Elliot Colburn

The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare ‘pathfinder’ scheme to support local authorities to work with primary schools and private providers to set up and deliver wraparound childcare before and after school. This is the first step in the government’s ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. Successfully meeting this objective will go some way in ensuring that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours, and with flexible hours.

The investment will also support local authorities to test flexible options of providing school aged childcare, for example exploring models such as partnerships between schools and working with private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, to deliver wraparound childcare that is self-financing and sustainable in the longer term.

The department will work with local authorities, schools, and PVI providers over the next few months to ensure that this programme is designed to meet the needs of parents, and to ensure that the right support is in place for schools and providers. To meet the ambition of the pathfinder, we are working with a small group of local authorities in a co-design process, to build our understanding of the challenges around supply and demand, recruitment and retention, and other operational considerations. This will be a collaborative process to co-design the programme, with additional input from private providers, parents, and others in the sector. We will be looking to support some local authorities to roll out the programme earlier than September 2024, where they are able to. Local authorities who participate in the co-design process may find themselves more able to roll out sooner than they would otherwise be able to.

The department understands that many parents work fewer hours, even when their children are of school age. A key barrier is the availability of wraparound childcare, with only 64% of primary schools currently offering childcare at both ends of the day. The availability of wraparound childcare differs between schools and local authorities. This means that although there is some excellent provision, whether delivered by schools or by PVI providers, not all families are receiving the support they need to enable them to work. In 2021, 40% of non-working mothers with primary age children said that if they could arrange good quality childcare that was convenient, reliable, and affordable, they would prefer to work. Increasing the availability of wraparound childcare for parents will help ensure that working parents do not have to reduce their hours due to their caring responsibilities. Working families can continue to access support with childcare costs through Tax Free Childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged up to 11, or £4,000 per year for children aged up to 17 with disabilities, and the childcare element for Universal Credit for children up to age 16.

Many schools already work successfully in partnership with PVI providers to deliver wraparound childcare to the school community. Officials are engaging with schools and wraparound childcare providers to understand what support they will require to deliver sustainable wraparound childcare. Officials are also working across government to ensure that the pathfinder scheme complements and supports existing work where schools provide out of hours activities. Senior officials are in regular discussions with representatives from the Local Government Association, local authorities, schools, and PVI providers through the Wraparound Programme Steering Group, helping the department better understand sector-specific challenges.

We recognise that recruitment and retention remain key challenges for schools and private providers. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department. We are working proactively with the sector and other government departments to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support in this area. That is why this funding is designed to support local authorities to work with schools and private providers to test different approaches and identify what works best for them. The pathfinder will include a robust evaluation to ensure we gather as much evidence and information as possible about the barriers and challenges the sector has in delivering wraparound childcare, and what support and funding the sector needs to deliver provision that is sustainable and accessible to all working parents that need it.

The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare ‘pathfinder’ scheme to support local authorities to work with primary schools and private providers to set up and deliver wraparound childcare before and after school. This is the first step in the government’s ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. Successfully meeting this objective will go some way in ensuring that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours, and with flexible hours.

The investment will also support local authorities to test flexible options of providing school aged childcare, for example exploring models such as partnerships between schools and working with private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, to deliver wraparound childcare that is self-financing and sustainable in the longer term.

The department will work with local authorities, schools, and PVI providers over the next few months to ensure that this programme is designed to meet the needs of parents, and to ensure that the right support is in place for schools and providers. To meet the ambition of the pathfinder, we are working with a small group of local authorities in a co-design process, to build our understanding of the challenges around supply and demand, recruitment and retention, and other operational considerations. This will be a collaborative process to co-design the programme, with additional input from private providers, parents, and others in the sector. We will be looking to support some local authorities to roll out the programme earlier than September 2024, where they are able to. Local authorities who participate in the co-design process may find themselves more able to roll out sooner than they would otherwise be able to.

The department understands that many parents work fewer hours, even when their children are of school age. A key barrier is the availability of wraparound childcare, with only 64% of primary schools currently offering childcare at both ends of the day. The availability of wraparound childcare differs between schools and local authorities. This means that although there is some excellent provision, whether delivered by schools or by PVI providers, not all families are receiving the support they need to enable them to work. In 2021, 40% of non-working mothers with primary age children said that if they could arrange good quality childcare that was convenient, reliable, and affordable, they would prefer to work. Increasing the availability of wraparound childcare for parents will help ensure that working parents do not have to reduce their hours due to their caring responsibilities. Working families can continue to access support with childcare costs through Tax Free Childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged up to 11, or £4,000 per year for children aged up to 17 with disabilities, and the childcare element for Universal Credit for children up to age 16.

Many schools already work successfully in partnership with PVI providers to deliver wraparound childcare to the school community. Officials are engaging with schools and wraparound childcare providers to understand what support they will require to deliver sustainable wraparound childcare. Officials are also working across government to ensure that the pathfinder scheme complements and supports existing work where schools provide out of hours activities. Senior officials are in regular discussions with representatives from the Local Government Association, local authorities, schools, and PVI providers through the Wraparound Programme Steering Group, helping the department better understand sector-specific challenges.

We recognise that recruitment and retention remain key challenges for schools and private providers. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department. We are working proactively with the sector and other government departments to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support in this area. That is why this funding is designed to support local authorities to work with schools and private providers to test different approaches and identify what works best for them. The pathfinder will include a robust evaluation to ensure we gather as much evidence and information as possible about the barriers and challenges the sector has in delivering wraparound childcare, and what support and funding the sector needs to deliver provision that is sustainable and accessible to all working parents that need it.

The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare ‘pathfinder’ scheme to support local authorities to work with primary schools and private providers to set up and deliver wraparound childcare before and after school. This is the first step in the government’s ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. Successfully meeting this objective will go some way in ensuring that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours, and with flexible hours.

The investment will also support local authorities to test flexible options of providing school aged childcare, for example exploring models such as partnerships between schools and working with private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, to deliver wraparound childcare that is self-financing and sustainable in the longer term.

The department will work with local authorities, schools, and PVI providers over the next few months to ensure that this programme is designed to meet the needs of parents, and to ensure that the right support is in place for schools and providers. To meet the ambition of the pathfinder, we are working with a small group of local authorities in a co-design process, to build our understanding of the challenges around supply and demand, recruitment and retention, and other operational considerations. This will be a collaborative process to co-design the programme, with additional input from private providers, parents, and others in the sector. We will be looking to support some local authorities to roll out the programme earlier than September 2024, where they are able to. Local authorities who participate in the co-design process may find themselves more able to roll out sooner than they would otherwise be able to.

The department understands that many parents work fewer hours, even when their children are of school age. A key barrier is the availability of wraparound childcare, with only 64% of primary schools currently offering childcare at both ends of the day. The availability of wraparound childcare differs between schools and local authorities. This means that although there is some excellent provision, whether delivered by schools or by PVI providers, not all families are receiving the support they need to enable them to work. In 2021, 40% of non-working mothers with primary age children said that if they could arrange good quality childcare that was convenient, reliable, and affordable, they would prefer to work. Increasing the availability of wraparound childcare for parents will help ensure that working parents do not have to reduce their hours due to their caring responsibilities. Working families can continue to access support with childcare costs through Tax Free Childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged up to 11, or £4,000 per year for children aged up to 17 with disabilities, and the childcare element for Universal Credit for children up to age 16.

Many schools already work successfully in partnership with PVI providers to deliver wraparound childcare to the school community. Officials are engaging with schools and wraparound childcare providers to understand what support they will require to deliver sustainable wraparound childcare. Officials are also working across government to ensure that the pathfinder scheme complements and supports existing work where schools provide out of hours activities. Senior officials are in regular discussions with representatives from the Local Government Association, local authorities, schools, and PVI providers through the Wraparound Programme Steering Group, helping the department better understand sector-specific challenges.

We recognise that recruitment and retention remain key challenges for schools and private providers. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department. We are working proactively with the sector and other government departments to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support in this area. That is why this funding is designed to support local authorities to work with schools and private providers to test different approaches and identify what works best for them. The pathfinder will include a robust evaluation to ensure we gather as much evidence and information as possible about the barriers and challenges the sector has in delivering wraparound childcare, and what support and funding the sector needs to deliver provision that is sustainable and accessible to all working parents that need it.

The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare ‘pathfinder’ scheme to support local authorities to work with primary schools and private providers to set up and deliver wraparound childcare before and after school. This is the first step in the government’s ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. Successfully meeting this objective will go some way in ensuring that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours, and with flexible hours.

The investment will also support local authorities to test flexible options of providing school aged childcare, for example exploring models such as partnerships between schools and working with private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, to deliver wraparound childcare that is self-financing and sustainable in the longer term.

The department will work with local authorities, schools, and PVI providers over the next few months to ensure that this programme is designed to meet the needs of parents, and to ensure that the right support is in place for schools and providers. To meet the ambition of the pathfinder, we are working with a small group of local authorities in a co-design process, to build our understanding of the challenges around supply and demand, recruitment and retention, and other operational considerations. This will be a collaborative process to co-design the programme, with additional input from private providers, parents, and others in the sector. We will be looking to support some local authorities to roll out the programme earlier than September 2024, where they are able to. Local authorities who participate in the co-design process may find themselves more able to roll out sooner than they would otherwise be able to.

The department understands that many parents work fewer hours, even when their children are of school age. A key barrier is the availability of wraparound childcare, with only 64% of primary schools currently offering childcare at both ends of the day. The availability of wraparound childcare differs between schools and local authorities. This means that although there is some excellent provision, whether delivered by schools or by PVI providers, not all families are receiving the support they need to enable them to work. In 2021, 40% of non-working mothers with primary age children said that if they could arrange good quality childcare that was convenient, reliable, and affordable, they would prefer to work. Increasing the availability of wraparound childcare for parents will help ensure that working parents do not have to reduce their hours due to their caring responsibilities. Working families can continue to access support with childcare costs through Tax Free Childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged up to 11, or £4,000 per year for children aged up to 17 with disabilities, and the childcare element for Universal Credit for children up to age 16.

Many schools already work successfully in partnership with PVI providers to deliver wraparound childcare to the school community. Officials are engaging with schools and wraparound childcare providers to understand what support they will require to deliver sustainable wraparound childcare. Officials are also working across government to ensure that the pathfinder scheme complements and supports existing work where schools provide out of hours activities. Senior officials are in regular discussions with representatives from the Local Government Association, local authorities, schools, and PVI providers through the Wraparound Programme Steering Group, helping the department better understand sector-specific challenges.

