Darren Henry

On Saturday 6^th January the Government announced a significant package of support that will be available to areas in England that have experienced exceptional localised flooding as a result of Storm Henk.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has activated the Flood Recovery Framework and its package of support measures include;

• Community Recovery Grant: Eligible Local Authorities will receive funding equivalent to £500 per flooded household to support local recovery efforts.
• Business Recovery Grant: DBT may provide eligible Local Authorities up to £2,500 per eligible small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), which has suffered severe impacts from flooding that cannot be recovered from insurance.
• Council Tax Discount: The Government will reimburse eligible Local Authorities for the cost of a 100% council tax discount for a minimum of three months.

Following approval from Defra’s Secretary of State, Defra has now also activated the Property Floods Resilience (PFR) Grant scheme and the Farming Recovery Fund.

The PFR Scheme is a package of funding for property owners directly flooded by a specific weather event that grants them up to £5,000 per property to install PFR measures. The Farming Recovery Fund pays out to farmers with uninsurable damage for grants of up to £25,000 for repair and reinstatement costs.

The PFR Scheme will be administered through local authorities, who will confirm application process to eligible households and businesses in the coming weeks.

Nottinghamshire County Council are eligible for the scheme and households and businesses interested in funding may contact them directly.

Pollinators are a priority for this Government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy’s provisions. We are addressing the pressures on wild and managed pollinators, restoring and creating habitat for them to thrive, raising awareness across society and strengthening the evidence base.

To manage pressures on pollinators associated with the use of pesticides, we operate a strict system of regulation, including a thorough risk assessment by our expert regulator, the Health and Safety Executive. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks – including to pollinators - are not authorised. With the Devolved Administrations, we are also consulting on the revised National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides. This lays out how we intend to support the uptake of integrated pest management, including to reduce risks to pollinators.

Our Healthy Bees Plan 2030, published in November 2020, works to improve honeybee health through better husbandry and knowledge sharing. The National Bee Unit carries out around 6,500 risk-based apiary inspections per year in England and Wales.

On habitat restoration and creation, Natural England estimates that the area of land covered by agri-environment scheme options delivering pollen and nectar for pollinators increased by 30,000 hectares between 2014 and 2019. We are also supporting nature recovery through our Green Recovery Challenge Fund, with three of the projects awarded in round 1 focusing specifically on pollinators.

We are building on these measures and projects in the design of the new Environmental Land Management scheme, which will help improve biodiversity and species’ status, and enable many more farmers and land managers to take positive action for pollinators and other farm wildlife.

To strengthen the evidence base, we work closely with leading academics and have introduced a national pollinator monitoring scheme across the whole of the UK, with trend estimates published annually as official statistics. To raise awareness and highlight the action that people take across the country, Defra coordinates a ‘Bees’ Needs’ campaign including public events, best practice advice and awards.

The Government wants a profitable and resilient farming sector. We will always champion our farmers and growers by supporting them to produce more of our great British food and drink, providing a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public.

At the outset of the pandemic, we introduced a number of measures to support our farming sectors through this difficult period. These included relaxing drivers’ hours, temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law and a dairy response fund to help those dairy farmers most in need of support. We have also worked closely with the dairy and horticulture sectors to address supply chain and labour issues.

We have been in close discussion with banks to ensure the farming sector has access to financial support to ease cashflow problems during this period, including through the HMG backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL), and the Bounce Back Loan scheme.

The Agriculture Bill provides the legislative basis for longer term transition to support investment in a more productive and sustainable farming sector.

It will allow us to introduce ambitious new land management schemes in England, based on the principle of "public money for public goods", so that we can reward farmers and land managers who protect our environment, improve animal welfare and produce high quality food in a more sustainable way. The Bill will also help farmers to stay competitive, with measures to increase productivity and invest in new technology.

Last week, Defra and the Department for International Trade launched a package of support that will offer immediate support to help agriculture, food and drink businesses grow their trade activity overseas. This will help producers, manufacturers and agri-tech companies across the food supply chain, from farm to fork.

Nottinghamshire saw one of wettest Autumns on record and received almost three times the monthly average of rainfall from Storm Dennis. More recently, flooding from thunderstorms in June 2020 impacted similar locations, including Trowell and Beeston. The Environment Agency has been working closely with all concerned parties in Nottinghamshire’s local community, and particularly with local councillors from Broxtowe Borough Council in the Trowell area, to better understand flooding related issues.

In July 2018 the Government published the Surface Water Management Action Plan (SWMAP). This SWMAP sets out the steps the Government is taking, with the Environment Agency and others, to manage the risk of surface water flooding. As part of this, in July 2019, the Government commissioned an independent review of the arrangements for determining responsibility for surface water and drainage assets.

