Caroline Nokes

The application of makeup of performers in productions for the film and TV industry is undertaken by a limited number of professionals working with the limited number of performers in that production for the duration of that production.

Make-up artists and other close contact commercial services work with whoever they have appointments with and the number of people, and hence different contacts, will far exceed the number on a production set.

We have worked closely with businesses and trade associations from the industry, as well as with medical experts, to determine both what is the highest risk zone and what services would fall within this zone. The National Hair & Beauty Federation, British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, and British Beauty Council have been consulted and support this approach, as the safety of their staff and customers is paramount. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England have also signed off this approach.

We have set out clear steps that should be taken by businesses to keep customers safe in our COVID-secure guidelines. This guidance has been developed by BEIS with input from firms, unions and industry bodies, and in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.

Beauty services should only be provided where they can be carried out in a fully COVID-secure way, and away from the highest risk zone. For instance, beard services should only be provided where they can be carried out safely from the side or from behind to avoid the high-risk zone. Any intricate detailing, outlining or shaving of beards should not be carried out as this would be within the highest risk zone. Many of the treatments not allowed, for example eyebrow waxing, would require the practitioner to be very close to the highest risk zone in front of the client’s face for a extended period of time, thus increasing the risks for both client and practitioner. In these circumstances it would be best to avoid these treatments.

We have worked closely with businesses and trade associations from the industry, as well as with medical experts, to determine both what is the highest risk zone and what services would fall within this zone. The National Hair & Beauty Federation, British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, and British Beauty Council have been consulted and support this approach, as the safety of their staff and customers is paramount. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England have signed off this approach.

The requirement to demonstrate carbon capture readiness applies to applications for power stations with an electrical generating capacity at or over 300 MW and of a type covered by the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD). Energy from waste generating stations are not covered by the LCPD. Therefore energy from waste generating stations of any capacity do not have to demonstrate carbon capture readiness.

The Government consulted on the appropriate threshold for carbon capture readiness in 2008. Following this consultation, the 300MW threshold as required in the Carbon Capture Storage Directive was adopted in legislation.

There have been a number of meeting between BEIS and DWP Ministers and officials to discuss parental pay for the self-employed.

Whilst the Government is committed to supporting all working parents, including self-employed parents, we have focussed on policies for employed parents as, generally speaking, they have less autonomy and flexibility over when they work and when they take time off work.

The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world to work. As announced in the Queen’s Speech, we will be bringing forward legislation to upgrade workers’ rights where it is right for the UK.

The Government has been clear that our intention is for all children to return to school from September. On 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this.

As part of this guidance, we are asking all headteachers to put measures in place to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in their school. This includes implementing a Public Health England endorsed system of controls that includes: ensuring that people who have symptoms do not attend school, robust hand and respiratory hygiene, enhanced cleaning arrangements, active engagement with NHS Test and Trace, and minimising contact and maintaining distance between individuals wherever possible.

Minimising contacts and mixing between people reduces transmission of COVID-19. This is important in all contexts, and schools must consider how to implement this. The overarching principle that schools have been asked to apply is reducing the number of contacts between children and staff. This can be achieved through keeping groups separate (in ‘bubbles’) and through maintaining distance between individuals. These are not alternative options and both measures will help, but the balance between them will change depending on children’s ability to distance, the lay out of the school and the feasibility of keeping distinct groups separate while offering a broad curriculum (especially at secondary).

At primary school, and in the younger years at secondary (key stage 3), schools may be able to implement smaller groups the size of a full class. If that can be achieved, it is recommended, as this will help to reduce the number of people who could be asked to isolate should someone in a group become ill with COVID-19. We recognise that younger children will not be able to maintain social distancing, and it is acceptable for them not to distance within their group but primary schools are expected to keep groups separate.

The Department's guidance on fully opening schools can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#section-1-public-health-advice-to-minimise-coronavirus-covid-19-risks.

The department publishes the number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics' publications, which are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.

The breakdown of eligibility for free school meals by ethnicity is not available in the publication, however this is available on request. There were 346,055 (18.0%) BAME pupils eligible for free school meals in January 2019.

The government has announced a package of support worth £1 billion to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all children and young people make up for lost teaching time, with extra support in the form of a tutoring programme for those who need it most.

This package includes a universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help them make up for lost teaching time. This premium will be paid as a grant to all state-funded primary and secondary schools in England over the 2020-21 academic year.

We will confirm the timetable for publishing institution-level allocations in due course.

The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 places a duty on local authorities to ensure that their areas are kept, so far as practicable, free from rats and mice. Should Defra become aware that a local authority is failing to discharge its responsibilities, Defra has certain default powers to initiate action.

Managing problems with rats and mice is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs. Insofar as local authorities are owners and occupiers of property, they have the same powers to control rats and mice as any other owner or occupier.

To address public health risk, the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 makes local authorities responsible for ensuring that their districts are kept, so far as practicable, free from rats and mice. In meeting this obligation, a local authority may serve a notice on the owner or occupier of land requiring them to take such steps as may be specified in the notice to destroy rats and mice on their land. Where necessary, the local authority has the power to take those steps as specified in a notice themselves and recover from the owner or occupier any expenses reasonably incurred in doing so. The 1949 Prevention of Damage by Pests Act also requires occupiers of land, other than agricultural land, to give notice in writing to the local authority of rodent infestations.

Following our consultation in 2019 on measures to improve consistency in recycling from businesses and households, the Environment Bill published in January 2020 sets out how the Government will legislate to require local authorities to collect recyclable household waste separately from other household waste so that the waste can be recycled or composted. The recyclable household waste to be collected will be metal, paper, glass, plastics, food and garden waste. Together with similar measures to increase recycling from businesses and other organisations, these changes will help to achieve ambitions set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy 2018 to increase the quantity and quality of recyclable material collected for recycling.

Permitted sites are required to submit their waste data to the Environment Agency (EA) and this represents the main data available on waste that goes to landfill. This data categorises waste according to the European Waste Catalogue (EWC).

Under EWC, only a limited number of categories are clearly identifiable as plastic waste. The EA was notified that 82,358 tonnes of waste identifiable as plastic was sent to landfill facilities in 2018.