We recognise that recruitment and retention remain key challenges for schools and private providers. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department. We are working proactively with the sector and other government departments to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support in this area. That is why this funding is designed to support local authorities to work with schools and private providers to test different approaches and identify what works best for them. The pathfinder will include a robust evaluation to ensure we gather as much evidence and information as possible about the barriers and challenges the sector has in delivering wraparound childcare, and what support and funding the sector needs to deliver provision that is sustainable and accessible to all working parents that need it.

The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare ‘pathfinder’ scheme to support local authorities to work with primary schools and private providers to set up and deliver wraparound childcare before and after school. This is the first step in the government’s ambition for all parents of primary school children who need it to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm. Successfully meeting this objective will go some way in ensuring that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours, and with flexible hours.

The investment will also support local authorities to test flexible options of providing school aged childcare, for example exploring models such as partnerships between schools and working with private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers, to deliver wraparound childcare that is self-financing and sustainable in the longer term.

The department will work with local authorities, schools, and PVI providers over the next few months to ensure that this programme is designed to meet the needs of parents, and to ensure that the right support is in place for schools and providers. To meet the ambition of the pathfinder, we are working with a small group of local authorities in a co-design process, to build our understanding of the challenges around supply and demand, recruitment and retention, and other operational considerations. This will be a collaborative process to co-design the programme, with additional input from private providers, parents, and others in the sector. We will be looking to support some local authorities to roll out the programme earlier than September 2024, where they are able to. Local authorities who participate in the co-design process may find themselves more able to roll out sooner than they would otherwise be able to.

The department understands that many parents work fewer hours, even when their children are of school age. A key barrier is the availability of wraparound childcare, with only 64% of primary schools currently offering childcare at both ends of the day. The availability of wraparound childcare differs between schools and local authorities. This means that although there is some excellent provision, whether delivered by schools or by PVI providers, not all families are receiving the support they need to enable them to work. In 2021, 40% of non-working mothers with primary age children said that if they could arrange good quality childcare that was convenient, reliable, and affordable, they would prefer to work. Increasing the availability of wraparound childcare for parents will help ensure that working parents do not have to reduce their hours due to their caring responsibilities. Working families can continue to access support with childcare costs through Tax Free Childcare, worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged up to 11, or £4,000 per year for children aged up to 17 with disabilities, and the childcare element for Universal Credit for children up to age 16.

Many schools already work successfully in partnership with PVI providers to deliver wraparound childcare to the school community. Officials are engaging with schools and wraparound childcare providers to understand what support they will require to deliver sustainable wraparound childcare. Officials are also working across government to ensure that the pathfinder scheme complements and supports existing work where schools provide out of hours activities. Senior officials are in regular discussions with representatives from the Local Government Association, local authorities, schools, and PVI providers through the Wraparound Programme Steering Group, helping the department better understand sector-specific challenges.

We recognise that recruitment and retention remain key challenges for schools and private providers. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department. We are working proactively with the sector and other government departments to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support in this area. That is why this funding is designed to support local authorities to work with schools and private providers to test different approaches and identify what works best for them. The pathfinder will include a robust evaluation to ensure we gather as much evidence and information as possible about the barriers and challenges the sector has in delivering wraparound childcare, and what support and funding the sector needs to deliver provision that is sustainable and accessible to all working parents that need it.

The department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan in March 2023, in which we set out our plans to improve the SEND and AP system. The Plan includes the steps we are taking to strengthen accountability across the system to improve the quality of services for children with SEND and in AP. This includes the new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area SEND Inspection Framework, the emphasis on SEND pupils in the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework, and the local and national inclusion dashboards launching later this year, which will give parents the opportunity to monitor the performance of their local SEND and AP system.

The Department believes that all pupils should be supported whilst growing up. Schools, colleges and teachers are committed to supporting all pupils and students to thrive and reach their potential in a safe and respectful environment.

All schools and colleges must have regard to the Department’s 'Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)' statutory guidance, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. The KCSIE statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance to support schools in relation to gender questioning pupils.

The Government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and the Department is committed to supporting schools to tackle it. The Department provides guidance for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities, and makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child’s social, emotional, and mental health needs. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance to support schools in relation to supporting gender questioning pupils.

The Department has provided over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

The Department is ensuring all pupils in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of new mandatory relationships, sex and health education. The subject is designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe, and healthy lives, and to foster respect for other people and for difference.

All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. The policy should set out the behaviour expected of pupils, the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour, and rewards for good behaviour. This should be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents. This is supported by ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole school approach which promotes respect and discipline. The tool is available at: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/. This can combat bullying, harassment, and prejudice of any kind, including hate based bullying.

It remains the Department’s intention to retain compulsory provision of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in primary and secondary schools.

As stated by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, the review of the statutory RSHE guidance, which was originally due to start in September 2023, has been brought forward to address concerns expressed regarding the teaching and content of sex education. The first phase is underway, and the Department will start to engage stakeholders, including schools, parents, and pupils over the next few months.

Sutton Free School 1 was cancelled because opening the school would have resulted in a large surplus of secondary places over the medium to long term, undermining the viability of other good schools in the area. Once a project has been formally cancelled by ministers, that decision cannot be revisited.

However, should pupil forecasts change and demonstrate the need for a new school there is still the opportunity for a new secondary free school to be established in Sutton. Indeed, where a local authority thinks there is a demographic need for a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish an academy. This is known as the free school presumption process. The department also approves new academies through a central free school application route. The Schools White Paper set out our intention to seek proposals for new mainstream free schools in the areas of greatest need for additional places, prioritising proposals located in Education Investment Areas. This process will take account of the latest data on the need for additional school places. We will set out more details on this process in due course.

The forecast opening date for the special educational needs school in Rosehill, Sutton, is September 2024, subject to planning approval. The academy trust and local authority are aware that the department is working towards this date.

The department is working with the Archdiocese, the Catholic Education Service, and the local authority to agree a way forward to ensure continuing stable governance and pupil education at John Fisher School in Purley.

The governing body and the National Education Union entered talks mediated by the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service with the aim of halting further disruption to pupils’ education. Agreement was reached and there is no further planned industrial action at the school.

The department is working closely with the Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust and the local authority to build the new special free school, Carew Academy (formerly known as The Futures Academy). The school will provide high quality, modern facilities that will give young people with special needs in Sutton the best possible start to their lives.

The department will be able to provide greater certainty on the delivery of the school and proposed opening date once the outstanding planning conditions have been satisfactorily resolved with the local authority.

Through the free schools programme, this government has funded thousands of high quality new school places across the country.

We have approved 225 applications from groups that we are now working with to establish new free schools. This includes 73 special and 9 alternative provision free schools.

The Priority Schools Building Programme is replacing or refurbishing buildings at 537 schools.

The Government has announced a transformative, ten-year programme to rebuild school buildings. This will replace poor condition and ageing school buildings with modern, energy efficient designs, transforming education for thousands of pupils.

We have committed over £1 billion to fund the first 50 projects of the ten-year programme. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites is expected to begin in autumn 2021. Further details of the new ten-year rebuilding programme, including additional funding, will be set out following the Spending Review.

We are also providing £560 million of additional condition funding for the school system this year to support essential maintenance projects. This comes on top of over £1.4 billion capital funding already provided for school maintenance in the financial year 2020-21. We will set out details of how the additional capital funding will be allocated shortly.

We recognise the important role that Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) play in schools in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We do not currently have plans to issue specific guidance to SENCOs as the role and responsibilities of SENCOs are set out in the SEND Code of Practice, which is the statutory guidance that schools must have due regard to.

In addition, we have provided funding to the Whole School SEND Consortium (WSS) to develop resources specifically to support SENCOs. This includes a SENCO Induction Pack to help new SENCOs in their role, which can be accessed at: www.sendgateway.org.uk/whole-school-send/sencos-area. The induction pack includes further information on the statutory framework; Education, Health and Care Plans; and managing SEND provision.

The WSS is also developing an ‘Effective SENCO Deployment Guide’ to help school leaders consider how they can best support the SENCO in their school. Furthermore, we are reviewing the learning outcomes for the National Award in SEN Co-ordination to ensure it best prepares SENCOs for their role.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice states that local authorities may develop criteria as guidelines to help them decide when it is necessary to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. However, as set out in the Code, local authorities must also be prepared to depart from those criteria where there is a compelling reason to do so in any particular case and demonstrate their willingness to do so where individual circumstances warrant such a departure. Local authorities must not apply a ‘blanket’ policy to particular groups of children or certain types of need, as this would prevent the consideration of a child’s or young person’s needs individually and on their merits as is required under the Children and Families Act 2014.

The Code of Practice also requires that the health care provision specified in section G of the EHC plan must be agreed by the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group (or, where relevant, NHS England) and any health care provision should be agreed in time to be included in the draft EHC plan sent to the child’s parent or to the young person for whom the plan has been created. As part of the joint commissioning arrangements, partners must have clear disagreement resolution procedures where there is disagreement on the services to be included in an EHC plan.

Ultimately, it is for local authorities to ensure that EHC plans are produced in a timely manner and that they include all relevant information to ensure the needs of the child or young person who is subject to the plan are clearly defined, that appropriate support is identified, and that appropriate outcomes are included.

However, we recognise that there are concerns with the SEND system. We announced the SEND Review in September 2019 to ensure the system is working best for all families, and that support in different areas is consistent, available and joined up across health, care and education services.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice states that local authorities may develop criteria as guidelines to help them decide when it is necessary to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. However, as set out in the Code, local authorities must also be prepared to depart from those criteria where there is a compelling reason to do so in any particular case and demonstrate their willingness to do so where individual circumstances warrant such a departure. Local authorities must not apply a ‘blanket’ policy to particular groups of children or certain types of need, as this would prevent the consideration of a child’s or young person’s needs individually and on their merits as is required under the Children and Families Act 2014.

The Code of Practice also requires that the health care provision specified in section G of the EHC plan must be agreed by the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group (or, where relevant, NHS England) and any health care provision should be agreed in time to be included in the draft EHC plan sent to the child’s parent or to the young person for whom the plan has been created. As part of the joint commissioning arrangements, partners must have clear disagreement resolution procedures where there is disagreement on the services to be included in an EHC plan.

