The review will cover all data on complications arising from abortion.

To improve the accuracy of the data collected, the Department will work closely with a range of statutory bodies, professional organisations and abortion providers to identify additional sources of information that could be used to complement complications data collected via HSA4 abortion notification forms and improve the flow of data on abortion complications between different organisations, such as independent and National Health Service abortion providers and wider health and care services.

Scoping of the Department’s project to review the system of recording abortion complications data is currently underway and we anticipate this work will be completed later this year. The review will cover all data on complications arising from abortion.

To improve the accuracy of the data collected, the Department will work closely with a range of statutory bodies, professional organisations and abortion providers to identify additional sources of information that could be used to complement complications data collected via HSA4 abortion notification forms and improve the flow of data on abortion complications between different organisations, such as independent and National Health Service abortion providers and wider health and care services.

Scoping of the Department’s project to review the system of recording abortion complications data is currently underway and we anticipate this work will be completed later this year. The review will cover all data on complications arising from abortion.

To improve the accuracy of the data collected, the Department will work closely with a range of statutory bodies, professional organisations and abortion providers to identify additional sources of information that could be used to complement complications data collected via HSA4 abortion notification forms and improve the flow of data on abortion complications between different organisations, such as independent and National Health Service abortion providers and wider health and care services.

Scoping of the Department’s project to review the system of recording abortion complications data is currently underway and we anticipate this work will be completed later this year. The review will cover all data on complications arising from abortion.

To improve the accuracy of the data collected, the Department will work closely with a range of statutory bodies, professional organisations and abortion providers to identify additional sources of information that could be used to complement complications data collected via HSA4 abortion notification forms and improve the flow of data on abortion complications between different organisations, such as independent and National Health Service abortion providers and wider health and care services.

The independent review of National Health Service hospital food was published on 20 October 2020 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-nhs-hospital-food

This includes steps to improve hospital food for patients, staff and visitors, including religious requirements. An expert group is being assembled to implement the recommendations of this report and this will have a sub-group to look at how food is best provided to patients given their medical conditions, personal or cultural preferences and religious requirements. This sub-group will include representatives from religious organisations.

The consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and we have engaged with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will publish the response to the consultation shortly.

In addition to our 2019 and 2020 consultations on further advertising restrictions for high fat, salt and sugar products, we have engaged with stakeholders from all sectors throughout this process, including aggregators and other food delivery businesses. We have heard how the proposals could impact different businesses and in the 2020 consultation we asked whether our proposal for a total online restriction would confer a competitive advantage to any particular operator or segment of the online advertising environment. These views have been taken into account whilst developing the final policy position which will be outlined in our consultation response and final impact assessment due to be published later this year.

The Department has ongoing discussions with the food and drink industry and other stakeholders on the proposed introduction of restrictions on the online advertising of products high in fat, salt and sugar, including through stakeholder engagement to assist businesses in responding to the consultation. The takeaway pizza industry has been included in these discussions through their industry bodies and as individual companies.

Provisional expenditure by Public Health England on smoking cessation promotion for the financial year 2020-21 was £1,340,000.

There are no current plans to do so.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published the ‘NHS commercial framework for new medicines’ on 23 February 2021. The framework sets out the routes to commissioning for medicines and states that the main route for commissioning medicines, which includes gene and cell therapies, is expected to be through a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisal. The framework also sets out the commercial options that may be available to companies that NHS England and NHS Improvement and NICE may pursue in particular circumstances.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published the ‘NHS commercial framework for new medicines’ on 23 February 2021. The framework sets out the routes to commissioning for medicines and states that the main route for commissioning medicines, which includes gene and cell therapies, is expected to be through a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraisal. The framework also sets out the commercial options that may be available to companies that NHS England and NHS Improvement and NICE may pursue in particular circumstances.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is reviewing the criteria used to decide whether a new technology should be evaluated through the highly specialised technologies (HST) programme as part of the review of its health technology evaluation methods and processes.

NICE is currently consulting on the guiding principles for the HST programme as part of the consultation on the case for change to its processes for health technology evaluation and expects to consult on the proposed HST criteria this summer. The purpose of reviewing the criteria is to make them clearer, more specific and the outcome easier to understand and more predictable for stakeholders.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that their current outpatient systems are a generic list of patients waiting without a diagnosis and are measured from a previous appointment to the first outpatient appointment or diagnostic procedure. As a patient may be seen by several consultants before diagnosis, many with differing waiting times, we do not hold specific information on average wait times for people diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that information is not held at a constituency level as figures are collected working to general practitioner practice boundaries that do not align with constituency boundaries.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that data relating to the cost to the NHS for late diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis due to COVID-19 related delays is not collected.

The Department has had a number of discussions on the prioritisation of key workers. 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. The JCVI’s advice has stated that phase one of the vaccine programme will have the prevention of mortality at the forefront of its objectives, as well as to support the National Health Service and social care system.

Maritime staff who are eligible for a vaccine, based on the JCVI’s prioritisation, will be offered a vaccine in line with clinical advice. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase delivery of the vaccine are subject to information, surveillance and monitoring data from phase one, as well as further advice 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.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have allocated £10 million to establish post COVID-19 services across England to provide assessment, diagnosis and a treatment pathway for those experiencing ongoing symptoms. Where clinically appropriate patients can access the assessment services remotely. All services are being run in line with safe infection prevention and control environments to ensure they are safe for clinically vulnerable people. A referral to the clinic should not delay treatment of known conditions such as respiratory disease. If an individual is experiencing ongoing or worsening symptoms, they should seek advice from their general practitioner (GP) in the first instance or if an emergency through their local emergency pathways.