However, the vast majority of waste received at landfill sites is reported as mixed waste, for example municipal waste. It will contain a proportion of plastic waste. The EA is not able to estimate plastic content of mixed waste and other EWC categories and cannot reliably provide the total plastic waste disposed to landfill.

In our Resources and Waste Strategy, we committed to landfilling 10% or less of the municipal waste generated by 2035 and to implementing measures that will improve the quality and quantity of plastic waste collected for recycling, and ultimately lead to less plastic waste sent to landfill. The Environment Bill sets out provisions to improve the separate collection of recyclable waste (including plastic packaging waste); for example, from 2023 all collectors of waste will be required to collect a core set of materials, including plastics, for recycling from households, non-domestic, and commercial and industrial premises.

We do not hold this information. The main data on waste that goes to landfill, incineration and transfer stations is from the permitted site returns that are submitted to the Environment Agency. The way that the data is reported for particular waste categories means it is not possible to make reliable estimates for the amount of waste received at permitted waste sites that could have been recycled.

Since 2014, 13 out of 176 or 7.4% of grants offered under The Transport-Technology Research Innovation Grants (T-TRIG) or similar schemes have been awarded to teams led by women.

We do not hold data on the sex of the leaders of these companies either when grants were offered or now.

Each of these projects were delivered by teams. We do not hold data on the sex of members of delivery teams.

We are planning to expand the collection of equality data as part of T-TRIG 2020 and are working with the Connected Places Catapult and Innovate UK to maximise the diversity of applications to the current call.

We have not collected disability status data on T-TRIG awardees in the past, but are planning to collect this data as part of T-TRIG 2020. We are working with the Connected Places Catapult and Innovate UK to maximise the diversity of applications to the current call.

SAGE advice is not routinely published. Scientific advice can give us estimates of the incidence of coronavirus internationally and domestically, and ministers decide how to respond to the risk of imported cases based on this advice.

The scientific advice shows that when domestic transmission is high, imported cases represent a small amount of the overall total and they make no significant difference to the epidemic. However, this can change when the domestic transmission/rate of infection is low, and people are arriving from countries with a higher rate of infection.

Now that domestic transmission within the UK is coming under control, and other countries begin to lift lockdown measures, it is the right time to prepare new measures at the border, including self-isolation.

We do not comment on the details of discussions between Cabinet ministers.

We are still considering the Court of Appeal’s complex judgment. At this stage the Government will not be able to make any further comment beyond what was set out in the Written Statement on 27 February from the Secretary of State for Transport.

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the designation of the Airports National Policy Statement has no legal effect unless and until this Government carries out a review.

It is a complex judgment which the Government will need time to consider carefully. At this stage the Government will not be able to make any further comment beyond what was set out in the Written Statement on 27 February from the Secretary of State for Transport.

Departmental officials and I have been working closely with airports and airlines to encourage them to act quickly to fill routes which are vital for local communities and businesses, including those from Southampton Airport. A number of airlines, including Loganair and Eastern Airways, will now take on routes previously served by Flybe at Southampton Airport.

Our aim is to process an application within a month, but this can take longer if we require additional information from bidders. As the scheme continues to roll-out we expect that the time taken to process applications will reduce. Turn-around times are already improving.

We’ve introduced an unprecedented package of support of over £6.5 billion to help all families to cope with the financial impact of Covid-19.

Single parents can benefit from the Flexible Support Fund and the increases to UC Standard Allowance, and Local Housing Allowance rates. Universal Credit is already more generous than legacy benefits, where people can claim up to 85% of childcare costs.

Our priority continues to be ensuring people get their benefit payments and providing support for those who need it the most.

Child Maintenance Service caseworkers deliver a broad range of services’ across business lines, covering applications, case maintenance, arrears and enforcement. Child Maintenance Service caseworkers receive the skills to provide a service to customers in their specific line. In addition, the service also provides complex caseworkers, who can provide additional expert knowledge in that line. Flexing this resource, as and when complex matters arise, maximises the value they can add to delivering successful client outcomes.

When measuring the efficiency of the Child Maintenance Service, we collect data on rate of compliance. These figures are published quarterly in table 9 of the Child Maintenance Service experimental statistics data tables, which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-september-2019-experimental

The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearances split by main disabling condition and by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) for both new claims and reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) made from April 2013 – October 2019 can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

The differences in the parental benefits available to the self-employed reflect that this group generally have more flexibility over how to plan their workload and time off. This is reflected in the additional flexibility seen in Maternity Allowance (when compared to Statutory Maternity Pay).

We value engagement with stakeholders, such as INFACT, to inform our response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review. The former Minister of State for Patient Safety, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (Rt hon. Ms Nadine Dorries MP) met with INFACT on 14 July. We have no current plans to meet with INFACT.

The Government published its response to the IMMDS Review on 21 July, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1005847/IMMDS_Review_-_Government_response_-_220721.pdf

NHS England and its providers continue to follow the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. The National Health Service is prioritising the first dose of HPV vaccine for all those eligible whilst addressing immunisations that have been missed. NHS providers are digitalising consent processes, using closed school estates and a range of alternative community settings to deliver vaccines where appropriate. NHS England has also been working closely with the Department of Education to ensure that schools facilitate the continuation of vaccinations where possible.

The Maternity Inequalities Oversight Forum met on 13 October 2020 and 21 April 2021. The forum has not made any specific recommendations to the Department to date. We are unable to provide the membership of the Maternity Inequalities Oversight Forum as it relates to the formulation of Government policy.

The Government’s 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 asked questions on the impact on the provision of abortion services for women and girls accessing these services with particular regard to safety. The consultation has now closed and we are considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for collecting information on deaths, including any where an eating disorder may have played a role. The ONS has advised that official statistics on deaths are based on the data collected as part of civil registration, which are based in turn on the medical certificate of cause of death completed by a doctor or the conclusions of a coroner following an inquest.

