Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Clive Lewis, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Clive Lewis has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Clive Lewis has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Decarbonisation and Economic Strategy Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (GRN)
Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 - Private Members' Bill (Ballot Bill)
Sponsor - Steve Reed (LAB)
Employment and Workers' Rights Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Ballot Bill)
Sponsor - Stephanie Peacock (LAB)
Core Spending Power for local government is expected to rise from £50.4 billion in 2021-22 to up to £53.9 billion in 2022-23. The forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper will set out our plans for strengthening accountable local leadership. This is alongside recent investments including the Levelling Up Fund, UK Community Renewal Fund and Towns Fund where Government is working closely with councils right across the United Kingdom.
There are no provisions in the Elections Bill or in the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill on this matter.
Fiscal space and debt sustainability was one of four key themes I took forward at the Climate and Development Ministerial in March. I have continued to prioritise this issue, for example in engagements with the IMF, World Bank and climate vulnerable countries, and welcome progress has been made.
Since March, the G20 and Paris Club have agreed to a further, final extension of the Debt-Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which is providing much needed short-term fiscal space to help countries tackle the immediate effects of the pandemic and avoid a worsening of debt problems. The G20 and the Paris Club have also continued implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments, designed to provide a more long-term solution to debt vulnerabilities.
The IMF have implemented a historic $650bn allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which will boost global liquidity and provide fiscal space, and G7 Leaders agreed to magnify the impact of this allocation by considering options for voluntary SDR channelling to developing and vulnerable countries.
Finally, the UK-led G7 Private Sector Working Group is also exploring the development and use of Climate Resilient Debt Instruments (CRDIs) that quickly suspend debt service repayments following a pre-defined climate-related event or shock.
Our default approach is that travel to and from Glasgow will be by train or other appropriate public ground transportation. COP26 will be carbon neutral, our principal priority is to reduce emissions from the conference, with any unavoidable carbon emissions from COP26 to be offset. We are working to achieve PAS2060 Carbon Neutrality validation for COP26 to ensure this approach. We will also encourage delegates to consider low-carbon travel options and will be offsetting the emissions associated with travel, including those of the COP President and UK officials in the run up to COP26.
The Government considers that the Intellectual Property (IP) framework has played an essential and positive role in the response to the pandemic. It has provided confidence for pharmaceutical innovators to both invest in R&D and form collaborative manufacturing partnerships, built upon trust and cooperation, thereby driving innovation. These voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships, have contributed to the rapid production of COVID-19 technologies, including unprecedented levels of manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines. IP has and will continue to allow us to meet our ultimate goal of saving lives.
The ‘Broader Group’ is the only application-based element of the Warm Home Discount scheme. Energy suppliers are responsible for administering their own Broader Group processes, including deciding how they award rebates to their customers.
The Government consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. The Government will publish the response to the consultation in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has no sponsorship agreements with the East of England Energy Group.
The Oil and Gas Authority wishes to develop Bacton gas terminal as an energy transition hub and has engaged the East of England Energy Group to facilitate a number of Special Interest Groups for which a contribution has been agreed.
The Government has invested over £300 million in securing and scaling up the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to this pandemic. This has included:
The Government has step in rights during pandemics at both VMIC and CGTC Braintree.
In addition, the Government has partnered with industry – for example Wockhardt where we have secured fill and finish reservation in the UK to support our vaccine programme.
As a result of these investments, and ongoing support of the Vaccine Taskforce three of the UK's eight COVID-19 vaccines (Oxford/AstraZeneca, Novavax and Valneva) are being or will be manufactured in the UK. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is delivered through a majority UK supply chain. The contracts for supply agreements with these vaccine companies are available on the Contracts Finder website.
The Government has invested over £300 million in securing and scaling up the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to this pandemic. This has included:
The Government has step in rights during pandemics at both VMIC and CGTC Braintree.
In addition, the Government has partnered with industry – for example Wockhardt where we have secured fill and finish reservation in the UK to support our vaccine programme.
