Charlotte Nichols

The Cabinet Office recognises the valuable role that the voluntary and community sector can play in all aspects of resilience. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires those responders most likely to be involved in emergencies (Category 1 responders) ‘to have regard’ to the activities of voluntary organisations in the course of carrying out their duties. This is further reinforced in guidance and standards highlighting the benefits which the voluntary and community sector can bring to local partners and Local Resilience Forums.

The voluntary sector is also being included in the reinvigorated National Exercising Programme (NEP) to test our readiness to respond to risks set out in the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) through the participation of Local Resilience Forums. This programme complements existing emergency response exercises being led by and involving Government Departments, Local Government, the Devolved Administrations and industry organisations.

To further develop and support engagement, the Head of Resilience in the Cabinet Office chairs the Voluntary and Community Sector Strategic Discussion Forum every six months, with key voluntary sector organisations. Cabinet Office will continue to explore opportunities to further strengthen voluntary sector engagement to build national resilience.

Through the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill, we are amending existing legislation to ensure employers accept flexible working requests, except where they are not reasonably feasible. These changes will support employees to access flexible working, including women. We know flexible working is particularly important supporting women who combine work with caring responsibilities.

We understand that this will be a concerning time for workers at TGI Fridays, and we stand ready to support those impacted. Affected employees will be able to access Government support, including Universal Credit and Job Centre Plus to help them find new jobs, through its Rapid Response Service. DBT officials are monitoring developments and are in touch with administrators.

There have been no changes to the licence agreements issued to UK Seabed Resources Limited since January 2021.

The Department for Business and Trade has considered the potential future impacts to the UK in holding two Deep Sea Mining exploration licences and have found there is an opportunity for the UK to take a lead in this emerging market with potential for growth and revenue through taxation. This is subject to the establishment of strong, enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines adopted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and where there is sufficient scientific evidence available to assess the potential impact of deep-sea mining activities on marine ecosystems.

This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. As set out in the Plan to Make to Work Pay we are committed to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. We will remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all workers and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is not a government grant, rather it is an obligation on larger energy suppliers to deliver the most cost-effective single insulation measures to eligible households across Great Britain.

Information on the number of measures installed and the number of households that have received measures under GBIS since it launched in 2023 can be found in Tables 1 and 2 of the latest GBIS Statistics Release.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology is carefully considering Ofcom’s categorisation research and advice and will make Regulations as soon as reasonably practicable.

All state-funded schools in England are required to teach first aid as part of statutory health education, which is taught as part of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). It includes basic first aid and dealing with common injuries. Pupils in secondary schools are taught further first aid, for example how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.

​​The government is committed to improving mental health outcomes for all children and young people, as this is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning.

The department, along with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, provides guidance to schools and colleges on a whole school or college approach to promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/614cc965d3bf7f718518029c/Promoting_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_and_wellbeing.pdf. The department has also provided a free to access resource hub for mental health leads, which can be found here: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

Over 70% of all schools and colleges have accessed grants from the department to train a senior mental health lead, who develops their knowledge and skills to embed a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. Information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-mental-health-lead-training. In addition, as of April 2024, Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) cover 44% (4.2 million) of pupils in schools and learners in further education (FE) in England. Coverage of MHSTs is expected to cover at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

A key part of our approach is ensuring the right support is available to every young person that needs it, which is why we have committed to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

For early years settings, the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. The EYFS statutory framework can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

The department works closely with the FE sector to support providers to develop and implement a whole college approach to mental health and wellbeing. This is supported by the Association of Colleges refreshed Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter, which was published in March 2024.

To raise standards in the higher education sector, the Office for Students has provided £400,000 of funding to the student mental health charity, Student Minds. This has enabled significant expansion of the University Mental Health Charter Programme, with 113 universities now signed up. The programme helps universities to adopt a whole institution approach to mental health.

The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE). This remains the responsibility of individual colleges who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.