Doctors determine the cause of death according to their professional knowledge and belief. They can record the sequence of health problems or events leading to a death and any other health conditions that contributed but were not directly the cause. If the certifier believes, on the basis of the evidence available to them, that an eating disorder was involved, they can record this as a contributing factor in the cause of death.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for collecting information on deaths, including any where an eating disorder may have played a role. The ONS has advised that official statistics on deaths are based on the data collected as part of civil registration, which are based in turn on the medical certificate of cause of death completed by a doctor or the conclusions of a coroner following an inquest.

Doctors determine the cause of death according to their professional knowledge and belief. They can record the sequence of health problems or events leading to a death and any other health conditions that contributed but were not directly the cause. If the certifier believes, on the basis of the evidence available to them, that an eating disorder was involved, they can record this as a contributing factor in the cause of death.

The Department has not established any groups or sub-groups on sodium valproate or medications in pregnancy.

The Department has established a Patient Reference Group (PRG) in 2020 consisting of patients and patients’ representatives, including those involved in the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review and those with a wider interest in patient safety. The purpose of the PRG is to provide challenge, advice and scrutiny to the work to develop the Government’s response to the recommendations set out in the IMMDS Review. The scope of the PRG does not extend beyond the recommendations in the Review.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has established groups on sodium valproate and medications in pregnancy. The Sodium Valproate Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines was convened in February 2014 to advise the Commission on Human Medicines on the risks of valproate in pregnancy and on measures to minimise risk. The MHRA convened the Valproate Stakeholder Network in January 2016 to support communications around the valproate toolkit to raise awareness among women of the risks. It is now focused on consistent UK-wide implementation of the valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme and monitoring compliance.

In July 2019 the Commission on Human Medicines established a new Expert Working Group on Optimising Data on Medicines used in Pregnancy. The Expert Group was to advise on better ways to collect and monitor data on the safety of medicines during pregnancy. The report and recommendations of the Expert Group were published in January 2021.

The Department has not established any groups or sub-groups on sodium valproate or medications in pregnancy.

The Department has established a Patient Reference Group (PRG) in 2020 consisting of patients and patients’ representatives, including those involved in the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review and those with a wider interest in patient safety. The purpose of the PRG is to provide challenge, advice and scrutiny to the work to develop the Government’s response to the recommendations set out in the IMMDS Review. The scope of the PRG does not extend beyond the recommendations in the Review.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has established groups on sodium valproate and medications in pregnancy. The Sodium Valproate Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines was convened in February 2014 to advise the Commission on Human Medicines on the risks of valproate in pregnancy and on measures to minimise risk. The MHRA convened the Valproate Stakeholder Network in January 2016 to support communications around the valproate toolkit to raise awareness among women of the risks. It is now focused on consistent UK-wide implementation of the valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme and monitoring compliance.

In July 2019 the Commission on Human Medicines established a new Expert Working Group on Optimising Data on Medicines used in Pregnancy. The Expert Group was to advise on better ways to collect and monitor data on the safety of medicines during pregnancy. The report and recommendations of the Expert Group were published in January 2021.

The recommendations are still under careful consideration.

The Government is committed to learning from this report and we currently plan to respond further to the report of the Review during 2021.

We have no plans to do so. When a disabled applicant is unable to complete or sign form FP92A, the correct procedure is for a general practitioner or other healthcare professional to complete the application on the patient’s behalf. This instruction is noted on form FP92A in the patient declaration section.

All providers are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement’s commissioners, with clinical advice from Public Health England, to deliver all missed school aged vaccinations as soon as possible and no later than August 2021. All areas were asked to establish vaccination programme recovery plans and many providers were able to offer some immunisation programme catch-up ahead of 2020/21. Where possible, providers have offered vaccinations through alternative school and community settings. In addition, support was sought from the Department for Education to ensure that wherever possible schools facilitated the vaccination continuation.

Data will be published in October 2021 showing coverage of the human papillomavirus vaccine for the academic year 2020-21.

All educational settings were closed from 23 March 2020 and the delivery of the 2019/20 school immunisation programmes were subsequently paused, which impacted the uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. The latest data shows that 64.7% of year nine females completed the two-dose HPV vaccination course in 2019/20 compared with 83.9% in 2018/19. HPV vaccination coverage for the priming dose in 2019/20 was 54.4% in year eight males.

Providers across the country are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioners with clinical advice from Public Health England to catch up on vaccinations, including HPV. All vaccinations missed will be delivered as soon as possible and no later than August 2021.

This data is not available in the format requested. National human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage data for the academic year 2020/21 will be published in winter 2021.

NHS England and NHS Improvement-commissioned school-age providers were asked to implement HPV vaccination restoration and recovery plans. All vaccinations missed will be delivered as soon as possible and no later than August 2021.

Catch-up vaccination clinics for human papillomavirus vaccinations have begun through community venues and closed school estates and all providers are now working with NHS England commissioners, with clinical advice from Public Health England, to deliver all missed school aged vaccinations as soon as possible and no later than August 2021. This includes digitalising consent processes in order to streamline the service.

The information requested is not held centrally therefore no such assessment has been made.

The information requested is not held centrally therefore no such assessment has been made.

The data requested is not held centrally.

The Government does not currently collect data on assisted dying.

The Government is currently making a thorough assessment of recommendation 4 of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDS Review), which relates to individual redress schemes, for sodium valproate, primodos and vaginal mesh. We will be responding in full later in 2021.

The purpose of the Patient Reference Group, which was part of recommendation 9 of the Review, is to ensure that patient voices are heard as we move towards the full response. It will look at implementation of the IMMDS Review as a whole.

Details on the new United Kingdom Global Health Insurance Card were announced on 11 January, in recognition of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the European Union.

Current European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) will remain valid until the expiration date on the card and do not need to be replaced immediately. Expired EHICs will be able to be replaced with the new Global Health Insurance Card.

To apply for the new Global Health Insurance Card, as now, UK residents will be able to apply online.

If a UK resident is travelling and they do not have their card, they are still entitled to necessary healthcare should it be required. In these circumstances they should contact the NHS Business Services Authority for a Provisional Replacement Certificate.

Vaccination for at-risk groups will take place at the most appropriate settings to encourage uptake.

