David Amess

DECC officials and ministers will continue to discuss, with a range of stakeholders, the options for buildings to contribute to reducing carbon and tackling fuel poverty. Our approach is to consider the overall use of energy in buildings, and not energy efficiency or heat in isolation.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the European Commissioner for Trade in November, requesting ending the minimum import price.

The UK Clinical Health Research Analysis (2015) shows that, in 2014, the combined government spend on medical research into eye disease, development and function was £15.1m, or 1.2% of public funding on health research. The report is available at http://www.hrcsonline.net/pages/uk-health-research-analysis-2014 (page 95).

The Research Councils account for approximately half of this expenditure and support research in response to proposals from the academic community. They welcome high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health which are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.

Issues on matters of conscience have, by tradition, been the subject of a free vote in the House of Commons.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr Flynn) on 3 February 2015, UIN 222484.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr Flynn) on 3 February 2015, UIN 222484.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr Flynn) on 3 February 2015, UIN 222484.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport West (Mr Flynn) on 3 February 2015, UIN 222484.

The Government works closely with Tony Blair in his capacity as the Quartet's Special Representative in our joint efforts to support the Middle East Peace Process. Both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development have regular engagement with Tony Blair including most recently our Ambassador to Bahrain during Tony Blair’s visit on 28 January to Bahrain. I have had discussions with Tony Blair in his capacity as Quartet Representative on a number of occasions, most recently by telephone on 25 May 2014.

Last week I announced a £46.1 million extension to the South East LEPs Growth Deal, which brings total Growth Deal investment in the South East to over £488 million. This investment will have a direct and significant impact in Southend and provides for the further expansion of London Southend Airport onto a 55-acre site to create a high end Business Park, 858 homes and up to 2600 new jobs.

This expanded Growth Deal builds on the successes of the Southend City Deal which, is predicted to secure direct business support for over 1,000 businesses.

I refer my hon. Friend to my exchange of correspondence with Sir John Chilcot on 20 January 2015, copies of which are available on the Inquiry website. I have attached copies of the correspondence here and placed in the Library of the House.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) on 21 January 2015, Official Report, column 215.

I have had no such representations. There are no plans to establish a national cemetery.

I have had no such representations. There are no plans to establish a national cemetery.

For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the Departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members, with the case title ‘Fuel Poverty'. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned fuel poverty in the private rented sector. The average time taken to reply was 21 working days.

In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members, with the case title ‘Warm Homes'. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. The average time taken to reply was 13 working days.

An initial search of the correspondence system relating to ‘disconnections' of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

Copies of the relevant correspondence will be placed in the Library of the House.

DECC do not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore, providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.

For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the Departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title ‘Fuel Poverty'. In the period since May 2010, 657 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 264 of these were from individuals, and 77 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title ‘Warm Homes'. In the period since May 2010, 176 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 33 of these were from individuals and 11 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

An initial search of the correspondence system relating to ‘disconnections' of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.

DECC do not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore, providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.

The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 has been amended through the Energy Act 2013. In line with the provisions of the amended Act, the Government will lay draft Regulations in Parliament setting out a new fuel poverty objective for England. Once the new objective has been made in Regulations, we will publish a strategy for meeting that objective.

Both my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and I receive representations and meet with stakeholders regularly to discuss a range of issues relating to fuel poverty. For example, we attend meetings of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group when possible, most recently in April 2014.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, ministers and officials have regular contact with counterparts from other Government Departments, including HM Treasury, on a range of issues, including fuel poverty.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry's final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Issues on matters of conscience have, by tradition, been the subject of a free vote in the House of Commons.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Iraq Inquiry is independent of Government. Meetings held by the Inquiry, and the Maxwellisation process, are a matter for the Inquiry Committee.

A breakdown of costs incurred by the Inquiry, and information on the size and makeup of its Secretariat are published on the Inquiry’s website and updated after the end of each financial year. The Government has assured the Inquiry it would have the resources necessary to do its job properly.

The Iraq Inquiry has submitted requests to declassify material from government documents throughout the life of the Inquiry. Government considers each request once it has been received, under the terms of the Protocol between the Iraq Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding Documents and Other Written and Electronic Information, available through the Inquiry’s website.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

Since 2011, details of contracts above the value of £10,000 have been published on the Contracts Finder website (http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk).

In addition, this policy extends to Cabinet Office expenditure over £25,000, which is published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data

Energy suppliers that are obligated to participate in the Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme cover 94% of the market for domestic customers. Suppliers that are not obligated under the scheme can participate voluntarily. Last winter, three suppliers volunteered under the scheme. We estimate that the number of customers beyond those 18 suppliers that would have been automatically eligible for WHD last winter is roughly 60,000. There is a set spending envelope for WHD and increasing the number of obligated suppliers would not in itself increase the number of households receiving the rebate. We have recently completed a consultation on the next phase of WHD, including the obligation thresholds, and are currently reviewing the responses.

Energy suppliers that are obligated to participate in the Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme cover 94% of the market for domestic customers. Suppliers that are not obligated under the scheme can participate voluntarily. Last winter, three suppliers volunteered under the scheme. We estimate that the number of customers beyond those 18 suppliers that would have been automatically eligible for WHD last winter is roughly 60,000. There is a set spending envelope for WHD and increasing the number of obligated suppliers would not in itself increase the number of households receiving the rebate. We have recently completed a consultation on the next phase of WHD, including the obligation thresholds, and are currently reviewing the responses.

The Government published the Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 on 21 January. The Evaluation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

The Government published the Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 on 21 January. The Evaluation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

On 21 January the Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015. You can find it here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493714/Evaluation_of_Gaming_Machine__Circumstances_of_Use___Amendment__Regulations_2015.pdf

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

On 21 January the Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015. You can find it here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493714/Evaluation_of_Gaming_Machine__Circumstances_of_Use___Amendment__Regulations_2015.pdf

The evaluation indicates that a large proportion of players of FOBTs may now be making a more conscious choice to control their playing behaviour and their stake level. We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

DCMS has spent the following amounts maintaining national memorials in each of the last three years. The Memorials Grant Scheme is available to charities and faith groups, and can be used for works involving war memorials. The scheme will be available until 31 March 2015.

The Government has announced this week that it will give the War Memorials Trust up to £3 million over the First World War centenary period to boost the funds available to local communities for the repair and conservation of war memorials. English Heritage, Imperial War Museums and Civic Voice will together be given £1.5 million over the same period to deliver better protection through Listing, a greater pool of specialist skills, a national register of war memorials, and a network of trained volunteers.

None. DCMS has no responsibility for cemeteries.

DCMS holds no records on the number or location of memorials to commemorate the war dead. Information about war memorials throughout the UK is held by both the Imperial War Museum and the War Memorials Trust. The Imperial War Museum is working with its partners to make this information more easily accessible to the public.

The DCMS-run Memorial Grant Scheme has a budget of £543,000 for this financial year. Grants are available to charities and faith groups, and can be used to repair and maintain war memorials. The Government has today announced that it will give the War Memorials Trust up to £3 million over the First World War centenary period to boost the funds available to local communities for the repair and conservation of war memorials. English Heritage, Imperial War Museums and Civic Voice will together be given £1.5 million over the same period to deliver better protection through Listing, a greater pool of specialist skills, a national register of war memorials, and a network of trained volunteers.

DCMS has spent the following amounts in each of the last 10 years maintaining national memorials:

The DCMS-run Memorial Grant Scheme has a budget of £543,000 for this financial year. Grants are available to charities and faith groups, and can be used to repair and maintain war memorials. The Government has today announced that it will give the War Memorials Trust up to £3 million over the First World War centenary period to boost the funds available to local communities for the repair and conservation of war memorials. English Heritage, Imperial War Museums and Civic Voice will together be given £1.5 million over the same period to deliver better protection through Listing, a greater pool of specialist skills, a national register of war memorials, and a network of trained volunteers.

DCMS has given the amounts set out from the Memorial Grant Scheme in each of the last 10 years:

The Government has no plans to bring forward further legislation relating to relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE).

Schools will be required to have regard to the statutory guidance for the subjects. The draft guidance sets out that when schools consult with parents on their relationships education and RSE policy they should provide examples of the resources that they plan to use when teaching, as this can be reassuring for parents. Schools must also ensure that lessons are appropriate to the age and religious backgrounds of pupils. The Department is supporting schools in the implementation of these subjects and expects this support to include advice on positive engagement with parents.