Ultimately, it is for local authorities to ensure that EHC plans are produced in a timely manner and that they include all relevant information to ensure the needs of the child or young person who is subject to the plan are clearly defined, that appropriate support is identified, and that appropriate outcomes are included.

However, we recognise that there are concerns with the SEND system. We announced the SEND Review in September 2019 to ensure the system is working best for all families, and that support in different areas is consistent, available and joined up across health, care and education services.

The Department is committed to supporting all schools in their preparations for the introduction of relationships education (RE), relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education from September 2020.

In July 2018, as part of the consultation on the draft regulations and statutory guidance, the Department published a draft impact assessment, which set out the assessment the Department had made of the impact of the requirement to teach compulsory RE and RSE on independent and maintained schools. The assessment was made in line with requirements set out in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, and responses to the consultation helped finalise the regulations, statutory guidance and impact assessment. The Government response can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.

The Department is investing in a central support package to support all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. We are currently developing a new online service featuring training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will be available from April 2020 with additional content added through the summer term, covering all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance. The implementation guide will also be provided to all schools as part of this service, and training offers will be available for schools that need additional support.

The Department is committed to supporting all schools in their preparations for the introduction of relationships education (RE), relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education from September 2020.

In July 2018, as part of the consultation on the draft regulations and statutory guidance, the Department published a draft impact assessment, which set out the assessment the Department had made of the impact of the requirement to teach compulsory RE and RSE on independent and maintained schools. The assessment was made in line with requirements set out in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, and responses to the consultation helped finalise the regulations, statutory guidance and impact assessment. The Government response can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.

The Department is investing in a central support package to support all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. We are currently developing a new online service featuring training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will be available from April 2020 with additional content added through the summer term, covering all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance. The implementation guide will also be provided to all schools as part of this service, and training offers will be available for schools that need additional support.

Since 5 October 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge a minimum of 5p for single-use carrier bags (SUCBs) and to report on the amount they sell each year. The data for the year 2020-2021 will be published in the summer.

The full datasets for each reporting year are on Gov.UK and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england.

The obligation for supermarkets to charge for SUCBs supplied with online deliveries (online grocery delivery bags) was temporarily removed in response to the first Covid-lockdown. These changes were only temporary, from 21 March 2020 to 21 September 2020. This exemption was made as a precautionary measure and in order to allow retailers time to adapt their delivery systems. As well as the charge exemption, the obligation to report during this time period was waived. The charge for these bags was reinstated in September 2020 along with the reporting requirement. Therefore the dataset for the year 2020-2021, will not include data from this period on bags used for online deliveries.

While compostable materials may be seen as a solution to reduce the impact of waste, they can also be more environmentally damaging than non-compostable materials if disposed of incorrectly. The Government is concerned that, some claims about the compostability of plastic-based products cannot be verified.

In order to consider impacts carefully, Defra and BEIS published a call for evidence to help us consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, and to better understand their effects on the environment and our waste management system. We are currently analysing responses to the call for evidence and will publish the Government’s response shortly.

Our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our ambition to transition to a circular economy by keeping resources in the system for longer and extracting maximum value from them, before recycling materials when they can no longer be reused. We have recently published consultations on introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and introducing a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers. These consultations will inform policy that will transform the economic incentives on packaging producers by encouraging an increase in the amount and quality of unavoidable plastic packaging that is recycled or reused, so driving up recycling rates and helping to move us towards a circular economy.

We are also preparing to launch a second consultation on increasing the consistency of materials collected for recycling from households, businesses and other organisations in England, which will seek views on the collection and disposal of compostable and biodegradable materials and the recycling of plastic films.

The UK Plastics Pact is targeting plastic film as a coordinated effort involving the entire value chain to fix the system to create a circular economy for single use plastic films. Last year the Plastics Pact published a roadmap ‘Creating a Circular Economy for Flexible Plastic Packaging’, which sets out the high-level actions that need to be taken by each part of the value chain. The new roadmap sets out five key areas where efforts should be focused in order to develop a circular economy for flexible plastics. These are: designing packaging that can be recycled and sorted; capitalising on existing front of store collection points; implementing kerbside collection by all local authorities; investing in sorting and reprocessing capacity and capabilities; and ensuring strong and stable end markets for recycled flexible plastic packaging.

The Environment Bill requires the Government to set at least one long-term, legally binding target in four priority areas, including Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction. This will not be focused on increasing the use of compostable plastics, instead the target will ensure a holistic approach to all materials. These targets will be set following a robust, evidence-led process that includes seeking independent expert advice, a role for stakeholders and the public, and parliamentary scrutiny.

Defra does not hold records on which household and waste recycling centres (HWRCs) charge for the disposal of waste. The Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 set out charging arrangements for different categories of waste, including waste delivered to HWRCs. Charges made by local authorities to dispose of DIY waste vary and some do not charge for this service.

In our Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to ensuring that charging arrangements in the Controlled Waste Regulations are clear, especially in relation to waste arising from small scale DIY construction activities carried out by ordinary householders with no specialist skills, which the government has been clear should not be charged for. We will review the Household Waste Recycling Centre services and the Controlled Waste Regulations and, subject to consultation, will amend them to ensure they remain fit for purpose, charges are fairly applied, and that services are accessible, support high levels of recycling and deliver value for money.

It is established good practice for local authorities to scan any cat or dog found on the streets so that the owner can be informed. Cats Protection reports that 80% of councils in England routinely scan cats involved in accidents.

Additionally, Highways England has clear guidelines for contractors to follow when they find a deceased cat or dog. This process is designed with owners in mind, giving them the best chance of being informed of the incident to allow closure. The process is laid out in the Network Management Manual and in 2015 the necessary arrangements were made in all Highways England’s contracts to collect and identify cats and dogs killed on the strategic road network and to contact their owners.

The end of the transition period will present new opportunities for managing our own Pet Travel rules and welfare arrangements for all pets, including cats. We are listening to the concerns of stakeholders around future requirements and the Government is developing a range of options to ensure there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare whilst allowing pet owners to continue to be able to travel to and from the EU with the minimum of disruption.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) only holds records of pregnant dogs where other non-compliances were found at time of interception on entry to Great Britain. APHA does not record details of compliant animals which were pregnant at time of interception.

According to APHA records, eight dogs were seized in 2020 under Council Regulation (EC) no 1/2005, Annex I, FITNESS FOR TRANSPORT, Chapter I, 2(c) ‘pregnant females for whom 90% or more of the expected gestation period has already passed’. An additional 11 pregnant bitches not in their last 10% were seized in 2020.

The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, including the welfare of dogs and cats. The UK is a leader when it comes to the protection of animals, and we intend to go even further now that we have left the EU.

The Government is appalled by the prospect of dogs and cats being consumed. However, it is already illegal to sell dog and cat meat for human consumption and we have seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country. The organisation behind the recent campaign to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat in this country acknowledged this point.

We are confident that our current position sends a clear message that the slaughter and consumption of dogs and cats will never be acceptable. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office raises concerns about the welfare of animals with other governments at every suitable opportunity, and we are pleased to hear that authorities in China are proposing to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat.

Defra takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.

In terms of the regulation and enforcement of non-commercial pet travel movements, we operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in the world. All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under the EU Pet Travel Scheme undergo documentary and identity checks, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel Scheme, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. Any animals found to be non-compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme rules may be refused entry or detained until compliant.

Regarding changing levels of pet imports (both commercial and non-commercial) during the COVID-19 lockdown, APHA has confirmed that during the initial period of lockdown (March-April 2020), we saw a reduction of pet movements. This increased to relatively routine figures as COVID-19 movement restrictions were eased. On non-commercial pet travel, 14,718 pets were moved into Great Britain in March 2020. Numbers of movements then fell to 1,834 in April 2020 and rose to 4,810 in May 2020. On the commercial imports of cats, dogs and ferrets under the Balai Directive, 2,506 animals were imported into the UK in March 2020, falling to 1,114 in April 2020. Numbers of commercial imports are steadily rising again and now sit at 6,741 for the month of August 2020.

The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own commercial and non-commercial import and pet travel arrangements. The Government will be considering our pet travel and import arrangements (including for puppies and kittens) as part of cracking down on puppy smuggling in line with our manifesto commitment.

I recognise the important role that pets play in providing companionship to owners of all ages in this country. Recent events have highlighted how much we, as a nation of animal lovers, value this companionship, as we experienced restrictions in social contact and saw an increased demand for pets, including cats, both for purchase and rehoming. I agree with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cats that cats can help alleviate loneliness.

Defra officials will engage with the Department of Health and Social Care in relation to any actions they wish to take relating to those aspects and recommendations in the report covering mental health issues and associated NHS costs.

The Government takes the welfare of all animals seriously, and that is why we have committed to cracking down on puppy smuggling. Looking to the future, leaving the EU after the transition period may open up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel arrangements, including ensuring there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare.

Defra takes the issue of puppy smuggling seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to puppies and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk. We continue to work closely with Dogs Trust to address this issue and understand the evolving trade.

The Government is developing a range of options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling, taking into consideration the recommendations of Dogs Trust and other stakeholders. As part of this work, we have conducted a renewed rabies risk assessment and have commissioned assessments to understand the risks posed by tapeworms, as well as ticks and tick-borne disease. The results of these will be used to inform our future policy options.

The Environment Agency (EA) as the regulatory body for the site will receive the returns from the operator for January 2020. These will be submitted to the EA in April 2020 as part of the quarterly reporting process. This information is then reviewed and validated by the EA. Following this process the EA will be able to confirm the number of invalid emissions, if any.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates the Energy Recovery Facility (Erf) in Beddington Lane, Sutton through an Environmental Permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. The permit has strict conditions relating to acceptable levels of emissions of substances. The ErF operator (Viridor) is required to continuously and periodically monitor the emissions from the Erf stacks and submit the monitoring data quarterly to the EA.

The EA assesses all data submitted including breaches in emission limits for trends and requires the operator to investigate issues and take actions to rectify them.

The quarterly monitoring data that covers January 2020 is due to be submitted to the EA before end of April 2020. The EA have not received any notifications for breaches in emission limits during January 2020.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates the Energy Recovery Facility (Erf) in Beddington Lane, Sutton through an Environmental Permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. The permit has strict conditions relating to acceptable levels of emissions of substances. The ErF operator (Viridor) is required to continuously and periodically monitor the emissions from the Erf stacks and submit the monitoring data quarterly to the EA.