In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement have also commissioned the development and of ‘Your COVID Recovery’ - a digital, interactive and tailored recovery programme to provide online rehabilitation for people experiencing ongoing COVID-19 symptoms to manage their recovery at home.

Video consultations are now available in GP practices covering 99% of the population in England. Meanwhile, online consultations, where a patient can contact their GP practice directly via the internet, are available in almost 6,000 practices, covering 90% of the population.

I responded to the letter of 15 December 2020 from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vulnerable Groups on the protection of vulnerable groups through the vaccination phase of the pandemic on 10 February 2021.

The information is not held in the format requested.

This information is not held centrally.

This data is not held centrally.

The information is not held in the format requested.

Providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority, including for those with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Chewing tobacco and paan are harmful to your health. There is national advice on NHS.uk about the dangers and where to seek advice through local stop smoking services to help people quit.

Local authorities also provide campaigns, advice and support within their communities. To support clinicians and local authorities, Public Health England have published the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ guidance that contains a chapter on tobacco use, along with self-assessment tools to improve local tobacco control work and an oral cancer registrations indicator in the Public Health Profiles data for local commissioners to access.

We carefully consider all views on our measures to reduce obesity and will continue to do so. This includes responses to the consultation on proposals to ban online adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar including suggestions to include time limits on specific policy proposals.

We published an evidence note alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation on further advertising restrictions on TV and online. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

In the consultation we have asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and are engaging with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will outline the detailed costs and benefits of the final policy in the response to the consultation early next year.

We published an evidence note alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation on further advertising restrictions on TV and online. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

In the consultation we have asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and are engaging with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will outline the detailed costs and benefits of the final policy in the response to the consultation early next year.

We published an evidence note alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation on further advertising restrictions on TV and online. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

In the consultation we have asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and are engaging with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will outline the detailed costs and benefits of the final policy in the response to the consultation early next year.

We published an evidence note alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note

This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation on further advertising restrictions on TV and online. This is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

In the consultation we have asked a question on the impact of the proposals on small businesses and are engaging with industry to understand these in more detail to factor in the final policy decision. We will outline the detailed costs and benefits of the final policy in the response to the consultation early next year.

The Government plans to publish a new United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework by the end of 2020. One of the underpinning strategic themes will be to ensure that the needs of rare disease patients are recognised in wider health and care services including mental health support. The appropriate steps to take to address these themes will be addressed in the nation specific action plans that will follow on from the Framework publication.

The Government published a new United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework in January 2021, which replaces the UK Rare Diseases Strategy. There is no new funding allocated in new Framework. However, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Framework is a success and will publish subsequent action plans that outline how the priorities and underlying themes in the Framework will be addressed. The details of the action plans will be released in due course.

The Government recognises the importance of all patients being able to obtain a quick and accurate diagnosis. We plan to publish a new United Kingdom Rare Diseases Framework by the end of 2020 which identifies improving diagnostic times as a key priority. Measurable targets where possible are not included in the UK Rare Diseases Framework but will be included in the subsequent nation specific action plans.

Advances in genomics and the commitment to incorporate whole genome sequencing into routine healthcare by the NHS Genomic Medicine Service are helping early detection of rare diseases. The recently published Genome UK Strategy outlines the Government’s vision to help people live longer, healthier lives using new genomic technologies to diagnose and treat rare diseases.

The Government is committed in addressing the harms from smoking. The Department, working with Public Health England, will develop and publish a new Tobacco Control Plan to deliver its Smokefree 2030 ambition. The new plan is expected in July 2021.

Dental practices have been able to open for face to face National Health Service care, including routine care, from 8 June. There are over 6,000 dental practices holding an NHS contract in England. Dental practices will be able to remain open by continuing to follow the Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement infection prevention and control guidance.

In addition to the reopening of face to face care in high street dental practices, over 600 urgent dental care centres set up at the height of the pandemic remain open to ensure that dental treatment needed urgently can be accessed.

The Spending Review 2020 provides £260 million to continue to grow the National Health Service workforce and support commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including continuing to take forward the cancer workforce plan phase one.

Full details on funding allocations towards NHS workforce budgets, including Health Education England, in 2021-22 will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course.

The National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training has developed guidance for dentists to provide very brief advice to tobacco users and refer to local stop smoking services. Public Health England have also published the Delivering Better Oral Health guidance that contains a chapter on smoking and tobacco use, along with self-assessment tools to improve local tobacco control work and an oral cancer registrations indicator in the Public Health Profiles data for local commissioners to access.

The Government has introduced various pieces of legislation to address the harms from tobacco use and this includes graphic warnings on some tobacco packaging. We continue to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use and help people quit. In addition to this, the Oral Health Foundation Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign held in November has raised the profile of mouth cancer and the Government welcomes this.

‘We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/21 – action for us all’ sets out actions to support transformation across the National Health Service. This includes Health Education England (HEE) prioritising the training of 400 clinical endoscopists and 450 reporting radiographers. HEE is also facilitating a number of initiatives within breast imaging, including setting up and funding a National Breast Imaging Academy to tackle national workforce issues.

Alongside most other allied health profession students, diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers studying pre-registration courses at English universities are eligible for a new, non-repayable training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year – in addition to funding available through the Learning Support Fund and Student Loans Company. They can also benefit from further funding of up to £3,000 to cover, for example, childcare costs.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions and recognises the importance of patients across all areas of the United Kingdom being able to obtain a quick and accurate diagnosis.