The mobile model, where ‘roving’ vaccination teams bring the vaccine directly to individuals, is being used to support the vaccination of care home residents and workers. This could be extended to more groups in time such as those experiencing homelessness, those escaping abuse in refuges, or communities with lower vaccination rates. Mobile models will also take the vaccine to those in the detained estate. The mobile model will also help more remote rural communities, particularly those at risk of isolation where public transport is limited.

NHS Professionals is recruiting to paid positions to support the COVID-19 national vaccination programme operated by NHS England, with the process for national vaccination volunteers being co-ordinated by St John Ambulance and the Royal Voluntary Service.

For previously registered workers who have not maintained an active registration, including retired nurses, the average time to complete the application process to be vaccinators is 26.8 days.

For registered workers who have maintained an active registration, including retired nurses, the average time to complete the application process to be vaccinators is 16.4 days.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Bring Back Staff programme keep actively engaged with 12,749 retired former healthcare professionals, who have expressed an interest in returning to the National Health Service in some capacity over the winter. Of the 12,749, 2,697 are aged 60 years old or above. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s regional teams are contacting these former professionals to seek their support over the winter with a particular focus on the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

The Government has no plans to extend statutory regulation to nuclear medicine technologists. The statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should only be used where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight or accredited voluntary registration.

The Department recognises the importance of understanding COVID-19 transmission rates within personal care settings. We are working with academics to understand infection rates in care homes. This work is ongoing and is not yet published.

We have developed an adult social care dashboard that helps local, regional and national authorities understand where infection is taking place. Additionally, we have made over £1.1 billion available to local authorities through our Infection Control Fund to support adult social care providers take measures to halt the spread of the virus.

Hospital trusts submit data for secondary breast cancer diagnoses through the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD) or Cancer Waiting Times (CWT) data collection mechanisms. Data on the reported number of people diagnosed with secondary breast cancers in 2014-2017 in England are available in the following table. Data for 2018 will be published in November 2020.

Notes:

1. Source:

http://www.ncin.org.uk/cancer_type_and_topic_specific_work/topic_specific_work/recurrence

2. Where a recurrence record has been reported by multiple trusts it will be included once per trust. This means the totals will include some double-counting of recurrences.
3. Counts from COSD and CWT cannot be combined as there will duplication between the datasets.

The number of reported cases is accepted as being significantly below the estimated number of secondary breast cancers. The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service is working closely with cancer charities to improve data collection and submission by hospital trusts, looking at how they can help improve completion rates and thus gain a better picture of the burden of recurrence and metastatic disease across the health service.

Data for secondary breast cancer diagnoses are not available at constituency level. Data on how many people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer who were diagnosed less than and more than five years after a diagnosis of primary breast cancer are not available.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is working with NHS Digital to develop a registry to monitor the use of valproate and compliance with the current regulatory position, and to monitor any children born to women on valproate. Completion of the first stage of the registry which will provide information on all women currently prescribed valproate in England is planned by the end of the year.

The following table shows the number of items for the chemical substance of sodium valproate which includes generic and equivalent brands for all presentations, dispensed in the community in England and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority for reimbursement in the month of July 2020. This is the latest period for which data is currently available. We are unable to provide data for the exact time period, since 8 July.

All recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review are being considered carefully. The Government will provide an update in due course.

This specific data is not held centrally.

In April 2018, the valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) was implemented and the four Chief Medical Officers in the United Kingdom asked general practitioners to identify all relevant women and girls on valproate in their practice, check they are on effective contraception as appropriate, and refer them for specialist review annually. Specialist prescribers were asked to review treatment of women and girls on valproate and ensure that an annual risk acknowledgement form is signed by the patient and prescriber. Key stakeholders are working together to drive forward compliance with the PPP, better embed the PPP into routine clinical care and ensure women with epilepsy and bipolar disorder receive the healthcare they require.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is also working on developing a registry, the main aims of which would be to identify girls and women of childbearing potential prescribed valproate, monitor compliance with the current regulatory requirements, and to identify and monitor outcomes in any children born to women on valproate.

We recognise concerns people with eating disorders may have on measures to reduce obesity and are committed to striking a careful balance between enabling people to make healthier food and drink choices whilst not negatively impacting on those with or recovering from an eating disorder.

Obesity represents a huge cost to the health and wellbeing of the individual, the National Health Service and the wider economy. With over six in 10 adults and more than one in three children aged 10 to 11 years old overweight or obese, it is right we take action.

In response to feedback to our consultation on out-of-home calorie labelling, we will introduce legislation to require large out-of-home sector businesses, that is businesses with 250 or more employees, to calorie label the food they sell.

An equalities assessment and impact assessment were published alongside the consultation response and can be viewed at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/calorie-labelling-for-food-and-drink-served-outside-of-the-home

Information is not held in the format requested.

Information is not held in the format requested.

Data on the average waiting time for mastectomy reconstruction in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 are attached. Data for 2019-20 is provisional.

Data on the average waiting time for mastectomy reconstruction in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 are attached. Data for 2019-20 is provisional.

All test centres are supported by the 119 call centre, which uses Language Line interpreter service. A person can be connected to the call centre at a test centre where a Language Line interpreter can then facilitate any issues.

The 119 call centre is also supported by BSL Health Access. A British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter relays information over a video telephone call between a BSL user and the hearing person receiving or making the call. The Department, in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People, is currently undertaking pilots that aim to better understand the testing requirements for people with visual impairments and how we can accommodate their testing needs. The findings from these pilots will be used to improve the end-to-end user experience, from booking through to taking a test and receiving a result.

There are no plans to cancel tuition fees for National Health Service staff who have graduated early and joined the NHS to support the COVID-19 response.

We are aware of ongoing supply issues with some hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preparations for a variety of reasons. Although some HRT products are still affected by supply issues, alternatives remain available, and the overall supply situation has been improving since February 2020 and will continue to improve over the coming months. We are continuing to work closely with all suppliers to resolve the issues as quickly as possible and maintain overall supply to patients across the United Kingdom.

Novartis, the manufacturer of Estradot confirmed that it has not experienced manufacturing issues and that Estradot supplies continue to remain available. However, the company has experienced an increase in demand, due to shortages affecting other HRT products so has been managing and monitoring supplies closely.

