Clive Lewis

The Government meets regularly with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry to discuss a wide range of topics.

I refer the Hon. Member for Norwich South to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for North East Fife on 25 November 2020, UIN: 115822.

The UK has engaged regularly in debates at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) TRIPS Council and other international institutions to promote affordable and equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, including in developing countries. We respect the informal format of WTO discussions and do not publish proceedings from those meetings. However, at the informal TRIPS Council on 4 February 2021, the UK sought to further understand the parameters of the proposed waiver and asked for clarifications from the waiver’s proponents. This remains consistent with the Government’s approach to encourage evidence-based discussions between WTO Members to find solutions to present issues within the multilateral intellectual property framework.

UK Export Finance conducted and documented a review of climate change considerations for each case, proportionate to the climate risks and impacts of each transaction.

UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) Export Development Guarantee Scheme allows for the provision of general working capital support to UK exporters. The support does not relate to the construction of any individual project and therefore falls outside of the scope of the Equator Principles.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

The Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHR) of the Mozambique LNG project and related information.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

The Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHR) of the Mozambique LNG project and related information.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Any assessments that UK Export Finance (UKEF) makes of international gas markets are made in connection with projects it is considering.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) carries out due diligence on all relevant aspects of a project before coming to a decision on whether to provide support.

The Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment of the Mozambique LNG project and related information. The Category A notice is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project

UKEF has a specialist Environmental, Social and Human Rights (ESHR) team that reviews relevant projects prior to UKEF taking a decision on support.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) carries out due diligence on all relevant aspects of a project before coming to a decision on whether to provide support.

The Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment of the Mozambique LNG project and related information. The Category A notice is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project

UKEF has a specialist Environmental, Social and Human Rights (ESHR) team that reviews relevant projects prior to UKEF taking a decision on support.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) carries out due diligence on all relevant aspects of a project before coming to a decision on whether to provide support.

The Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment of the Mozambique LNG project and related information. The Category A notice is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project

UKEF has a specialist Environmental, Social and Human Rights (ESHR) team that reviews relevant projects prior to UKEF taking a decision on support.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment about potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

UK Export Finance support to any project is tied to eligible UK supplies and would always be completely separate from any support through other nations’ export credit agencies.

The Class 142/144s are currently only intended for use as a contingency measure to add capacity for distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no expectation that any of the Class 142 or Class 144 units will be fitted with controlled-emission toilets due to their impending replacement.

The following franchised train operators have varying quantities of trains that are not fitted with controlled emission toilets (CET): Chiltern, CrossCountry, EMR, GWR, Greater Anglia, Northern, WMT and Transport for Wales. Other operators, such as charter and heritage, for which the Department is not responsible for also operate trains that are not fitted with CET equipment.

Out of a national fleet of over 14,000 carriages there are approximately 350 that still discharge waste to the track and all of these will be refurbished or replaced.

The Department has not made an estimate of how much human waste and effluent is released on to the tracks.

As the number of trains that are not fitted with controlled-emission toilets are replaced by new or refurbished rolling stock, there will be a corresponding and significant reduction of waste released.

The timeline for ending the practice of toilets discharging to the tracks will be driven by the introduction of new rolling stock and the major refurbishment of existing rolling stock.

By the end of this year it is estimated that a small number of vehicles will still discharge to the track.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.

Drivers and other public transport staff have been working hard to ensure that all those on the frontline can get to work. New safer transport guidance was published on 12 May, and we are working closely with transport operators across the sector on its implementation.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The Government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.

Railway workers play a vital part in ensuring passengers and goods continue to move across the country, and we have been clear their safety remains a priority. Employers are protecting staff in line with government advice, and are taking all necessary steps to make their workplaces COVID-secure – for example, by reconfiguring the workplace to enable social distancing, providing hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities, and continuing their enhanced cleaning regimes. Employers have carried out necessary risk assessments and are providing PPE in accordance with these assessments.

Eurostar runs international services to several destinations in Europe, including Brussels and Paris and, as such, must comply with the requirements of the countries it operates in. In line with guidelines announced by the French and Belgian governments, Eurostar has amended its Conditions of Carriage to require all passengers to bring and wear a face covering for all Eurostar services across its full route to provide clarity for its passengers.

However, the Government has also been clear that it is advising passengers in England, where they can, to wear a face covering if they need to use public transport.

