Danielle Rowley

Goal 10 is to reduce inequality within and between countries, and so responsibility for delivery is shared across Government. For example, the Office for Disability Issues in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) leads on disability policy, the Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office is key to our approach on race equality, DWP and HM Treasury are responsible for addressing income inequality within the UK, and the Department for International Development leads on tackling inequality between countries.

To aid transparency, all Departments are expected to set out how their activity aligns to the Goals in their Single Departmental Plans. The Government Equalities Office is coordinating reporting for Goal 10 across Government for the Voluntary National Review this year.

The Government is clear that unwanted conduct in the workplace that violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile or degrading environment is unacceptable. Legal protection from such harassment in the workplace exists through the Equality Act 2010.

The Government is considering the recommendations made by the Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) in its inquiry report into sexual harassment in the workplace, and will respond to these in due course.

The Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 requires all public authorities to have due regard to equality considerations in exercising their functions. This includes the decisions Government Departments take before implementing policy and legislation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will review the operation of the Pubs Code for the period of 21 July 2016 to 31 March 2019. The Government is currently considering the format of the review and will ensure all those with an interest, including tenants and pub companies, have an opportunity to contribute.

The Government does not hold information the information requested.

The Government recognises the important role pubs play in local communities. My Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at Autumn Budget 2018 that the Government was freezing beer duties for the second consecutive year as beer makes up close to 50% of pub sales. Many pubs are also benefitting from the business rates retail discount, announced at Budget 2018, which cuts bills by one third for retail properties with a rateable value below £51,000 from April 2019, as well as wider reforms and reductions to business rates.

The change to stakes will be delivered through secondary legislation.

We intend to lay the draft affirmative regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in the Autumn term.

A date for implementation of the change will be announced in due course.

Ministers have regular meetings with stakeholders to discuss a range of issues including the stake reduction on B2 machines. Details of Ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk

As the Government's response to the Consultation on proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures set out on 17th May, a key priority for implementation will be engaging with the gambling industry to ensure that there is an appropriate lead-in period to enable technological changes needed for the reduction in maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals to be completed.

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Alongside the response to the consultation, the Government also published an Impact Assessment (IA) which set out the costs and benefits associated with this policy. The IA can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

In England, the department have taken focussed action to increase the take-up of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects after the age of 16. Whilst we have seen the number of girls taking STEM A levels increase by 18 per cent since 2010, there is still more to do.

That is why we are investing in programmes to encourage take up in STEM-related subjects and courses, including announcing substantial spending commitments in the Autumn Budget 2017 on mathematics, digital skills and technical education. For example:

• to increase the take-up of mathematics (such as a new post-16 mathematics premium), computing and physics;
• to support better teaching of mathematics, science and computing in schools, including a new £84 million programme to improve computing teaching, with a particular focus on girls.

We are also improving STEM careers advice in schools in the recently published ‘Careers strategy: making the most of everyone’s skills and talents’. For example, we support wider government initiatives such as the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s STEM Ambassador programme. The STEM Ambassador programme represents a network of over 30,000 volunteers from scientific research and business who visit schools, Further Education colleges and youth or science clubs, encouraging participation in STEM and providing real-life examples of careers in STEM. 42 per cent of the ambassadors are women, providing visible role models for girls wishing to pursue STEM.

We are taking action to address gender disparities in the take up of STEM-related apprenticeships through a range of activities. These include taking part in the Year of Engineering 2018 and use of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network. We have also made it easier for part-time workers to undertake apprenticeships, such as those with caring responsibilities and lone parents.

As apprenticeships and skills are devolved matters, statistics provided are for England only. Women have accounted for over half of apprenticeship starts in recent years (53.4 per cent in 2016/17, 52.8 per cent in 2015/16, 53.0 per cent in 2014/15).

The number of starts in STEM apprenticeships (both male and female) has grown from 95,000 in 2012/13 to 112,000 in 2016/17, when they accounted for 22.6% of all starts. The proportion of STEM apprenticeship starts by female learners was 7.7% in 2014/15, 8.3% in 2015/16 and 8.2% in 2016/17.

