Dean Russell

The Wellbeing Confident Leaders training was a cross-government initiative led by Civil Service HR (CSHR).

When the programme concluded on 31 March 2019, 61% of Cabinet Office Senior Civil Servants had received the Wellbeing Confident Leaders Training.

This programme was removed due to the development of the new Civil Service Teaming, which is open to all grades, and continues to be available.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

The Government recognises that the hospitality sector is facing financial pressures.

The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will provide all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.

The Government has also announced business rates support measures worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.

We meet regularly with representatives and trade bodies from the hospitality sector and have convened a Hospitality Sector Council to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, with the aim of building the sector’s long-term resilience. A Delivery Report showing progress made was published in March. The Council is scheduled to meet next in July.

In 2014 the Government asked the Law Commission to examine the protections for consumers in insolvency situations who have prepaid for goods and services. Its report was published in 2016 and found that the combination of existing law and chargeback rules provided important protection, and that substantial amounts could be refunded in this way.

The Government’s response to the Commission’s recommendations was published in 2018 and has already led to new guidance to insolvency office-holders on chargeback provisions.

The UK regime sets some of the highest standards of consumer protection in the world. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill currently before Parliament establishes new tools to drive competition in digital markets, and boosts consumer rights and enforcement against unscrupulous businesses.

We are working closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, and brought forward a Delivery Report on 1 March to show progress made. Business-led working groups are considering ways to improve business resilience, including innovation and sustainable practices, energy efficiency, jobs and skills, local partnerships, and improving access to finance.

The Government continues to support businesses with their costs, and we are legislating to increase the new Draught Relief from 5% to 9.2% for beer and cider draught products and from 20% to 23% for wine, spirits based and other fermented draught products.

The Spring Budget 2023 included an increase in Draught Relief from 1 August to 9.2%, freezing the duty charged on a typical pint of beer in the pub and ensuring this will always be lower than in the supermarket.

The Autumn Statement 2022 included a package of changes to business rates worth £13.6bn over the next 5 years in lower bills. This is in addition to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; the increased Employment Allowance of £5,000, which takes the smallest 40% of businesses out of paying any National Insurance at all; and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at £1 million permanently.

My department recently published an update on progress towards delivery of the Government’s Hospitality Strategy, with the key ambition of building the sector’s long-term resilience.

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

The Performing Arts guidance was updated on 18 May to reflect the arrangements for Step 3 of the roadmap.

Non-professional groups of up to six people can now sing indoors, in line with the rule of 6 applying to many other indoor activities and gatherings, and can perform or rehearse in groups of up to 30 outdoors. In addition, multiple groups of 30 can now sing outdoors, provided the groups are kept separate throughout the activity, in line with other large events that follow the organised events guidance for local authorities.

This is an important step forward in the return of non-professional performing arts activity from Step 2. We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

Local planning authorities are required to publicise certain types of planning applications in local newspapers as set out in Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

We are mindful of the potential impact that any changes to the requirements might have on transparency and local democracy, as well as the potential effect on local newspaper revenue. Indeed the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism found that statutory notices, including planning notices, provide an important strand of revenue for many local publishers and that their withdrawal would do serious damage to parts of the sector. We also recognise the importance of local newspapers to communities and the continued need to reach out to people who cannot digitally access information.

Proposals to reform publicity requirements are being considered through the “Planning for the Future” White Paper which aims to make it simpler, quicker and more accessible for local people to engage with the planning system using digital tools. MHCLG is considering consultation responses and will publish a response in due course, and the impact on transparency and local democracy, as well as on local newspaper revenue will be considered before any decisions are taken.

The Government’s Film & TV Production Restart Scheme and our industry-led guidance has enabled production to continue on film sets up and down the country - including at Warner Bros studios in Leavesden, home to the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible franchises.

This week the Secretary of State spoke to the BFI’s CEO and Colin Firth about how important the Restart Scheme has been to restoring sector confidence and kickstarting new productions - ensuring the UK remains a world leader in Film and TV.

World class digital connectivity is key to the UK economy and the Government remains committed to delivering nationwide gigabit-capable and full fibre broadband as soon as possible.

A recent study commissioned by Ofcom finds that investment in broadband has had significant benefits to the UK economy and that increased connectivity has a positive relationship with economic growth and productivity. Furthermore a study undertaken for Cityfibre has predicted that the total economic impact of deploying ‘full fibre’ (FTTP) broadband networks across 100 distinct UK city and towns, could reach £120 billion over a 15 year period. In addition, work commissioned by the NIC estimated net benefits from investment in FTTP with 100% coverage of up to £28 billion (in present value terms) by 2050. This is before taking account of the potential for FTTP to deliver wider economic benefits, for example, improvements in productivity.