The Government will be publishing a new UK Rare Diseases Framework by the end of 2020 which will outline the high-level direction for rare diseases in the UK. Helping patients across the UK access specialist care and get a final diagnosis faster will be priorities of this Framework, as identified by extensive stakeholder engagement with patients, their families, researchers and clinicians. The policies to deliver these priorities will be set out in future nation-specific action plans and will be supported by the recently published Genome UK Strategy, which outlines the Government’s vision to help people live longer, healthier lives using new genomic and other technologies to diagnose and treat rare disease.

The National Health Service is involved in research, development and adoption readiness of Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) through the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre network, which is hosted by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and set up through funding from the UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. ATMPs for the treatment of a range of conditions including rare diseases are appraised for clinical and cost effectiveness by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NHS, the Accelerated Access Collaborative and direct commissioning teams work with a range of stakeholders to undertake detailed horizon scanning for ATMPs to ensure the relevant clinical and implementation preparations can be made where treatments are recommended by NICE.

Proposals for the Innovative Medicines Fund are in development and we expect NHS England and NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to lead an engagement exercise early next year.

The engagement exercise will involve the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service and associated bodies and patient groups, including those with rare diseases.

The Government guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): Meeting with others safely (social distancing)’ provides guidance for seeing friends and family and can be used by people living with dementia and their family and friends. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing

The Government also published guidance on how people can make a support bubble with another household. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household

Local lockdown regulations exempt those providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person from the prohibition on household mixing.

In the ‘Adult social care: coronavirus (COVID-19) winter plan 2020 to 2021’, published on 18 September, we set out tightened infection prevention and control measures to enable visits to care home residents to continue safely. The plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-coronavirus-covid-19-winter-plan-2020-to-2021

We published visiting guidance on 22 July 2020 which outlined how providers, based on the views of their local Director of Public Health, could take a dynamic risk-based approach to allow visiting where safe. This guidance will shortly be updated to reflect the changes announced in the winter plan and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus/update-on-policies-for-visiting-arrangements-in-care-homes

Since 2011 the Department has provided over £26.8 million in financial support to NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan to enable the establishment of a unified United Kingdom Stem Cell Registry and improve access to, and outcomes of, stem cell donation.

This includes improving equity of access to unrelated donor stem cell transplantation for all ethnicities, including those with mixed ethnicities, through targeted recruitment to the UK Stem Cell Registry. Anthony Nolan have established a taskforce dedicated to engaging with supporters from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those with mixed ethnicities, which will co-create content and recruitment campaigns that serve and resonate with target audiences. Additionally, they are working closely with partners – such as the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust and the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign - to focus recruitment in ethnically diverse areas of the UK, and to target recruitment on currently under-represented groups.

Since 2011 the Department has provided over £26.8 million in financial support to NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan to enable the establishment of a unified United Kingdom Stem Cell Registry and improve access to, and outcomes of, stem cell donation. This includes improving equity of access to unrelated donor stem cell transplantation for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) patients through targeted recruitment to the UK Stem Cell Registry.

There are now 1.6 million donors on the UK’s aligned stem cell registry which is part of a worldwide network of 76 stem cell registries, which list over 36 million donors worldwide and co-operate to match donors to patients across the globe.

Current funding includes very specific stipulations about the numbers of newly registered bone marrow donors, and the proportion of umbilical cords stored in the UK Cord Blood Bank that must be from BAME backgrounds (35-40%). There are now 1.6 million donors on the UK’s aligned stem cell registry and the proportion of BAME donors in the UK registry has gone up from 11% to 14% between 2014 and 2019. In 2018, 22% of newly registered potential donors were from BAME backgrounds.

We have committed to publishing a White Paper which will set out the Government’s response to Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 and pave the way for reform of the Act.

We will publish our White Paper as soon as it is possible to do so. We will consult publicly on our proposals and will bring forward a Bill to amend the Act when parliamentary time allows.

The Independent Review made a number of recommendations around how the law works for children and young people. The Government will respond to these in the White Paper.

The Mental Health Act 1983 covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people of all ages with a mental health disorder. It does not cover the provision of children’s mental health services.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issues guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources through its technology appraisal (TA) and highly specialised technologies (HST) programmes, including drugs for patients with rare diseases. 86% of NICE’s TA recommendations, and 100% of its HST recommendations, for orphan drugs have been positive since 2013.

Through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, we are already making important drugs available to patients. So far around 1,500 patients have benefited from the scheme, which enables drugs to be used in clinical practice in parallel with later stages of the regulatory process.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has undertaken 69 assessments considering ‘orphan drugs’ since the start of its highly specialised technologies (HST) programme in 2013.

57 of these were appraised by its technology appraisals (TA) programme and NICE made 64 recommendations in total as some topics have multiple recommendations. 49 of these recommendations were positive. A further seven appraisals were terminated as the company did not make an evidence submission. This equates to 16% of NICE’s appraisal activity.

86% of NICE’s TA recommendations for orphan drugs have been positive.

NICE has published HST guidance on 12 individual topics, making 12 recommendations, all of which have been positive.

In 2019, NHS England identified those specialised services in which patients with rare diseases are treated and asked the 150 providers that deliver these services to self-assess against three key criteria: care coordination; alert cards; and transition. In total, 1,000 clinical teams undertook the assessment and the completion rate was 85%. Of those providers that self-assessed: 91% confirmed that there is a person responsible for coordinating the care of any patient with a rare disease; 56% confirmed that they gave each person an alert card; and 91% confirmed that they had active transition in place.