As a result of these investments, and ongoing support of the Vaccine Taskforce three of the UK's eight COVID-19 vaccines (Oxford/AstraZeneca, Novavax and Valneva) are being or will be manufactured in the UK. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is delivered through a majority UK supply chain. The contracts for supply agreements with these vaccine companies are available on the Contracts Finder website.
In 2017 as part of the Local Energy Programme, BEIS provided funding to all Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop an energy strategy. New Anglia’s strategy was part of the tri-LEP approach including Greater Cambridgeshire, Greater Peterborough and Hertfordshire LEPs. This strategy identified, assessed and prioritised low carbon energy projects including local energy generation across the region.
The Local Energy Programme also funds 5 local energy hubs covering all of England to support the development of energy projects. The Greater South East hub is based in Greater Cambridgeshire, Greater Peterborough and supports projects across New Anglia.
BEIS has also allocated over £2.5m to the Greater South East region to support rural communities develop renewable energy schemes under the Rural Community Energy Fund.
An employer can opt to make a worker redundant under certain conditions, if they deem this to be the best course of action to take for their business. The employee will maintain rights against unfair dismissal and to redundancy payments during the period of furlough. Any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable, with appropriate equalities considerations.
Pay during the redundancy notice period is based on the individual’s rights under their contract of employment and the statutory right to notice pay (under section 86 and the following sections of the Employment Rights Act 1996).
In these difficult times, we would not expect an employer to take advantage of CJRS, which has brought benefit to employers and employees alike, to make someone redundant on less favourable terms than they would otherwise have received. Please visit the Gov.uk page for updates and changes to the scheme at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
The Government have engaged with the British Pubs Confederation through correspondence and continue to engage with a broad variety of representatives across the industry on the challenges facing the pub sector, including on the re-opening of pubs.
The Pubs and Restaurants working level Technical Group comprised stakeholders from a cross-section of the sector, with representation from trade bodies to small and medium sized operators, unions, as well as the supply chain. We consulted these stakeholders due to their expertise and real-life knowledge and experience of the challenges faced by the industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive also took part in the Technical Group discussion to ensure the COVID-19 secure guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services is consistent with the latest scientific and health and safety advice.
In addition to the Technical Group, we consulted over 400 stakeholders from the hospitality sector in the development of the guidance. This includes ongoing discussions that I have had with business leaders.
The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspx
It is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency.
The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.
The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspx
It is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency.
The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.
The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspx
It is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency.
The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.
The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspx
It is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency.
The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.
The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspx
It is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency.
The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.
The department has not had discussions with the Girls' Day School Trust about its proposal to withdraw from the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS).
Independent schools participate in the TPS voluntarily and are therefore free to leave the scheme, following appropriate consultation with their staff and provision of alternative pension arrangements, if they wish to do so.
Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.
The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.
We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.
On the 2 February 2021 we announced that we are making available a further £50 million of hardship funding for this financial year, for higher education providers to use to support students in greatest need.
This funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including international students impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
This funding is in addition to the £20 million of hardship funding made available in December 2020 and to the £256 million of Student Premium funding which higher education providers are also able draw on this academic year towards student hardship funds.
We shall continue to monitor the situation going forward to look at what impact this funding is having.
Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to the 2019-20 financial year. This increase in funding will help schools with costs associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements for the autumn term. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
This year, Norfolk is receiving an extra £25 million for schools, an increase of 3.8% per pupil. This takes total funding for the 2020-21 financial year in the local authority to over £507 million. Norwich South is receiving an extra £1.5 million for schools this year, an increase of 3.0% per pupil. This takes total funding for the 2020-21 financial year in the constituency to over £55 million.
Keeping schools, nurseries and colleges open is a national priority. The Department has announced a new COVID-19 workforce fund for schools and colleges to help them to remain open. It will fund the cost of teacher absences over a certain threshold for those schools and colleges facing high staff absences and significant financial pressures. Guidance on the claims process will be published shortly.
On Friday 4 December the Department updated the guidance for exceptional costs associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. These instructions are to help schools claim exceptional costs that were not claimed for during the first window, which closed on 21 July 2020. Guidance on exceptional costs is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19/exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19--2.
