Eddie Hughes

The Digital Identity call for evidence, published in July 2019, sought views on how the government can support the development and secure use of digital identities across the public and private sector. A government response and next steps will be published in Spring 2020.

The Digital Identity Unit is a collaboration between DCMS and Cabinet Office. Further information on the work of the Unit will be published in the government’s response to the Digital Identity Call for Evidence in Spring 2020. Any additional information will be released in line with DCMS and Cabinet Office publication schemes.

The first round of the voluntary-aided (VA) capital scheme ran from November 2018 to February 2019. The successful bid, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA) for a Catholic primary school in Peterborough, was announced in June 2019. Following receipt of in-principle agreement from the Department to provide capital funding, proposers are required to complete the statutory process to establish new VA schools. Peterborough City Council approved the statutory proposals from RCDEA on 27 January 2020.

A feasibility study will now be carried out before the Department gives final agreement to provide funding. We will announce further information about round two of the scheme in due course, taking into account lessons from the first round.

The first round of the voluntary-aided (VA) capital scheme ran from November 2018 to February 2019. The successful bid, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA) for a Catholic primary school in Peterborough, was announced in June 2019. Following receipt of in-principle agreement from the Department to provide capital funding, proposers are required to complete the statutory process to establish new VA schools. Peterborough City Council approved the statutory proposals from RCDEA on 27 January 2020.

A feasibility study will now be carried out before the Department gives final agreement to provide funding. We will announce further information about round two of the scheme in due course, taking into account lessons from the first round.

The first round of the voluntary-aided (VA) capital scheme ran from November 2018 to February 2019. The successful bid, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA) for a Catholic primary school in Peterborough, was announced in June 2019. Following receipt of in-principle agreement from the Department to provide capital funding, proposers are required to complete the statutory process to establish new VA schools. Peterborough City Council approved the statutory proposals from RCDEA on 27 January 2020.

A feasibility study will now be carried out before the Department gives final agreement to provide funding. We will announce further information about round two of the scheme in due course, taking into account lessons from the first round.

Along with the private sector, the Government will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure – making sure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station. In July 2019 work commenced to determine a vision for a core rapid charger network on England’s strategic road network. This will report in Spring 2020. Highways England has committed £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020. Our jointly funded £400 million Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund’s first investment round, worth a total of £70 million, will ensure the delivery of 3,000 rapid charging devices by 2024, more than doubling the current number of rapid charging devices.

As per our manifesto, on 4 February the Prime Minister announced that Government is consulting on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time. The position reflects the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advice that the phase out date should be 2035 or ideally 2030, and that only battery electric or other zero tailpipe emission vehicles should be permitted to be sold after this point. The CCC has advised that this is an important step in the UK’s aim to end our contribution to climate change by 2050. Stakeholders will have a diverse range of views on this subject so the consultation process will help inform our thinking on what the appropriate measures to achieve a faster transition will need to be.

In collaboration with industry the Government will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure – making sure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station for electric vehicles. The first £70 million of the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will create 3,000 new rapid chargepoints, more than doubling the number of rapid chargepoints across the UK by 2024. Highways England has commitment of £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020. We will set out a vision by Spring 2020 for a core infrastructure network of rapid and high powered chargepoints along England’s strategic road network.

Improving the range of electric vehicles is primarily a matter for vehicle manufacturers, and this is something that is continuously being improved. Government will continue to support industry in doing this, we have committed £274m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to the Faraday Battery Challenge to advance electric vehicle battery technology. This funding is supporting battery R&D from the Faraday Institution’s academic research, through Innovate UK’s programme of collaborative applied R&D, to scale-up in the cutting-edge UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. The aims of the Faraday Battery Challenge include improving the energy density of batteries, improving our understanding of temperature effects on range, and reducing battery costs which will make longer range electric vehicles more affordable.

In the Road to Zero strategy, the UK Government committed to working with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) to ensure the UK’s workforce of mechanics are well trained and have the skills they need to repair electric vehicles safely. Last year the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) endorsed IMI’s TechSafe professional standards and register for electric vehicle technicians. People will be able to use the register to check the electric vehicle competencies of technicians at their garage, supporting consumer confidence in this growing market. OLEV has also endorsed the National Franchised Dealers Association’s Electric Vehicle Approved scheme to recognise expertise and promote industry standards in electric vehicle retail and aftersales. Today, owners of electric vehicles can have substantially lower fuel and maintenance costs compared to those with conventional vehicles. 100% electric vehicles are designed to be as efficient as possible and there are generally three main components powering the vehicle: the on board charger, inverter and motor. This means there is less wear and tear on the vehicle and little stress on the motor, with fewer moving parts sustainable to damage. This means electric vehicles have reduced servicing requirements and the running and repair costs are minimal.

We are currently investing nearly £1.5bn? between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles to reduce the up-front purchase price of electric vehicles, as well schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets. Purchasers of electric vehicles also benefit from lower Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax rates from April. As part of our consultation on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, we are asking what the accompanying package of support will need to be to enable the transition and minimise the impacts on businesses and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply side measures already in place.