Ofsted reported on the quality of provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), which covers sex and relationship education, in its 2013 report. The Department is considering what further information on the provision of the new curriculum may be needed. The report can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/not-yet-good-enough-personal-social-health-and-economic-education.

In 2015, the Department published a paper highlighting the impact of the provision of PSHE. The evidence summary provided a high level overview of recent reviews of personal wellbeing education and interventions which could be applied during PSHE lessons, including sex education. The paper can be accessed here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412291/Personal_Social_Health_and_Economic__PSHE__Education_12_3.pdf.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. The Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000) includes education around abortion, and it is for schools to decide at what age it is appropriate to introduce the topic. The new draft statutory guidance covers intimate and sexual relationships, including choices in relation to pregnancy, and sets out that teaching should provide accurate, impartial information on all options, including keeping the baby, adoption, abortion and where to get further help. It also sets out that secondary pupils should be made aware of legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught. Schools may address abortion in other areas of the curriculum, such as religious education.

The content of the draft guidance was subject to a public consultation from July to November 2018 which attracted 11,000 online responses from a wide range of respondents including head teachers, teachers, parents and young people. The Government response to the consultation can be accessed here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.

The Government has no plans to bring forward further legislation relating to relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE).

Schools will be required to have regard to the statutory guidance for the subjects. The draft guidance sets out that when schools consult with parents on their relationships education and RSE policy they should provide examples of the resources that they plan to use when teaching, as this can be reassuring for parents. Schools must also ensure that lessons are appropriate to the age and religious backgrounds of pupils. The Department is supporting schools in the implementation of these subjects and expects this support to include advice on positive engagement with parents.

Ofsted reported on the quality of provision for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), which covers sex and relationship education, in its 2013 report. The Department is considering what further information on the provision of the new curriculum may be needed. The report can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/not-yet-good-enough-personal-social-health-and-economic-education.

In 2015, the Department published a paper highlighting the impact of the provision of PSHE. The evidence summary provided a high level overview of recent reviews of personal wellbeing education and interventions which could be applied during PSHE lessons, including sex education. The paper can be accessed here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412291/Personal_Social_Health_and_Economic__PSHE__Education_12_3.pdf.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. The Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000) includes education around abortion, and it is for schools to decide at what age it is appropriate to introduce the topic. The new draft statutory guidance covers intimate and sexual relationships, including choices in relation to pregnancy, and sets out that teaching should provide accurate, impartial information on all options, including keeping the baby, adoption, abortion and where to get further help. It also sets out that secondary pupils should be made aware of legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught. Schools may address abortion in other areas of the curriculum, such as religious education.

The content of the draft guidance was subject to a public consultation from July to November 2018 which attracted 11,000 online responses from a wide range of respondents including head teachers, teachers, parents and young people. The Government response to the consultation can be accessed here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. It is not compulsory in primary schools and will not be once the proposed new subjects of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education become compulsory. The statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance (2000) states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy that sets out the school’s approach to sex education and that they should consult their pupils’ parents on this, making the policy available to parents. It is for schools to determine what range of information they provide to parents, but they must have regard to statutory guidance.

The Government is now making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary state funded schools from September 2020.

All schools will be required to have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and for RSE. Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and is sensitive to their needs.

The key decisions on these subjects and the drafting of the guidance were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence was launched in December 2017 and received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools. The Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views and a broad range of evidence. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

The revised draft guidance was not shared publicly between the close of the consultation and it being finalised following decisions by Ministers in light of the consultation responses. It was only shared, under embargo, immediately in advance of publication with a small number of stakeholders to allow for communications on the day of publication.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. It is not compulsory in primary schools and will not be once the proposed new subjects of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education become compulsory. The statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance (2000) states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy that sets out the school’s approach to sex education and that they should consult their pupils’ parents on this, making the policy available to parents. It is for schools to determine what range of information they provide to parents, but they must have regard to statutory guidance.

The Government is now making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary state funded schools from September 2020.

All schools will be required to have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and for RSE. Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and is sensitive to their needs.

The key decisions on these subjects and the drafting of the guidance were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence was launched in December 2017 and received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools. The Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views and a broad range of evidence. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

The revised draft guidance was not shared publicly between the close of the consultation and it being finalised following decisions by Ministers in light of the consultation responses. It was only shared, under embargo, immediately in advance of publication with a small number of stakeholders to allow for communications on the day of publication.

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The new guidance for relationships, sex and health education says that teaching should cover contraception, developing intimate relationships and resisting pressure to have sex. Pupils should be taught what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in relationships. They should also be taught that there are many different legal provisions whose purpose is to protect young people and which ensure young people take responsibility for their actions. Pupils should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when topics such as abortion are being taught.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. It is not compulsory in primary schools and will not be once the proposed new subjects of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education become compulsory. The statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance (2000) states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy that sets out the school’s approach to sex education and that they should consult their pupils’ parents on this, making the policy available to parents. It is for schools to determine what range of information they provide to parents, but they must have regard to statutory guidance.

The Government is now making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in primary and secondary state funded schools from September 2020.

All schools will be required to have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and for RSE. Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and is sensitive to their needs.

The key decisions on these subjects and the drafting of the guidance were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence was launched in December 2017 and received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools. The Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views and a broad range of evidence. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

The revised draft guidance was not shared publicly between the close of the consultation and it being finalised following decisions by Ministers in light of the consultation responses. It was only shared, under embargo, immediately in advance of publication with a small number of stakeholders to allow for communications on the day of publication.

The department does not provide guidance to school governors regarding their potential liability for the welfare of pupils, under 16 years of age, who use emergency contraception supplied either on school premises, or as a result of referral made on school premises. The Governance Handbook was updated on 22nd March 2019.

Young people under the age of 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, including the use of emergency contraception, without their parents’ knowledge or consent if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. Healthcare professionals providing emergency contraception to under 16s without parental consent should follow the criteria outlined in the Fraser guidelines for competence to consent.

The Department does not provide guidance on the liability of school governors, teachers, head teachers and other school staff if there are adverse consequences from taking emergency contraception.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. When teaching sex education, schools are required to have regard to the statutory sex and relationships education guidance, which was last updated in 2000. This states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy, that sets out the school’s approach to sex education, that they should consult their pupils’ parents and make the policy available to parents. Governors and head teachers should discuss with parents and take on board concerns, on sensitive material to be used in the classroom.

We have recently consulted on updated guidance for sex education alongside the introduction of relationships education at primary and secondary schools. On its introduction, all schools will be required to have in place a written policy for relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE). Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is also clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use, as this can be reassuring for parents, and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs. The Department does not provide guidance to schools on what they place in school libraries as the Department believes schools are best placed to determine this.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment for relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education between July and November 2018. The drafting of the consultation and draft statutory guidance was led by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I, with support from a small team of policy officials and an experienced Headteacher, Ian Bauckham CBE.

The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations during the consultation process. Prior to the consultation, the key decisions were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses and the Department engaged directly with 90 organisations, including parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department has not made an assessment of their views on abortion specifically. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

From time-to-time the Department does also receive correspondence on materials used in the current delivery of sex education and this can be due to a variety of reasons. The Department encourages correspondents to contact their school to discuss this and ensure that they are aware of the current sex and relationships education guidance. The Department would take seriously any concern regarding inappropriate materials. The Department has also received a recent petition which raised concerns about RSE resources being produced by lobby groups and external organisations. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ask to see the materials visitors will use as well as a lesson plan in advance, so that they can ensure it meets the full range of pupils’ needs (e.g. special educational needs). The Department also recognises that schools use resources from representative bodies (e.g. many Catholic and other schools draw on the model curricula provided by the Catholic Education Service.) The guidance encourages schools to draw on the expertise of the main subject associations which often quality assure third party resources.

The Department is committed to supporting schools through training, further advice to improve practice and sharing of best practice, including examples of successful parental engagement. This will include advice on using quality assured, age-appropriate resources.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. When teaching sex education, schools are required to have regard to the statutory sex and relationships education guidance, which was last updated in 2000. This states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy, that sets out the school’s approach to sex education, that they should consult their pupils’ parents and make the policy available to parents. Governors and head teachers should discuss with parents and take on board concerns, on sensitive material to be used in the classroom.