Good progress has been made over the past year. The latest Ofcom figures demonstrate full fibre coverage has increased to 3.5 million premises (or 12% of the UK), and by 1.5 million premises in the past year. Estimates of gigabit coverage are even higher at over 20% of UK premises, as a result of Virgin Media’s upgrades of its existing network.

The Government is taking action to further reduce barriers to broadband deployment, including through the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold) Property Bill, which will make it easier to connect properties where there is an unresponsive landlord. The department is also committed to investing £5 billion to deliver nationwide gigabit-capable coverage to the hardest to reach parts of the country, so that no areas are left behind.

The department has offered all state-funded schools and colleges in England a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025. The department continues to deliver on the commitments that it made in the government’s 2018 response to the consultation on 'Transforming children and young people's mental health provision: a green paper' and to deliver on next steps. The government’s response to the consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.

As at 30 November 2023, 15,100 schools and colleges had taken up this offer and claimed a grant, which represents 63% of the total number of settings that are eligible to apply. Breakdowns of the data, including by setting type, can be found in the department’s transparency data release which has been updated annually since the programme started and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.

A list of schools and colleges receiving a senior mental health lead training grant is also published and updated throughout the year, which can be found here: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F65b0cb50160765001118f741%2FSenior_mental_health_lead_training_January_2024_Update.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.

The government values and appreciates the dedication, professionalism and hard work of teaching assistants (TAs), and the department knows the valuable contribution they make to pupils’ education alongside excellent teachers, particularly when supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Reaching over 70% of schools and further education (FE) colleges, the Universal Services programme will help the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively.

The department’s Universal Services contract brings together SEND-specific continuous professional development (CPD) and support for the school and FE workforce to improve outcomes for children and young people. The contract offers autism awareness training and resources delivered by the Autism Education Trust (AET). Over 135,000 education professionals have undertaken autism awareness training as part of AET's ‘train the trainer’ model since the Universal Services programme commenced in May 2022.

School and college staff have completed over 7,000 online SEND CPD units to support them in delivering an inclusive experience for every learner. The Universal Services contract will run until spring 2025, with a budget of nearly £12 million.

On 22 November 2023, the department announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13 million of investment, will bring together integrated care boards, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children.

The programme will deploy specialists from both health and education workforces to upskill school staff including TAs in around 1,680 (10%) mainstream primary schools and build their capacity to identify and meet the needs of children with autism and other neurodiverse needs.

Ultimately, schools are best placed to make decisions on the CPD that best meets the needs of their support staff, as they do for teachers' CPD.

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March, the department outlined its commitment for children and young people with SEND (or attending alternative provision) to enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and feel well prepared for adulthood and employment.

The department will give families greater confidence that their child will be able to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting and strengthened accountability across the system so that everyone is held to account for supporting children and young people with SEND. For those children and young people with SEND who do require an Education, Health and Care plan and specialist provision, the department will ensure they get access to the support they need, and that parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this.

High needs revenue funding will rise to £10.5 billion in 2024-25, a 60% increase on 2019/20 allocations. An additional £2.6 billion of funding will support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream, special schools and alternative provision and to improve the suitability of existing buildings. Through the £70 million Change Programme, the department is testing and refining the Improvement Plan reforms to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families.

The department is committed to improving the supply, training and deployment of key workforces, to make the best use of professional expertise, at whatever age or stage it is needed, and prevent needs from escalating. This includes training up to 7,000 early years specialists and investing a further £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists.

To ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND, the department is implementing a ‘golden thread’ of evidence-based teacher training reforms from initial teacher training through to an early career framework based induction and on to National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) for more experienced teachers. This support includes the introduction of a new leadership level NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators that will begin teaching in autumn 2024.

High needs funding for the provision of education for children and young people with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is increasing by 60% from the 2019/20 allocations to over £10.5 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The department has announced provisional 2024/25 high needs allocations for local authorities. Hertfordshire County Council’s allocation is £187 million, which is £8.4 million more than the Council will receive this year, a cumulative increase of 29% per head over the three years from 2021/22.

Funding for other services for children with SEND and their families is provided to local authorities through the local government finance settlement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The mental health of children is a priority for this government, and the department understands that early intervention in schools can play a vital role. The department is committed to ensuring schools and colleges are safe, calm and supportive environments which promote and support mental wellbeing.