The EA assesses all data submitted including breaches in emission limits for trends and requires the operator to investigate issues and take actions to rectify them.

The quarterly monitoring data that covers January 2020 is due to be submitted to the EA before end of April 2020. The EA have not received any notifications for breaches in emission limits during January 2020.

Air quality is generally improving in the UK, as set out in the annual National Statistics report at the following URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics.

There are 171 automatic national monitoring stations producing hourly air quality measurements in the UK operated by the Environment Agency on behalf of Defra. Near real-time measurements from these sites and further data tools can be found on the UK-AIR website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk).

There are no automatic national monitoring stations in Carshalton and Wallington constituency. However, the London Borough of Sutton also assesses air quality using three automatic monitors within the constituency boundary: two are industrial monitoring stations at Beddington Lane, and the other site is a roadside site in central Wallington. Near real-time measurements from these sites can be found on the London Air website which is managed by King’s College London (http://londonair.org.uk). Air quality is improving at all three sites, with only the Wallington site providing an exceedance of the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in 2019 (based on provisional data).

The Borough also uses 15 passive monitors to measure NO₂ within the constituency boundaries; measurements are made available through Annual Status Reports (https://www.sutton.gov.uk/info/200497/pollution/1232/air_pollution/3). Only two exceedances of the annual mean limit value for NO₂ were observed in 2018 (at Rosehill Roundabout and London Road, Hackbridge) with levels at most sites either showing a lower or similar value compared with 2017 levels.

No assessment has been made of trends in the number of fires being reported at waste incinerator sites since 2015.

In England all incinerators that are regulated by the Environment Agency (such as energy from waste plants that burn municipal waste) are required to have a management system which identifies and minimises the risk of pollution due to accidents, which will include fires. All new incinerators must also have an approved fire prevention plan before they are allowed to start operating.

No assessment has been made of trends in the number of fires being reported at waste incinerator sites since 2015.

In England all incinerators that are regulated by the Environment Agency (such as energy from waste plants that burn municipal waste) are required to have a management system which identifies and minimises the risk of pollution due to accidents, which will include fires. All new incinerators must also have an approved fire prevention plan before they are allowed to start operating.

Defra has not made such an assessment. Residual waste should be treated in accordance with the waste hierarchy.

To assist decision makers, the department published information on the mechanical biological treatment of waste in 2013. This can be found on the GOV.UK website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/mechanical-biological-treatment-of-municipal-solid-waste.

Information on energy from waste (incineration with energy recovery) was published in 2014 at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-from-waste-a-guide-to-the-debate.

Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London. However, the Department is currently in active discussions with Govia Thameslink Railway to investigate opportunities to improve rail services which will make the London Cancer Hub more accessible.

The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. This evaluation includes a range of data sources and approaches including data sharing arrangements with operators, surveys, interviews and focus groups with users and non-users and interviews with key local and national stakeholders. The evaluation will help us to understand any shift from other modes of transport to e-scooters. A final report will be published in spring 2022.

E-scooters are less polluting than petrol/diesel powered vehicles, so using an e-scooter instead of driving will reduce emissions and improve air quality. They may result in less congestion. A lot depends on mode shift. If people use an e-scooter instead of a car we will see environmental benefits. Our monitoring and evaluation programme is in place to assess the extent of modal shift.

Future decisions on e-scooters will be based on the evidence we gather in our trials. These decisions include what happens to trials after 31 March 2022. There are a number of potential options, but no decisions have yet been taken.

The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. This evaluation includes a range of data sources and approaches including data sharing arrangements with operators, surveys, interviews and focus groups with users and non-users and interviews with key local and national stakeholders. The evaluation will help us to understand any shift from other modes of transport to e-scooters. A final report will be published in spring 2022.

E-scooters are less polluting than petrol/diesel powered vehicles, so using an e-scooter instead of driving will reduce emissions and improve air quality. They may result in less congestion. A lot depends on mode shift. If people use an e-scooter instead of a car we will see environmental benefits. Our monitoring and evaluation programme is in place to assess the extent of modal shift.

Future decisions on e-scooters will be based on the evidence we gather in our trials. These decisions include what happens to trials after 31 March 2022. There are a number of potential options, but no decisions have yet been taken.

The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. This evaluation includes a range of data sources and approaches including data sharing arrangements with operators, surveys, interviews and focus groups with users and non-users and interviews with key local and national stakeholders. The evaluation will help us to understand any shift from other modes of transport to e-scooters. A final report will be published in spring 2022.

E-scooters are less polluting than petrol/diesel powered vehicles, so using an e-scooter instead of driving will reduce emissions and improve air quality. They may result in less congestion. A lot depends on mode shift. If people use an e-scooter instead of a car we will see environmental benefits. Our monitoring and evaluation programme is in place to assess the extent of modal shift.

Future decisions on e-scooters will be based on the evidence we gather in our trials. These decisions include what happens to trials after 31 March 2022. There are a number of potential options, but no decisions have yet been taken.

Provisions within the Road Traffic Act 1988 set out the duties which exist in the event of a collision between a motor vehicle and animal, including a horse. A driver who causes injury to a horse must provide their name and address to anyone reasonably requiring it, failing which they must report the incident to the police. If the driver fails to do any of this, they are guilty of an offence, for which they could be arrested and prosecuted. There is no requirement for the police to attend the incident.

The Department is taking steps to improve safety for horse riders using the highway through updates to The Highway Code which will introduce safe passing speeds and distances. The Highway Code in its current form already mentions horse riders and the need for drivers to exercise special care in relation to them.

Provisions within the Road Traffic Act 1988 set out the duties which exist in the event of a collision between a motor vehicle and animal, including a horse. A driver who causes injury to a horse must provide their name and address to anyone reasonably requiring it, failing which they must report the incident to the police. If the driver fails to do any of this, they are guilty of an offence, for which they could be arrested and prosecuted. There is no requirement for the police to attend the incident.

The Department is taking steps to improve safety for horse riders using the highway through updates to The Highway Code which will introduce safe passing speeds and distances. The Highway Code in its current form already mentions horse riders and the need for drivers to exercise special care in relation to them.

We will be announcing the outcome of the second round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund in the coming weeks.

In May the Government agreed a £1.6 billion funding and finance package with Transport for London (TfL) to enable them to continue operating essential services, transporting passengers safely and protecting staff during the pandemic.

Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and there are difficult choices to be made to ensure that he is minimising the call on the government funding package in the interest of the taxpayer.

Government is currently undertaking a review of TfL’s finances which will consider TfL’s revenues and costs over the next five years.

Government works with all key partners across the country, including Transport for London (TfL) and London Boroughs, to ensure consideration is given to transport connectivity from the earliest stages of the development of proposals.

In addition, as part of the Extraordinary Funding and Finance Agreement, agreed to by the Mayor of London and the Deputy Mayor for Transport, TfL are pushing forward with an ambitious Active Travel Plan to promote cycling and walking, including new segregated cycle lanes, closures of roads to traffic and pavement extensions across London, which is supported by £55 million from the funding package.

No assessment has been made of the merits of making platform extensions at Hackbridge. As part of its ongoing programme of network planning, the Department has received no indication from Network Rail that platform extensions at Hackbridge would be a priority for enhancement funding at this time.

The Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme is part of the wider Brighton Mainline Upgrade Programme. If the Programme goes ahead, it will deliver additional capacity and performance improvements through the Croydon and Selhurst area and across the southeast. The origin and destination of new services has not yet been determined, but could include additional services to those stations listed in the Hon Gentleman’s question.

Ministers and officials at the Department for Transport meet regularly with representatives of the Mayor’s office and Transport for London to discuss a wide range of topics. During the COVID 19 outbreak these meetings have necessarily increased, and are often held daily. Due to the frequency of these meetings, it would be impractical to provide a definitive list of attendees and apologies for all of these meetings.

As part of the funding package agreed with the Mayor of London to allow Transport for London to continue operating essential services in London during the COVID 19 outbreak, the Mayor agreed to reinstate the congestion charge. The decision to temporarily increase the congestion charge was taken by the Mayor and will be considered as part of the upcoming Government lead review of TfL’s financial position.

Powers to tackle vehicle idling are available to Local Authorities, including the ability to issue Fixed Penalty Notices where necessary. However, this issue will not be solved simply through fining motorists. Local Authorities should utilise a range of methods to encourage motorists to change their behaviour, including public information campaigns. Better technology can play a part in addressing idling, such as stop-start technology and low- or -zero-emission vehicles. In particular the growth in Electric Vehicle sales is expected to assist in lowering emissions.

The Access for All programme provides accessibility improvements over and above those required by the rail industry. Carshalton Beeches was nominated for the programme but not selected as it was difficult to justify its inclusion ahead of other busier stations with a higher industry priority.

However, I am committed to improving access at all stations, and will continue to seek further opportunities, and funding, to make more improvements.

I have not made an assessment of Southern rail services departing Wallington at this time. However, please note that, on the whole, since January 2019, we have recorded On Time figures of 71%, with cancellations recording 4.1%

The Department monitors each train operator’s overall performance against its performance benchmarks regularly and there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement should performance drop below what is expected.

From February 2019 to February 2020 for Govia Thameslink Railway, the Moving Annual Average (MAA) Passenger Performance Measure (PPM), was 85.2%. This is a 3.1% improvement on the previous year.

From February 2019 to February 2020 for Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the operator of Southern services, the Moving Annual Average Passenger Performance Measure (PPM), which measures trains arriving at their destination within 5 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, was 85.2%. This is a 3.1 point improvement on the previous year. Southern is the best performing of GTR’s brands with a PPM figure of 86.1% for the most recent four-week period. There is still room for improvement and the Government is committed to investing around £48 billion in maintaining and upgrading the rail network in the period from 2019 to 2024, focused on increasing reliability and punctuality for passengers.

For these stations, the annual averages for trains calling within one minute of the scheduled time are: 74.0% of services at Wallington, 70.0% of services at Hackbridge, 86.6% of services at Carshalton and 78.1% of services at Carshalton Beeches. The Department monitors each train operator’s overall performance against its performance benchmarks (cancellations, delay minutes and capacity) regularly and there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement should performance drop below what is expected.

The Department monitors each train operator’s overall performance against its performance benchmarks, and this includes the capacity regime, which measures the number of short formations during the peaks. Govia Thameslink Railway is currently meeting the required levels. However should it fail to do so there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement in order to remedy any underperformance.