We have recently consulted on updated guidance for sex education alongside the introduction of relationships education at primary and secondary schools. On its introduction, all schools will be required to have in place a written policy for relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE). Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is also clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use, as this can be reassuring for parents, and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs. The Department does not provide guidance to schools on what they place in school libraries as the Department believes schools are best placed to determine this.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment for relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education between July and November 2018. The drafting of the consultation and draft statutory guidance was led by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I, with support from a small team of policy officials and an experienced Headteacher, Ian Bauckham CBE.

The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations during the consultation process. Prior to the consultation, the key decisions were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses and the Department engaged directly with 90 organisations, including parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department has not made an assessment of their views on abortion specifically. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

From time-to-time the Department does also receive correspondence on materials used in the current delivery of sex education and this can be due to a variety of reasons. The Department encourages correspondents to contact their school to discuss this and ensure that they are aware of the current sex and relationships education guidance. The Department would take seriously any concern regarding inappropriate materials. The Department has also received a recent petition which raised concerns about RSE resources being produced by lobby groups and external organisations. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ask to see the materials visitors will use as well as a lesson plan in advance, so that they can ensure it meets the full range of pupils’ needs (e.g. special educational needs). The Department also recognises that schools use resources from representative bodies (e.g. many Catholic and other schools draw on the model curricula provided by the Catholic Education Service.) The guidance encourages schools to draw on the expertise of the main subject associations which often quality assure third party resources.

The Department is committed to supporting schools through training, further advice to improve practice and sharing of best practice, including examples of successful parental engagement. This will include advice on using quality assured, age-appropriate resources.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. When teaching sex education, schools are required to have regard to the statutory sex and relationships education guidance, which was last updated in 2000. This states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy, that sets out the school’s approach to sex education, that they should consult their pupils’ parents and make the policy available to parents. Governors and head teachers should discuss with parents and take on board concerns, on sensitive material to be used in the classroom.

We have recently consulted on updated guidance for sex education alongside the introduction of relationships education at primary and secondary schools. On its introduction, all schools will be required to have in place a written policy for relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE). Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is also clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use, as this can be reassuring for parents, and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs. The Department does not provide guidance to schools on what they place in school libraries as the Department believes schools are best placed to determine this.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment for relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education between July and November 2018. The drafting of the consultation and draft statutory guidance was led by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I, with support from a small team of policy officials and an experienced Headteacher, Ian Bauckham CBE.

The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations during the consultation process. Prior to the consultation, the key decisions were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses and the Department engaged directly with 90 organisations, including parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department has not made an assessment of their views on abortion specifically. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

From time-to-time the Department does also receive correspondence on materials used in the current delivery of sex education and this can be due to a variety of reasons. The Department encourages correspondents to contact their school to discuss this and ensure that they are aware of the current sex and relationships education guidance. The Department would take seriously any concern regarding inappropriate materials. The Department has also received a recent petition which raised concerns about RSE resources being produced by lobby groups and external organisations. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ask to see the materials visitors will use as well as a lesson plan in advance, so that they can ensure it meets the full range of pupils’ needs (e.g. special educational needs). The Department also recognises that schools use resources from representative bodies (e.g. many Catholic and other schools draw on the model curricula provided by the Catholic Education Service.) The guidance encourages schools to draw on the expertise of the main subject associations which often quality assure third party resources.

The Department is committed to supporting schools through training, further advice to improve practice and sharing of best practice, including examples of successful parental engagement. This will include advice on using quality assured, age-appropriate resources.

Sex education has been compulsory in all maintained secondary schools since 1993. When teaching sex education, schools are required to have regard to the statutory sex and relationships education guidance, which was last updated in 2000. This states that maintained schools must have an up-to-date policy, that sets out the school’s approach to sex education, that they should consult their pupils’ parents and make the policy available to parents. Governors and head teachers should discuss with parents and take on board concerns, on sensitive material to be used in the classroom.

We have recently consulted on updated guidance for sex education alongside the introduction of relationships education at primary and secondary schools. On its introduction, all schools will be required to have in place a written policy for relationships education and relationships and sex education (RSE). Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. Schools should also ensure that the policy sets out the content of the subjects, how the content is taught and who is responsible for teaching it. The draft guidance is also clear that schools should ensure that, when they consult parents, they provide examples of the resources they plan to use, as this can be reassuring for parents, and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. Schools should assess each resource that they propose to use to ensure that it is appropriate for the age and maturity of pupils, and sensitive to their needs. The Department does not provide guidance to schools on what they place in school libraries as the Department believes schools are best placed to determine this.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment for relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education between July and November 2018. The drafting of the consultation and draft statutory guidance was led by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I, with support from a small team of policy officials and an experienced Headteacher, Ian Bauckham CBE.

The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations during the consultation process. Prior to the consultation, the key decisions were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses and the Department engaged directly with 90 organisations, including parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department has not made an assessment of their views on abortion specifically. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

From time-to-time the Department does also receive correspondence on materials used in the current delivery of sex education and this can be due to a variety of reasons. The Department encourages correspondents to contact their school to discuss this and ensure that they are aware of the current sex and relationships education guidance. The Department would take seriously any concern regarding inappropriate materials. The Department has also received a recent petition which raised concerns about RSE resources being produced by lobby groups and external organisations. The draft guidance is clear that schools should ask to see the materials visitors will use as well as a lesson plan in advance, so that they can ensure it meets the full range of pupils’ needs (e.g. special educational needs). The Department also recognises that schools use resources from representative bodies (e.g. many Catholic and other schools draw on the model curricula provided by the Catholic Education Service.) The guidance encourages schools to draw on the expertise of the main subject associations which often quality assure third party resources.

The Department is committed to supporting schools through training, further advice to improve practice and sharing of best practice, including examples of successful parental engagement. This will include advice on using quality assured, age-appropriate resources.

Healthcare professionals can provide confidential sexual health advice and treatment to young people as long as they believe the young person is mature enough to understand the information and decisions involved. Schools can invite health professionals to provide advice and support on a range of issues for their pupils and we trust schools to decide what is appropriate for their pupils.

Through the introduction of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education the Department has set out the core knowledge that all pupils should be taught, whilst allowing flexibility for schools to design a curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate and taught in a sensitive and inclusive way, with respect to the background and beliefs of pupils.

It is important that pupils know what the law says about sex, relationships and young people. The draft statutory guidance states that in relation to intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health, pupils should know the facts about the full range of contraceptive choices, efficacy and options available; the facts around pregnancy including miscarriage; and that there are choices in relation to pregnancy (with medically and legally accurate, impartial information on all options, including keeping the baby, adoption, abortion and where to get further help).

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The draft statutory guidance on relationships education, RSE, and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

It is for head teachers to consider the circumstances which may warrant refusing a request to withdraw a pupil from sex education. Paragraphs 45-47 of the guidance sets out the good practice process to follow when headteachers are considering parental requests to withdraw their child from sex education. The guidance is available via this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781150/Draft_guidance_Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education2.pdf.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017, which is the primary legislation that placed a duty on my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State to make relationships education and RSE compulsory, did not provide for a right to withdraw from relationships education. The Department has decided that there should also be no right to withdraw from relationships education delivered as part of RSE.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The draft statutory guidance on relationships education, RSE, and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

It is for head teachers to consider the circumstances which may warrant refusing a request to withdraw a pupil from sex education. Paragraphs 45-47 of the guidance sets out the good practice process to follow when headteachers are considering parental requests to withdraw their child from sex education. The guidance is available via this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781150/Draft_guidance_Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education2.pdf.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017, which is the primary legislation that placed a duty on my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State to make relationships education and RSE compulsory, did not provide for a right to withdraw from relationships education. The Department has decided that there should also be no right to withdraw from relationships education delivered as part of RSE.

Modern pressures children face such as harms related to the internet, as well as long-standing issues such as abuse or drug misuse, mean children are growing up in an increasingly complex world. That is why we are making making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all state-funded pupils.

There is clear evidence that good quality RSE also has a protective function in other important areas, supporting further our rationale for making the subjects compulsory. For example, there are several studies that show a positive association between RSE and contraceptive use, and between RSE and later ages for first sexual intercourse, which are behaviours that reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. Improving contraceptive use to prevent unwanted pregnancy has the potential to reduce abortion rates. Further information is available at the following links:

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3/full.

https://powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/resource-library/emerging-answers-2007-new-research-findings-programs-reduce.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment, which closed on 7 November. The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations. These included parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department analysed the responses to the consultation and have since published the Government response and updated the draft statutory guidance.