Over 9 million items of personal protective equipment have been delivered to schools, colleges and universities as part of 50,000 one-off deliveries distributed by the Department of Health and Social Care to build resilience across the education sector to respond to any suspected cases of COVID-19 on-site. This was a one-off delivery with no cost to schools.
Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to the 2019-20 financial year. This increase in funding will help schools with costs associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements for the autumn term. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
This year, Norfolk is receiving an extra £25 million for schools, an increase of 3.8% per pupil. This takes total funding for the 2020-21 financial year in the local authority to over £507 million. Norwich South is receiving an extra £1.5 million for schools this year, an increase of 3.0% per pupil. This takes total funding for the 2020-21 financial year in the constituency to over £55 million.
Keeping schools, nurseries and colleges open is a national priority. The Department has announced a new COVID-19 workforce fund for schools and colleges to help them to remain open. It will fund the cost of teacher absences over a certain threshold for those schools and colleges facing high staff absences and significant financial pressures. Guidance on the claims process will be published shortly.
On Friday 4 December the Department updated the guidance for exceptional costs associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. These instructions are to help schools claim exceptional costs that were not claimed for during the first window, which closed on 21 July 2020. Guidance on exceptional costs is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19/exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19--2.
Over 9 million items of personal protective equipment have been delivered to schools, colleges and universities as part of 50,000 one-off deliveries distributed by the Department of Health and Social Care to build resilience across the education sector to respond to any suspected cases of COVID-19 on-site. This was a one-off delivery with no cost to schools.
Defra works closely with the Home Office and the Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) to monitor and evaluate the Seasonal Workers Pilot against its stated aims and ensure that its rules and regulations are being adhered to.
The Government takes the safety and wellbeing of seasonal workers extremely seriously. The Home Office sponsor licencing system places clear and binding requirements and obligations on the operators of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to safeguard seasonal workers.
The Seasonal Workers Pilot requires the operators to ensure all seasonal workers have a safe working environment, are treated fairly and paid properly, and robust systems are in place for the reporting of concerns and rapid action. A prerequisite for becoming an operator is that each organisation must hold and maintain licencing from the GLAA. Defra would be notified should an operator or farm not be meeting the required standards and appropriate action taken.
The Environment Agency (EA) does not hold records that show cost to the public purse from flood damage on an annual basis. It reviews the total economic damages after significant flood events in England.
The EA has published reports for the flood events of 2007, 2013/14 and 2015/16. It has also estimated the economic damages of the recent widespread flooding that took place in November 2019.
Total economic costs of the summer 2007 floods in England are estimated at £3.9 billion, inflation adjusted to 2015 prices.
Total economic costs of the winter 2013 to 2014 floods in England and Wales are estimated at £1.3 billion, inflation adjusted to 2015 prices.
Total economic costs of the winter 2015 to 2016 floods in England are estimated at £1.6 billion at 2015 prices.
The estimated economic damages for the November 2019 floods in England are £78 million and repair costs to defences around £120 million. Without flood defences, the economic damages could have been £1.6 billion higher. In other words, defences have helped to reduce the damages by 95%. The impacts during November 2019 would also have been significantly higher without the significant investment in flood risk management since 2007, when these areas also experienced extreme rainfall.
There is currently an ongoing research project funded by the Joint Research Programme to capture, calculate and store data on the economic costs of floods. Among other benefits, this project will allow the EA to better analyse flood impact data. Improved consistency in how data is recorded will enable economic damages to be compared across flood events and years.
The EA will produce estimates of economic damage to England for Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis once the full extent of the impacts are known.
The United Kingdom is currently assessing the proposal submitted by the European Union to the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council. The Government welcomes alternative proposals for the TRIPS Council’s consideration. It is important to find an effective, balanced, and targeted outcome. The Government will continue to engage in IP discussions and review the merits of any proposal submitted to the TRIPS Council, but the UK must continue to push ahead with pragmatic action now, including voluntary licensing and technology transfer agreements for vaccines, support for Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, and solutions for production bottlenecks and supply chain issues.