The safety recommendations in the report entitled ‘Lack of timely monitoring of patients with glaucoma’ are aimed at NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, NHS Digital and the International Glaucoma Association. All organisations are required to provide a response to the relevant recommendations within 90 days of receiving the report, which the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) publish on their website.

NHS England and NHS Improvement will provide an oversight of the implementation of HSIB safety recommendations, through the National Patient Safety Committee. The Committee are working closely with HSIB to establish responsibility for recommendations and the criteria for escalation.

The following table shows the number of pensioner members of the NHS Pension Scheme who retired whilst working part-time, the number of members who worked part-time throughout their career, and the number of members who moved to part-time hours during the final five years prior to retirement.

Note: Approximately 40,000 pensioner members had pensions put into payment before the NHS Business Services Authority modernised their administration systems, so their former working pattern is unknown.

All members of the final salary section of the 1995/2008 NHS pension scheme have their pension calculated using their full-time equivalent pay. A decision to work part-time hours means that the length of pensionable service built up is proportionately less compared to a full-time member. However it does not affect their final pensionable pay providing their whole-time equivalent pay figure remains the same. Members of the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme build up pensions using a Career Average Revalued Earnings method. This means that their pension is based on the actual pay earned in each year. A decision to work part-time does not affect the value of the pension accrued in earlier years.

National Health Service staff take every precaution to ensure that the equipment they use are sterile and do not pass on bacteria and viruses. NHS England and NHS Improvement issued an Estates and Facilities Alert in January 2019 in relation to the risk of cross infection relating to all type of portable fans in health and social care facilities. It is for local teams to decide how best to manage this and keep their patients safe.

We are aware that supplies of Evorel Conti patches became unavailable at the end of November 2019 due to the divestment of the product to another company. The Evorel hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patch range has been divested to the company Theramex UK Limited.

The Department has been in contact with Theramex, who anticipates that supplies will become available from February 2020. We are working closely with this company to expedite the resupply date of the Evorel patch range including Evorel Conti.

We have been working closely with all suppliers of HRT preparations to maintain overall supply to patients. We have shared relevant information about the supply situation and availability of HRT products with the National Health Service on a regular basis. Patients affected are advised to discuss alternative treatment options with their clinician.

The information requested is not available as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not make an estimate of the amount of revenue lost as a result of the lack of regulation of the grey market in gambling.

However, HMRC does provide an illustrative estimate of the tax gap arising from ‘other excise duties’ which includes betting and gaming duties, cider and perry duties, spirit-based ready-to-drink duties and wine duties. The aggregate estimate for ‘other excise duties’ was £520 million for the tax year 2018-19.

Tax gap statistics are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps

The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. Businesses that remain unable to trade as a result of Covid-19 restrictions continue to have access to a range of support measures that the Government has already made available.

This includes, but is not limited to, the four government-backed loan schemes for firms of all sizes, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS will continue to provide support to the end of October. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

The Government is following its COVID-19 recovery strategy, which was published on 11 May. The strategy sets out our plan for moving to the next phase of our response, alongside a cautious roadmap for easing existing measures in a safe and measured way. This roadmap and our financial support schemes are kept constantly under review. The Government will continue to work closely with businesses that are yet to reopen on plans for a safe, phased reopening, subject to public health guidance, and consider how to best continue supporting these businesses.

Disguised Renumeration (DR) schemes seek to avoid tax by paying users their earnings in the form of loans, usually via an offshore trust, so that neither Income Tax nor National Insurance Contributions are paid on the income channelled through the scheme.

The Loan Charge was designed to tackle DR tax avoidance schemes. The Independent Loan Charge Review led by Sir Amyas Morse assessed the impact of the policy on affected taxpayers and concluded that it was right for the Loan Charge to remain in force, and for the Government to seek to collect the tax due. However, the Review did also raise a number of concerns.

The Government accepted all but one of the recommendations made by the Review. The Government is currently legislating to implement these changes to the Loan Charge in the Finance Bill.

Disguised Renumeration (DR) schemes seek to avoid tax by paying users their earnings in the form of loans, usually via an offshore trust, so that neither Income Tax nor National Insurance Contributions are paid on the income channelled through the scheme.

The Loan Charge was designed to tackle DR tax avoidance schemes. The Independent Loan Charge Review led by Sir Amyas Morse assessed the impact of the policy on affected taxpayers and concluded that it was right for the Loan Charge to remain in force, and for the Government to seek to collect the tax due. However, the Review did also raise a number of concerns.

The Government accepted all but one of the recommendations made by the Review. The Government is currently legislating to implement these changes to the Loan Charge in the Finance Bill.

At present, the law provides for Child Benefit to be paid to one parent only. The parent who claims Child Benefit can voluntarily choose to pay an agreed proportion to the other parent. Where parents separate and both have care of their child, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages them to agree who should claim Child Benefit. Where they cannot reach an agreement, the law allows HMRC to decide, at their discretion, who should receive the payment.

Currently there are no plans to change the law to split payments of Child Benefit where parents have separated and share care of their children. The government believes that directing payment to the person mainly responsible for the child best ensures that the money goes to the person most likely to bear the weight of everyday care and expenditure.

We have indicated our intention to continue operating and further expanding our youth mobility arrangements both to countries within the EU and beyond.

Any agreement must be reciprocal hence there is no timeframe for when formal discussions will take place as this involves other nations. The specific terms of each scheme, including the numbers of places available under it, will be confirmed with the relevant parties during such negotiations.

We have indicated our intention to continue operating and further expanding our youth mobility arrangements both to countries within the EU and beyond.

Any agreement must be reciprocal hence there is no timeframe for when formal discussions will take place as this involves other nations. The specific terms of each scheme, including the numbers of places available under it, will be confirmed with the relevant parties during such negotiations.

We have indicated our intention to continue operating and further expanding our youth mobility arrangements both to countries within the EU and beyond.

Any agreement must be reciprocal hence there is no timeframe for when formal discussions will take place as this involves other nations. The specific terms of each scheme, including the numbers of places available under it, will be confirmed with the relevant parties during such negotiations.