The key decisions on these subjects have also been informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools, and the Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

Modern pressures children face such as harms related to the internet, as well as long-standing issues such as abuse or drug misuse, mean children are growing up in an increasingly complex world. That is why we are making making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all state-funded pupils.

There is clear evidence that good quality RSE also has a protective function in other important areas, supporting further our rationale for making the subjects compulsory. For example, there are several studies that show a positive association between RSE and contraceptive use, and between RSE and later ages for first sexual intercourse, which are behaviours that reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. Improving contraceptive use to prevent unwanted pregnancy has the potential to reduce abortion rates. Further information is available at the following links:

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3/full.

https://powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/resource-library/emerging-answers-2007-new-research-findings-programs-reduce.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment, which closed on 7 November. The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations. These included parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department analysed the responses to the consultation and have since published the Government response and updated the draft statutory guidance.

The key decisions on these subjects have also been informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools, and the Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

Modern pressures children face such as harms related to the internet, as well as long-standing issues such as abuse or drug misuse, mean children are growing up in an increasingly complex world. That is why we are making making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all state-funded pupils.

There is clear evidence that good quality RSE also has a protective function in other important areas, supporting further our rationale for making the subjects compulsory. For example, there are several studies that show a positive association between RSE and contraceptive use, and between RSE and later ages for first sexual intercourse, which are behaviours that reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. Improving contraceptive use to prevent unwanted pregnancy has the potential to reduce abortion rates. Further information is available at the following links:

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3/full.

https://powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/resource-library/emerging-answers-2007-new-research-findings-programs-reduce.

The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment, which closed on 7 November. The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations. These included parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department analysed the responses to the consultation and have since published the Government response and updated the draft statutory guidance.

The key decisions on these subjects have also been informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools, and the Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.

The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

Levy paying employers are able to spend their levy funds on both apprenticeship frameworks and standards. There are over 200 apprenticeship standards which have been approved for delivery in addition to the 136 frameworks which are still available for delivery, offering a wide range of apprenticeships to suit business’ needs.

Apprenticeships funding expires from an employer’s account after 24 months if it has not been utilised. The government will distribute unused funding to committed employers, who can use this to fund further apprenticeship training.

The Institute of Apprenticeships is an independent body and carefully examine all funding recommendations, to ensure value for money in the apprenticeships system.

The Institute for Apprenticeships is an independent body with responsibility for the development and approval of apprenticeship standards, and for deciding funding band recommendations for those standards. I have therefore asked the Institute to write to the hon. Member for Southend West directly and respond to the question regarding the number of apprenticeship programmes that are awaiting funding band decisions.

A copy of that response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.

Information on the funding band on apprenticeship standards and frameworks by level can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-funding-bands.

Apprenticeships are allocated to funding bands based on the costs of delivering training and assessment. There are a wide range of factors that influence the funding band, including the length of the apprenticeship and whether it is an apprenticeship framework or standard. The Institute for Apprenticeships has been responsible for advising the department on the allocation of funding bands since April 2017.

From April 2018, the government plans to allow levy-paying employers to transfer up to 10% of the annual value of their funds to another employer through the apprenticeship service. We aim to start communicating with employers about transferring forms this month. We will publish further information shortly so employers are prepared in time for April.

The 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation document recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free school’s route because they say it contravenes religious rules. The Department is considering carefully the results of the consultation and the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools. We plan to respond on this issue in due course. We value greatly the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.

We have outlined in Parliament our position on the various proposals in the 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation, and will announce further details in due course.

The 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation document recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free school’s route because they say it contravenes religious rules. The Department is considering carefully the results of the consultation and the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools. We plan to respond on this issue in due course. We value greatly the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.

Engaging disadvantaged families early is important. It is, however, for local councils to establish how best to do this. Making children’s centres or family hubs one of the places where parents can register the birth of their child is one approach, and local councils are free to do this. It may not be the best solution everywhere however, and we agree with the conclusions of the 2013 Education Select Committee that this is not something that central government should dictate.

Our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign is encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer opportunities.

We are increasing traineeships numbers to further support young people into apprenticeships and other work.

Under new funding policy, there will be extra payments for 16-18 year olds and 19-24 year old care leavers or with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Employers and providers receive £1,000 each to support additional costs associated with these apprentices.

We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 - 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.

We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].

We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course.

[1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools

We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 - 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.

We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].

We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course.

[1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools

The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning.

Play is integral in the early years and is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.” The framework can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department.

Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

Local Authorities provide and offer Continuous Professional Development and training to early years settings; some of which may include training on play. However, it is not a requirement for local authorities to deliver regional play training as it is already a requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage to cover play in a setting.

The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning.

Play is integral in the early years and is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework which states: “Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others.” The framework is attached and available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

The Government’s forthcoming Life Chances Strategy will set out a comprehensive plan to fight disadvantage and extend opportunity. Within this, we are considering how we can support early years and parenting to give children the best start in life.

We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches front line childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.

The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is already recognised within the early years legislation covered by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education’s portfolio.

Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.” The framework can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

Staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. We are also providing protection for high needs funding that will make sure that the level of funding rises in proportion to the number of children, including those under 5. This will make sure that local authorities continue to have the flexibility to target funding where it is most needed to help children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, including the youngest children. Further consideration will be given to funding for children with special educational needs in early years education as part of consultation later this year.

Local authorities are required by law to secure free entitlement places for parents that want their child to take them up. The Government is committed to ensuring that all families have access to high quality, flexible and affordable childcare and parents with children with special educational needs should have the same opportunities as other parents through access to high quality childcare. The Children and Families Act requires local authorities to have a ‘local offer’ which includes a statement on how they intend to tailor the childcare on offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Early implementation of 30 hours from September 2016 provides a real opportunity to develop innovative approaches to providing flexible childcare for working parents whose children are disabled or have special educational needs.

Through Early Implementation, York, Northumberland, Newham and Wigan are among 8 LAs delivering the 30 hours entitlement from September 2016, a year earlier than planned. This will include delivering targeted places focusing on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

They will also be supported by Early Implementer Innovator areas including Brighton and Hove, Hampshire and Trafford, who will test the offer and how it works under specific circumstances, including developing approaches to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

We selected these headteachers to work with us on this issue because of the high quality of provision of PSHE education in their schools. The group of headteachers and practitioners that we are currently working with includes Carl Ward of Haywood Academy in Stoke on Trent; Cathie Paine of the Reach2 Academy Trust; Jerry Rayner of Rugby Independent School in Warwickshire; Michelle Colledge-Smith of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust; and Vanessa Ogden of Mulberry School in Bethnal Green.

The group has not been asked to advise the Government on the content of PSHE. Their focus is to produce an action plan and recommendations for improving the quality of PSHE teaching. We want to draw on expertise from a range of headteachers and practitioners and will invite others to join the group as appropriate. The Department regularly speaks to a wide range of stakeholders and will continue to do so regarding PSHE.

We selected these headteachers to work with us on this issue because of the high quality of provision of PSHE education in their schools. The group of headteachers and practitioners that we are currently working with includes Carl Ward of Haywood Academy in Stoke on Trent; Cathie Paine of the Reach2 Academy Trust; Jerry Rayner of Rugby Independent School in Warwickshire; Michelle Colledge-Smith of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust; and Vanessa Ogden of Mulberry School in Bethnal Green.

The group has not been asked to advise the Government on the content of PSHE. Their focus is to produce an action plan and recommendations for improving the quality of PSHE teaching. We want to draw on expertise from a range of headteachers and practitioners and will invite others to join the group as appropriate. The Department regularly speaks to a wide range of stakeholders and will continue to do so regarding PSHE.

We selected these headteachers to work with us on this issue because of the high quality of provision of PSHE education in their schools. The group of headteachers and practitioners that we are currently working with includes Carl Ward of Haywood Academy in Stoke on Trent; Cathie Paine of the Reach2 Academy Trust; Jerry Rayner of Rugby Independent School in Warwickshire; Michelle Colledge-Smith of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust; and Vanessa Ogden of Mulberry School in Bethnal Green.

The group has not been asked to advise the Government on the content of PSHE. Their focus is to produce an action plan and recommendations for improving the quality of PSHE teaching. We want to draw on expertise from a range of headteachers and practitioners and will invite others to join the group as appropriate. The Department regularly speaks to a wide range of stakeholders and will continue to do so regarding PSHE.

The Department for Education regularly speaks to a wide range of head teachers, academy chief executives, teachers and subject associations. We invited a group of headteachers and PSHE practitioners to work with us on improving the quality of PSHE.