The UK has engaged regularly in debates at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council and other international institutions to promote affordable and equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines for all. The Government respects the informal format of WTO discussions and does not publish proceedings from those meetings. However, at the informal TRIPS Council on 30 June and 6 July, the UK sought to further understand the parameters of the proposed waiver and the European Union proposal by asking for clarifications. 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.
I refer the Hon. Member for Norwich South to the answer given to the Hon. Gentleman for Birkenhead on 17 May 2021: UIN: 448.
We are seeking environment provisions with all partners we are currently negotiating with, to ensure future trade is sustainable and upholds the UK’s high environmental standards. The precise details of any free trade agreement are a matter for formal negotiations, and I would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.
I refer the Hon. Member for Norwich South to the answer I gave to him on 15 February 2021, UIN: 149802.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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.
We will consider recommendations from the Climate Change Committee’s June 2022 progress report in further detail as we finalise and implement our Jet Zero Strategy.
Ministers and officials regularly meet with members of the CCC and considered recommendations from their June 2021 progress report in the development of the Jet Zero Consultation which was published in July 2021 and considered all available evidence for the development of the Jet Zero Strategy, which we are aiming to publish later this year.
As a responsible government, we recognise that we will need to keep our strategy under review and therefore, intend to regularly assess the progress of aviation’s emissions reductions and update our strategy where necessary through five-year reviews.
Our ambition is to decarbonise aviation in a way that preserves the benefits of air travel.
The £180m funding announced in the Net Zero Strategy, to help accelerate the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK, includes £168m of funding for a multi-year competition for funding to produce advanced fuels suitable for aviation and heavy goods vehicles. A further £12m is allocated for the continuation of our SAF clearing house project to accelerate new SAF to the market. SAF is a vital tool in decarbonising aviation and helping the UK reach our net zero goals by 2050.
The department is now developing the eligibility criteria of the new SAF competition, building upon the progress made by, and lessons learnt from, the previous advanced fuels competitions, namely the Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition (ABDC), the Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) and the recent Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition. As with the previous successful competitions, the design process will utilise the knowledge and experience of the wider sector, working with existing and prospective SAF producers. It is likely that minimum greenhouse gas savings will be a requirement of receiving funding. Funding will be allocated competitively in line with previous competitions.
No assessment has yet been made as to the balance of funding between industry and Government for the new competition.
DfT officials engage regularly with all the projects eligible for government funding, both through bilateral meetings and as part of regular industry engagement activities. Since its launch in November 2020, over 25 meetings of the Jet Zero Council SAF Delivery Group and its subgroups have been convened.
The £180m funding announced in the Net Zero Strategy, to help accelerate the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK, includes £168m of funding for a multi-year competition for funding to produce advanced fuels suitable for aviation and heavy goods vehicles. A further £12m is allocated for the continuation of our SAF clearing house project to accelerate new SAF to the market. SAF is a vital tool in decarbonising aviation and helping the UK reach our net zero goals by 2050.
The department is now developing the eligibility criteria of the new SAF competition, building upon the progress made by, and lessons learnt from, the previous advanced fuels competitions, namely the Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition (ABDC), the Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) and the recent Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition. As with the previous successful competitions, the design process will utilise the knowledge and experience of the wider sector, working with existing and prospective SAF producers. It is likely that minimum greenhouse gas savings will be a requirement of receiving funding. Funding will be allocated competitively in line with previous competitions.
No assessment has yet been made as to the balance of funding between industry and Government for the new competition.
DfT officials engage regularly with all the projects eligible for government funding, both through bilateral meetings and as part of regular industry engagement activities. Since its launch in November 2020, over 25 meetings of the Jet Zero Council SAF Delivery Group and its subgroups have been convened.