We remain open to expanding our Youth Mobility Scheme to more nations, based on agreeing suitable reciprocal arrangements.

We have not commenced formal discussions with any EU member states or with the EU collectively but remain open to doing so.

We take the welfare of those in our care very seriously. We provide asylum seekers in supported accommodation with safe, Covid-compliant accommodation along with free nutritious meals, all paid for by the taxpayer.

Regular welfare checks are conducted on service users, including behavioural monitoring of those who show signs of vulnerability, and where appropriate safeguarding referrals are made to relevant bodies.

We work closely with our accommodation providers to ensure that all asylum seekers in supported accommodation are aware of, and have access to, Migrant Help’s helpline. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if service users need help, advice or guidance, including signposting to relevant mental and medical health services.

The Home Office does not publish statistics of service users who refuse fluid or food in supported accommodation.

We take the welfare and safety of persons detained in our care very seriously and their health is monitored closely at all times and particularly during periods where they appear to be or are not consuming food and or fluid. Persons detained who appear to be or are not consuming food and or fluid are managed in line with published guidance, Detention Services Order (DSO) 3/2017, ‘Care and Management of Detainees Refusing Food and Fluid’.

It is not uncommon for persons detained to refuse set meals at times of fasting, or for religious or dietary reasons. Individuals may also prefer to purchase their own food and drink from the local shop within an Immigration Removal Centre.

As there may be many reasons why an individual is not eating set meals, the Home Office does not publish data on the number of individuals who are being managed in line with the DSO.

We take the welfare of those in our care very seriously. We provide asylum seekers in supported accommodation with safe, Covid-compliant accommodation along with free nutritious meals, all paid for by the taxpayer.

Regular welfare checks are conducted on service users, including behavioural monitoring of those who show signs of vulnerability, and where appropriate safeguarding referrals are made to relevant bodies.

We work closely with our accommodation providers to ensure that all asylum seekers in supported accommodation are aware of, and have access to, Migrant Help’s helpline. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if service users need help, advice or guidance, including signposting to relevant mental and medical health services.

The Home Office does not publish statistics of service users who refuse fluid or food in supported accommodation.

We take the welfare and safety of persons detained in our care very seriously and their health is monitored closely at all times and particularly during periods where they appear to be or are not consuming food and or fluid. Persons detained who appear to be or are not consuming food and or fluid are managed in line with published guidance, Detention Services Order (DSO) 3/2017, ‘Care and Management of Detainees Refusing Food and Fluid’.

It is not uncommon for persons detained to refuse set meals at times of fasting, or for religious or dietary reasons. Individuals may also prefer to purchase their own food and drink from the local shop within an Immigration Removal Centre.

As there may be many reasons why an individual is not eating set meals, the Home Office does not publish data on the number of individuals who are being managed in line with the DSO.

Given pressure on the system during these unprecedented times, we have worked tirelessly with local authorities and other partners to provide asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, with suitable accommodation, as we are required to do by law.

Following a review of available government property, the Ministry of Defence offered temporary use of some of its sites. This includes Barton Stacey and we are engaging with leaders and officials at Test Valley and Hampshire councils, local MPs, the police and health services – including the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group – as we continue to explore this as an option.

The current global pandemic has presented us with significant challenges when it comes to the provision of asylum accommodation. During these unprecedented times the Home Office has acted quickly to source contingency accommodation to create additional capacity to ensure that our obligations can be met in full.

The length of time such sites remain in use is dependent on future demand for asylum accommodation, however we are clear contingency accommodation will only be used for as long as absolutely necessary.

The Napier Barracks and Penally training camp sites have been in operation for almost three months. They are fit for purpose, safe and equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation. We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

We work with local stakeholders, including the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group and health boards, to ensure access to healthcare services for service users in asylum support accommodation.

The current global pandemic has presented us with significant challenges when it comes to the provision of asylum accommodation. During these unprecedented times the Home Office has acted quickly to source contingency accommodation to create additional capacity to ensure that our obligations can be met in full.

The length of time such sites remain in use is dependent on future demand for asylum accommodation, however we are clear contingency accommodation will only be used for as long as absolutely necessary.

The Napier Barracks and Penally training camp sites have been in operation for almost three months. They are fit for purpose, safe and equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation. We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

We work with local stakeholders, including the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group and health boards, to ensure access to healthcare services for service users in asylum support accommodation.

The current global pandemic has presented us with significant challenges when it comes to the provision of asylum accommodation. During these unprecedented times the Home Office has acted quickly to source contingency accommodation to create additional capacity to ensure that our obligations can be met in full.

The length of time such sites remain in use is dependent on future demand for asylum accommodation, however we are clear contingency accommodation will only be used for as long as absolutely necessary.

The Napier Barracks and Penally training camp sites have been in operation for almost three months. They are fit for purpose, safe and equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation. We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

We work with local stakeholders, including the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group and health boards, to ensure access to healthcare services for service users in asylum support accommodation.

Performance against service standards, where service standards apply, are included in the Migration Transparency data which is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the asylum applications awaiting decision are published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the asylum applications awaiting a decision as at 30^th September 2020 and includes data for main applicants and dependents. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the summary tables. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

The current global pandemic has presented us with significant challenges when it comes to the provision of asylum accommodation. During these unprecedented times the Home Office has acted quickly to source contingency accommodation to create additional capacity to ensure that our obligations can be met in full.

The length of time such sites remain in use is dependent on future demand for asylum accommodation, however we are clear contingency accommodation will only be used for as long as absolutely necessary.

The Napier Barracks and Penally training camp sites have been in operation for almost three months. They are fit for purpose, safe and equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation. We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

We work with local stakeholders, including the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group and health boards, to ensure access to healthcare services for service users in asylum support accommodation.

The Home Secretary has regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

As announced by the Foreign Secretary on 1st July, a new bespoke immigration route will allow BN(O)s to apply to come to the UK without the current 6 month limit, granting them 5 years limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the UK, after which they may apply for settled status and a year later citizenship. This is a special bespoke set of arrangements, developed for the unique circumstances we face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong.