These individuals were selected because of the high quality provision in their schools. The list of contributors will be known when the report is published.

The Department for Education regularly speaks to a wide range of head teachers, academy chief executives, teachers and subject associations. We invited a group of headteachers and PSHE practitioners to work with us on improving the quality of PSHE.

These individuals were selected because of the high quality provision in their schools. The list of contributors will be known when the report is published.

The Department for Education is committed to considering the views of all stakeholders. As part of the inquiry into PSHE and SRE, the Education Select Committee sought evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including parent advocacy groups and faith groups. We are aware of the range of views about these subjects. We are currently working with a group of leading headteachers to improve the provision of PSHE in schools. We will consult directly with a wider group of stakeholders when appropriate.

As stated in the government response to the Select Committee report, we will provide a progress update later this year.

The Department published ‘Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: a review of impact and best practice’ in March 2015. The report highlighted evidence that good quality sex and relationship education (SRE) can have a protective function such as delaying initiation of sex, reducing frequency of sex or the number of sexual partners and increasing the use of condoms or other contraceptive measures. Allsex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.

The report is published online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pshe-education-a-review-of-impact-and-effective-practice.

The Department for Education is committed to considering the views of all stakeholders. As part of the inquiry into PSHE and SRE, the Education Select Committee sought evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including parent advocacy groups and faith groups. We are aware of the range of views about these subjects. We are currently working with a group of leading headteachers to improve the provision of PSHE in schools. We will consult directly with a wider group of stakeholders when appropriate.

As stated in the government response to the Select Committee report, we will provide a progress update later this year.

The government is committed to ensuring that faith designated free schools and new academies provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith but for pupils from other faiths or no faith. It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to adopt faith based admission arrangements.Those that do may give priority when oversubscribed to a maximum of 50% of applicants with reference to their faith. The department does not collect data on schools that are oversubscribed or on religious diversity in those schools that adopt faith based admission arrangements.

The number of free schools and new provision academies with a religious character opening between September 2010 and October 2015 by academic year is detailed in the table below.

The government is committed to ensuring that faith designated free schools and new academies provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith but for pupils from other faiths or no faith. It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to adopt faith based admission arrangements.Those that do may give priority when oversubscribed to a maximum of 50% of applicants with reference to their faith. The department does not collect data on schools that are oversubscribed or on religious diversity in those schools that adopt faith based admission arrangements.

The number of free schools and new provision academies with a religious character opening between September 2010 and October 2015 by academic year is detailed in the table below.

The government is committed to ensuring that faith designated free schools and new academies provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith but for pupils from other faiths or no faith. It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to adopt faith based admission arrangements.Those that do may give priority when oversubscribed to a maximum of 50% of applicants with reference to their faith. The department does not collect data on schools that are oversubscribed or on religious diversity in those schools that adopt faith based admission arrangements.

The number of free schools and new provision academies with a religious character opening between September 2010 and October 2015 by academic year is detailed in the table below.

The government is committed to ensuring that faith designated free schools and new academies provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith but for pupils from other faiths or no faith. It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to adopt faith based admission arrangements.Those that do may give priority when oversubscribed to a maximum of 50% of applicants with reference to their faith. The department does not collect data on schools that are oversubscribed or on religious diversity in those schools that adopt faith based admission arrangements.

The number of free schools and new provision academies with a religious character opening between September 2010 and October 2015 by academic year is detailed in the table below.

The government is committed to ensuring that faith designated free schools and new academies provide additional places not just for pupils of their own faith but for pupils from other faiths or no faith. It is for individual schools to decide whether or not to adopt faith based admission arrangements.Those that do may give priority when oversubscribed to a maximum of 50% of applicants with reference to their faith. The department does not collect data on schools that are oversubscribed or on religious diversity in those schools that adopt faith based admission arrangements.

The number of free schools and new provision academies with a religious character opening between September 2010 and October 2015 by academic year is detailed in the table below.

This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House library.

This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House library.

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets standards for learning, development and care. It is designed to be fully inclusive for all children and respond appropriately to the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which can include cerebral palsy.

The Department for Education provides funding to Early Support and has provided guidance on practice for children with SEND for parents and others on cerebral palsy.

This guidance, published in 2012, can be found online at:

http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/923252/earlysupportcerebral_palsy_final.pdf

The reforms in part 3 of Children and Families Act 2014 are designed to improve support for all children and young people with SEND. The 0-25 SEND Code of Practice which is currently being considered by Parliament has a specific section for early years providers which detail their statutory responsibilities and how they are expected to work together with partners in health and social care.

Latest quarterly figures published in May show that the proportion of 16-18 year olds NEET is 6.7% - down a third since 2010 and the lowest on record.

A search of the Department for Education's central database for all correspondence, including Freedom of Information (FOI) requests using ‘abortion' and ‘sex and relationship' as search terms, found five FOI requests tabled in the period since 2011. In four cases no information was held. A copy of one response has been placed in the House Library.

A more detailed search could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.

In the recently updated Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs developed with the canine sector, we advise that people do not leave their dog unattended in situations, or for periods of time that are likely to cause them distress or render them unsafe. The Code applies to all dogs.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 provide statutory minimum welfare standards for dog breeding, animal boarding and other licensed activities involving animals. The statutory conditions seek to modernise the welfare requirements on licensed premises, and have been developed with the full support of and engagement with the Canine and Feline Sector Group that represents vets, local authorities, the pet industry and welfare charities.

We are working closely with local authorities to help them deal with the impacts of ash dieback by supporting them to be prepared and by providing guidance.

Infected ash trees can survive dieback for many years, continuing to provide recreational and biodiversity benefits, and could provide a source of disease tolerance in the future. For this very reason we are not encouraging the removal of infected ash unless it poses an immediate health and safety risk.

To ensure that the issue of health and safety is addressed we have convened an ash dieback taskforce with a number of key stakeholders and local authorities, of which Suffolk, Norfolk and Kent County Council are members. We are working closely with this group to develop action plans for local authorities and supplement existing guidance for landowners, such as that published by the National Tree Safety Group.

The Government’s plans for tackling air quality are set out in the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, which was published in December 2015 and will be revised by 31 July this year. The Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) is considering further the evidence around the potential of trees to contribute to improvements in air quality to inform our further policy development. The AQEG is an Expert Committee to Defra that provides independent scientific advice on air quality.

We are working closely with representatives of local authorities, the pet industry and animal welfare organisations on developing competency standards for animal licensing inspectors as part of the review of local authority animal licensing schemes. The work is at an early stage and will complement the development of new regulations following last month’s publication of Defra’s Next Steps document on animal licensing.

Since 2013, we have designated 50 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), which protect a range of habitats and species. A third tranche of MCZs will be designated in 2018.

We are currently undertaking work to identify a complete network of Special Protection Areas for seabirds, and consulting on five Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise.

Over 17% of UK waters and almost a third of English inshore waters are now within Marine Protected Areas.

UK-led Common Fisheries Policy reforms have given UK fishermen a more sustainable long-term future.

The inshore fleet will particularly benefit from an extra 1,000 tonnes of quota this year. This comes on top of the permanent transfer of under-used quota to the Under-10s, which was worth an extra 678 tonnes in 2015.

In addition, over £100m of European (EMFF) Funding is now available to support the UK catching, processing and aquaculture sectors.

Ministers are still considering options and will make an announcement in due course.

Defra accepts that the current EU system for equine identification does not work well and has pushed for a strengthened regime which is fit for purpose throughout Europe. Defra is now working with the other Governments of the United Kingdom, enforcement authorities and the equine sector to implement a new EU regulation which will help to ensure the regime operates effectively and efficiently in the future.

In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options to improve the humaneness of snaring. Ministers are currently considering these options, including the issue of improved guidance on snaring.

In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options to improve the humaneness of snaring. Ministers are currently considering these options, including the issue of improved guidance on snaring.

In 2012 Defra published research on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales. Following publication of the report, officials worked with stakeholders to explore options to improve the humaneness of snaring. Ministers are currently considering these options, including the issue of improved guidance on snaring.

During negotiations on the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which came into force in 2014, the UK secured a legally-binding commitment to manage fish stocks at maximum sustainable yield, an end to the wasteful discarding of fish and a new regional decision-making process.

These reforms will safeguard the future of our fish stocks for all who rely on them.