Alert cards are already used in some hospitals that treat patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. NHS England is currently in the process of commissioning a service for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Once a full, national service is established, an alert card will be rolled out across the service.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) records people with congenital anomalies and rare diseases across the whole of England. Data collection for rare diseases is at an early stage and currently NCARDRS does not collect data on thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). NCARDRS is working to expand rare disease registration and will work with interested parties to advance data collection on rare diseases including TTP.

The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) records people with congenital anomalies and rare diseases across the whole of England. Data collection for rare diseases is at an early stage and currently NCARDRS does not collect data on thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). NCARDRS is working to expand rare disease registration and will work with interested parties to advance data collection on rare diseases including TTP.

Expenditure on smoking cessation promotion by Public Health England for the periods of 2018-19 and 2019-20 are as follows:

2018-19: £2.16 million

2019-20: £1.78 million

The figures reference expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national press, regional press, out of home (outdoor), cinema, social and digital advertising.

All figures rounded to the nearest £10,000 and do not include VAT.

Recruitment advertising and media partnerships are not included. Paid search is not included.

The Government is committed to achieving a smokefree England by 2030. Plans to achieve this will be set out at a later date, and a response to the Prevention Green Paper will be published in due course.

The Government is committed to achieving a smokefree England by 2030. Plans to achieve this will be set out at a later date, and a response to the Prevention Green Paper will be published in due course.

We have written to Directors of Public Health to ask them to help us determine which supported living and extra care settings in their areas should be able to access testing based on a risk-based criterion. Retirement villages and other housing-with-care facilities are not currently in scope to be tested. Our testing strategy is based on guidance from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and Public Health England.

The Government has announced five new Ministerial-led taskforces to plan how closed sectors can reopen safely including the pubs and restaurants sector. Subject to transmission of the virus continuing to decline and if businesses comply with COVID-19 secure guidelines to protect staff and customers, more businesses will be permitted to open this month

We have set out clear, practical steps that businesses should take to ensure their workplaces are COVID-19 secure and give their staff the confidence to return back to work.

The Government will continue to review the measures, assessing them to ensure that they continue to be necessary and proportionate based on available scientific evidence, which includes up to date data.

FCDO established a Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub in September 2022; the Hub is supporting FCDO teams to embed atrocity prevention work and build capability, including on monitoring and risk assessments. The UK Government remains committed to supporting efforts to secure positive relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and continues to work through bilateral channels and multilateral fora in pursuit of that goal. In recent engagements with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 22 February and Armenian Foreign Minister on 18 January, I [Minister Docherty] reinforced the need for constructive negotiations between the two states. The events of February 1992 were a tragic episode in Azerbaijan's history, and were strongly condemned by the UK Government at the time. Such hostilities should never take place again. The UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan laid a wreath at the memorial in Baku on 24 February.

The UK is fully supportive of the proposed Coordination Platform between Sri Lanka's Paris Club and non-Paris Club creditors, which we believe represents the most efficient way to restore debt sustainability in Sri Lanka.

Constructive engagement across creditors is vital to secure a prompt and comprehensive International Monetary Fund programme for Sri Lanka and ensure a sustainable economic recovery. As a member of the Paris Club, the UK stands ready to consider the necessary Financing Assurances to secure an Extended Financing Facility with the IMF in a timely manner.

The persecution of religious minorities in Iran cannot be tolerated. This includes the Iranian regime's systematic persecution of Iran's Baha'i community which has worsened over the last year. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, made this clear in his 5 August statement. The Government reiterated its commitment to holding Iran to account for its treatment of the Baha'i at the 11 October Westminster Hall debate. The UK raised the Baha'i at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee on 26 October and pressed for the inclusion of the Baha'i in the 16 November UNGA Resolution.

The UK is committed to holding Iran to account for the appalling treatment of children throughout the brutal crackdown of protests. The UK highlighted this issue at the UN Human Right Council on 24 November, at which we supported a successful Resolution to establish a UN investigation into the human rights violations committed by the regime during the protests. The Foreign Secretary also called out Iran's treatment of children alongside his G7 partners at the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 4 November. The UK will continue work with partners at international fora to call on the Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international law and to improve the practices surrounding children in detention.

The UK is committed to holding Iran to account for the appalling treatment of children throughout the brutal crackdown of protests. The UK highlighted this issue at the UN Human Right Council on 24 November, at which we supported a successful Resolution to establish a UN investigation into the human rights violations committed by the regime during the protests. The Foreign Secretary also called out Iran's treatment of children alongside his G7 partners at the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 4 November. The UK will continue work with partners at international fora to call on the Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international law and to improve the practices surrounding children in detention.

The UK is committed to holding Iran to account for the appalling treatment of children throughout the brutal crackdown of protests. The UK highlighted this issue at the UN Human Right Council on 24 November, at which we supported a successful Resolution to establish a UN investigation into the human rights violations committed by the regime during the protests. The Foreign Secretary also called out Iran's treatment of children alongside his G7 partners at the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 4 November. The UK will continue work with partners at international fora to call on the Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international law and to improve the practices surrounding children in detention.

As a longstanding human rights priority, the UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. FCDO Officials, both in the UK and in Doha, have and will continue to engage with members of the Baha'i community in Qatar. Officials in Doha raised the challenges faced by some members of the Baha'i community with the Director for Human Rights from the Qatari Ministry of Interior and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The UK Ambassador to Qatar has also raised the issue with Qatari Ministers. We will continue to raise these issues with the Qatari Government, including in light of the Special Rapporteur's for Freedom of Religion or Belief's report 'Rights of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in situations of conflict or insecurity' published in March 2022.