The Government is currently investing £2.6 billion to deliver more than 1,000 flood defence projects to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. In Nottinghamshire, we have invested £38.8 million in flood defences between 2010 and 2019, providing better protection for around 14,400 homes. At the Budget in March, it was confirmed that Government will double the amount it invests in the flood and coastal defence programme in England to £5.2 billion over six years from 2021, better protecting a further 336,000 properties, including 290,000 homes.

HM Government has made it clear that any future trade deals must work for British consumers, farmers and companies. We are proud of our high standards in food safety and these will not be weakened.?High standards and high quality are what our domestic and global customers demand, and that is what we?will?provide.

It is vital that we explore new trading opportunities, but these should not mean a dilution of the standards for which British food is world-renowned. The EU Withdrawal Act transfers all existing EU food safety provisions on to the statute book and we remain firmly committed to upholding our high food safety standards.

We have been working closely with local and regional stakeholders including Midlands Connect and the East Midlands Development Company to support the regeneration plans for the area. We will continue to do so in assessing the implications of Network North.

The Government is investing at least £100m of capital funding in active travel infrastructure over the next two years, including for mini-Holland schemes.

Further funding to local authorities for active travel schemes in 2023/24 onwards will be announced later in the year.

The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping those with severe mobility issues. In order to qualify for a Blue Badge, a person needs to meet one of the eligibility criteria set out in the regulations that govern the scheme.

There are several automatic qualifying criteria, such as receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance or an award of Personal Independence Payment under specific mobility criteria. There is no mobility component in Attendance Allowance, difficulty in walking must therefore be established through further assessment.

The Secretary of State has committed £500 million to deliver smart motorway safety improvements across the strategic road network (SRN), delivered by Highways England through an 18-point Action Plan published in March 2020. The Action Plan includes the faster rollout of a radar-based, stopped vehicle detection (SVD) system across the all lane running motorway network, and a national and targeted communications campaigns to further increase awareness and understanding.

The Secretary of State has asked for a one-year on report from Highways England setting out progress in delivering the 18-point Action Plan and identifying actions that can be delivered early. He has asked for the report by 12 March 2021 so any accelerated works can be rapidly put in place.

East Midlands Railway will introduce additional trains in 2021 to bring more carriages on regional routes and a fully refurbished fleet is planned. The £1.5 billion investment to deliver the Midland Mail Line Upgrade will enable at least a 70 per cent increase in seats and quicker peak journeys to London for the Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands.

In England as a whole, we are currently delivering a significant programme of investment to upgrade both the infrastructure and the trains on our railway. The Government is committed to invest around £48 billion in maintaining and upgrading the rail network in the period from 2019 to 2024, focused on increasing reliability and punctuality for passengers.

The Department’s plan for jobs provides funding to ensure that more jobseekers of all ages get tailored support, including to reskill or pivot sectors. This includes programmes such as the Job Finding Support service, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) and the Restart scheme, to help them find work. The JETS scheme in particular helps jobseekers update their digital skills, job searching tools and to identify transferrable skills, which has been extended to September 2022.

Additionally, as part of the £500m Plan for Jobs expansion, we are funding a new enhanced support package for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in and return to work. This offer has two strands – Older workers will receive better information and guidance on later life planning, helping them make informed choices and supporting them to plan their career and remain in work. For those who have lost their jobs, this funding will ensure that older job seekers on Universal Credit receive more intensive, tailored support as they look to take the next step in their career. A network of 50 Plus Champions across all 37 Jobcentre Plus districts will enable and encourage work coaches to direct suitable Plan for Jobs and local support to claimants aged 50 and over

The UK government are also investing £2.5 billion in the National Skills Fund in England to aid The Lifetime Skills Guarantee. From April 2021, adults of any age over 24 who are looking to achieve their first full Level 3 will be able to access fully funded courses which will give them new skills and greater prospects in the labour market. The free online Skills Toolkit also provides online learning focused on digital, numeracy and employability skills.

I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues to ensure that we provide appropriate support to individuals who have lost their jobs and are looking for employment.

The current package of measures includes Job Finding Support, Sector Based Work Academies, Job Entry Targeted Support and the Kickstart scheme.

There are varied and complex reasons behind a person’s homelessness and that is why it is DWP’s priority to ensure homeless people get the appropriate support they need to move into work so they can succeed and move on with their lives. There is a range of support available for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and this includes help for people to make a Universal Credit claim and access the Jobcentre Plus employment offer.