The “Report of the Global Travel Taskforce: The Safe Return of International Travel” was published on 9 April 2021. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-travel-taskforce-safe-return-of-international-travel
The report and its annexes have also been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible businesses, covering the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. On 3 March a six month extension to the scheme from 1 April 2021 was announced. It will cover the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses for the first 6 months of the 2021/22 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £4m.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme will support airports and ground handlers that have been severely impacted by the pandemic while retaining relatively high fixed costs, including business rates liabilities. We are currently considering applications to ensure payments are made to successful applicants by the end of the financial year and cannot comment on an ongoing process.
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.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds North East (Fabian Hamilton MP) on 12 January 2022 to Question 74895.
On 31 January 2022, the Government announced plans to revoke the requirement for workers in care homes to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This change is subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval.
No assessment has been made as these individuals will not be able to sit on integrated care boards.
There are no plans for a centralised register of conflicts of interest.
Integrated care boards will be required to maintain and publish a register of their members’ interests and to outline arrangements for the management of conflicts or potential conflicts of interest. These will be published for public access.
The National Health Service relies on overseas suppliers for essential medicines and equipment to operate effectively and provide patients with access to key treatments. We are committed to securing the future of this supply chain by allowing manufacturers of essential supplies and equipment to access United Kingdom markets, in order to maintain vital supplies
However, we have made it clear that protecting public services, including the NHS, is of the utmost importance. The UK’s public health sector is protected by specific exceptions and reservations in all trade agreements.
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:
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 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not approve Sir Alan Duncan's attendance. These visits were carried out in a private capacity.
The UK is supportive of the World Health Assembly 74 Resolution on Strengthening Local Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies to Improve Access. We are engaging in ongoing negotiations with 194 other member states to reach consensus, and it is not appropriate to comment on UK positions during this time.
The UK is supporting efforts to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. We have facilitated engagement by industry and the research community to discuss the evolving WHO proposals for the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). 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 UK is also providing technical assistance to catalyse private sector and development finance investment to in manufacturing capacity, particularly in Africa. We are working with the key international partners involved in vaccine manufacture and procurement. These include the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and UNICEF for production of COVID-19 vaccines for the current pandemic.
The UK is supportive of the World Health Assembly 74 Resolution on Strengthening Local Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies to Improve Access. We are engaging in ongoing negotiations with 194 other member states to reach consensus, and it is not appropriate to comment on UK positions during this time.
The UK is supporting efforts to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. We have facilitated engagement by industry and the research community to discuss the evolving WHO proposals for the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). 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 UK is also providing technical assistance to catalyse private sector and development finance investment to in manufacturing capacity, particularly in Africa. We are working with the key international partners involved in vaccine manufacture and procurement. These include the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and UNICEF for production of COVID-19 vaccines for the current pandemic.
The UK is supportive of the World Health Assembly 74 Resolution on Strengthening Local Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies to Improve Access. We are engaging in ongoing negotiations with 194 other member states to reach consensus, and it is not appropriate to comment on UK positions during this time.
The UK is supporting efforts to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. We have facilitated engagement by industry and the research community to discuss the evolving WHO proposals for the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). 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 UK is also providing technical assistance to catalyse private sector and development finance investment to in manufacturing capacity, particularly in Africa. We are working with the key international partners involved in vaccine manufacture and procurement. These include the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and UNICEF for production of COVID-19 vaccines for the current pandemic.
The UK is supportive of the World Health Assembly 74 Resolution on Strengthening Local Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies to Improve Access. We are engaging in ongoing negotiations with 194 other member states to reach consensus, and it is not appropriate to comment on UK positions during this time.
The UK is supporting efforts to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. We have facilitated engagement by industry and the research community to discuss the evolving WHO proposals for the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). 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 UK is also providing technical assistance to catalyse private sector and development finance investment to in manufacturing capacity, particularly in Africa. We are working with the key international partners involved in vaccine manufacture and procurement. These include the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and UNICEF for production of COVID-19 vaccines for the current pandemic.
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.
The number of Default Surcharge penalties issued in respect of both late return submissions and of late payment of VAT in the 2020-21 financial year was 279,430 and was 610,170 in the 2021-22 financial year.
HMRC is not currently aware of any data loss that has occurred within, or as a result of, any of HMRC’s programmes to digitalise tax.