As a longstanding human rights priority, the UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. FCDO Officials, both in the UK and in Doha, have and will continue to engage with members of the Baha'i community in Qatar. Officials in Doha raised the challenges faced by some members of the Baha'i community with the Director for Human Rights from the Qatari Ministry of Interior and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The UK Ambassador to Qatar has also raised the issue with Qatari Ministers. We will continue to raise these issues with the Qatari Government, including in light of the Special Rapporteur's for Freedom of Religion or Belief's report 'Rights of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in situations of conflict or insecurity' published in March 2022.

Iran has been in non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) since 2019 and its nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. Iran's escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening regional and international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.

There has been is a viable deal on the table since March which would return Iran to compliance with its JCPoA commitments and return the US to the deal. The deal would reverse Iran's nuclear escalation, return Iran's nuclear programme to strict JCPoA limits and restore extensive monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has so far refused to conclude the deal and continued its nuclear escalation. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will cause the collapse of the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.

Our commitment to Israel's security is unwavering. Israel is an important strategic partner for the UK and we collaborate closely on issues of defence and security. The Government condemns Hizballah's destabilising activity in the region, including their stockpiling of weapons in Lebanon, which is a breach of UNSCRs 1559 and 1701. The Foreign Secretary discussed the security situation in Lebanon with Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid on 22 June and I reiterated UK commitment to Israel's security in my meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll during my visit to Israel in June.

Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief for all is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Addressing reports of expropriation and repossession of land owned by Baha'i communities in Ivel remains important to HMG. The Baha'i community in Iran continue to be systematically discriminated against, harassed, and targeted.

We repeatedly raise human rights issues with the Iranian Government at all appropriate opportunities and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record. In November 2021, we co-sponsored the annual UN Third Committee resolution on human rights in Iran which called on the Government of Iran to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a recognized or unrecognized minority religious or belief group.

Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief for all is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Addressing reports of expropriation and repossession of land owned by Baha'i communities in Ivel remains important to HMG. The Baha'i community in Iran continue to be systematically discriminated against, harassed, and targeted.

We repeatedly raise human rights issues with the Iranian Government at all appropriate opportunities and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record. In November 2021, we co-sponsored the annual UN Third Committee resolution on human rights in Iran which called on the Government of Iran to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a recognized or unrecognized minority religious or belief group.

The events of February 1992 were a tragic episode in Azerbaijan's history, and were strongly condemned by the UK Government at the time. Such hostilities should never take place again. The UK Government has not yet made plans to mark this anniversary of the date.

We are currently engaged in negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). Iran must now decide whether to conclude the fair and comprehensive deal on the table for the benefit of the Iranian people and economy, or collapse the JCPoA. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.

The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously. The UK has designated Iran as a human rights priority country, and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record. This will include using all opportunities during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

We urge Iran to allow the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran access to the country, so that he can conduct research and investigations into human rights concerns reported there, including the events of 1988. Meanwhile, we have always been clear that Iran must uphold its own international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present.

We are in regular contact with the Iranian Government and expect to engage with President Raisi on a number of issues now he has taken office, including human rights. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course and commit to improving human rights in Iran.

The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously. The UK has designated Iran as a human rights priority country, and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record. This will include using all opportunities during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

We urge Iran to allow the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran access to the country, so that he can conduct research and investigations into human rights concerns reported there, including the events of 1988. Meanwhile, we have always been clear that Iran must uphold its own international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present.

We are in regular contact with the Iranian Government and expect to engage with President Raisi on a number of issues now he has taken office, including human rights. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course and commit to improving human rights in Iran.

The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously. The UK has designated Iran as a human rights priority country, and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record. This will include using all opportunities during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

We urge Iran to allow the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran access to the country, so that he can conduct research and investigations into human rights concerns reported there, including the events of 1988. Meanwhile, we have always been clear that Iran must uphold its own international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present.

We are in regular contact with the Iranian Government and expect to engage with President Raisi on a number of issues now he has taken office, including human rights. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course and commit to improving human rights in Iran.

We have long been clear about our concerns over Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups. We continue to support the security of our allies, including through our close defence partnerships across the Middle East and by working to strengthen institutions and build capacity in more vulnerable countries, including in Iraq. The Foreign Secretary recently visited Iraq to commit UK support for Iraqi efforts to tackle armed groups and militias seeking to escalate regional tensions.

We have long been clear about our concern over Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups. We regularly raise Iran's destabilising role in the region at the UN Security Council.

Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001. Hamas' ongoing decision to embrace violence lies at the heart of the Gazan tragedy. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel. The UK maintains a no contact policy with Hamas in its entirety.

We recognise the Palestinian Authority's responsibilities for vaccinations under the Oslo Accords (under Article 17). We welcome the steps that the parties have taken so far to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage further dialogue in this regard. The British Embassy Tel Aviv and the British Consulate-General Jerusalem are in regular contact with the relevant parties and continue to encourage cooperation and raise the issue of timely access to vaccines.

The UK government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.

We are concerned at the recent attacks against Hindu sites in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a human rights priority country for the FCDO, and Ministers and our High Commission in Dhaka regularly raise human rights concerns as part of continued dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh. The UK supports community leaders in Bangladesh to address the causes and effects of inter-religious, ethnic and political conflict. Our development programming supports citizen groups in 31 districts across the country to come together to resolve grievances, mitigate religious violence and advocate for inclusive and peaceful co-existence.