The Health and Care Bill transfers clinical commissioning groups’ current requirements to manage conflicts of interest to integrated care boards. This includes maintaining and publishing a register of members’ interests and arrangements for the management of conflicts or potential conflicts of interest.

We are currently considering a range of options across Government. Further detail on all the adult social care system reform commitments will be published in a white paper later this year.

The information requested is not currently held centrally.

We are unable to provide the information requested as it relates to the ongoing formulation of Government policy.

The Government has made no such assessment and does not consider waiving intellectual property rights to be an appropriate course of action to boost the manufacturing of safe, effective and quality vaccines. The existing intellectual property framework has mobilised research and development to deliver a host of new medicines and technologies, to detect, treat and defend against COVID-19.

As is the case every year, the Government has worked closely with the National Health Service to prepare for winter pressures, including in those arising from COVID-19.

Those preparations include, but are not limited to, additional funding announced in July of £3 billion to support NHS capacity this winter; alongside £450 million of funding for accident and emergency department and urgent and emergency care upgrades, expansion and infection control measures.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine(s) the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems.

Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to these priority groups, including care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old, and health and care workers. The vaccine will then be prioritised amoungst the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, and all individuals aged 16-64 years old with underlying health conditions.

As the first phase of the programme is rolled out in the UK, additional data will become available on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. This data will provide the basis for consideration of vaccination in groups that are at lower risk of mortality from COVID-19.

The Government intends to issue a remit letter to the NHS Pay Review Body shortly. This will formally commence the pay round.

The NHS Pay Review Body will report as usual next spring and the Government will carefully consider their recommendations before responding.

Agenda for Change Staff are in their third and final year of a multi-year pay and contract reform deal, 2018/19 to 2020-21, agreed with National Health Service trade unions and employer representatives. The deal has seen the pay of those below the top of their pay band increase by at least 9% and pay for most staff at the top of their pay band increase by 6.5%.

To protect jobs, pay rises in much of the public sector will be paused next year. However, the Government will provide pay rises for over 1 million NHS workers. We will also prioritise the lowest paid, with 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than the full time equivalent £24,000 receiving a minimum £250 increase. This will include a number of NHS staff employed on Agenda for Change contracts. The NHS Pay Review Body will report next year and the Government will take their recommendations into account in setting Agenda for Change pay.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems.

Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and all individuals aged 16-64 years old with underlying health conditions. Phase 2 of the roll out may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), the management function of NHS Supply Chain, is a company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to whom it is accountable and responsible. It aims to deliver significant savings to National Health Service frontline services through leveraging the buying power of the NHS and reducing unwarranted price variation.

A new personal protective equipment (PPE) supply channel has been set up by the Government to focus on securing supplies of PPE to meet the urgent volume requirements for PPE items. This is a dedicated and totally separate PPE supply channel, allowing NHS Supply Chain to focus on ensuring the supply of medical devices and clinical consumables to the NHS. The dedicated PPE supply channel will remain in place for as long as is required.

Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March. Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. We have made it clear that authorities must continue to achieve value for money for taxpayers, use good commercial judgement and publish the details of any awards made.

To date under the regulation, 636 contracts have been awarded to private sector companies worth £6.2 billion by the Department. Procurement Regulations require the publication of the individual Contract Award Notices in the Official Journal of the European which will contain information on the value, services and products provided under the contract; and we publish certain information on Contracts Finder about contracts awarded.

We are working around the clock to give the social care sector and wider National Health Service the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

We have made personal protective equipment (PPE) available to designated wholesalers for onward sale to social care providers and delivered further PPE to local resilience forums (LRFs) to help them respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult social care system and some other front-line services, where providers are unable to access PPE through their usual, or dedicated wholesaler routes.

The National Supply Disruption Response operates a 24-hour helpline that can also respond to emergency PPE requests.

Finally, we are rolling out a PPE Portal to help primary and social care providers to order critical PPE. This been tested with the sector and is now being scaled up nationally over the coming weeks. During this phase of the roll-out, general practitioners, small residential social care services (care homes with 24 beds or fewer), and small domiciliary care providers will be invited to register on the portal.

The full weight of the Government is behind this effort and we are working closely with industry, social care providers, the NHS, and the army to ensure the right equipment continues to be delivered.

The Government remains committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity around this country – this will be an important part of the economic and social recovery from this pandemic.

The recent review published on 2 June 2020 by Public Health England, ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’, illustrates that some people are significantly more vulnerable to COVID-19.

We are looking very closely at the health inequalities aspects of this report as part of the work that is being led by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP) to further understand the impacts.