The government recognises the vital role that FE teachers play in developing the skills needed to drive our missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. That is why the department is investing around £600 million in FE across the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through our Taking Teaching Further programme.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year Spending Review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

Early language skills are vital in enabling children to thrive in the early years and later life, as well as for all aspects of later attainment in school.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The three prime areas of learning and development within the EYFS are particularly important for building a strong foundation, with communication and language being one of the prime areas.

Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs and to plan activities and support. The assessment requirements in the EYFS include a progress check at age two and the EYFS Profile, both of which involve reviewing a child’s development in communication and language.

However, the department knows that when it comes to referrals for additional support, too many children are waiting too long for speech and language therapy. NHS planning guidance asks local systems to reduce overall waiting times for community services, with a particular focus on reducing the longest waits. Community health services, including speech and language therapy, will be key in delivering this government’s commitment to shift to a neighbourhood health service and provide more care in the community. Full details of the NHS operational planning and contracting guidance can be found on this website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/operational-planning-and-contracting/.

To further support early language skills, the department is also:

• Extending the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme (NELI) for the 2024/25 academic year to support reception-aged children needing extra support with their speech and language development. NELI is proven to help children make four months of additional progress, and seven months for those eligible for free school meals.
• Delivering the early years education recovery programme, including:

Providing funding for settings to undertake evidence-based continuous professional development programmes, including those focussed on speech, language and communication, via a national network of early years stronger practice hubs.

Training through the ‘professional development programme’ and the online early years child development training, both of which include a specific module focused on early language.

Training for up to 7,000 special educational needs co-ordinators to help children with speech, language and communication needs and support earlier identification of needs.

• Enabling Family Hubs to train practitioners to support families with the home learning environment. Practitioners are being trained to help parents learn new skills, including providing effective support for children’s speech and communication.
• Working in partnership with NHS England to deliver the ‘Early Language Support for Every Child’ pathfinders.
• Working with partners to deliver an ‘Early Language Local Innovation and Excellence’ programme which includes implementation of published speech and language communication pathway guidance and an early language identification measure.
• Publishing early years special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) assessment guidance and resources including practical advice, tools and downloadable resources. These will help educators assess children with SEND, capture their voice, and set learning targets featuring a dedicated tool for communication and interaction.

This government’s vision for children and young people with special educational needs, including those with speech, language and communication needs, is the same as it is for all children and young people. We want them to achieve well in their early years, at school and in further education; to find employment; to lead happy and fulfilled lives; and to experience choice and control.

In July, the department announced that funded support would continue in the 2024/25 academic year for 11,100 schools registered to the Nuffield early language intervention programme. This will help pupils who need extra support with speech and language development to find their voice. The department is also funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child pathfinders, in partnership with NHS England. This will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and will fund one of the local areas within each of the nine Regional Expert Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years and primary schools. Alongside this, we know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists is essential. That is why the department introduced the speech and language degree apprenticeship, which is now in its third year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

The leading causes of red squirrel decline in England include competition from non-native grey squirrels, squirrel pox virus, and habitat availability. Conservation of red squirrels is therefore targeted to red squirrel stronghold areas in the north of England. All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations.

The UK Squirrel Accord, to which Defra, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission are signatories, is working to better understand the appropriate strategies for conserving the red squirrel. This work includes identifying, protecting, and strengthening existing red squirrel populations, expanding their current range, and promoting better understanding and support for their conservation. Future conservation actions will be informed by this work. Once the work of the strategy has concluded and its recommendations set out, we will consider whether red squirrels should be reintroduced. In the meantime, the red squirrel action plan contains actions that could improve their habitats.

The Government recognises that the economic and environmental potential of rail freight is significant and is committed to supporting its growth.

There will be a statutory duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight and there will be an overall rail freight growth target set by the Secretary of State, with clear and meaningful targets for rail freight growth within pre-defined periods.

The delivery of High Speed Two (HS2) is expected to nearly double seat capacity between London and Birmingham, which is the most congested section of the West Coast Main Line. We are taking into consideration the recent proposal from the Mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands for enhancing rail connectivity between the Midlands and the North West, and will set out a clear plan to address capacity and connectivity issues in due course.