The department knows that school-based provision such as counselling works best in schools that take a whole-school approach, with all staff clear about how mental health is supported. That is why the department is offering senior mental health lead training grants to all state schools by 2025, with over 14,400 settings claiming a grant so far.

The department is also extending NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to cover at least 50% of pupils in schools and learners in further education by spring 2025. These teams deliver direct interventions for mild to moderate mental health needs, support education staff with their whole-school approach, and liaise with external specialists to help children and young people get the right support. The MHSTs programme received early independent evaluation, available at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/brace/projects/children-and-young-people%27s-mental-health-trailblazer-programme.aspx. An independent impact evaluation of both MHSTs and the senior mental health lead training programme is expected in 2026.

Bodies such as the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) have also produced reports reviewing the effectiveness of a variety of mental health interventions. A 2021 report from the EIF is available at: https://www.eif.org.uk/report/adolescent-mental-health-a-systematic-review-on-the-effectiveness-of-school-based-interventions.

Animal testing of chemical substances is permitted under UK REACH only as a measure of last resort; this principle is reinforced by the Environment Act 2021. Moreover, UK REACH states that test methods should be regularly reviewed with a view to reducing animal testing and it encourages the use of alternative methods. Testing and assessment of final products is not a part of UK REACH.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is the UK regulatory authority for veterinary medicinal products. The VMD assesses applications submitted by the veterinary pharmaceutical industry in line with national and international regulations and guidance to ensure safe and effective veterinary medicines of good quality are marketed. These requirements may therefore necessitate animal testing either to develop and register new veterinary medicines or for routine product quality control, to ensure the continued quality, safety and efficacy batch to batch. Non-animal tests are not always available and the VMD is committed to phasing out the use of animals for testing purposes where possible, in accordance with the principles of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). Furthermore, the UK is a signatory to the European Pharmacopoeia (which sets minimum quality standards of medicines) and the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes and this commitment to the 3Rs is also enshrined in the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 under which scientific procedures in animals are regulated.

The Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation (the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs, Andrew Griffith) recently announced that the Government will publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science, which will be published in the summer. He also requested that we double our investment in research to achieve these approaches next year to £20 million across the system in 2024/25.

Defra convened a group of experts and other stakeholders to define the physical characteristics of the breed type. This included representatives from the police, local authorities, devolved administrations and the Animal Welfare Committee, which advises the Government on animal welfare issues. The definition and guidance have been published on Gov.uk to help the police and owners understand whether a dog should be defined as an XL Bully.

The Government has produced specific guidance for vets relating to their role in the neutering and euthanasia of XL Bully dogs. Vets can refer to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Conduct with regard to their professional responsibilities.

During the transition period, it is up to owners to identify whether they think their dog may be in scope of the XL Bully ban and whether they wish to apply for a Certificate of Exemption.  We recommend taking a precautionary approach. If they are unsure if their dog is a XL Bully or whether any puppies may grow up to be of this dog type, owners should comply with the relevant requirements and restrictions as they come into force. The definition and guidance have been published on gov.uk to help owners and enforcement officers understand whether a dog should be defined as an XL Bully. Dog Legislation Officers are responsible for identifying prohibited breed types for the purposes of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and enforcing the ban once it comes into force. We will be supporting the police to deliver additional training to Dog Legislation Officers to ensure they are upskilled and able to consistently apply the breed standard for the XL Bully breed type.

We will shortly issue the summary of responses and the Government’s response to the ‘Consultation on cat and dog microchipping legislation in England’ which was launched in Spring 2022.

More than 1,600 East of England firms exported to Australia in 2020. A removal of tariffs on the East of England’s key exports to Australia in life sciences, clothing and motor industry can create more opportunities for businesses in the region.

Cutting red tape and aligning standards could also support growth in exports of life sciences.

Since announcing the Nine Point Plan the Government has:

• Brought in the Seafarers’ Wages Act which will ensure that seafarers employed aboard ships regularly operating from UK ports will be paid at least an equivalent to the National Minimum Wage in UK waters.
• Worked with industry and unions to develop the Seafarers’ Charter, which will encourage and recognise ferry operators taking extra steps to provide good working conditions.
• Published a consultation on a draft Code of Practice on Fire and Rehire, the responses to which are now being considered by the Department for Business and Trade.
• Supported amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention to improve access to food and drinking water and appropriately sized PPE, and led development of guidance to support seafarers who face abandonment.
• Commissioned research into seafarer fatigue to give us more robust evidence about the impact of roster patterns.
• Commissioned research into improving internet connectivity for seafarers, as connectivity to shore and communication with friends and family is important for those at sea.

