Craig Williams

Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, has put in place arrangements that will enable students to receive a grade wherever possible.

The calculated grades awarded this summer will be formal grades, with the same status as grades awarded in any other year. They will therefore be accepted by all institutions.

University representatives have already confirmed that they expect universities to do all they can to support students and ensure they can progress to higher education.

Students who cannot get a grade or would like the opportunity to improve their grades will be able to sit exams in the autumn.

There are no current plans to exempt vari-gauge bags from the single use plastic bag charge.

The agri-food sector is worth over £100bn and employs one in eight people. The food and drink manufacturing sector – largest in the UK - exported nearly £19bn last year, including chocolates to Belgium, pork to China and chillies to India.

Supporting and encouraging businesses to take the opportunities that exporting presents is one of my Department’s top priorities. Officials are working with the industry and UKTI to develop a new Action Plan.

We want the Conference to raise significant new funding to help those affected by the crisis, both to support immediate and longer term humanitarian needs but also jobs and getting Syrian refugee children into school. The Conference also aims to reaffirm the international community’s commitment to protect civilians from harm and the need for unfettered, impartial humanitarian access inside Syria.

The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship and the pharmaceutical sector is strategically important for the United Kingdom. Whilst it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions at this stage, we are committed to working towards a smooth transition for businesses to minimise disruption to exports and investment as we leave the EU.

The private concession will end once Severn River Crossing PLC have recovered an agreed amount of revenue from users. This amount is £1,028,910,000 (in July 1989 prices). We expect this revenue to be fully recovered some time between late 2017 and early 2018, depending on traffic flows, and both crossings will return to public ownership after that.

The timing of any potential installation of free-flow tolling has yet to be decided. If following the consultation it is decided to further consider the case for free-flow then we will set out the further steps necessary and this may lead to a further consultation on its implementation.

The Government remains absolutely committed to delivering the benefits to passengers of improved services while ensuring we get maximum value for the taxpayer.

We are making good progress on work to electri‎fy the Great Western main line to Cardiff; and passengers will be able to look forward to improved journeys with more seats when the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains come into service.

The £30m Low Emission Bus Scheme (LEBS) was the first time operators and local authorities in Wales were eligible to apply for funding for low emission buses. We were overbid by four times the amount of funding available, and we were unable to fund the majority of the bids received due to the strong competition. The scheme received four Welsh bids, one of which was successful. Unfortunately, due to reasons entirely separate from the fund, the bidder had to withdraw their application.

The Information Sharing to Tackle Violence (ISTV) programme is a Department of Health-funded cross-government programme informed by the Cardiff Model and designed to reduce knife, gun and all other violent forms of crime. It is a key deliverable for the Government in addressing crime.

Collecting data on serious violent incidents is a requirement on Type 1 accident and emergency (A&E) services. Non-confidential ISTV data is shared with local Community Safety Partnership (CSP) colleagues for use as a basis for crime prevention strategies. High quality information from hospitals can be used by CSPs to tackle all forms of violence through local interventions such as targeted policing or applying licensing restrictions to bars and clubs. The Department published “Information Sharing to Tackle Violence Guidance for Community Safety Partnerships on engaging with the NHS” (2012) which included practical tools and guidance for CSP partners.

The Department secured funding for the Violence Reduction Nurse project which aims to implement the ISTV data standard consistently across hospitals in England. Since 2015 this has covered the costs of 12 Violence Reduction Nurses who alongside their other duties work to set up systems within their own A&E and to support up to 20 more hospitals in their region to adopt the information standard. Public Health England is supporting the standardisation of data collection, including injury data, in Emergency Departments through the Emergency Care Data Set.

The Government recognises that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) help smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and that we continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. For this reason, the Department welcomes the new rules set out in the revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which will apply in the United Kingdom from 20 May 2016.

The Government has taken a minimal approach to transposition of the TPD provisions on e-cigarette advertising into UK law, taking into account existing European case law. The Directive requires a prohibition of e-cigarette advertising in certain media such as TV and newspapers and online, but not for example on billboards. The provisions are compatible with the right to an individual’s freedom of speech and do not prevent individuals’ independent reviews on social media or internet forums. These provisions are enacted by The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016/507 and changes to the Office of Communications Broadcast Codes.

The Department will work in close partnership with the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards, including on the need for further guidance for businesses, especially in the first year of implementation to build compliance with the new requirements.