DFID adheres to Development Co-Operation Directorate (OACD-DAC) expenditure coding requirements to allow comparison across donor spending towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goal targets. This does not include the facility to calculate spend for individual components such as sexual and reproductive health and rights –only against coding titles as have been internationally agreed.

Only coding titles as have been internationally agreed can be individually disaggregated.

The management of aircraft noise and emissions at Southend Airport and restrictions to ensure compliance with any limits is the responsibility of the airport and the relevant planning authorities. It is not appropriate for the Government to intervene in this process.

Since the Secretary of State was appointed in July last year, the Department has received one representation related to noise pollution or emissions from aircraft at Southend Airport. This included the topics of night flights and air quality at Southend Airport and came from my Honourable friend himself.

Since the Secretary of State was appointed in July last year, the Department has received one representation related to noise pollution or emissions from aircraft at Southend Airport. This included the topics of night flights and air quality at Southend Airport and came from my Honourable friend himself.

Most airport operators whether in the commercial private sector, or in public/private partnerships operate as private commercial undertakings.

In this regard, the UK’s aviation industry operates essentially without subsidy. It is therefore for local authorities to determine any additional funding for any aerodromes they own. Additionally, provision of public funding for airports needs to comply with the European Community State aid guidelines for airports and airlines.

The table below shows the number of pilots who, according to the Civil Aviation Authority’s records, had an initial UK commercial licence issued each year.

Year Number of pilots .

2013 1883

2014 1894

2015 1850

2016 1776

2017 1960

Figures for the number of pilots trained in the UK are not available. Applicants for a UK commercial pilot’s licence are not necessarily trained in the UK, and many pilots come to the UK for training but will have a licence issued by their own national aviation authority.

The Government will explore current and future skills shortages in aviation, such as pilot training, as part of the Aviation Strategy which is due for publication in 2019. This will be a long term strategy to 2050 and beyond.

The Aviation Strategy ‘Next Steps’ document, published April 2018, highlighted a number of considerations for Government to address skills shortages. These included further collaboration between industry and education providers, realising the full potential of General Aviation training grounds and work to better understand the extent of such skills gaps and how these may affect the aviation sector in future.

The table below shows the number of pilots who, according to the Civil Aviation Authority’s records, had an initial UK commercial licence issued each year.

Year Number of pilots .

2013 1883

2014 1894

2015 1850

2016 1776

2017 1960

Figures for the number of pilots trained in the UK are not available. Applicants for a UK commercial pilot’s licence are not necessarily trained in the UK, and many pilots come to the UK for training but will have a licence issued by their own national aviation authority.

The Government will explore current and future skills shortages in aviation, such as pilot training, as part of the Aviation Strategy which is due for publication in 2019. This will be a long term strategy to 2050 and beyond.

The Aviation Strategy ‘Next Steps’ document, published April 2018, highlighted a number of considerations for Government to address skills shortages. These included further collaboration between industry and education providers, realising the full potential of General Aviation training grounds and work to better understand the extent of such skills gaps and how these may affect the aviation sector in future.

In addition to the representations made by my Honourable Friend, the Department has received 30 representations on the effect of changes in the timetable of C2C services.

I met with c2c on the 10th February. I have asked them to make proposals to adjust their plans to deliver a more attractive balance between service levels and overcrowding, and the Department will work with c2c to deliver these at the earliest opportunity.

The Government will respond formally to the Maritime Growth Study by the end of 2015, but is taking immediate action in response to some recommendations. This includes the establishment of a Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth and taking steps to support the improved operation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) such as appointing a commercial director to lead the UK Ship Register separately from the Agency’s regulatory functions and a business case exploring the costs and benefits of options for more significant reform of the MCA.

Since the introduction of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) scheme, the level of uninsured driving has been reduced from 1.4 million vehicles at the end of 2010 to 1.0 million at the end of 2014, a 29% reduction. CIE has promoted positive changes in vehicle keeper behaviour and contributes significantly to making our roads safer and in helping keep down insurance premiums for the honest motorist.

Ministers have met regularly with groups representing blind and partially sighted people to discuss many issues on transport accessibility, including shared space.

In March 2015, the Minister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer, wrote to all local authorities in England to remind them of the Department’s advice on designing shared space in Local Transport Note 1/11 ‘Shared Space’, their duties under equalities legislation and the National Federation of the Blind UK guidance note ‘Access for Blind People in Towns’. A copy of that letter was included in the Secretary of State’s response of 18 March 2015 to the Transport Select Committee’s questions on this issue.

The number of (a) male and (b) female pedestrians that were (i) slightly injured, (ii) seriously injured and (iii) killed in reported road traffic accidents due to a collision with a pedal cyclist on a footway or verge is shown in the attached below.

Data for the year 2014 will be available in June 2015.

At the spending review, the Work and Health Unit secured £115m of funding, including at least £40m for a Work and Health innovation fund.

The Work and Health Innovation Fund will trial new ways to help working age disabled people and people with health conditions get in, stay in, and return to work as well as benefit from improved health outcomes. This will include support for people with musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis.

Access to Work does not record arthritis as a separate primary medical condition.

Access to Work statistics, which include a breakdown of numbers helped by primary medical condition, are published quarterly here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics-on-recipients--2’

2,144 people have been referred to Fit for Work with a musculoskeletal condition since the launch of the programme in March 2015.

All statistical information has been provided by either HML or Scottish Government. It has not previously been published and is non-validated.

Development of the Work and Health Programme design is well underway, including engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The Department has commenced the commercial process for the programme by releasing the Prior Information Notice for potential providers on 28 April.

Decisions on what the information reporting requirements will be for people with a disability or health condition are yet to be made.

Public Health England (PHE) has not made a specific assessment.

The Government’s reduction and reformulation programme includes reducing portion size as one mechanism that can be used by all sectors of the food industry. Calorie-based portion size guidelines covering food and drink consumed in and out of the home have been included in the sugar and calorie reduction programmes that Public Health England oversees for the Government.

We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care this year to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.

Carer’s Allowance is a weekly benefit and is not means-tested or contribution-based. This allowance provides a measure of financial support to people aged 16 years old or over, caring for a disabled person in receipt of a qualifying benefit for more than 35 hours a week, provided the carer is not in gainful employment.

We are not aware of a general assessment across all conditions of regular steroid use on the susceptibility of users to COVID-19. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published COVID-19 rapid guidelines using the latest available evidence for specific conditions where there is an increased risk of COVID-19. Where relevant, these guidelines include recommendations related to the continuation of treatment of corticosteroids. These guidelines are kept under review.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not currently funding any research into whether the regular use of steroids can lead to users contracting COVID-19 more easily. However, the NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including on COVID-19 risk factors.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published their epilepsy RightCare toolkit in February 2020. The toolkit provides expert practical advice and guidance on how to address epilepsy-related challenges and recommends that providers implement a standard risk template for people living with epilepsy. This risk template should cross organisational boundaries and include relevant resources, such as the SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist tool and the Epilepsy Self-Monitoring application.

Local commissioners are responsible for the implementation of this guidance, including the epilepsy RightCare toolkit, in their local areas.

We are unable to meet with SUDEP action and MBRRACE-UK at this time.

In light of the MBRRACE-UK Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reviewing available data and arranging to meet with key patient support organisations specialising in communication of maternal epilepsy mortality risks and clinicians to explore how information provided to women on important risks can be improved. The MHRA is also working with the wider healthcare network to explore additional ways of improving the reach of regulatory communications.

The conclusions of a safety review by the Commission of Human Medicines of the risks of epilepsy medicines in pregnancy have recently been published to aid discussions about suitable treatment options and support a balanced message on benefits and risks of each.

No assessment has been made on the number of trusts that have redeployed or reduced their epilepsy services.

National Health Service systems should continue to implement the guidance set out in NHS RightCare epilepsy toolkit. This toolkit provides expert practical advice and guidance on how to address epilepsy-related challenges, including sudden death in epilepsy and recommends that providers implement a standard risk template for people living with epilepsy, including all relevant resources.

We are unable to meet with SUDEP action and MBRRACE-UK at this time.

In light of the MBRRACE-UK Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reviewing available data and arranging to meet with key patient support organisations specialising in communication of maternal epilepsy mortality risks and clinicians to explore how information provided to women on important risks can be improved. The MHRA is also working with the wider healthcare network to explore additional ways of improving the reach of regulatory communications.

The conclusions of a safety review by the Commission of Human Medicines of the risks of epilepsy medicines in pregnancy have recently been published to aid discussions about suitable treatment options and support a balanced message on benefits and risks of each.