The United Kingdom is committed to combatting all forms of racism, including anti-semitism, both at home and abroad. We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle injustices and advocate respect among different religious and racial groups is to encourage all states to uphold their human rights obligations. Some of the anti-Semitic actions and speeches in and around the Durban conference and its various follow-up events gave rise to serious concerns. We will consider UK attendance in the light of developments between now and the commemoration event, including the likelihood of any recurrence.

The Foreign Secretary recently reaffirmed the UK's condemnation to anti-semitism during a debate in the House of Commons on 20 April 2021, and I raised my opposition to anti-semitism during a Westminster Hall Debate on 26 November 2020. We also delivered a statement at the United Nations General Assembly in November expressing concern about the rise of anti-semitism and other forms of discrimination in the wake of Covid-19.

The United Kingdom is committed to combatting all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, both at home and abroad. We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle injustices and advocate respect among different religious and racial groups is to encourage all states to uphold their human rights obligations. Some of the anti-Semitic actions and speeches in and around the Durban conference and its various follow-up events gave rise to serious concerns. We will consider UK attendance in the light of developments between now and the commemoration event, including the likelihood of any recurrence.

The Foreign Secretary recently reaffirmed the UK's condemnation to anti-Semitism during a debate in the House of Commons on 20 April 2021, and I raised my opposition to anti-Semitism during a Westminster Hall Debate on 26 November 2020. We also delivered a statement at the United Nations General Assembly in November expressing concern about the rise of anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination in the wake of Covid-19.

The UK Government is concerned by reports that armed persons are being transported into Nagorno-Karabakh. During my recent visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan I urged both Governments to fully comply with the November ceasefire agreement and to refrain from unhelpful actions that may exacerbate the situation. The UK Government continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the conflict.

During my recent visit to both Armenia and Azerbaijan I highlighted UK concern over the large amount of unexploded ordnance across the region. I urged both Governments to work together to ensure that humanitarian organisations are able to have unimpeded access to the region. The UK Government will continue to work with partners to support the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan in securing stability and peace in the region and will continue to encourage both to refrain from unhelpful actions that may exacerbate the situation.

The FCDO does not provide grant-in-aid funding to the BBC World Service. Through the World2020 Programme we provide funding for digital enhancements to the BBC Arabic service. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from Government, so it would not be appropriate to agree objectives of this kind with the BBC. Questions about impartiality or perceived bias are matters for the BBC Board.

The FCDO does not provide grant-in-aid funding to the BBC World Service. Through the World2020 Programme we provide funding for digital enhancements to the BBC Arabic service. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from Government, so it would not be appropriate to agree objectives of this kind with the BBC. Questions about impartiality or perceived bias are matters for the BBC Board.

We respect the independence of the ICC, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline. UK officials are in regular contact with US and Israeli authorities on a range of issues.

We respect the independence of the ICC, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline. UK officials are in regular contact with US and Israeli authorities on a range of issues.

We respect the independence of the ICC, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline.

We have made no such assessment. It is not for the government to make judgements about perceived impartiality or bias at the BBC, as the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government. This is a matter for the BBC Board and Ofcom, as the BBC's regulator. Ofcom is responsible for setting rules to ensure BBC coverage is impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and for holding the BBC to account against its public purposes as the BBC regulator.

We have made no such assessment. It is not for the government to make judgements about perceived impartiality or bias at the BBC, as the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government. This is a matter for the BBC Board.

We closely follow the important work of the International Criminal Court and are looking at the implications of this decision.

We closely follow the important work of the International Criminal Court and are looking at the implications of this decision.

We closely follow the important work of the International Criminal Court and are looking at the implications of this decision.

We are committed to delivering the quantum leap in our bilateral relationship with India that our Prime Ministers have pledged to achieve.

The Foreign Secretary led efforts to strengthen UK relations with India during his visit to India in December. With his counterpart, the Foreign Secretary discussed important new UK-India collaboration across trade and investment, defence and security, climate change and health, to be agreed in a joint Roadmap to 2030.

The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly, to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UNRWA is also a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region. The operational definition of a Palestinian refugee is any person whose "normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." We are clear that the status of Palestinian refugees must be agreed as part of wider peace negotiations. Until that time, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly, to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UNRWA is also a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region. The operational definition of a Palestinian refugee is any person whose "normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." We are clear that the status of Palestinian refugees must be agreed as part of wider peace negotiations. Until that time, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

I spoke to the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 13 November and the Armenian Foreign Minister on 30 November where I highlighted the importance of return of prisoners of war and reinforced support for the International Committee of the Red Cross as the primary mediator through which prisoner exchanges should take place. We continue to monitor the situation carefully.

We have not discussed the matter of Ahlam Tamimi's extradition with the US Administration, as this is a matter between Jordan and the United States.

We are aware of reports about the granting of Turkish citizenship to Hamas figures. Hamas continues to pose a threat to Israel and Israeli civilians. The UK is clear that Hamas' failure to renounce violence and recognise Israel remains a significant barrier to peace. We continue to call upon Hamas to end permanently their incitement and indiscriminate attacks against Israel. The UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas, in its entirety. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001.

We are aware of the ongoing trial of four Iranians in Belgium in relation to the 2018 plot against a conference in Paris. We are deeply concerned by reports that an Iranian diplomat is one of those standing trial in connection with the incident. While the legal process is ongoing, however, it would be inappropriate to comment further and we have not made specific representations to the Iranian Government. The UK strongly condemns the targeting of civilians and welcomes steps taken to hold those responsible to account. We continue to work closely with our European partners on security and counter-terrorism issues. We are not aware at this stage of a link to the UK.