The Department monitors each train operator’s overall performance against its performance benchmarks (cancellations, delay minutes and capacity) regularly and there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement should performance drop below what is expected. The Department is committed to working with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) in driving punctuality higher and, in partnership with Network Rail and other industry partners, GTR is focused on continuous improvement through the joint On Time Railway initiative.

The Department works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to improve immunisation coverage for all, including those from under-vaccinated communities, through a range of initiatives. This includes data to better identify under-served individuals and populations, training for healthcare professionals and communication with the public, offering alternative delivery routes and local outreach efforts to connect with communities with historically lower uptake are informed of the benefits of vaccines. It also includes ensuring everyone can access through provision of immunisation leaflets available in over 15 languages as well as being available in braille, BSL, large print and audio versions.

It is vitally important that everyone takes up the vaccinations to which they are entitled; for themselves, their families, and wider society. Anyone unsure about their eligibility or vaccination status should contact their GP for advice.

Horizon scanning at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) aims to future-proof the agency by identifying emerging opportunities and challenges, to ensure it remains an enabling regulator capable of supporting safe innovation with respect to healthcare products.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with national and international partners to assess the risks posed by infectious diseases. Horizon scanning for vaccines is conducted against disease threats identified by the National Security Risk Assessment. Other criteria covered in UKHSA’s horizon scanning for vaccines include the risk of an outbreak occurring, burden of disease and feasibility of vaccine development.

UKHSA also works closely with global vaccine developers and manufacturers and with vaccine funders to ensure knowledge is constantly provided to support policy decisions on vaccine procurement and deployment.

The Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) identifies gaps relating to immunisations or immunisation programmes where further research and/or surveillance should be considered.

NHS England works closely with JCVI, the Department and UKHSA to operationalise decisions made by Government on vaccinations and immunisation programmes across England.

The Department provides investment through the National Institute of Health and Care Research Innovation Observatory in health innovation futures scanning. This provides awareness and access to intelligence to support national decision making around health care innovation, in particular supporting National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Accelerated Access Collaborative within the National Health Service.

To reduce the time taken to diagnose conditions such as migraines, NHS England has published a delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. As part of this plan, the National Health Service will deliver on the commitment of 26,000 more direct patient care staff and 50 million more appointments in general practice by March 2024.

To step up our focus on tackling rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, including those living with migraine, the Government announced a further wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people and people with health conditions to work.  Initiatives include a work coach support for disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as introducing a new supported employment programme (Universal Support) which focuses on providing faster access to joined-up work and health support.

The Department does not hold specific information on the impact of migraines on levels of economic activity.

No assessment has been made of the impact on public health of pharmacy closures.

The Department closely monitors the market to ensure that people in England have good access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services, including services focused on health promotion and prevention of ill-health. Despite the increase in pharmacy closures seen in recent years, there is a similar number of pharmacies to ten years ago, and about 80% of the population live within 20 minutes’ walking distance of a pharmacy. Every three years, local authorities’ Health and Wellbeing Boards in England undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas to ensure that provision continues to meet their populations’ needs.

No recent discussions have been held. However, in May, as part of the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, we announced a further investment of up to £645 million over two years to expand the services offered by community pharmacies.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal commits £2.592 billion each year to the sector. Previously, in September 2022, we announced an additional one-off £100 million investment across this and last financial year to support the expansion of services delivered by community pharmacies.

NHS England has so far commissioned five new pilot gender identity clinics based in primary care and sexual health services. These services are currently operating in London, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and East of England. Another pilot testing the primary care-based model, will go live in Sussex in September 2023. Following a positive evaluation of one of the pilots, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a seven-year contract to develop and expand its service.

The intention, if further pilots are evaluated positively, is to award substantive contracts, following due governance processes. Ongoing evaluation will inform NHS decisions on rolling this model of provision out nationally

The National Health Service is improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are referred and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single ‘urgent cancer’ referral pathway but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. 103 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.

The NHS bowel cancer screening programme is currently available to everyone aged 60 to 74 years old every two years. Since April 2021, the NHS in England has been gradually reducing the age for bowel screening. The age extension programme began in 2021/22, inviting people aged 56 years old and plans to complete rollout to age 50 years old by 2024/25. This extension was recommended to improve the number of cancers detected and helping to prevent it in some cases.

All business cases are required to follow the proper processes for effective appraisal including ensuring value for money. The scheme for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is currently at Outline Business Case stage. Once approved the trust will begin work on its Full Business Case.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has already received £20.5 million in funding for its new hospital scheme. The scheme is part of the Pathfinder cohort, which are the first of the larger and more complex schemes to be taken forward aligned, with the national programme approach. The cohort grouping of schemes is based on readiness to progress and the extent to which schemes can realise the benefits of a national programmatic approach.

All business cases are required to follow the proper processes for effective appraisal including ensuring value for money. The scheme for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is currently at Outline Business Case stage. Once approved the trust will begin work on its Full Business Case.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has already received £20.5 million in funding for its new hospital scheme. The scheme is part of the Pathfinder cohort, which are the first of the larger and more complex schemes to be taken forward aligned, with the national programme approach. The cohort grouping of schemes is based on readiness to progress and the extent to which schemes can realise the benefits of a national programmatic approach.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 sets out how community pharmacy will be integrated into the National Health Service, deliver more clinical services and provide treatment and advice for minor illnesses. Since 2019, minor illness referrals from NHS 111 and general practitioners and blood pressure checks have been introduced.

In September, the Government announced the agreement with the sector for the remainder of the Framework, supported by a one-off investment of £100 million. Under the agreement, community pharmacists will manage and initiate contraception and provide additional support to patients newly prescribed antidepressants. In addition, urgent emergency care settings will refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or an urgent medicine supply.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 sets out how community pharmacy will be integrated into the National Health Service, deliver more clinical services and provide treatment and advice for minor illnesses. Since 2019, minor illness referrals from NHS 111 and general practitioners and blood pressure checks have been introduced.

In September, the Government announced the agreement with the sector for the remainder of the Framework, supported by a one-off investment of £100 million. Under the agreement, community pharmacists will manage and initiate contraception and provide additional support to patients newly prescribed antidepressants. In addition, urgent emergency care settings will refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or an urgent medicine supply.

There are 83 special schools with approximately 9324 children who have participated in the NHS England’s Special Schools Eye Care Service proof of concept programme.

NHS England are currently evaluating the programme to inform the future of any special schools’ sight testing service model and will set out the next steps in due course.

I’d like to thank the over 5,000 individuals and organisations who responded to the call for evidence. As a new Government, we are considering how best to take forward the 10 year cancer plan.

We will set out plans for dementia in England shortly.

We have committed £2.3 billion to increase the volume of diagnostic activity and launch up to 160 community diagnostic centres by March 2025 to reduce waiting times for clinical tests. This investment will also increase capacity in mammography for symptomatic patients, with funding determined imaging network bids, which are currently being developed.

NHS England will ensure that 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by their general practitioner for suspected cancer will be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days by March 2024.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, to improve the National Health Service dental system, with negotiations are currently underway on initial measures. This aims to improve patient access, reduce health inequalities and make the NHS a more attractive place to work for dentists, including in Carshalton and Wallington. We will a provide a timetable for implementation when these negotiations conclude.

Between April and June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver at least 95% of contracted units of dental activity to safely improve access for patients.

The Community Pharmacy Hepatitis C Antibody Testing Service ensures that people who inject drugs who are not currently accessing community drug and alcohol treatment services can be tested for hepatitis C (HCV) at a participating community pharmacy. This service has recently been extended until at least March 2023. Where individuals test positive for HCV antibodies, they will be referred for appropriate further testing and treatment via the relevant NHS Operational Delivery Network.

Within drug services, a new micro-elimination criteria accompanied by guidance from NHS England encourages providers to increase rates of HCV testing and ensure engagement in treatment for any patients testing positive. The National Health Service has recently established an opt-out HCV testing pilot in sexual health services. The pilot has shown the benefit of HCV testing in sexual health services is limited, with large number of tests being required to find a small number of cases at rates no higher than observed in the general population. However, any positive tests in sexual health services are directed to clinical treatment and followed up to confirm a sustained virological response at 12, 24 and 48 weeks post-treatment.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes an annual report which summarises the prevalence of hepatitis C infection in England and areas for action. This includes estimates of re-infection following treatment and how this should be addressed, such as annual testing for those most at risk in line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The latest report ‘Hepatitis C in England 2022: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem’ is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057271/HCV-in-England-2022-full-report.pdf

NHS England’s hepatitis C elimination programme has approximately 40 elimination initiatives aimed at identifying patients, testing, prevention and treatment. The programme is now focusing on those who may be unaware that they have historically been ‘at risk’, through testing in emergency departments, antenatal services and primary care.

In 2022/23, National Health Service regional commissioners will work with Cancer Alliances and charities to develop regional uptake improvement plans. This will include incorporating the lessons learned from the successful COVID-19 vaccination programme in achieving a high uptake among disadvantaged communities.

The updated NHS Long Term Plan is expected to be published later this year and discussions on its content are continuing. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, including on diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research. The strategy will include ambitions for research to develop new disease-modifying treatments.

No specific assessment has been made as this information is not collected centrally.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is improving ambulance handover times through monitoring ambulance arrivals and waiting times. Dedicated areas for patients awaiting a trolley have been established to allow ambulance crews to respond to calls. The Trust has monthly meetings with London Ambulance Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service to review handover times and a standard operating procedure to support ambulance handovers to the urgent treatment centre and same day emergency care service for appropriate patients has been established.

As of March 2022, there were 44,286 patients waiting for elective treatment at the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, of which 193 waited over 52 weeks and two waited more than 104 weeks. In March 2022, there were 1,502 patients waiting for elective treatment at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, of which six waited over 52 weeks. No patients waited more than 104 weeks.

The Department is investing more than £8 billion over the next three years to increase elective activity and reduce waiting lists. This is in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available to systems in 2021/22. This funding could deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million further checks, scans and procedures and aims to deliver 30% more elective activity by 2024/25 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The new hospitals programme is working with Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust on a plan and timetable for a new specialist emergency care hospital in Sutton.