We are working around the clock to give the National Health Service and social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

The Government is working to expand supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas, improve domestic manufacturing capability and expand and improve the logistics network for delivering it to the front line. The Government has recently signed contracts for the manufacture of over 2 billion items of PPE through United Kingdom-based manufacturers, including aprons, facemasks, visors and gowns.

Public Health England (PHE) published its review report ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’ on 2 June. The review looked at different factors including ethnicity. The report can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP) will be leading on next steps, working with PHE and others.

Professor Kevin Fenton from PHE has been engaging with a significant number of individuals and organisations within the black, Asian and minority ethnic community over the past couple of months, to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. The valuable insight he has gathered will inform the work the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities is now taking forward.

It is difficult to compare COVID-19 deaths numbers for different countries as different countries measure deaths in different ways, reporting on very different health and care systems.

A full assessment of international comparisons may not be possible until much later in the epidemic, but we will draw on the full range of international experience to learn the lessons from our response to this virus.

We are working around the clock to give the social care sector and wider National Health Service the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

Systems set up to supply 226 NHS trusts have scaled up to provide drops of critical equipment to 58,000 healthcare settings including general practitioners (GPs), pharmacies and social care providers. We have made over 24 million items of PPE available to primary care providers

The Department does not make recommendations for how many patients a general practitioner (GP) should have as the demand each patient places on their GP is different and can be affected by various factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is also important to consider GPs as part of the wider multidisciplinary team as getting the skills mix right in general practice is critical in addressing workload pressures and delivering appropriate patient care.

As part of the 2020/21 GP Contract, the Government and NHS England have committed at least an additional £1.5 billion in cash terms for general practice over the next four years for additional staff. This is in addition to the £4.5 billion real terms annual increase announced for primary and community care in the NHS Long Term Plan by 2023/24.

We have committed to growing the workforce by 6,000 more doctors in general practice and 26,000 more primary care professionals, such as physiotherapists and pharmacists. Growing the workforce will mean larger teams of staff providing a wider range of care options for patients and will free up more time for doctors to focus on those with more complex needs. This, alongside increasing the use of technology in general practice, will create an extra 50 million appointments a year by 2024/25 and improve access to primary care services.

NHS Employers, working in partnership with key stakeholders, published guidance for employers on 30 April. The guidance detailed how to carry out risk assessments particularly for vulnerable groups, to understand the specific risks staff members face from exposure to COVID-19 and actions which employers can take to keep staff safe.

NHS England and NHS Improvement issued directions to the service on 29 April recommending all trusts to undertake appropriate risk assessments for their Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff and to put in place any measures to protect and support their BAME staff. They have since developed a five-point programme to address the concerns of BAME staff, covering protection of staff, engagement with staff and staff networks, representation in decision making, rehabilitation and recovery, communications and media.

The Department has commissioned Public Health England to complete a rapid review to understand disparities in COVID-19 infection across the population. This will include looking at the impact on different ethnic groups.

As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to access safe and effective medicines, including those used in end of life care. The Department is working closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised clinical commissioning groups to establish local hubs to ensure rapid access to anticipatory medicines. These hubs could be a community pharmacy, primary care network (general practitioner practice), community hospital, acute or other setting where palliative medicines (including controlled drugs) can be safely and legally stored and rapidly released when needed.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have published a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of medicines labelled for one patient, who no longer needs them, to be used by another person, in hospices and care homes. This will protect the medicine supply chain and ensure that patients can access critical medicines at end of life. The SOP can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-reuse-of-medicines-in-a-care-home-or-hospice

NHS England and NHS Improvement have a statutory requirement to formally assure their own and the National Health Service in England’s readiness to respond to emergencies on an annual basis. To do this, NHS England and NHS Improvement ask commissioners and providers of NHS-funded care to complete an Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response annual assurance process. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/eprr-annual-assurance-guidance-v2.0.pdf

NHS England also produces an Incident Response Plan (National). This is the overarching generic plan that details how NHS England reviews and responds to any health-related incident or emergency at the national level, there are plans which describe the regional response and each NHS organisation will have its own Incident Response Plan. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NHS-england-incident-response-plan-v3-0.pdf

The UK is one of the biggest global donors on COVID-19, and has pledged over £1 billion of UK aid to counter the health, humanitarian, and economic risks of the pandemic. To support global access to vaccines, we fund international organisations in delivering an 'end to end' approach to developing new vaccines, treatments, and tests, from research, development, and clinical trials through to supporting manufacturing scale-up and delivery. We report aid spend using standard Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee codes, which do not track how much aid is spent on vaccine manufacturing specifically.