Seafarer welfare is inextricably linked to international maritime law and regulation. As such it must be addressed with international partners and through international fora. The UK will continue to lead the way in seafarer welfare and will not shy away from its role as an international leader in championing this important cause.

The UK’s Seafarers’ Wages Act obtained Royal Assent earlier this month. I am also pleased to report progress in the French National Assembly of the French Government’s legislation on minimum wages for seafarers. When our respective legislation comes into force, the UK and France will have created a minimum wage corridor on the short strait, enhancing the livelihoods of the seafarers that work on this important route.

We continue to engage with a range of international partners, including France, to further enhance seafarer protections internationally.

The most recent assessments we have made about Traffic Regulation Orders are in two reports. The first discovery research report was published in 2019 and laid the foundations for the second report available here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-regulation-orders-identifying-improvements-to-the-legislative-process-in-england.

Each of these reports considered the impacts on different groups of potential improvements to the legislative process.

The Department plans to consult on proposed reforms to Traffic Regulation Orders more generally later in 2021. An Impact Assessment will accompany this consultation.

Universal Credit payments are designed to mirror the world of work, with calendar monthly calculations and payments reflecting the way most working people are paid.

As no calendar year contains 53 weeks, Universal Credit always converts weekly amounts to monthly sums using 52 weeks.  The legitimacy of this approach was confirmed by the High Court having been tested via a judicial review.

All of our policies are open to review and may be subject to change in the future; however, we have no plans at present to make changes to this policy.

People with non-visible disabilities can experience difficulties or be disadvantaged in their ability to access services. Their difficulty can be exacerbated because service provider personnel are unaware of their disability and any different or additional needs they may have.

During the pandemic, the green Sunflower Lanyard scheme gained popularity to indicate an individual's non-visible disability in relation to mask exemption. The Sunflower Lanyard scheme is recognised by some retailers and transport authorities as an indication that a customer or passenger may need additional help because of a non-visible disability. Some individuals prefer to make their non-visible disability known to others by wearing a visible indication of their disability - the Sunflower Lanyard scheme is one such option.

However, this is a personal choice. It is not the Government's intent to promote any one voluntary scheme, nor to suggest that disabled people should feel that they have to make their disability known to others.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Health and Safety (First-Aid Regulations) 1981 which require employers to provide first aid to employees who are injured or become ill at work.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations are designed to help individuals who require immediate intervention or support where necessary until professional emergency care arrives. They already require employers to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a first aid needs assessment.

Training employees in mental health first aid can have a role to play as part of a holistic approach to raising awareness of and responding to potential mental health issues in the workplace. However, this should be risk based and informed by the employer’s assessment of first aid needs. Regulatory change to prescriptively mandate mental health first aid training would not allow employers to tailor their approach to workplace mental health to meet their particular needs and would likely introduce substantial financial burden that may be unwarranted.

The Government commissioned ‘Thriving at Work’ review recommended, in 2017, that employers adopt a set of core mental health standards that will provide a comprehensive approach to transforming mental health in the workplace. HSE is continuing its work with the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care, Joint Work and Health Directorate, to help employers better support all employees to remain in and thrive at work, including those with mental ill health or wellbeing.

The Secretary of State announced on 17 November that State Pensions and benefits will be up-rated from April 2023 by 10.1%, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2022, subject to parliamentary approval.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why, in addition to the £37 billion of support we have provided for cost of living pressures in 2022/23, we are acting now to ensure support continues throughout 2023/24.

Over 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, including the 1.4 million currently in receipt of Pension Credit, will receive additional Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023/24 financial year.

In addition, eight million pensioner households will receive a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top-up to their Winter Fuel Payment, and pensioners in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will receive the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.

Integrated care boards (ICB) commission services to meet the needs of their local populace. Diagnosis of coeliac disease falls within the portfolio of ICB-commissioned services. As such, NHS England does not have central accountability. However, NHS England has invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme.

The diagnosis of coeliac disease commonly involves a blood test and, in some cases, a biopsy of the small intestine. Post-diagnosis, further blood tests, which check the levels of iron and other vitamins and minerals, may be required to assess how the condition has affected the individual, such as the potential for iron deficiency anaemia due to poor absorption of nutrients. A bone density scan may also be recommended if the condition is thought to affect the individual’s bones.