The new route will be implemented in the coming months, with further details to be announced in due course on the simple, streamlined application process which will have no quota on numbers.

As announced by the Foreign Secretary on 1st July, a new bespoke immigration route will allow BN(O)s to apply to come to the UK without the current 6 month limit, granting them 5 years limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the UK, after which they may apply for settled status and a year later citizenship. This is a special bespoke set of arrangements, developed for the unique circumstances we face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong.

The new route will be implemented in the coming months, with further details to be announced in due course on the simple, streamlined application process which will have no quota on numbers.

Work on the secondary legislation, IT systems and administrative processes that are required to enable the electronic registration of marriages is being undertaken by 15 people, alongside their other duties at the General Register Office.

GRO has a target of 25 working days to process an application for a correction.

The length of time before the correction is made is dependent on other factors such as the production of the correct evidence and the availability of the person who has custody of the register(s); as only they can correct the entry.

Planning for the implementation of the new UK points-based system includes ensuring all aspects of operational resourcing, recruitment and training are fully delivered.

In UK Visas and Immigration, who will be delivering the new system operationally, there is a natural cycle of recruitment of caseworkers every year and this year the requirements of the new system have been factored in.

Work is underway on this and is a specific strand project planning for the overall programme, and progress is reported weekly and monitored by the FBIS programme board which oversees the delivery of the new system.

Planning for the implementation of the new UK points-based system includes ensuring all aspects of operational resourcing, recruitment and training are fully delivered.

In UK Visas and Immigration, who will be delivering the new system operationally, there is a natural cycle of recruitment of caseworkers every year and this year the requirements of the new system have been factored in.

Work is underway on this and is a specific strand project planning for the overall programme, and progress is reported weekly and monitored by the FBIS programme board which oversees the delivery of the new system.

Planning for the implementation of the new UK points-based system includes ensuring all aspects of operational resourcing, recruitment and training are fully delivered.

In UK Visas and Immigration, who will be delivering the new system operationally, there is a natural cycle of recruitment of caseworkers every year and this year the requirements of the new system have been factored in.

Work is underway on this and is a specific strand project planning for the overall programme, and progress is reported weekly and monitored by the FBIS programme board which oversees the delivery of the new system.

The Government published “The UK’s Points-Based System: Policy Statement” on 19 February.

Employers not currently approved by the Home Office to sponsor migrants should consider applying now if they think they will want to sponsor skilled migrants, including from the EU, from early 2021.

In delivering on its manifesto commitments for a new points-based system, the Government has considered relevant views, evidence, and analysis. We will keep labour market data under careful scrutiny and publish further detail in due course.

A programme of engagement will begin this month to raise awareness of the new system, ensuring those affected by the changes are fully aware of what it means for them and understand how the system will operate.

The Government published “The UK’s Points-Based System: Policy Statement” on 19 February.

Employers not currently approved by the Home Office to sponsor migrants should consider applying now if they think they will want to sponsor skilled migrants, including from the EU, from early 2021.

In delivering on its manifesto commitments for a new points-based system, the Government has considered relevant views, evidence, and analysis. We will keep labour market data under careful scrutiny and publish further detail in due course.

A programme of engagement will begin this month to raise awareness of the new system, ensuring those affected by the changes are fully aware of what it means for them and understand how the system will operate.

In delivering on its manifesto commitments for a new points-based system, the Government has considered relevant views, evidence, and analysis. We will keep labour market data under careful scrutiny to identify any pressures in key sectors.

The Home Office will publish further detail on the points-based system in due course.

The specific information that has been requested is not included in data published by the Home Office, and would require manual intervention at disproportionate cost to the taxpayer produce this data.

Under the current immigration system, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are already able to apply as Tier 2 employers and sponsor highly-skilled migrant workers.

On the 19 February, the Government published a policy statement on the UK’s Points-Based Immigration System, for introduction from January 2021. For employers sponsoring skilled migrants, the visa process will be streamlined to reduce the time it takes to bring in a skilled migrant worker by up to eight weeks and we will abolish the Resident Labour Market Test.

A programme of engagement will begin this month to raise awareness of the new system, focusing upon those sectors most impacted, including SMEs.

Under the current immigration system, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are already able to apply as Tier 2 employers and sponsor highly-skilled migrant workers.

On the 19 February, the Government published a policy statement on the UK’s Points-Based Immigration System, for introduction from January 2021. For employers sponsoring skilled migrants, the visa process will be streamlined to reduce the time it takes to bring in a skilled migrant worker by up to eight weeks and we will abolish the Resident Labour Market Test.

A programme of engagement will begin this month to raise awareness of the new system, focusing upon those sectors most impacted, including SMEs.

We are taking a proportionate approach to individuals who are unable to comply with their visas due to the coronavirus outbreak.

We have set up a dedicated helpline and are providing visa extensions for anyone whose immigration status has been affected. Full guidance has been published on the GOV.UK website and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-immigration-guidance-if-youre-unable-to-return-to-china-from-the-uk

No one will be unfairly penalised for events beyond their control.

The Government has been working to understand the nitrogen pollution problems in the Solent, the impacts on housing delivery and the options for enabling growth whilst avoiding harm to important protected sites. In September, we announced £3.9 million of funding to pilot a nutrient trading process to secure nature-based solutions to nitrate pollution across the Solent area. We have also made a loan offer of up to £5.7 million to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to deliver mitigation to unlock stalled planning applications.

We are aware of the challenges faced through nutrient pollution and are seeking to address the most common sources of polluting nutrients to water. Agriculture is now the most significant source of pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is using a package of measures to combat this, including Catchment Sensitive Farming, regulation and incentives. We will use the flexibility achieved by leaving the EU to replace Common Agricultural Policy subsidies (CAP) with an Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme through the Agriculture Act 2020 which will pay farmers for taking action to reduce pollution and restore habitats which go beyond regulatory requirements.

This Government remains committed to bringing at least three quarters of our waters to as close as possible to their natural state as soon as is practicable. In support of this, a further legally binding target is being brought forward as part of the target setting processes set out in DEFRA’s Environment Bill. The Environment Bill will place a statutory requirement on water companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans, and we will continue to press water companies to protect both people and the environment.