We are aware of the ongoing trial of four Iranians in Belgium in relation to the 2018 plot against a conference in Paris. We are deeply concerned by reports that an Iranian diplomat is one of those standing trial in connection with the incident. While the legal process is ongoing, however, it would be inappropriate to comment further and we have not made specific representations to the Iranian Government. The UK strongly condemns the targeting of civilians and welcomes steps taken to hold those responsible to account. We continue to work closely with our European partners on security and counter-terrorism issues. We are not aware at this stage of a link to the UK.

We acknowledge the importance of these UN Security Council Resolutions, which reaffirm the primacy of the OSCE Minsk Group as the international forum via which a peaceful settlement to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be reached. We consider that the Basic Principles for a settlement proposed by the Minsk Group Co-chairs provide the basis for a reasonable compromise in this regard, taking due account of the relevant OSCE principles governing relations between member-states.

We are aware of reports that Iran's Baha'i community are being prevented from obtaining identity cards under new rules, depriving them of accessing many basic services. We remain concerned about the continued harassment and mistreatment that the Baha'i and other minority religious groups face. We support the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran's assessment that discrimination against the Baha'is in Iran is sanctioned by a lack of constitutional recognition. We regularly call upon Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to protect freedom of religion or belief to all Iranians.

The Government has recently been made aware of this proposal for a Stamp Duty Land Tax relief. All taxes are kept under review.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill seizes the opportunities of Brexit, tailoring financial services regulation to UK markets to bolster our competitiveness and deliver better outcomes for consumers and businesses.

The Bill implements the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, revoking retained EU law, so it can be replaced with an approach designed for the UK.

The Bill introduces secondary growth and competitiveness objectives and measures to ensure clear accountability, appropriate democratic input, and transparent oversight of the regulators.

Insurers are required to abide by the Equality Act (2010) and are not allowed to use ethnicity as a risk factor when determining the price of insurance.

The recent Citizens Advice report highlights an important point that there is the risk of discrimination in pricing in the insurance market and this matter should be looked into further.

Insurers must treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA is an independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including insurers.

The Government is keen to ensure that all consumers have access to a range of financial products that suits their needs and is keeping this situation under review.

Insurers are required to abide by the Equality Act (2010) and are not allowed to use ethnicity as a risk factor when determining the price of insurance.

The recent Citizens Advice report highlights an important point that there is the risk of discrimination in pricing in the insurance market and this matter should be looked into further.

Insurers must treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA is an independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including insurers.

The Government is keen to ensure that all consumers have access to a range of financial products that suits their needs and is keeping this situation under review.

The schemes are not comparable as there are important differences between the situations at Equitable Life and London Capital Finance. The Government compensation schemes in each case sought to achieve a fair outcome for investors and taxpayers based on the particular circumstances surrounding each firm.

The Residential Property Developer Tax will apply to companies that make trading profits from residential property development activities and are part of a group that is generating relevant profits in excess of £25 million.

This means the tax will not apply to companies that construct properties to hold as investments.

It will, however, apply to companies that make trading profits from selling residential property, including where the purchaser is a member of the same group or is acquiring the property for investment purposes.

As with all other taxes, the Government will keep this under review.

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

I refer the Honourable Member for Harrow East to the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury’s letter of 24 May 2021 to the Public Accounts Committee. This is available at: committees.parliament.uk/publications/6221/documents/69032/default/

I refer the Honourable Member for Harrow East to the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury’s letter of 24 May 2021 to the Public Accounts Committee. This is available at: committees.parliament.uk/publications/6221/documents/69032/default/

As I assured the House on 27 April 2021, there has been no change in the Treasury’s position. The relevant records – that is, those needed to ensure the accuracy of ongoing payments, and to respond to queries in relation to payments that have already been made – are retained and will continue to be, as long as it is legal to do so. There are no plans to destroy records.

As I assured the House on 27 April 2021, there has been no change in the Treasury’s position. The relevant records – that is, those needed to ensure the accuracy of ongoing payments, and to respond to queries in relation to payments that have already been made – are retained and will continue to be, as long as it is legal to do so. There are no plans to destroy records.

The Government has announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. The statement by the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government of 25 March 2021 explained the relief will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area and the sector-specific economic impacts of COVID-19.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis. Funding will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and LAs have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

The Government has announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. The statement by the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government of 25 March 2021 explained the relief will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area and the sector-specific economic impacts of COVID-19.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis. Funding will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and LAs have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

The Government has announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. The statement by the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government of 25 March 2021 explained the relief will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area and the sector-specific economic impacts of COVID-19.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis. Funding will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and LAs have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

The Government has announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. The statement by the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government of 25 March 2021 explained the relief will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area and the sector-specific economic impacts of COVID-19.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis. Funding will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and LAs have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

The Government has announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. The statement by the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government of 25 March 2021 explained the relief will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area and the sector-specific economic impacts of COVID-19.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis. Funding will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and LAs have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Group published an update on the actions of the Group’s members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cash usage in the short-term and is likely to have accelerated the longer-term trends of declining cash use. However, it is too early to determine the lasting effect.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues as part of the policy making process.

The government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously, and is committed to meeting its climate change targets. With this in mind, the government is considering how it can most effectively progress transport decarbonisation through the Spending Review.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues as part of the policy making process.