The Government recognises that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) help smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and that we continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. For this reason, the Department welcomes the new rules set out in the revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which will apply in the United Kingdom from 20 May 2016.

The Government has taken a minimal approach to transposition of the TPD provisions on e-cigarette advertising into UK law, taking into account existing European case law. The Directive requires a prohibition of e-cigarette advertising in certain media such as TV and newspapers and online, but not for example on billboards. The provisions are compatible with the right to an individual’s freedom of speech and do not prevent individuals’ independent reviews on social media or internet forums. These provisions are enacted by The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016/507 and changes to the Office of Communications Broadcast Codes.

The Department will work in close partnership with the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards, including on the need for further guidance for businesses, especially in the first year of implementation to build compliance with the new requirements.

The Government recognises that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) help smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and that we continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. For this reason, the Department welcomes the new rules set out in the revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which will apply in the United Kingdom from 20 May 2016.

The Government has taken a minimal approach to transposition of the TPD provisions on e-cigarette advertising into UK law, taking into account existing European case law. The Directive requires a prohibition of e-cigarette advertising in certain media such as TV and newspapers and online, but not for example on billboards. The provisions are compatible with the right to an individual’s freedom of speech and do not prevent individuals’ independent reviews on social media or internet forums. These provisions are enacted by The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016/507 and changes to the Office of Communications Broadcast Codes.

The Department will work in close partnership with the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards, including on the need for further guidance for businesses, especially in the first year of implementation to build compliance with the new requirements.

The UK will donate 100 million vaccine doses over the next year, with 80% to go to COVAX. As of 9 August, the UK has donated 10.3 million doses, of which 4 million have been given bilaterally. We are aware of the challenges associated with storing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in hard-to-reach communities. Resilient supply chains are essential, and cold chain equipment can bring capacity to this critical global challenge.

The UK's direct funding on COVID-19 vaccines has focused on vaccine development and procurement. For delivery, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) has been engaging Multilateral Development Banks to make funds available to countries as part of a combined $29 billion COVID-19 financing envelope that can support vaccine procurement. Gavi has also raised $775 million to support vaccine delivery. The FCDO is also active in the UNICEF-convened Country Readiness and Delivery Working Group to drive coordination across donor and international organisation delivery programming. We are specifically engaging through our humanitarian networks to ensure that delivery planning and financing addresses the challenges of delivery in fragile environments.

The UK has stood up for Israel when it faces bias and unreasonable criticism, and has been clear that the existence of a dedicated agenda item ('Item 7') damages the prospect for a two-state solution and does little to advance dialogue, stability or mutual understanding. As such, at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2019 we moved to voting against all resolutions under Item 7. However, the UN and its member states have every right to address issues of concern in a measured, balanced and proportionate way. We will continue to support scrutiny of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the Human Rights Council, so long as it is justified, proportionate, and not proposed under Item 7.

Publication of the interim report is not currently foreseen by the EU. The UK has repeatedly lobbied the EU to push for publication, but this is ultimately a decision for the EU.

The current violence makes the environment in Israel and the Occupied Territories less conducive to peace. It also underlines that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We are urging all parties to de-escalate current tensions.

On 10 November the British Bankers’ Association published Professor Russel Griggs’ independent ‘one year on’ review of the Access to Banking Protocol. The government is pleased to see that the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by bank branch closures. While the decision to close a branch remains a commercial judgement for banks, the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible.

The Government will publicise the scheme in good time ahead of its introduction through a range of digital and non-digital channels.

HM Revenue and Customs will also work with the childcare industry and representative groups who interact regularly with parents to raise awareness of the scheme.

We do not anticipate that the review of Atos contracts will affect the preparations for the launch of Tax-Free Childcare. The Cabinet Office will write to the PAC summarising the findings of the review and it will be completed in summer 2016.

Tax-Free Childcare will be launched from early 2017. To roll out the scheme in a safe and managed way, we will be gradually opening up the scheme to all eligible parents within 12 months.

We will provide further details of the exact plans for this rollout in due course and in good time for parents and childcare providers to prepare for the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare.

The Extended Area Sites (EAS) are being built in the most remote and rural areas of Great Britain to supplement the infrastructure provided for the Emergency Services Network (ESN) by EE.