Building vaccine manufacturing capacity is a long-term, capital intensive, and high-risk endeavour. The UK is providing technical assistance to catalyse private sector and development finance investment into vaccine manufacturing in Africa, the region with the least manufacturing capacity globally. This includes engaging with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to support business case development for their $4 billion Global Health Platform to support manufacturing of health essentials such as therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines.

Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) provided initial details on the COVID-19 technology access pool (C-TAP) in October 2020, the UK has, and will continue to engage with all interested parties. We are in ongoing discussions with the WHO as it refines both governance structures and the operating model for C-TAP, and will seek clarity on questions being posed by stakeholders.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are co-leads of the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Technologies (ACT) Accelerator. The ACT-Accelerator is an initiative to support collaboration and resource mobilisation in accelerating the development of, and equitable access to new COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests. In its COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) concept note, the World Health Organisation sets out that the ACT-Accelerator is a separate but complementary initiative to C-TAP.

The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. The UK has committed £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), which is an international initiative whose volume guarantees encourage manufacturing capacity to be scaled up to produce and deliver vaccines at the scale needed to support global equitable access to vaccines.

The FCDO is working closely with key development partners in vaccines, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), along with development finance institutions, regional institutions, and the private sector to catalyse investments into vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries.

Ending the COVID-19 pandemic requires a global solution, which is why the UK is leading efforts for global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. This includes a £548 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment to ensure that 92 low and middle income countries are able to access COVID-19 vaccines.

It is too early to determine if the UK will have excess vaccine supply. We continue to work with our international partners to drive the global response and save lives.

The UK is committed to rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, and is playing a leading role in financing the global effort, and identifying solutions that ensure affordable access for all.

The UK Government does not consider waiving intellectual property (IP) rights to be an appropriate course of action in boosting the manufacturing of safe, effective, and quality vaccines. The existing intellectual property framework has mobilised research and development to deliver a host of new medicines and technologies to detect, treat, and defend against COVID-19. The incentives and access mechanisms provided by the IP framework have been integral to this success, without which we would not have seen the impressive surge of research and development, and the unprecedented scaling up of production.

The UK will champion rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines throughout our G7 Presidency.

Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) provided initial details on the COVID-19 technology access pool (C-TAP) in October, the UK has led the way in bringing industry and the research community to the table. During our G7 presidency, we will continue this work with stakeholders and the WHO as it establishes the governance structures and refines the operating model for C-TAP.

The FCDO is working closely with key development partners in vaccines, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance, WHO and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), along with development finance institutions and the private sector to catalyse investments for vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 153300 on 22 February 2021.

This has been a very difficult time for students and we encourage universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.

We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The Government has also made available a further £20m to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. The funding has been distributed to approved fee cap providers, who have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer speaks regularly to the Secretary of State for Education on matters of shared interest.

Private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. Whether a student is entitled to a refund or to an early release from their contract will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between them and their provider.

We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. Higher Education providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The Government has also made available a further £20m to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was extended on 31 October. For an employee to be eligible for the extension, their employer must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee, between 20 March and 30 October 2020. The 30 October cut-off date is necessary and allows as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement, balancing the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public. Extending the cut-off date further would have significantly increased the risk of abuse, because claims could not be confidently verified against the risk of fraud by using the data after this point.

The Government understands that the new restrictions are challenging for some businesses. The Chancellor has announced further support, including a new one-off grant of up to £9,000 to support businesses in England which are legally required to close. This comes in addition to the existing monthly grants for closed businesses of up to £3,000 per month. Local authorities will also receive an additional £500m, to a total of £1.6bn, of discretionary funding to allow them to support their local businesses.

The CJRS is not the only support available for employees. The Government has boosted the generosity of the welfare system by £7.4bn in 2020-21 including through a temporary £20 a week increase in the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element.

The Covid Corporate Financing Facility is designed to support companies who would ordinarily seek market-based finance to strengthen working capital, but find themselves struggling to access financial markets in this uncertain operating environment. It primarily provides bridging support to see through the temporary nature of Covid-19 related disruption, by catalyzing the market for short term corporate funding.