The government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously, and is committed to meeting its climate change targets. With this in mind, the government is considering how it can most effectively progress transport decarbonisation through the Spending Review.

The Government has provided Local Authorities with £1.1billion across England via the Additional Restrictions Grant, for businesses which are not legally closed, but which are severely affected by local or national restrictions.

Local Authorities have discretion on how to use this funding to support businesses in their areas, but the Government encourages them to set up discretionary grant schemes to support businesses such as wholesalers which can remain open, but which are nonetheless severely affected by the enhanced COVID-19 restrictions.

All business rates reliefs in England will be considered through the business rates review.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

HM Treasury will publish a revised Green Book at Spending Review 2020. This will reflect the findings of the Green Book review which was established at Budget 2020 to investigate whether the Green Book hindered the Government’s levelling up ambitions. It does not specifically address the management of land assets and commercial property investments. However, as part of a recent consultation, the Government set out that Local Authorities should not be investing in commercial property investments that serve no direct policy or treasury management purpose, and made proposals to amend the lending terms of the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) to address the issue. The consultation closed on 31 July and the Government will be issuing a response in due course.

The Government has provided unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses to protect, as much as possible, against the current economic emergency. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of these support schemes, with the most relevant likely to include:

• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment;
• £10,000 cash grants for all business properties in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief;
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months.

Food and drink wholesalers have also benefited from the recent Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which provided over 100 million half price meals during August and helped to protect the livelihoods of the 1.8 million people working in the hospitality sector.

The Government has provided unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses to protect, as much as possible, against the current economic emergency. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of these support schemes, with the most relevant likely to include:

• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment;
• £10,000 cash grants for all business properties in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief;
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months.

Food and drink wholesalers have also benefited from the recent Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which provided over 100 million half price meals during August and helped to protect the livelihoods of the 1.8 million people working in the hospitality sector.

The Government has provided unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses to protect, as much as possible, against the current economic emergency. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of these support schemes, with the most relevant likely to include:

• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment;
• £10,000 cash grants for all business properties in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief;
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months.

Food and drink wholesalers have also benefited from the recent Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which provided over 100 million half price meals during August and helped to protect the livelihoods of the 1.8 million people working in the hospitality sector.

The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to eligible businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure. Business rates are devolved in Wales, and so are a matter for the Welsh Government.

A range of other measures to support all business, including wholesalers, have also been made available. On 8 July the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support jobs across the UK, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep furloughed workers. On 24 September the Chancellor went further and announced the Job Support Scheme to provide further support for jobs.

HM Treasury has not made an assessment.

In 2019 the Department for Transport published the Clean Maritime Plan, which identified the potential for clean economic growth in the UK as a result of the transition to zero emission shipping.

Alongside the Plan, the Department published an assessment of the value of potential economic opportunities from low and zero emission shipping. The assessment projected future global uptake of new technologies and estimated the supply chain and export opportunities for the UK from the transition to zero emission shipping.

Further to my response of 3 July 2020 to Question 64077, before the end of the Transition Period, the Government will bring forward secondary legislation under the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 to ensure that the provisions of the Cross Border Payments Regulation which require transparency of currency conversion fees and charges for credit transfers, continue to work effectively in UK law after the end of the Transition Period.

The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities on eligible properties.

A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as wholesalers, has also been made available. For example, the Government has launched the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

The Government recognises that this is a very challenging time for businesses in a wide variety of sectors. Small businesses occupying properties for retail, hospitality or leisure purposes are likely to be particularly affected by COVID-19 due to their reliance on customer footfall, and the fact that they are less likely than larger businesses to have sufficient cash reserves to meet their high fixed property-related costs. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) is intended to help small businesses in this situation.

Local Authorities (LAs) can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses in other supply chains, like the wholesale food and drink sector, if they feel there is a particular local economic need. The Government has allocated up to an additional £617 million to LAs to enable them to give discretionary grants to businesses in this situation. LAs may choose to focus payments on those priority groups which are most relevant to their local areas or to businesses outside of these priority groups, so long as the business was trading on 11th March, and has not received any other cash grant funded by central Government.

Small businesses which are not eligible for business grants should still be able to benefit from other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business. 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.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.

At the end of the transition period, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will need to make some changes to the tobacco track and trace system for it to continue to operate. The changes will be kept to the minimum necessary to enable the UK to have full regulatory control.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential effect on levels of counterfeit goods of a suspension of the track and trace system as it remains committed to having a system in place at the end of the transition period.

The government has no plans to make any changes to the end of the sell through period. From 20 May 2020, all cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco manufactured in or imported into the UK must be marked with a unique identifier code and security label. Businesses with any unmarked stock after this date should return it in accordance with the existing procedures they have in place with their suppliers.

Product which fails to comply with the requirements after the sell through period will be liable to forfeiture. Where HMRC is satisfied that a business is not complying with the requirements it may issue a notice for the business to remedy any non-compliance.

To promote and assess compliance across the tobacco supply chain, HMRC has been working with tobacco manufacturers, retailers and relevant trade bodies to make them aware of their requirements and the sell through period. A key indicator of industry compliance is the high volume of businesses registered to use the system. As of the end of April, over 42,000 economic operators and approximately 65,000 premises were registered on the system.

It would not be appropriate for HMRC to publish detailed information about their operational response during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the public can be assured that HMRC will support legitimate businesses and individuals while taking tough action against serious criminal activity and those evading and avoiding paying tax.

It is right that HMRC does everything possible to protect?individuals,?businesses and the economy during this extremely difficult time.