Public Health England records cases of severe influenza with data from a sentinel network of National Health Service trusts.

The attached table shows the weekly number of hospital admissions including admission to Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit for laboratory confirmed influenza cases reported through the sentinel surveillance network, in England by week between January 2019 to January 2021 (ending 24 January 2021) based on International Standardisation Organisation week number system.

The information is not held in the format requested.

Public Health England records cases of severe influenza with data from a sentinel network of National Health Service trusts which report voluntarily on a weekly basis on hospitalisation to all levels of care for laboratory confirmed influenza. However, as this data comes from a sentinel network of trusts, a stable network of trusts that participate every season and commit to providing weekly data, it is therefore not designed to capture all hospitalisations of influenza in England.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement, with support from Public Health England (PHE), is helping acute hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol harm to establish or improve specialist alcohol care teams. PHE is supporting work to increase opportunities for the earlier detection of alcohol-related liver disease in people drinking at or above high-risk levels.

This includes a new commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme to incentivise increased cirrhosis and fibrosis tests for alcohol dependent patients in acute and mental health services. The 2020-21 CQUIN is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/commissioning-for-quality-and-innovation-cquin-guidance-for-2020-2021/

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and Improvement, with support from Public Health England (PHE), is helping acute hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol harm to establish or improve specialist alcohol care teams.

PHE is supporting work to increase opportunities for the earlier detection of alcohol-related liver disease in people drinking at or above high-risk levels. This includes a new commissioning for quality and innovation scheme to incentivise increased cirrhosis and fibrosis tests for alcohol dependent patients in acute and mental health services.

Data on confirmed hospital admissions for influenza is not collected on a monthly basis.

The Department’s preferred method of response to the consultation is via submission online at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion

However, people who are unable to access the online form can submit a written submission to the consultation to the following address:

Abortion Consultation

Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries Unit

Department of Health and Social Care

39 Victoria Street

London

SW1H 0EU

United Kingdom

Following a commitment made in Parliament earlier this year, we have now launched a three month consultation on whether to make permanent the current temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. We welcome feedback from anyone with an interest or view on this subject, particularly from those who have been directly affected by the current temporary measure.

Responses can be submitted online to the consultation at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion

If an individual is unable to complete the online form, they can contact our correspondence team at the following link:

https://contactus.dhsc.gov.uk/

The data requested is not centrally collected.

The information is not held in the format requested.

Responsibility for abortion policy within the Department falls within my Ministerial portfolio.

The Department continues to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation.

The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. Further details on the consultation will be available in due course.

This information is not currently held in the format requested.

This information is not currently held in the format requested.

From 7 June 2020 all remaining adult care homes will be able to access whole care home testing for all residents and asymptomatic staff through the digital portal at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-care-home

We expect that access to services that support people with learning disabilities should be restored as soon as is appropriate, in line with social distancing guidelines, and as regulations and guidance permit. Work is underway to plan for an expected increase in demand for patients needing mental health support due to COVID-19. Existing mental health services are open and available for any person requiring support.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collates official statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. An ONS report published on 16 April analysed deaths involving COVID-19 that occurred in the month of March and found that 91% of deaths involved some form of pre-existing condition. The most frequent pre-existing condition was ischaemic heart disease, involved in 14% of cases. Information can be found on their website at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwalesmarch2020

The Government has introduced new measures to support businesses to keep food, including baby food, supply flowing on to shelves and into homes, such as temporary relaxation of competition laws to allow supermarkets to work together, extending delivery hours to supermarkets and flexing rules on drivers’ hours to allow a higher frequency of deliveries to stores to ensure shelves are being replenished more quickly.

In relation to infant formula, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Alison Thewliss MP) on 26 March to Question 30064.

The Department is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, including infant medications, and precautions are in place to reduce the likelihood of future shortages. The steps being taken to protect United Kingdom supplies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak were set out in the Department’s press statement issued on 11 February 2020. This statement can be read at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-monitor-impact-of-coronavirus-on-uk-medicine-supply

Through our ‘pharmacy first’ approach, we want to unlock the potential of community pharmacy.

Our landmark five-year contractual framework sets out an expanded role for community pharmacy to help people stay well closer to home.

This winter, more than 114,000 people with minor illnesses or medication needs have received same-day consultations with their highly skilled local community pharmacist following a new referral service from NHS 111.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Dido Harding to lead a number of programmes to engage with key National Health Service interests to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan.

The interim NHS People Plan, published on 3 June 2019, acknowledges that further action must be taken to increase the numbers of staff. It will undertake a detailed review of all branches of workforce in advance of the full People Plan, in order to identify steps to grow and recruit a world class cancer workforce to the NHS.

In 2017, NHS England announced the commissioning of mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of acute stroke. Services are being developed nationally in 24 neuroscience centres, across National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England with 22 centres currently providing a thrombectomy service.

All NHS trusts and foundation trusts have a Medical Director on their board responsible for the management and governance of clinical services. A list of medical directors is not collected centrally but would be held at a local level in respective trusts.

This information is not collected centrally.

This information is not collected centrally.

This information is not collected centrally.

Information on schools where emergency contraception is provided by healthcare professionals is not collected centrally.

Advice to healthcare professionals on the provision of emergency contraception to girls under the age of 16 is contained in recommendation 5 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline on sexually transmitted infections and under-18 conceptions prevention and recommendation 9 of the NICE public health guideline on contraceptive services for under 25s. The guidelines can be viewed on the NICE website at the following links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph3/chapter/1-Recommendations

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph51/chapter/1-Recommendations

In addition, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has published clinical guidance for health professional on the use of emergency contraception, which is available on the FSRH website at the following link:

https://www.fsrh.org/documents/ceu-clinical-guidance-emergency-contraception-march-2017

Young people under the age of 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, without their parents’ knowledge or consent if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. Healthcare professionals providing emergency contraception to under 16s without parental consent should follow the criteria outlined in the Fraser guidelines for competence to consent.

Information on schools where emergency contraception is provided by healthcare professionals is not collected centrally.

Advice to healthcare professionals on the provision of emergency contraception to girls under the age of 16 is contained in recommendation 5 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline on sexually transmitted infections and under-18 conceptions prevention and recommendation 9 of the NICE public health guideline on contraceptive services for under 25s. The guidelines can be viewed on the NICE website at the following links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph3/chapter/1-Recommendations

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph51/chapter/1-Recommendations

In addition, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has published clinical guidance for health professional on the use of emergency contraception, which is available on the FSRH website at the following link:

https://www.fsrh.org/documents/ceu-clinical-guidance-emergency-contraception-march-2017

Young people under the age of 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, without their parents’ knowledge or consent if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. Healthcare professionals providing emergency contraception to under 16s without parental consent should follow the criteria outlined in the Fraser guidelines for competence to consent.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Advice to healthcare professionals, local commissioners and providers of healthcare on the provision of emergency contraception to girls under the age of 16 is contained in recommendation 5 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline on sexually transmitted infections and under-18 conceptions prevention and recommendation 9 of the NICE public health guideline on contraceptive services for under 25s. The guidelines can be viewed on the NICE website at the following links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph3/chapter/1-Recommendations

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph51/chapter/1-Recommendations

In addition, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has published clinical guidance for health professional on the use of emergency contraception. This guideline covers potential adverse side effects and is available on the FSRH website at the following link:

https://www.fsrh.org/documents/ceu-clinical-guidance-emergency-contraception-march-2017

The Department has not issued separate guidance to schools on this issue.

The National Health Service will publish an implementation framework for the Long Term Plan in the spring.

Since June 2018, NHS England has been working closely with the Stroke Association to develop a national stroke programme to be delivered within the timescale of the Long Term Plan.

A stroke programme delivery board will be established in April 2019 to oversee development of the stroke plan as part of the governance arrangements for the cardiovascular disease-respiratory programme.

Health Education England is working with the Royal College of Radiology and other partners to increase the number of specialists trained to deliver thrombectomy by modernising the stroke workforce with a focus on cross-specialty and in some cases cross-profession accreditation of relevant competencies.

This includes work with the medical Royal Colleges and specialty societies to develop a new credentialing programme for hospital consultants from a variety of relevant disciplines who will be trained to offer mechanical thrombectomy. The details of this credentialing programme are being finalised and the programme is planned to start later this year.

Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. The Department has no current plans to amend these exemptions, including the list of medical conditions that provides exemption from prescription charges.

People on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme.