Once Great British Railways is established then it will be making integrated decisions on Rolling Stock, bringing together track and train. This will include a Rolling Stock Strategy which will include considerations around the timelines for new build, refurbishments, and provide more visibility to the rolling stock market.

This Government is committed to reviewing the overcomplicated fares system with a view to simplifying it. We have already begun simplifying fares through our pay as you go schemes and work to simplify fares with LNER. More details will be announced in due course.

National Highways was established in 2015 with a requirement to have regard to the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance when setting pay awards for its staff. National Highways must also ensure its pay deals are affordable and in line with its budget and pay control envelope agreed with the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury.

It is estimated that at the financial year ending 2023, there are 2.4 million separated families in Great Britain and 3.8 million children in those families. 41% of these did not have either a statutory arrangement with the Child Maintenance Service or a private arrangement.

At the end of June 2024, the Child Maintenance Service was managing 744,000 arrangements for 675,000 Paying Parents, the number of arrangements has increased by 10% since the end of June 2023.

Legislation to remove the £20 application fee was introduced in February 2024, removing a financial barrier to parents wishing to access the CMS.

Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is an online service that provides free information and support to help parents make decisions about CM and make a CMS application if they choose to.

The Department is not currently undertaking a review of the fairness of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments.

PIP is designed to treat all claimants fairly, focusing on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, rather than the condition itself. Individuals can be impacted by their health conditions in different ways, so the PIP assessment considers the needs of each individual claimant against the assessment criteria set out in legislation, regardless of whether those needs relate to a physical or non-physical impairment.

DWP has set standards for the quality of assessments and closely monitors all aspects of the process including the performance of the assessment suppliers. Our audit process considers the initial review, evidence collection, further evidence provided, and the advice within the assessment report completed by a health professional (HP). The check is completed against a set of guidelines to ensure a consistent approach is taken. This ensures that assessment reports are fit for purpose, clinically justified and sound, and provide sufficient information for the department to make an informed decision on entitlement to benefit.

All assessment suppliers work with the department on plans to continuously improve assessment quality through a range of measures including audit procedures, clinical observations, tailored training and development plans, providing feedback and in the support available to HPs.

All claimants have the right to request a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) if they disagree with their PIP decision. If they disagree with the outcome of their MR, they are able to appeal to an independent tribunal.

We are exploring potential changes to modernise the PIP service to improve claimants’ experience and trust in our services and decisions. We will set out the detail of any changes in due course.

The Government believes in the vital importance of equality of opportunity and of treatment in the workplace. The plan to Make Work Pay includes clear action to place equality, diversity and inclusion issues on a statutory footing. This includes requiring large employers to publish plans detailing the action they're taking to improve gender equality and support employees during the menopause. Alongside this, the Government has appointed a Menopause Employment Ambassador who will work with employers to improve the support for women experiencing menopause symptoms at work.

No one should be forced to choose between their health and financial hardship, which is why we plan to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. The Plan to Make Work Pay commits to remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all workers and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Together these changes will ensure everyone receives fair earnings replacement when they have to take time off work.

The Government will continue to keep the rate of SSP under review as part of the annual uprating process.

No one should be forced to choose between their health and financial hardship, which is why we plan to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. The Plan to Make Work Pay commits to remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all workers and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Together these changes will ensure everyone receives fair earnings replacement when they have to take time off work.

As part of these changes consideration will be given as to how to best structure the payment rate for individuals earning below the flat weekly rate of SSP.

All regulated healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are legally required to hold appropriate clinical negligence cover for the costs of claims and damages awarded to patients. This is set out under Section 44 of the Medical Act 1983.

Most staff at National Health Service trusts and NHS general practices in England and Wales benefit from state indemnity, in respect of NHS clinical negligence. These state indemnity schemes are the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, and the Existing Liabilities Scheme For General Practice, with further information about all three schemes available, respectively, at the following three links:

https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/clinical-negligence-scheme-for-trusts/

https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/general-practice-indemnity/clinical-negligence-scheme-for-general-practice/

https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/general-practice-indemnity/existing-liabilities-scheme-for-general-practice/

Clinical negligence claims under these schemes are administered by NHS Resolution on behalf of the Government. Where regulated healthcare professionals undertake work not covered by a state scheme, for instance doctors working in private practice, dentists, and general practitioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland, they must purchase their own cover.