When an Extended Area Site (EAS) site is activated, it will be able to handle Emergency Service Network calls and data transmission. On the majority of sites, it will also be available for EE’s commercial customers to use.

Wherever possible, the design of mast structures will be future-proofed so they can easily be upgraded to offer a commercial service. We will make all 292 EAS sites available, where possible, for mobile network operators to deploy on them as part of the Shared Rural Network although we recognise that, in some cases, upgrades may not be possible due to technical, financial, or other reasons. I can confirm that 117 sites meet the criteria to be utilised as part of the shared Rural Network with work ongoing on the status of the remaining sites.

Fraud is a heinous crime which can have a devastating effect on individuals, families and the most vulnerable members of society. That is why this Government launched the Joint Fraud Taskforce last February with law enforcement and banks, and has committed to spending £1.9bn over the next five years on cyber security, including to tackle cyber enabled fraud. The Taskforce is working to protect the public from fraudsters, to maximise every opportunity to catch the criminals and to help victims.

The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will deploy for the first time in 2021, providing tangible reassurance and security to our friends and credible deterrence to those who seek to undermine global security. During this autumn the CSG will be tested through a series of increasingly demanding exercises with allies so that by the end of this year we can declare with full confidence that the CSG has met Initial Operating Capability and is ready for operations.

Statutory guidance to the Building Regulations in Approved Document A Structure states that wall ties should be made of stainless steel (which is considered to be corrosion resistant) and have a minimum embedment length in each wall leaf of 50mm.

The Department has not issued any guidance to home owners, as identification, investigation and specifying repairs of corroded wall ties are specialist technical matters that are best left to a structural engineer or building surveyor. It is also likely that the building insurer will be involved.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has been proud to celebrate religious festivities and significant dates with our faith communities for many years. Our usual practice is to issue a celebratory message, alongside the Prime Minister, and attend community events where feasible. Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office mark faith events throughout the year by holding receptions for faith leaders, dignitaries, international guests and community representatives, which DCLG Ministers attend. We will, in partnership with Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, consider our detailed plans for Hanukkah later in the year.

We are committed to helping vulnerable and intimidated witnesses give their best possible evidence so that offenders are brought to justice.

A range of measures exist to help reduce the anxiety of going to court. These include giving evidence away from the court room, from behind a screen or via an intermediary.

We announced on 15 September that the pre-recording of cross examination of vulnerable victims and witnesses away from the court room will be rolled-out to all Crown Courts from early 2017.

Options for improving protections for the vulnerable in the family justicy system are now being considered as part of work on wider family justice strategy.

Education is key to helping prisoners turn their lives around and in particular to securing employment which we know reduces reoffending. We realise that many prisoners have led challenging lives and may have missed out on the opportunity to learn. For example nearly one third struggle with learning difficulties or disabilities and only a quarter enter employment on release. Dame Sally Coates was asked to lead an independent review of education in prisons. This was published on 18th May 2016 and we have accepted in principle all the recommendations made.

I have had many online meetings with Welsh Government ministers over recent months, including several discussions with Ken Skates, the Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales.

These discussions have covered multiple topics, including the support that is being made available through Local Authorities to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The finances of local authorities in Wales is devolved and is a matter for the Welsh Government.

We have worked closely with the Welsh Government to enable the UK’s armed forces to play a vital role. Our servicemen and women have worked tirelessly to help build hospitals, drive ambulances and get PPE where it is needed most. This is testament to how strong we are as a United Kingdom.

I met Ken Skates, Minster for Transport and Economy for the Welsh Government last week and we discussed opportunities to improve transport across the border.

Hosting the final of the world’s biggest annual sporting event will undoubtedly bring a huge economic benefit to the whole of Wales. It is estimated it will bring £45m into the Cardiff economy alone and the eyes of the world will be on Wales with an anticipated global TV audience of around 180 million. That is why the UK Government played a critical part by providing the required guarantees to UEFA.

Inward investment continues to thrive in Wales. 2015/16 was the second best year on record for inward investment, with 97 new projects in Wales. These inward investment projects were from companies based in 23 countries around the world.

UK Government recognises the significant value to the Welsh economy from these investments - at least £660m - creating wider economic benefits, jobs and new business opportunities for Welsh companies through supply chains.

Lordan UK Ltd’s £1million investment into Wales is an example of the new investment opportunities that have arisen since the Israeli business delegation visit to Wales in 2015, which has generated further job and business growth.