Work Coaches take into account the individual circumstances and capabilities of homeless claimants, with conditionality requirements tailored to their specific needs, as set out in their Claimant Commitment. Work Coaches can apply easements to work-related requirements if someone is homeless, or is at risk of homelessness, to allow them time to arrange alternative accommodation. Easements take the form of a specified period where the requirement to be available, looking for and able to take up work is “switched off” and linked to a review of any other requirements.

From October 2018, Jobcentres in England are legally required to offer a voluntary referral to claimants who may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority of the claimant’s choice. This earlier intervention is intended to give people the stability they need to move into, and remain in, work. The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) of the Local Housing Allowance applies to claimants who are under 35, living on their own, and renting privately, regardless of the size of property that they rent. However, there are exemptions from the SAR for the most vulnerable, including those aged 25 to 34, who have spent at least three months which do not need to have been continuous, in a homeless hostel/hostels specialising in rehabilitating and resettling within the community. We are making changes to this exemption from October 2023, removing the lower limit to include all those under the age of 35 who meet this criteria. Early policy and delivery work has begun to deliver these measures and the necessary legislation will be taken forward in due course. For individuals who may require more support and whose circumstances may make it difficult for them to share accommodation, Discretionary Housing Payments are available.

Homeless people have priority access to the Work and Health Programme, so people with experience of homelessness receive support at the earliest opportunity. At a local level, Jobcentres work in partnership with local authorities and homeless organisations to sign-post homeless claimants to housing services and other specialised support.

Pharmacies that want to provide National Health Service pharmaceutical service must submit an application to the integrated care board (ICB). ICBs determine applications having regard to Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNAs), undertaken by local authorities. Applications can also be made to provide benefits that were not foreseen in the PNA. If the applicant or another contractor wishes to appeal the decision of the ICB, then they can appeal the decision. Appeals are dealt with by NHS Resolution on behalf of my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Together with Community Pharmacy England, the representative body of all pharmacy contractors in England, we keep the market entry system and underpinning processes under review, and streamline and expedite the processes where possible. For example, in May 2023, we removed the requirement for an applicant to provide fitness information if they already operate another pharmacy in the area, and the ICB already holds their up-to-date fitness information, and shortened the work history that needs to be provided to the last seven years. Applicants can also speed up the process by ensuring they provide all the right information with their application in a timely manner.

On 1 April 2022, the Government issued updated public health advice for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This set out measures for this patient group, including additional doses of COVID-19 vaccinations, eligibility for targeted antivirals and other therapeutics and guidance on protective behaviours. Those aged over 65 years old with symptoms who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for pulse oximetry at home, which can enable timely hospital treatment if required. This is also available to people under 65 years old who are at higher risk or where clinical judgement applies.

Those aged over 75 years old have been eligible for an additional booster vaccination in spring 2022, including people in care homes for older people and also those aged 12 years old and over with a weakened immune system. On 19 May 2022, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published interim advice on an autumn booster programme, which states that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in autumn 2022 to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those aged 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16 to 64 years old in a clinical risk group. The JCVI continues to review additional COVID-19 vaccinations for other groups and definitions of clinical risk groups. Its final advice on eligibility for the autumn programme will be available in due course. The Government continues to assess the current situation and the risks posed by COVID-19.

The UK Health Security Agency’s COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report shows that as of 21 April 2022, vaccine uptake among those identified as severely immunosuppressed was 95.7% for at least one dose, 94.5% for at least two doses and 88.1% for at least three doses. NHS England’s COVID Therapeutics data for the week ending 22 May 2022 shows that the number of non-hospitalised people in England who have received antivirals or neutralising monoclonal antibody treatments is 45,745. The Office for National Statistics’ survey ‘Coronavirus and clinically extremely vulnerable people in England’ published on 13 May shows that 81% of respondents were aware of guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk. We have no plans to make a further assessment of the current measures which are in place.

We have sought to balance protecting staff and patients by setting minimum thresholds of National Health Service dental activity. The current threshold is 85%. Thresholds have reflected both attainment by the best performing practices and the impact of necessary infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures. The dentistry IPC guidance is based on national guidance for health and care settings, which is regularly updated to reflect the current evidence base. The latest version of the ‘COVID-19: infection prevention and control dental appendix’ was published in March 2022.

In addition, £50 million for NHS dentistry was made available in the last quarter of 2021/22 to provide access to dental appointments. NHS dentists have been asked to prioritise available capacity for urgent care, care for vulnerable groups and children followed by overdue appointments.

The United Kingdom has provided more than two million items of medical supplies to Ukraine as of 18 March 2022. We have delivered over 300,000 individual doses of medicines, as well as medical consumables such as syringes and needles. Further delivery of medicines to Ukraine is continuing, including several thousand doses of insulin.