We are taking action to address gender disparities in the take up of STEM-related apprenticeships through a range of activities. These include taking part in the Year of Engineering 2018 and use of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA) Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network (ADCN). We have also made it easier for part-time workers to undertake apprenticeships, such as those with caring responsibilities and lone parents.

Since being established last year, the ADCN has advocated activity around championing women in STEM apprenticeships to address this issue, including developing best practice to share across employers.

We are also taking action in regard to employers and career advice. Working with employers, we are taking action to help inform the decisions girls make about their future education and career choices. We are undertaking work to assess the breadth and effectiveness of current careers provision in schools and colleges on STEM, and evaluating approaches to careers provision to encourage girls to consider jobs in STEM industries. Finally, we are involved with wider government work such as Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s STEM Ambassador programme.

Defra funded a 5-year-long study to investigate the potential harm caused by microplastics in the marine environment. On the basis of the results of this study, last year we introduced one of the world’s strongest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products. Microbeads, like other microplastics, do not biodegrade and therefore accumulate in the environment.

To address the evidence gaps surrounding other sources of microplastics, we are funding research by the University of Plymouth into textiles and tyres which are estimated to be significant sources of microplastics in the marine environment.

Water infrastructure is an important pathway for contaminants, including microplastics, to enter the aquatic environment. We are working with water companies and researchers to understand the scale of the issue, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment systems at removing microplastics and assess the impacts of microplastics in aquatic environments.

Our priority will continue to be preventing plastic entering the environment in the first place and eliminating avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan. The Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate avoidable plastic waste. We will take action at each stage of the product lifecycle: production, consumption and end of life.

This Government is taking action to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. We have introduced one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, and have significantly reduced the use of plastic bags by around 86% with our 5p carrier bag charge. We recognise that more needs to be done, which is why we have set out an ambitious approach in our 25 Year Environment Plan.

The Resources and Waste Strategy, published December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. We will take action at each stage of the product lifecycle: production, consumption and end of life. At the production stage, this includes encouraging producers to take more responsibility for the environmental impact of their products and making sure plastic items are more carefully designed. At the consumer stage we want to reduce demand for single-use plastic. At the end of life stage, we will make it easier for people to recycle and increase the amount of plastic being recycled.

The Government has set out proposals to reform the current packaging producer responsibility regulations, invoking the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle to financially incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of packaging they place on the market. This includes mechanisms to incentivise better design, encourage the use of recycled material and ensure that producers pay the full costs of disposal for packaging they place on the market. These measures aim to reduce the amount of unnecessary and difficult to recycle packaging and increase the amount of packaging that can and is recycled, including plastic packaging. We are currently consulting on these proposals in conjunction with the Scottish Government. The consultation will close on 13 May and can be accessed at: www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-plans-to-overhaul-waste-system.

The Government has been very clear that leaving the EU will not lead to a lowering of our high animal welfare standards, and is making good on our commitment to make the UK a world leader in the care and protection of animals as we leave the EU.

Our regulatory system will offer at least the same level of assurance of animal welfare following our departure from the EU as it does now. The EU Withdrawal Act will ensure that existing EU standards are maintained once we leave the EU. For instance, existing bans on imports of chlorinated chicken and hormone beef have been transferred into UK law and will remain in place after we leave.

We are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward. These include plans to increase maximum penalties for animal cruelty from six months’ to five years’ imprisonment. We are also considering what more can be done to improve animal welfare standards in the context of our future agricultural policy and are looking to control exports of live animals for slaughter.

The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the right of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Government is aware that there is public interest about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way. Where meat is labelled as halal or kosher this must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer.

The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food and this is an issue that we are considering in the context of our departure from the EU.

The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter but respects the right of the Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Government is aware that there is public interest about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way. Where meat is labelled as halal or kosher this must be accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer.

The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food and this is an issue that we are considering in the context of our departure from the EU.