To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. The Department has no current plans to amend these exemptions, including the list of medical conditions that provides exemption from prescription charges.

People on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme.

To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

The requirement to use two mammalian species (one a non-rodent) in repeated dose toxicity is part of the International Conference on Harmonisation guideline on ‘Non-Clinical Safety Studies for the Conduct of Human Clinical Trials and Marketing Authorisation for Pharmaceuticals’, ICH M3(R2). The overall objective of this internationally agreed guideline is the promotion of safe and ethical development of new pharmaceuticals while reducing the use of animals in accordance with the 3R principles (reduce/refine/replace).

There are no plans to reassess this requirement at present. The requirement is an integral part of a stepwise process involving an evaluation of both the animal and human safety information. The goals of the nonclinical safety evaluation generally include a characterisation of toxic effects with respect to target organs, dose dependence, relationship to exposure, and when appropriate, potential reversibility. Choice of species for nonclinical investigations are made based on scientific and ethical considerations. This information is important for how to test a candidate medicinal product in human trials, specifically for the estimation of an initial safe starting dose and dose range. The United Kingdom’s National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research continues to research the utility of using dogs in such investigations.

No assessment has been made.

On 28 June 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a new Quality Standard (QS) on spondyloarthritis. The QS includes four quality statements identified as the markers of high quality spondyloarthritis care. The first statement sets out that “Adults with suspected axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis are referred to a rheumatologist.” The standard advises that this may be monitored through local data collection, such as audit of patient records.

QSs are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners and providers what a high quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE QSs in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory.

The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy set out a vision of being a world-leader in developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve life of United Kingdom patient’s outcomes. It highlighted the importance of evolving and simplifying the access system for new medicines by implementing, and building on, the findings of the Accelerated Access Review.

The response to the Accelerated Access Review, published last year, set out a series of actions the Government and the National Health Service are taking to increase the rate of uptake of innovative products. We have brought together the key Government, NHS and industry partners through the newly formed Accelerated Access Collaborative, which oversees the Accelerated Access Pathway, to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough products that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The response also committed to £86 million of support, including £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through a greater role for the Academic Health and Science Networks and £6 million to help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice through the Pathway Transformation Fund. These build on our existing schemes to encourage quicker patient access such as the Early Access to Medicines Scheme and the Innovation Technology Tariff. Additionally, the Innovation Scorecard tracks the uptake of cost-effective new medicines approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy (LSIS) set out a vision of being a world-leader in developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve patient outcomes and included a strategic ambition for the UK to be in the top quartile of comparator countries for speed of adoption. The Government welcomes the LSIS and supports the ambition to improve uptake. However, simple comparisons of uptake of medicines between different countries with different health systems are very difficult and may not be the most appropriate measure of success. As part of implementing the sector deal, the LSIS Implementation Board will agree a set of success metrics.

To deliver against the ambition in the LSIS, the response to the Accelerated Access Review, published last year, set out a series of actions the Government and the National Health Service are taking to increase the rate of uptake of innovative products. We have brought together the key Government, NHS and industry partners through the newly formed Accelerated Access Collaborative, who will oversee the Accelerated Access Pathway, to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough products that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The response also committed to £86 million of support, including £39 million to improve local adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through a greater role for the Academic Health and Science Networks and £6 million to help the NHS to adopt and integrate new technologies into everyday practice, through the Pathway Transformation Fund. These build on our existing schemes to encourage quicker patient access such as Early Access to Medicines Scheme and the Innovation Technology Tariff. Additionally, the Innovation Scorecard tracks the uptake of cost-effective new medicines approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

No estimate has been made centrally of the potential annual savings to the public purse from providing patients with timely nutritional care.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards below which care must not fall, including meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of users. The regulations, which are considered during Care Quality Commission inspections, specify that people who use services must have their nutritional needs assessed and mean that the risk of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment is reduced.

To help tackle malnutrition in acute and community settings, NHS England published guidance on ‘Commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ in October 2015. The implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local National Health Service. The guidance is available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/nut-hyd/

No estimate has been made centrally of the potential annual savings to the public purse from providing patients with timely nutritional care.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards below which care must not fall, including meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of users. The regulations, which are considered during Care Quality Commission inspections, specify that people who use services must have their nutritional needs assessed and mean that the risk of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment is reduced.

To help tackle malnutrition in acute and community settings, NHS England published guidance on ‘Commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ in October 2015. The implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local National Health Service. The guidance is available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/nut-hyd/

The Trust has been working to address the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians following a service review of the Lower Urinary Tract Service, before the clinic is re-opened to new patients. The Trust is currently in negotiations with commissioners to establish the re-opening of the clinic in the 2018/19 contract.

The Government has always said it is committed to ensuring leaving the European Union is a success and wants the United Kingdom to remain a hub for attracting international talent including to the National Health Service and UK research.

The Department is working with other Government Departments, including the Home Office, to ensure continued access to the brightest and best international talent.

The Government is supportive of the vision of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy (LSIS). However, it is a sector led document and not official Government policy. The Government has committed to implement some of the recommendations in collaboration with the sector through the first Life Sciences Sector Deal, which was published as part of the Industrial Strategy White Paper. The Sector Deal did not include measures on this specific recommendation. However, Sector Deals are iterative and recommendations not taken forward in the first phase may be considered for future phases or alternative policy delivery routes.

The LSIS recommends that ‘Value assessments should be evolved in the long-term with improved patient outcome measures, affordability and cost management data extending beyond one year timeframes’. It relates to a number of issues raised in the Accelerated Access Review (AAR) and work is ongoing between the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England to address them as part of the Government’s response to the AAR.

In 2012 NICE reviewed the guidance on technology appraisals, including a public consultation on a potential new value assessment framework. This included amendments to include patient outcome measures. However, the review concluded that there was insufficient consensus to modify the assessment framework at that time. NICE is planning to start the work on the next update to its guide to methods of technology appraisal in 2019.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is a Government trading fund, and will continue to be so after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. As a Government trading fund, the Agency will carry on recovering costs in the usual way.

The Government is committed to supporting innovation and improvement through the safe and secure use of data from the health and care system. NHS Digital is the national provider of high-quality information, data and IT systems for health and social care, with a statutory duty in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to assure the quality of all the data it collects, publishes and makes available, under strict controls, to the research community. At present, a wide range of data is collected from the National Health Service to support a range of secondary uses including within the research community. Recognising the value and importance of this data, NHS Digital has made a number of commitments to the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy. In addition, NHS Digital has set out national standards and approaches for data and interoperability and sponsors the Professional Records Standards Body to define the standards needed for good care records which are the foundation of strong data for research. To support researchers understanding of the data access environment, NHS Digital is also rolling out a series of Roadshows for Researchers which will promote understanding of the types of data that are available for research and how to access this data.

The Department has no such plans. NHS England recently consulted on conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care, ‘A consultation on guidance for CCGs’ and also published a full Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment which covers groups protected by the Equality Act 2010 and those on low income. A copy of the document is attached.

NHS England’s consultation document proposed that people who have demonstrated vitamin D deficiency will continue to have access to vitamin D on prescription. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Public Health Guideline 56 refers to widened access to vitamin D for those who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, including the ability to purchase appropriate supplements if needed and access support from health care professionals to be able to safeguard their own health.

The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances states that vitamins and minerals should be prescribed only in the management of actual or potential vitamin or mineral deficiency, and are not to be prescribed as dietary supplements. We understand that NHS England’s consultation is in line with this. Prescribing vitamin D for maintenance would be classed as a treatment for prevention or as a dietary supplement.

No estimate has made of the number of out of home settings providing calorie information and no assessment has been made of the merits of mandating calorie labelling in these settings.

Businesses that have adopted the front of pack nutrition labelling scheme account for approximately two thirds of the market for pre-packed foods and drinks.

Evidence suggests that people who use the front of pack labels tend to have healthier shopping baskets with fewer calories, less sugar, fat and salt, and more fibre. Evidence from businesses using the scheme suggests that shoppers use the scheme to make healthier choices within categories, for example, ready meals.

Businesses that have adopted the front of pack nutrition labelling scheme account for approximately two thirds of the market for pre-packed foods and drinks.

Evidence suggests that people who use the front of pack labels tend to have healthier shopping baskets with fewer calories, less sugar, fat and salt, and more fibre. Evidence from businesses using the scheme suggests that shoppers use the scheme to make healthier choices within categories, for example, ready meals.