Since 19 May the Government has imposed restraints on capital distributions (including dividends and share buybacks), as well as senior pay, on companies accessing the CCFF. Firms must provide a letter of commitment to these constraints to HMT, which HMT reserves the right to publish if it becomes aware the terms of the letter have not been complied with.

In order to ensure support can be provided quickly, and in a broad-based manner, those are the only conditions imposed on participating firms at this time. Firms must meet strict criteria to access the CCFF so that the Government is confident the funds will be repaid.

The Covid Corporate Financing Facility is designed to support companies who would ordinarily seek market-based finance to strengthen working capital, but find themselves struggling to access financial markets in this uncertain operating environment. It primarily provides bridging support to see through the temporary nature of Covid-19 related disruption, by catalyzing the market for short term corporate funding.

Since 19 May the Government has imposed restraints on capital distributions (including dividends and share buybacks), as well as senior pay, on companies accessing the CCFF. Firms must provide a letter of commitment to these constraints to HMT, which HMT reserves the right to publish if it becomes aware the terms of the letter have not been complied with.

In order to ensure support can be provided quickly, and in a broad-based manner, those are the only conditions imposed on participating firms at this time. Firms must meet strict criteria to access the CCFF so that the Government is confident the funds will be repaid.

The Covid Corporate Financing Facility is designed to support companies who would ordinarily seek market-based finance to strengthen working capital, but find themselves struggling to access financial markets in this uncertain operating environment. It primarily provides bridging support to see through the temporary nature of Covid-19 related disruption, by catalyzing the market for short term corporate funding.

Since 19 May the Government has imposed restraints on capital distributions (including dividends and share buybacks), as well as senior pay, on companies accessing the CCFF. Firms must provide a letter of commitment to these constraints to HMT, which HMT reserves the right to publish if it becomes aware the terms of the letter have not been complied with.

In order to ensure support can be provided quickly, and in a broad-based manner, those are the only conditions imposed on participating firms at this time. Firms must meet strict criteria to access the CCFF so that the Government is confident the funds will be repaid.

The scheme has been successful in supporting employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus in retaining their employees.

Where a business considers that redundancy is the only option, the business must still follow rules which include giving a notice period and consulting staff before a final decision is reached. Any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable, with appropriate equalities considerations.

To support employees the Government has announced a far-reaching package of support to help individuals through the coronavirus pandemic, including a half-billion pound boost to the welfare system.

On 27 April, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a new Life Assurance scheme for frontline NHS and social care workers who die from coronavirus. This recognises the increased risks faced by these staff during the course of their essential and lifesaving work during the crisis, and the need to encourage retired doctors and nurses to fill staff shortages and boost service capacity.

It pays a £60,000 tax-free lump sum where staff die as a result of coronavirus and had been recently working in frontline roles and locations where personal care is provided to individuals who have contracted coronavirus.

The government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.

The UK played a prominent role in helping to secure the Paris Agreement in 2015, and we are determined that the UK’s Presidency of COP26 this November will be a milestone for ambition, targeting action to deliver on the promise of the Agreement.

In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to legislate to end its contribution to climate change by 2050.

The UK is committed to doubling our International Climate Finance to at least £11.6bn between 2021 and 2025, to help developing countries to take action.

HM Treasury takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. As you would expect, we are considering what further fiscal and other policy measures are needed to meet our 2050 net zero target.

To support this, HM Treasury launched a review into how the transition to a net zero economy will be funded, and where the costs will fall. The review will publish its findings in Autumn 2020.

HM Treasury takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who lead on clean growth and carbon budgets policy.

The Committee on Climate Change also provides independent, expert advice to Government on climate change mitigation and adaptation and produce an annual report to Parliament assessing progress in reducing UK emissions over the past year. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy produce a response to these reports annually.

HM Treasury takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. As you would expect, we are considering what further fiscal and other policy measures are needed to meet our 2050 net zero target.

To support this, HM Treasury launched a review into how the transition to a net zero economy will be funded, and where the costs will fall. The review will publish its findings in Autumn 2020.

HM Treasury takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. As you would expect, we are considering what further fiscal and other policy measures are needed to meet our 2050 net zero target.

To support this, HM Treasury launched a review into how the transition to a net zero economy will be funded, and where the costs will fall. The review will publish its findings in Autumn 2020.

The Seasonal Worker pilot scheme is managed by four operators which are not engaged on a contractual basis but are chosen by requests for information managed by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Those organisations selected through the DEFRA process are licensed by the Home Office under its sponsorship regime. The Government does not allocate a budget to their overseas agents.