Liver disease is a priority in the NHS Long Term Plan. £2.3 billion of capital funding has been allocated in the Spending Review 2021 for investment in diagnostic services, to support transformation of those services, with the increased capacity being used to diagnose liver disease. Regions will work with Integrated Care Systems, diagnostic networks, and primary care services to determine the location and configuration of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) services, based on the needs of the local population. National guidance on speciality pathways suitable for CDC sites, with liver disease as an area of focus, is being developed with support from the national clinical advisors. NHS England has prioritised the World Health Organisation (WHO) goal to eliminate Hepatitis C, a significant cause of end-stage liver disease, as a public health issue in advance of the WHO 2030 target.

Rates of admission to hospital where the primary diagnosis was liver disease decreased in 2020-21 compared with 2019-20. Rates of admission to hospital for alcoholic liver disease increased over the same period.

The government published a report in July 2021 on the changes of alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths from alcoholic liver disease in 2020 accounted for 80.3% of total alcohol specific deaths. In 2020, there were 5,608 deaths from alcoholic liver disease, a 20.8% increase from the 4,643 deaths in 2019. The increase has been linked with to increased alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers.

The report is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-consumption-and-harm-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently running a further expression of interest exercise for community pharmacy, in areas where there are gaps in the provision of booster vaccination. All community pharmacy sites are supported to extend their opening hours and ensure they can deliver at their maximum capacity. Community pharmacy vaccination sites have also been supported through a wide range of other measures including increased fees for the service and flexible opening hours to allow the sites to focus on the vaccination service.

No assessment has yet been made on the potential role that the community pharmacy sector could play in helping to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations, in the event that regular boosters are required. At present, the need for and frequency of any potential recurrent boosters’ programme is not known. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will maintain close review of available data related to durability of protection against severe COVID-19 in all age groups and will develop further advice in due course.

NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently running a further expression of interest exercise for community pharmacy, in areas where there are gaps in the provision of booster vaccination. All community pharmacy sites are supported to extend their opening hours and ensure they can deliver at their maximum capacity. Community pharmacy vaccination sites have also been supported through a wide range of other measures including increased fees for the service and flexible opening hours to allow the sites to focus on the vaccination service.

No assessment has yet been made on the potential role that the community pharmacy sector could play in helping to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations, in the event that regular boosters are required. At present, the need for and frequency of any potential recurrent boosters’ programme is not known. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will maintain close review of available data related to durability of protection against severe COVID-19 in all age groups and will develop further advice in due course.

The impact has been discussed with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. As a result, it has been agreed that all community pharmacies will benefit from contractual easements, to reduce pressure and to increase capacity. The deadline for meeting the requirements of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme will be extended and the requirements to complete the Community Pharmacy Patient Questionnaire for 2021/2022 and both a national and local multidisciplinary clinical audits have been waived.

Community pharmacy led vaccination sites will be able to amend their opening hours to focus on the vaccination service. To support patients during these closures, vaccination sites will be able to deliver urgent medication to patients who need their medicines while the pharmacy is closed. Also, as with other vaccination sites, community pharmacy vaccination sites are eligible for increased fees for any booster they administer before the end of January.

Local authorities have a duty to meet eligible care needs of their local populations. This includes, where appropriate, referrals to an occupational therapist. The information on the proportion of local authority referrals into social care which are allocated to occupational therapists is not held centrally.

Local authorities have a duty to meet eligible care needs of their local populations. This includes, where appropriate, referrals to an occupational therapist. The information on the proportion of local authority referrals into social care which are allocated to occupational therapists is not held centrally.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) speciality report on renal medicine, published September 2021, recommended that all renal centres provide a minimum of 20% of patients with dialysis services at home within 12 months.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Renal Services Transformation Plan (RSTP) has established 11 regional clinical networks to meet this recommendation. Of 51 renal centres, 16 units have met or exceeded this minimum level, with several centres achieving more than 30% of patients receiving dialysis at home. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked renal networks to ensure units continue to develop home therapies and increase levels of dialysis at home. Providers, integrated care systems and regional commissioners will monitor progress via the UK Renal Registry and NHS England Renal datasets.

The GIRFT report set a deadline for all centres to establish the required staffing model by September 2022. NHS England and NHS Improvement are encouraging clinicians and centres to consider the GIRFT recommendations in their work and the individual sites will evaluate how best to implement them.

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) speciality report on renal medicine, published September 2021, recommended that all renal centres provide a minimum of 20% of patients with dialysis services at home within 12 months.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Renal Services Transformation Plan (RSTP) has established 11 regional clinical networks to meet this recommendation. Of 51 renal centres, 16 units have met or exceeded this minimum level, with several centres achieving more than 30% of patients receiving dialysis at home. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked renal networks to ensure units continue to develop home therapies and increase levels of dialysis at home. Providers, integrated care systems and regional commissioners will monitor progress via the UK Renal Registry and NHS England Renal datasets.

The GIRFT report set a deadline for all centres to establish the required staffing model by September 2022. NHS England and NHS Improvement are encouraging clinicians and centres to consider the GIRFT recommendations in their work and the individual sites will evaluate how best to implement them.

We have not made a specific assessment. Information on such costs is not collected in the format requested.

We have funded an additional 1,500 undergraduate medical school places each year for domestic students in England – a 25% increase over three years. This expansion was completed in September 2020 and has delivered five new medical schools in England. In addition, we have temporarily lifted the cap on medical school places for students who completed A-Levels in 2020 and in 2021 and who had an offer from a university in England to study medicine, subject to their grades. There are currently no plans to further increase the number of places.

By 26 October 2021, 100,305 care home staff were reported to have received a COVID-19 booster vaccine or approximately 18% of all reported care home staff.

All care home residents are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccination at three months since their second dose was administered. Booster doses have been delivered at over 99% of older adult care homes in England. Roving vaccination teams will continue to visit care homes to deliver additional doses required. Where there are care homes currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, booked visits by vaccination teams will take place when it is safe for all to do so.

All care home residents are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccination at three months since their second dose was administered. Booster doses have been delivered at over 99% of older adult care homes in England. Roving vaccination teams will continue to visit care homes to deliver additional doses required. Where there are care homes currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, booked visits by vaccination teams will take place when it is safe for all to do so.

In view of the rapid approval of Project Orbis medicines, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have developed an interim process to support patient access to medicines between Project Orbis licensing approval and publication of NICE guidance. It is anticipated that this will only be required in the short term. Consideration is given to:

- whether there is expected to be three months or longer between regulatory approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and publication by NICE of its final draft guidance;

- if there are any direct competitors expected to go through the NICE technology appraisal process within the next six months;

- if the treatment will make a fundamental, positive change to the existing treatment pathway; and

- whether the company will offer the medicine or treatment on a cost neutral basis.

NHS England and NHS Improvement and NICE are continuing to work with the manufacturer to explore options for interim access to Trodelvy.

In view of the rapid approval of Project Orbis medicines, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have developed an interim process to support patient access to medicines between Project Orbis licensing approval and publication of NICE guidance. It is anticipated that this will only be required in the short term. Consideration is given to:

- whether there is expected to be three months or longer between regulatory approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and publication by NICE of its final draft guidance;

- if there are any direct competitors expected to go through the NICE technology appraisal process within the next six months;

- if the treatment will make a fundamental, positive change to the existing treatment pathway; and

- whether the company will offer the medicine or treatment on a cost neutral basis.

NHS England and NHS Improvement and NICE are continuing to work with the manufacturer to explore options for interim access to Trodelvy.

The independent review of National Health Service hospital food was published on the 20 October 2020 and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-nhs-hospital-food

It includes recommendations to improve hospital food for patients, staff and visitors, including the religious requirements of patients, visitors and staff. An expert group is being assembled to implement the recommendations of this report, with a sub-group to look at how food is best provided to patients given their medical conditions, personal or cultural preferences and religious requirements. This sub-group will include representatives from religious organisations. While Kosher foods are not mentioned specifically, it is part of wider cultural and diversity work.

No estimate has been made.

The Department’s cancer strategy is incorporated as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Prostate cancer priorities are included as part of the Long Term Plan such as the introduction of a faster diagnosis standard. This includes the delivery of optimal timed diagnostic pathways for specific cancers, including prostate cancer.

Personalised stratified follow up pathways for prostate cancer are being launched across England to empower patients to take control of their care. Prostate cancer is one of the first three cancers for which this is being implemented.

Treatment options for prostate cancer are always expanding and in February 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s specialised commissioning team announced that it would make available external beam radiotherapy to treat hormone sensitive, low volume prostate cancer. In addition to external beam radiotherapy, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review several new treatment options for prostate cancer in the next 12 months.

Following treatment for prostate cancer, patients move to a Personalised Stratified Follow-Up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support where they are worried that their cancer may have recurred. This stratified follow-up approach was established in all trusts for prostate cancer in 2020. In response to the pandemic, the NHS also made available a range of ‘COVID-19 friendly’ treatments, offering benefits such as fewer hospital visits or a reduced impact on the patient’s immune system. This includes targeted hormone therapies such as enzalutamide for prostate cancer treatment.

NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly data published by NHS Digital on the prescribing of anti-psychotic medication for people diagnosed with dementia. They have regular conversations with regional clinical network leads and local services to understand the patterns in prescribing and potential reasons for these trends.

NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance entitled ‘COVID-19 restoration of community health services for children and young people: second phase of NHS response in the community health restoration’ on 3 June 2020 and updated this on 31 July 2020. This makes clear that community services, including therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, must be prioritised for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities aged up to 25 years old and who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or who are going through an assessment for one. These services fall under the category of ‘continue essential services’.

Research is underway in the Prospective Trial of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis, carried out by Kings College Hospital NHS Trust in breast screening. This trial involves 100,000 women participating in screening to assess whether tomosynthesis is a useful addition to the routine breast screening programme. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee will review the results of the research expected to be published in 2024.

Tomosynthesis has been approved for use in the National Health Service breast screening programme as an optional extra tool in the assessment of screen detected soft tissue breast abnormalities, following the primary screen.

In addressing the cancer screening backlog resulting from COVID-19, NHS England and NHS Improvement have made prioritisation decisions based upon expert clinical advice and engagement with Public Health England (PHE). On the basis of a United Kingdom National Screening Committee evidence review, PHE has advised that breast density measurements are not yet accurate enough to be safely used in routine breast screening. There is also no readily available breast density measurement for women currently in the programme. It is therefore not advisable or feasible to prioritise invitations for breast screening by breast tissue density.

There is currently no published evidence in large scale prospective trials that Artificial intelligence (AI) would be equivalent or better than the current model of having two independent human mammogram readers. AI continues to generate huge amounts of interest for its potential role in the NHS. There is interest in AI for breast screening, where it could replace a human reader of mammograms.