The Department does not hold data on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on the Circuit. The Circuit is a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

The Government is committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply, and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs.

Once installed, these AEDS are required to be registered on the Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian, or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check on the AED.

The independent investigation into National Health Service performance, published on 12 September, is helping to inform a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and build a health service that is more resilient and fit for the future.

It is for local integrated care boards, in partnership with providers and stakeholders, to take decisions on how NHS services, including those delivered by the voluntary and charitable sectors, can best meet the needs of their local populations, and help improve patient outcomes.

NHS England does not directly manage volunteers, with volunteering services being managed and delivered by National Health Service organisations and commissioned partners.

The 2023 NHS Volunteering Taskforce report highlighted the untapped potential of volunteering to tackle some of the NHS's greatest challenges, particularly in improving health outcomes for patients, reducing health inequalities, and increasing the resilience of health and care services at times of extreme pressure. NHS England is committed to delivering on the recommendations outlined in the report, in order to maximise the all-round benefits of involving volunteers.

The NHS continues to appreciate the contribution of clinically trained volunteers, from the thousands of trained Community First Responders across the ambulance service, to volunteers from partner organisations such as St John Ambulance who are commissioned to deliver NHS England’s national ambulance auxiliary offer.

NHS England continues to support the growth and development of volunteering across the NHS, which includes volunteer roles that support the delivery of clinical care, where this is appropriate, whilst ensuring that volunteers are never substituted for our substantive paid workforce.

Building on learning from the pandemic, NHS England is working with national emergency preparedness, resilience, and response teams, NHS organisations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners, regarding the role of volunteers and the VCSE sector in enhancing NHS resilience.

NHS England has been working in partnership with Helpforce, St John Ambulance, and Barnardos on a range of initiatives to better support volunteers to take the next step into a career in the National Health Service. With Helpforce, this has included supporting 28 pilot organisations to initiate a Volunteer to Career programme, offering routes into careers with a particular focus on clinical workforce pathways. In addition, NHS England’s partnership with St John Ambulance has led to over 5,000 14 to 18-year-olds enrolling on the NHS Cadets programme to date. In the last year, 80% of those new to the programme were from deprived or under-represented groups who might not otherwise have considered a healthcare career. Finally, with Barnardos, NHS England has developed the Young People’s Health Challenge to inspire seven to 14-year-olds from deprived communities and underrepresented groups to find out more about the NHS, raise health literacy, create aspirations to work or volunteer with the NHS, and reduce health inequalities.

NHS England is working to embed the Young People’s Health Challenge and NHS Cadets programme across the NHS, and ensure sustainability beyond 2024/25. NHS England is also working to share the learning and experiences of the Volunteer to Career programme, developing tools, resources, and guidance that enables all health and care organisations to better support volunteers to move onto careers within the NHS, if they wish to do so.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides consular assistance to British nationals abroad. This includes British Nationals (Overseas) who, under the Memoranda to the Joint Declaration, are eligible for consular assistance in third countries, but not in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China. The help we can provide to dual nationals depends on the circumstances and the agreement of the country of the individual's other nationality. China does not recognise dual nationality and considers anyone born in China to a Chinese parent Chinese. This applies to all British citizens travelling to China including those naturalised under the BN(O) scheme.

FCDO's Travel Advice for Hong Kong explains that Hong Kong does not recognise dual nationality and anyone born in China to a Chinese national parent would be considered by authorities to be of Chinese nationality and treated as a Chinese citizen. Anyone with both British and Chinese nationality may be treated as a Chinese citizen by local authorities, even if they enter on a British passport. This advice applies to all British citizens travelling to Hong Kong, including those naturalised under the BN(O) scheme.