HMRC take security matters very seriously and maintain strict protocols in terms of cyber-security and the security, storage, management, and processing of customer data.
HM Revenue and Customs regularly published statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
The statistics published in August 2020 can be found on gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-august-2020.
These statistics report that employers classified under Passenger air transport and Freight air transport and space transport (Standard Industry Classification 2007, groups 51.1 and 51.2) claimed £283 million for staff on furlough between the start of the scheme and 31 July 2020.
Statistics published on 3 June 2021 report that employers in the Passenger air transport and Freight air transport and space transport sectors claimed £295 million from 1 November 2020 to 30 April 2021. These figures can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-3-june-2021.
Further statistics published on 16 December 2021 report that employers in the Passenger air transport and Freight air transport and space transport sectors claimed £172 million from 1 May 2021 to 30 September 2021. These figures can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-16-december-2021.
There are no figures available for the value of CJRS claims for the Passenger air transport and Freight air transport and space sectors from 1 August 2020 to 31 October 2020.
HMRC have a duty of confidentiality for information they hold on all taxpayers. HMRC only share or disclose information that is necessary and proportionate for the intended purpose, through strict adherence to data protection principles such as UK GDPR, and only with comprehensive governance in place to monitor those exchanges and the purposes to which data can be used or retained.
In the event that the Home Office and HMRC undertake an exchange in relation to applications for indefinite leave to remain, the processes in place to uphold the data protection rights of migrants are the same as for all applicants. It is the responsibility of the Home Office to determine whether applications are successful or unsuccessful.
The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance on eligibility for the relief, which is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises, and self-catering accommodation.
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 government is committed to ensuring good public service pension provision, but this has to be affordable and sustainable in the long term.
The main public sector pension schemes – including the police pension scheme – were reformed following the recommendations of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, resulting in the introduction of the 2015 schemes.
The government is taking steps to remove discrimination on the grounds associated with the transitional protection arrangements, identified by the courts during the McCloud and Sargeant litigation. Eligible members will be offered a choice of scheme benefits for the remedy period for those in scope of the remedy and, from 1 April 2022, when the remedy period ends, all those in service in main unfunded schemes will be members of the reformed pension schemes, ensuring equal treatment from that point on. The government believes this is the most appropriate and proportionate way of ending the age discrimination identified.
The 2015 police pension scheme and the other reformed schemes are some of the most valuable available in the UK: backed by the taxpayer; index-linked; and offering guaranteed benefits on retirement; comparing very favourably to the typical private sector scheme.
The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery, including labour exploitation and ensuring that victims are identified early and provided with the support they need to rebuild their lives.
The safety of victims is paramount and is fully considered before any enforcement action is taken by Immigration Enforcement. All law enforcement officers, including immigration officers, receive training as part of their induction on spotting the signs of labour exploitation and modern slavery. Law enforcement bodies also work together to tackle the unscrupulous employers behind these cruel crimes. Immigration Enforcement is a key partner in taking action against employers who do not play by the rules.
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.
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.
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.
All L127 Fuzes were removed from service within the Army as of 31 December 2019.
They were removed from service following advice from the Defence Ordnance Safety Group due to the presence of Tetryl within the fuzes.
Abiding by International Humanitarian Law and the Law of Armed Conflict is of the utmost importance to this Government and is central to all of our military operations at home and overseas.
UK aircraft conducted a single strike on 12 June 2018. Ministry of Defence officials have cross referenced the village name with coordinates of that strike and established that they differ by approximately four miles and that the UK did not strike any buildings. Therefore, from the evidence available, we have no reason to believe that the UK was responsible for any civilian casualties on 12 June 2018.
As the Government has stated previously, we will always work closely with partners and civil society and investigate all credible claims that UK aircraft have been responsible for civilian casualties.
MHCLG has regular engagement with leaseholder groups and recognises the effect on residents living in high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding. That is why the Government is investing over £5 billion to remediate high rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding.