The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) and Public Health England have developed interim guidance for AI developers to help consider key metrics required that would assist the UK NSC to make a recommendation on the use of AI. Both are working with the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative who are funding a large study in 2021 to understand whether AI can be a useful support to the programme. More information is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/

More information about AI and screening can be found at the following link; https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/02/advice-for-nhs-breast-screening-services-on-the-use-of-ai/

In 2019, the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned a systematic review to look at the issue of breast density. The review found that breast density is related to risk of breast cancer. However, breast density measurements are not yet robust or repeatable enough, there is no ‘gold standard’ test to validate breast density measurements. For these reasons that the UK NSC recommended that additional screening with ultrasound after a negative mammography screening in women with dense breasts should not be introduced. More robust evidence is needed before risk stratification can be considered within the breast screening programme.

National Health Service screening programmes do not hold waiting lists, therefore there is no published waiting time data. Eligible patients are invited to participate in NHS screening programmes at intervals according to the specific programme.

Data sources used by for cancer treatment include cancer waiting times data which give month by month figures on activity, referrals and waiting times, as well as management information which can provide a week to week view of activity and the current scale of the waiting list. Hospital Episode Statistics, and the secondary uses service are used alongside specific sources of information such as the Radiotherapy Dataset or the Diagnostic Imaging Dataset. Data are considered by geography, provider trust, tumour pathway and treatment modality to pinpoint areas for further action.

From March, local systems will be expected to carry out local plans formed as part of the Cancer Services Recovery Plan and continue the progress that has already been made.

The Cancer Recovery Plan aims to restore urgent referrals at least to pre-pandemic levels, to reduce the number of people waiting over 62 days from urgent referral and ensure sufficient capacity to meet demand. The latest published data for November 2020 showed urgent referrals 2% above pre-pandemic levels, the number of people waiting over 62 days 24% above pre-pandemic levels and the number of people starting a first cancer treatment within 31 days at 95% of pre-pandemic levels.

In August 2020, the National Health Service announced a £160 million initiative to extend access to ‘COVID-friendly’ cancer treatments, in October, issued £150 million in funding to expand diagnostic capacity. A further £325 million funding of diagnostics equipment was announced in November’s Spending Review and cancer patients will continue to be prioritised within the NHS and will benefit from the additional £1 billion to begin tackling the elective backlog. Departmental officials regularly engage with their counterparts at HM Treasury regarding upcoming fiscal events.

The Cancer Recovery Plan aims to restore urgent referrals at least to pre-pandemic levels, to reduce the number of people waiting over 62 days from urgent referral and ensure sufficient capacity to meet demand. The latest published data for November 2020 showed urgent referrals 2% above pre-pandemic levels, the number of people waiting over 62 days 24% above pre-pandemic levels and the number of people starting a first cancer treatment within 31 days at 95% of pre-pandemic levels.

In August 2020, the National Health Service announced a £160 million initiative to extend access to ‘COVID-friendly’ cancer treatments, in October, issued £150 million in funding to expand diagnostic capacity. A further £325 million funding of diagnostics equipment was announced in November’s Spending Review and cancer patients will continue to be prioritised within the NHS and will benefit from the additional £1 billion to begin tackling the elective backlog. Departmental officials regularly engage with their counterparts at HM Treasury regarding upcoming fiscal events.

The Government response to the consultation has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the announcement of the National Institute for Health Protection in August, we are also considering the best future arrangements for the wide range of Public Health England’s non-health protection functions that are vital to support health improvement, prevention and delivery of health services and we will be setting out further details of our approach in due course.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon MP) on 8 October 2020 to Question 99607.

‘Future in Mind’, published by the Department and NHS England in 2015, recommended that children and young people’s mental health services move away from the concept of tiers, in which the system is defined by the services that provide the care, towards models that are defined by how they address patients’ needs.

NHS England has worked with Health Education England to deliver the children and young people’s improving access to psychological therapies programme. It trains new and existing staff working in children and young people’s mental health services and includes evidence-based trauma informed practice.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made recommendations on the psychological interventions for the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in children and young people in its guideline.

Prevention, early detection and access to timely treatment are all key to improving eye health. The Government has well-established programmes on reducing smoking and obesity, both long terms risk factors for vision loss.

Free National Health Service sight tests, a vital eye health check, are available to all children, those aged 60 and over, individuals on low incomes or at increased risk of certain eye diseases. Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes which can lead to sight loss. The diabetic retinopathy screening programme continues to offer screening to those eligible.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s national outpatient transformation programme is also looking to improve secondary care ophthalmology outpatient services, to improve patient experience, access to care and outcomes.

Sexual and reproductive health services remained open during the pandemic. However physical access remains more limited. Services are maintaining access during this time through scaling up of online services including increasing eligibility through current provision or utilising a neighbours’ service for residents of another local authority. Public Health England has recently launched the National Framework for e-Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This new national framework will allow local authorities and service providers to purchase an expanded range of online services including emergency contraception and the contraceptive pill.

The recall of Randox test kits during the summer has not had any impact on the publication of Care Home visiting guidance.

It is critical that personal protective equipment (PPE) supply reflects equality needs. We are working to understand the different types of PPE that may be needed by those with protected characteristics (as covered under equalities legislation) and how best to distribute that PPE, to address equality for health and social care workers.

The Government recognises that some health and care workers have reported difficulties with the practical use of some PPE. We are committed to understanding the needs of frontline staff, including those for people with different protected characteristics.

We are currently piloting the use of clear masks in social care settings via Local Resilience Forums.

The Government’s number one priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care reform and want to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and offered the security they deserve, and that nobody needing care is forced to sell their home to pay for it. We want to find long-term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society. There are complex questions to address and it is important that we give these issues our full consideration in the light of current circumstances.

All community services, including rehabilitation, that were previously stopped or partially stopped, should now be fully reinstated. This includes, where needed, home visits for vulnerable adults, subject to appropriate infection control protections.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to protect the moveable property (which includes pets) of adults with care and support needs, who are in hospital or are away from home in accommodation such as care homes.

We have provided £3.7 billion to local authorities through un-ringfenced grants so they can address the expenditure pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considerable progress has been made since the announcement of the Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) schemes last September, despite coronavirus impacts. A number of the six HIP 1 schemes for new hospitals are approaching early enabling works. HIP 2 schemes have received seed funding and are working up their business cases at pace. We remain committed to, and on target to deliver, on our pledge to build 40 new hospitals.

Work on the development of a new national sexual and reproductive health strategy is underway with the Department working with Public Health England, NHS England and Improvement, local government and other partners. Some initial engagement with stakeholders has already taken place and we are also considering the responses to the Green Paper ‘Advancing our Health’ and the suggestions for priority areas for the new strategy we received through the consultation process. Details of the strategy’s scope, plans for more formal engagement with external organisations, including roundtables, timing of publication and implementation will be announced in due course.

Work on the development of a new national sexual and reproductive health strategy is underway with the Department working with Public Health England, NHS England and Improvement, local government and other partners. Some initial engagement with stakeholders has already taken place and we are also considering the responses to the Green Paper ‘Advancing our Health’ and the suggestions for priority areas for the new strategy we received through the consultation process. Details of the strategy’s scope, plans for more formal engagement with external organisations, including roundtables, timing of publication and implementation will be announced in due course.

Anyone requesting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Impact Trial must meet the agreed eligibility criteria. A core function of the trial’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) is to raise awareness and uptake of PrEP in key populations. Further information about PrEP Impact Trial CAB activities and participating community groups can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/blood-and-infection-group-f/f03/prep-trial-updates/

The Impact Trial website includes a map showing the distribution of the 154 clinics level 3 Sexual Health Services participating in the trial at the following link:

www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk

The Department is continuing to work closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and local authorities to plan for routine commissioning of PrEP from April 2020. NHS England and NHS Improvement have already agreed to fund the on-going costs of drugs for PrEP going forward. We will provide information on how other elements of the programme will be funded and how commissioners will be supported very shortly.

Anyone requesting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Impact Trial must meet the agreed eligibility criteria. A core function of the trial’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) is to raise awareness and uptake of PrEP in key populations. Further information about PrEP Impact Trial CAB activities and participating community groups can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/blood-and-infection-group-f/f03/prep-trial-updates/

The Impact Trial website includes a map showing the distribution of the 154 clinics level 3 Sexual Health Services participating in the trial at the following link:

www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk

The Department is continuing to work closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and local authorities to plan for routine commissioning of PrEP from April 2020. NHS England and NHS Improvement have already agreed to fund the on-going costs of drugs for PrEP going forward. We will provide information on how other elements of the programme will be funded and how commissioners will be supported very shortly.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has a strong track record of providing high quality care to people with suspected or confirmed cases of cancer in a timely manner. Last year, the Trust met all of the waiting time standards we expect for cancer patients, including seeing 97.2% of patients with a suspected cancer within two weeks of their general practitioners (GPs) referral, 99.1% of patients began treatment with 31 days of diagnosis, and 89% of patients began treatment within 62 days of their initial referral.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is working on plans to improve the patient’s experience through their cancer journey. This includes access to a clinical nurse specialist or key worker, and they have recently appointed three Advanced Nurse Practitioners and funding approved to increase number of clinical nurse specialists. The Trust is introducing ‘Living With and Beyond Cancer’ – a new work stream to improve patient experience and care beyond their diagnosis and initial treatment and improving quality of life for those living with cancer. This includes NHS England and NHS Improvement data collection on long term quality of life metrics, stratified follow up pathways, reducing and managing long term outcomes of treatment, and Holistic Needs Assessments.

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a research active organisation, with an academic partnership with The Institute of Cancer Research, and, together, are ranked third in the world for impact of their research. The Royal Marsden is continually looking to improve the treatment options and facilities they offer to patients, including the first linear accelerators (LINAC) in the country and third in the world, which is now treating patients across six tumour types as part of clinical trials.