We have not made a direct assessment of the number of homes that have not been built due to the problems with nitrate pollution in the Solent. Information provided by the affected local authorities has indicated at least 4,500 units are backlogged principally due to this issue. This is an estimate of delayed planning applications, and not an estimate of homes not built, as not all planning permissions would have been built within this time. These are indicative numbers and some of these planning applications may also be delayed due to other issues and planning considerations as well.

Some of the affected local authorities have now launched or are in the process of agreeing mitigation schemes, ranging from offsetting through changes to council owned agricultural landholdings, offsetting through improvements to the water efficiency of council owned housing stock, and offsetting using green infrastructure secured through local plans, which will enable planning applications to be determined.

The Government is also making a loan offer of up to £5.7 million to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to deliver mitigation to unlock the stalled applications across the affected area.

It is not possible to grant an exemption for a specific class of development from the requirements of the Habitat Regulations. Any development which might have an effect on a protected habitats site must demonstrate that mitigation is in place to avoid that damage. Under the Habitats Regulations, local authorities as 'competent authority' need to undertake an appropriate assessment to determine whether development is likely to result in significant effects on protected habitats sites, and whether adequate mitigation can be secured to enable development to proceed. Where a protected habitat site has fallen into an unfavourable condition, nutrient neutrality may be the mitigation necessary to ensure further damage is not caused by additional development.

Under the Habitats Regulations, it is for the competent authority to decide, through undertaking an appropriate assessment and considering advice from Natural England, whether a particular application requires mitigation measures and the adequacy of these proposals. It may be possible for individual proposals to advance mitigation schemes other than nitrate neutrality that are sufficient to demonstrate to the competent authority that an individual scheme would not have an adverse effect on the protected habitats sites.

On 31 July a two-month extension was announced to the building completion deadline from 31 December 2020 to 28 February 2021, allowing an additional two months’ build time. The legal completion deadline for the purchase remains 31 March 2021.

The Government also announced an extra measure to protect existing customers who have experienced severe delays as a result of coronavirus. Homes England, who administer Help to Buy, will work with those who had a reservation in place before 30 June to assess their situation and look to provide an extension where necessary. In which case, they will have until 31 May 2021 to legally complete. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-to-buy-scheme-extended.

Should there be any cases where a reservation has been secured after 30 June 2020 and the build is severely delayed despite the additional build time, and so the homebuyer is unable to reach legal completion by 31 March 2021, they must be unconditionally released from the contract. The homebuyer is advised to contact their conveyancer should they need further advice.

Meanwhile the Government’s new Help to Buy scheme, which will replace the current scheme and is for first time buyers only, will commence on 1 April 2021 and run until March 2023. There are no plans for further extensions. https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/help-to-buy-equity-loan-2021-2023/.

The Government recognises that there have been delays caused by Covid-19, resulting in some homes reserved under the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme not being built within the current scheme deadlines. Therefore, on 31 July a two-month extension was announced to the building completion deadline moving it from 31 December 2020 to 28 February 2021. The legal completion deadline for the purchase remains 31 March 2021.

The Government also announced an extra measure to protect existing customers who have experienced severe delays as a result of coronavirus. Homes England, who administer Help to Buy, will work with those who had a reservation in place before 30 June to assess their situation and look to provide an extension where necessary, in which case they will have until 31 May 2021 to legally complete. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-to-buy-scheme-extended.

Meanwhile the Government’s new Help to Buy scheme, which will replace the current scheme and is for first time buyers only, will commence on 1 April 2021 and run until March 2023. There are no plans for further extensions. https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/help-to-buy-equity-loan-2021-2023/.

The power to offer a council tax discount on empty properties is at the discretion of local authorities who can determine both the level of the discount and the length of time that it should be applied

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman publishes on their website an annual review of local government complaints. The latest report available is for financial year 2018 to 2019. It reveals that 4,232 detailed investigations were carried out in 2018 to 2019 and 58 per cent of those complaints were upheld.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman publishes on their website an annual review of local government complaints. The latest report available is for financial year 2018 to 2019. It reveals that 4,232 detailed investigations were carried out in 2018 to 2019 and 58 per cent of those complaints were upheld.

In 2018/19 57,485 additional affordable homes were completed.

Details are published in live table 1000: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

The Department collects data on affordable housing through funding sources and does not differentiate between housing associations and developers. A full breakdown of affordable housing provision by funding source is available in live table 1011c: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply.

The Department publishes an estimate of the total number of housing units granted planning permission in the quarterly planning application statistics statistical release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-applications-in-england-july-to-september-2019

The statistics do not split permissions between affordable and market housing

Section I10 of the Local Authority Housing Statistics includes figures for the numbers of affordable units granted final planning permission during the year as part of developer (section 106) contributions. This will be a subset of all affordable planning permission.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2018-to-2019.

There is no maximum limit on service charges that can be passed on to social rented tenants but they must be set in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 with service charges payable only to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. The reasonableness of the service charge a social housing landlord is seeking will depend on the nature of the works required and other contributing factors.

Social housing tenants have the ability to apply to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for a determination where they do not believe the charges are reasonable, and must be consulted when major works are being proposed.

For those in Affordable Rent properties the calculation of their gross rent includes service charges. Gross rent for these properties is capped at 80 per cent of market rent.

There is no maximum limit on service charges that can be passed on to social rented tenants but they must be set in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 with service charges payable only to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. The reasonableness of the service charge a social housing landlord is seeking will depend on the nature of the works required and other contributing factors.

Social housing tenants have the ability to apply to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for a determination where they do not believe the charges are reasonable, and must be consulted when major works are being proposed.

For those in Affordable Rent properties the calculation of their gross rent includes service charges. Gross rent for these properties is capped at 80 per cent of market rent.

The Department does not hold figures splitting out the proportion of affordable housing planning permissions which are subject to a contribution in lieu. Section I13a of the Local Authority Housing Statistics includes a figure for the direct payment of financial contributions received during the financial year 2018/19 towards the provision of affordable housing from developers via planning obligations (s106 agreements).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2018-to-2019