Mental health is one of the Government’s top priorities and we are working across Government to ensure that all people, regardless of their residential situation, get the help and support they need. Where residents of buildings fitted with flammable cladding need mental health support, they should make contact with their GP to discuss these issues so they may be referred to mental health services as appropriate. In addition, we are working with the NHS, Public Health England and MIND, to develop resources signposting all residents to key services to help those concerned about their mental health and financial situation.
The Government acknowledges that remediation of unsafe cladding is complex, and must be done properly so that it makes buildings and residents safe. However, we still expect remedial works to progress at pace and for building owners to take their responsibilities for making their buildings safe seriously. It is our expectation that building owners will have completed ACM remedial works on all high-rise residential buildings by the end of 2021. The Government has announced new measures that will protect leaseholders who have been affected by unsafe cladding, including a further £3.5 billion for remediation of unsafe cladding on buildings of 18m and above. With the £1.6 billion we had already committed, this now represents an unprecedented over £5 billion investment in building safety through which the Government will fund the cost of replacing unsafe cladding for leaseholders in residential buildings of 18 metres and over in England.
The Government has repeatedly said that building owners should step up and not pass these costs on to leaseholders. Where developers or building owners have been unable or unwilling to do so, the Government has stepped in, providing £1.6 billion for the removal of unsafe cladding on buildings of 18 metres and above. With the further £3.5 billion of grant funding recently announced, this will bring the amount provided to an unprecedented over £5 billion.
Buildings below 18 metres will not carry the same inherent risks as a building above 18 metres, however we do understand that some will need cladding remediation. We understand that many leaseholders in blocks below 18 metres are concerned about the cost of remediation, and we want to make sure the residents and leaseholders in these buildings have peace of mind and financial certainty.
To this end, we are establishing a generous financing scheme to ensure cladding removal can take place where required on buildings between 11 and 18 metres. The most a leaseholder will now have to pay towards remediating unsafe cladding is £50 per month.
The Building Safety Bill’s provisions will put the management of risk front and centre for buildings of 18 metres and above, and it is important that remediation is addressed using its proactive mechanisms for managing fire and structural safety risks, such as the Safety Case - which does have scope to look at historic defects. Remediation and costs to leaseholders should be dealt with in this context rather than within the Fire Safety Bill, to ensure legislation is coherent with the wider aims and scope of the new regime.
The new building safety regime will systematically address historical structural defects to buildings of 18 metres and above by requiring safety case reviews and reasonable improvements.
The Building Safety Bill was published in draft on 20 July 2020 and has recently undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the HCLG Select Committee. We are currently considering the Committee’s report and recommendations and will introduce the Bill in due course. We recognise that these are important public safety measures; that is why the Government is committed to progressing the Bill as quickly as possible, so that reforms can be implemented in a timely manner and residents can feel safe, and be safe, in their homes.
The Government intends to bring forward the English Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper in due course, detailing how the UK Government will partner with places across the UK to build a sustainable economic recovery.
The Government is continuing progress on devolution and recently announced the West Yorkshire devolution deal which, subject to parliamentary approval, will give the newly elected Mayor control over an annual £38 million investment fund, as well as new powers over transport, education and housing and planning.
As the Government has made clear, a Law Commission project on marriage and civil partnership is due to report later this year and is expected to present recommendations for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully.
Options being explored by the Law Commission as part of their review include offering couples greater flexibility over the form of their ceremony, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations and to provide a framework that could allow non-religious belief organisations, such as Humanists and independent celebrants, to conduct legally binding weddings.
The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage in light of the Law Commission's recommendations.
A Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission include offering couples greater flexibility to form their own ceremonies, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations, and powers to hold weddings remotely in a national emergency. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage in light of the Law Commission's recommendations.
Delivery of registration services falls to local authorities who continue to manage the demand for civil marriage within their respective geographical areas during recovery from the pandemic
A Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission include offering couples greater flexibility to form their own ceremonies, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations, and powers to hold weddings remotely in a national emergency. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.
As the Lord Chancellor said when he gave evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 8 December (https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1369/default/), the Government will publish the report of the Independent Review of Administrative Law. We will consider publication of submissions made to the Review consistent with the usual disclosure provisions.