Each operator manages changes of employment for the workers they sponsor. We monitor this information closely, but it is not directly held on Home Office systems.

The Seasonal Worker pilot scheme is subject to ongoing review activity and we will make an assessment of it prior to a decision whether to extend its provisions into future years. We will publish the 2019 evaluation shortly.

The Seasonal Worker pilot scheme is managed by four operators which are not engaged on a contractual basis but are chosen by requests for information managed by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Those organisations selected through the DEFRA process are licensed by the Home Office under its sponsorship regime. The Government does not allocate a budget to their overseas agents.

Each operator manages changes of employment for the workers they sponsor. We monitor this information closely, but it is not directly held on Home Office systems.

The Seasonal Worker pilot scheme is subject to ongoing review activity and we will make an assessment of it prior to a decision whether to extend its provisions into future years. We will publish the 2019 evaluation shortly.

Between 15 and 29 August, the UK evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes more than 8,000 British nationals; close to 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and about 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

We successfully evacuated the majority of Afghan Chevening scholars in this year’s cohort and will continue to do all we can to support the small number who remain in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement scheme will prioritise those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law. The scheme will also prioritise vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk.

Information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The ACRS is being developed at pace and further details will be released in due course.

We have also announced a package of concessions for Afghan nationals and their dependants who are already present in the UK that will enable them to switch into, and use, temporary economic and study routes. This means that those who are unable to provide documents as a result of the unique circumstances in Afghanistan to provide as much flexibility as possible when accessing routes that allow them to continue to work and study in the UK.

As a matter of course, the Government does not publish legal advice.

In the development of the measures in Part 3 of the Bill we have carefully considered the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

We believe that the measures are compatible with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice the Rt. Hon. Robert Buckland QC MP has made a statement to Parliament confirming the Bill’s compatibility with the European Convention rights.

Non-exhaustive guidance on reasonable grounds for submitting a late application has already been published.

The guidance can be found at pages 26 to 44 of the caseworker guidance, EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members, which is available here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance.

The information regarding proportion is not readily available nor held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost due to the fact the Immigration Health Surcharge is payable across multiple application routes. For example, where the customer is on a visa with a general right to work and subsequently takes up employment, we do not have a record who the employer is.

The Home Office is meeting all its statutory duties to accommodate asylum seekers. Due to increased demand on the asylum system it has necessary to use temporary accommodation – this accommodation has always been safe, secure, and funded by the taxpayer

Refugees, asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers can register for and receive primary care free of charge in the same way as any other patient in any nation of the UK.

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. 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.

The safety and health of people in the accommodation estate is of the utmost importance. The Home Office has robust contingency plans in place and continues to follow national guidance issued by Public Health England (PHE) and the National Health Service (NHS).

Our providers have put in place a range of measures and additional support to enable households to comply with public measures on social distancing and self-isolation.

Guidance has been issued to all service users in a range of languages relating to hygiene, washing hands, social distancing, coronavirus symptoms and what to do if they become symptomatic.

We keep the use of contingency asylum accommodation under review, according to the availability of more long-term asylum accommodation.

The Home Office is meeting all its statutory duties to accommodate asylum seekers. Due to increased demand on the asylum system it has necessary to use temporary accommodation – this accommodation has always been safe, secure, and funded by the taxpayer

Refugees, asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers can register for and receive primary care free of charge in the same way as any other patient in any nation of the UK.

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. 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.

The safety and health of people in the accommodation estate is of the utmost importance. The Home Office has robust contingency plans in place and continues to follow national guidance issued by Public Health England (PHE) and the National Health Service (NHS).

Our providers have put in place a range of measures and additional support to enable households to comply with public measures on social distancing and self-isolation.

Guidance has been issued to all service users in a range of languages relating to hygiene, washing hands, social distancing, coronavirus symptoms and what to do if they become symptomatic.

We keep the use of contingency asylum accommodation under review, according to the availability of more long-term asylum accommodation.

As we set out in the briefing accompanying the Queen’s Speech in December 2019, it is our firm aim to bring forward legislation this session.

The Home Office launched a public consultation in November 2019 to seek views on how we could strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. We will publish our response to that consultation in the usual way.

As we set out in the briefing accompanying the Queen’s Speech in December 2019, it is our firm aim to bring forward legislation this session.

The Home Office launched a public consultation in November 2019 to seek views on how we could strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. We will publish our response to that consultation in the usual way.