The Royal Marsden is also the host of RM Partners, the only cancer alliance in England to achieve the 62 day target consistently during 2018/19 and which was awarded a further £10 million in funding from NHS England to continue to improve cancer outcomes for the population across west London.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has a strong track record of providing high quality care to people with suspected or confirmed cases of cancer in a timely manner. Last year, the Trust met all of the waiting time standards we expect for cancer patients, including seeing 97.2% of patients with a suspected cancer within two weeks of their general practitioners (GPs) referral, 99.1% of patients began treatment with 31 days of diagnosis, and 89% of patients began treatment within 62 days of their initial referral.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is working on plans to improve the patient’s experience through their cancer journey. This includes access to a clinical nurse specialist or key worker, and they have recently appointed three Advanced Nurse Practitioners and funding approved to increase number of clinical nurse specialists. The Trust is introducing ‘Living With and Beyond Cancer’ – a new work stream to improve patient experience and care beyond their diagnosis and initial treatment and improving quality of life for those living with cancer. This includes NHS England and NHS Improvement data collection on long term quality of life metrics, stratified follow up pathways, reducing and managing long term outcomes of treatment, and Holistic Needs Assessments.

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a research active organisation, with an academic partnership with The Institute of Cancer Research, and, together, are ranked third in the world for impact of their research. The Royal Marsden is continually looking to improve the treatment options and facilities they offer to patients, including the first linear accelerators (LINAC) in the country and third in the world, which is now treating patients across six tumour types as part of clinical trials.

The Royal Marsden is also the host of RM Partners, the only cancer alliance in England to achieve the 62 day target consistently during 2018/19 and which was awarded a further £10 million in funding from NHS England to continue to improve cancer outcomes for the population across west London.

Both Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are committed to improving patient care.

The latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports on Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust show for the first time the trust being rated as Good overall. CQC findings indicated improvements and progress in most areas of care.

The CQC continued to rate the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust as outstanding overall.

A consultation is currently underway. The consultation document sets out potential improvements in clinical outcomes for patients under three different options. This includes a new specialist emergency care hospital.

The potential impact of the proposals on accessibility and travel times has been analysed as part of the consultation process and further detail can be found at the following link:

https://improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/?s=baseline+travel+analysis

The attached table shows the finished consultant episodes (FCE) and average age in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for the last three years.

A consultation is currently underway. The consultation document sets out potential improvements in clinical outcomes for patients under three different options. This includes a new specialist emergency care hospital.

The potential impact of the proposals on accessibility and travel times has been analysed as part of the consultation process and further detail can be found at the following link:

https://improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/?s=baseline+travel+analysis

The attached table shows the finished consultant episodes (FCE) and average age in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for the last three years.

A consultation is currently underway. The consultation document sets out potential improvements in clinical outcomes for patients under three different options. This includes a new specialist emergency care hospital.

The potential impact of the proposals on accessibility and travel times has been analysed as part of the consultation process and further detail can be found at the following link:

https://improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/?s=baseline+travel+analysis

The attached table shows the finished consultant episodes (FCE) and average age in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for the last three years.

A consultation is currently underway. The consultation document sets out potential improvements in clinical outcomes for patients under three different options. This includes a new specialist emergency care hospital.

The potential impact of the proposals on accessibility and travel times has been analysed as part of the consultation process and further detail can be found at the following link:

https://improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/?s=baseline+travel+analysis

The attached table shows the finished consultant episodes (FCE) and average age in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for the last three years.

The mistreatment of any animal is to be deplored. The UK Government is committed to raising standards of animal welfare at home and abroad, and we believe that it is necessary to work with governments around the world to gain agreement to animal welfare standards. Our High Commissioner in Port Louis raised the issue of the treatment of stray and abandoned dogs recently with the Mauritian authorities. The High Commission regularly meets representatives of the Mauritian Government to discuss values championed by the UK and will continue to do so.

The UK is committed to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children by 2030, as part of our leadership on global health. This is more important than ever, given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last 20 years, UK aid has helped immunise over 760 million children, saving over 13 million lives.

We will maintain our position as a global health leader, investing in Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance; the Global Fund for Aids, TB and Malaria; and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation. The UK is also partnering with countries to improve investments in health systems, including sexual and reproductive health and nutrition services, working towards universal health coverage. This will help to end preventable deaths, and address the impacts of COVID-19 on health systems in our partner countries.

The UK Government takes the human rights situation in Sri Lanka very seriously.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, raised a number of human rights concerns, including harassment of civil society and militarisation of civilian functions, when he spoke with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gunawardena on 5 November.

We have urged Sri Lanka to address concerns in our statements to the UN Human Rights Council in February, June and September.

The UK will continue to highlight our concerns to the Government of Sri Lanka, and we will support human rights through our programme work including resettlement of victims of conflict and improving responses to sexual and gender based violence.

We are aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality and the unique challenges faced by communities in northern Sri Lanka. Staff at the British High Commission in Colombo raised the issue of water quality during a visit to the North in July. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the national water supply and drainage board, have conducted tests and compensation was offered to those affected by water pollution caused by the Chunnakam Power plant. We will continue to engage with local government in the North to ensure these concerns around water management and quality are understood, and that measures are taken to ensure clean water.

The consultation document for the review of Small Brewers Relief will be published later this year.

Information on the levels of small brewery production is due to be published within the technical consultation on Small Brewers Relief later this year.

All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable.

Whilst the biggest driver for the increase in recorded crime is general improvements in police recording, along with increased victim willingness to come forward, we cannot be complacent. That is why we have committed to publishing a new Hate Crime Strategy later this year.

The Government has commissioned a Law Commission review of the adequacy of current hate crime legislation. The review will report this year and we will respond to it when it is complete.

Government action to tackle broader discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people includes:

• A commitment to holding an international conference on LGBT rights; the “Safe To Be Me” conference will be held in 2022.
• The September 2020 announcement of a further £3.2 million of UK-funded projects to help Commonwealth governments and civil society groups reform outdated laws and end the legacy of discrimination and violence.
• Bringing forward legislation to ban conversion therapy as soon as Parliamentary time allows and making new funds available to ensure that victims have better access to the support they need.

The Government will continue to work with the police, stakeholders including Galop and others to understand the concerns of LGBTQ+ communities and what more can be done to address those concerns.

In 2018, the Government asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of current hate crime legislation, including whether additional protected characteristics, such as sex, gender and age, should be included.

The Law Commission’s review is also looking at the adequacy and parity of protection offered by the law relating to hate crime and the current range of offences and aggravating factors in sentencing. The Law Commission aims to make recommendations on the most appropriate models to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection from conduct motivated by hatred towards protected groups or characteristics.

Publication of the final report is a matter for the Law Commission, which is independent. However, I understand that the Law Commission intends to publish its recommendations later this year, following which the Government will formally respond. Given the complex issues that the Law Commission identified in its consultation, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the conclusions of its review.

Data on hate crime convictions and cases which proceeded through the criminal justice system can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

In 2018, the Government asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of current hate crime legislation, including whether additional protected characteristics, such as sex, gender and age, should be included.

The Law Commission’s review is also looking at the adequacy and parity of protection offered by the law relating to hate crime and the current range of offences and aggravating factors in sentencing. The Law Commission aims to make recommendations on the most appropriate models to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection from conduct motivated by hatred towards protected groups or characteristics.

Publication of the final report is a matter for the Law Commission, which is independent. However, I understand that the Law Commission intends to publish its recommendations later this year, following which the Government will formally respond. Given the complex issues that the Law Commission identified in its consultation, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the conclusions of its review.

Data on hate crime convictions and cases which proceeded through the criminal justice system can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

In 2018, the Government asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of current hate crime legislation, including whether additional protected characteristics, such as sex, gender and age, should be included.

The Law Commission’s review is also looking at the adequacy and parity of protection offered by the law relating to hate crime and the current range of offences and aggravating factors in sentencing. The Law Commission aims to make recommendations on the most appropriate models to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection from conduct motivated by hatred towards protected groups or characteristics.

Publication of the final report is a matter for the Law Commission, which is independent. However, I understand that the Law Commission intends to publish its recommendations later this year, following which the Government will formally respond. Given the complex issues that the Law Commission identified in its consultation, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the conclusions of its review.

Data on hate crime convictions and cases which proceeded through the criminal justice system can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

In 2018, the Government asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of current hate crime legislation, including whether additional protected characteristics, such as sex, gender and age, should be included.

The Law Commission’s review is also looking at the adequacy and parity of protection offered by the law relating to hate crime and the current range of offences and aggravating factors in sentencing. The Law Commission aims to make recommendations on the most appropriate models to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection from conduct motivated by hatred towards protected groups or characteristics.

Publication of the final report is a matter for the Law Commission, which is independent. However, I understand that the Law Commission intends to publish its recommendations later this year, following which the Government will formally respond. Given the complex issues that the Law Commission identified in its consultation, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the conclusions of its review.

Data on hate crime convictions and cases which proceeded through the criminal justice system can be found here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

Individual police forces are responsible for setting standards and improving police training within the national Competence and Values Framework set by the College of Policing.

It is critical that the police have access to the most accurate and up to date information on HIV transmission, so that they can accurately assess any risks posed to their own safety in the course of their work and respond appropriately. This will also enable them to help reduce stigma and discrimination in the communities in which they work.

On the 4th February 2021, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22, an increase of up to £636 million compared to 2020/21. Overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £703 million (5.4% in cash terms) next year.

Decisions about the allocation of police resources are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable PCCs.

The Home Office continues to work with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to ensure that the data on the Police National Computer (PNC) is necessary, proportionate and accurate, including medical status data. The Home Office has no plans for specific guidance or support to forces at present regarding HIV status beyond that already published in the PNC Manual.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to UIN 62648 on 02 July 2020 to the Hon Member for Sevenoaks.

[On 5 November 2019, the Government launched a consultation seeking views on measures to strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. The consultation closed on the 5 March. We will announce the outcome of this consultation in due course].

The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on police joiners, broken down by Police Force Area in the annual ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. However, data per London Borough are not available.

Data for the year ending March 2019 are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/831666/police-workforce-mar19-tables.ods

Furthermore, the Home Office has also started to publish quarterly updates on ‘Police officer uplift’. The quarterly update contains information on the number of joiners since November 2019 (when these data were first collected). The latest release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-officer-uplift-quarterly-update-to-march-2020

The next release of both publications is scheduled for 30 July 2020.

The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers in England and Wales by 20,000 over the next three years. 6,000 additional officers have been allocated to forces across England and Wales by the end of March 2021 and over 3,000 have already been recruited as at March 2020. The Metropolitan Police Service accounted for 714 of the 3,005 officer uplift (24%), and 25% of all officers in England and Wales.

We are committed to protect communities from the menace of anti-social behaviour. That is why we have enhanced the powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The powers are flexible, allowing local areas to tailor their response according to the circumstances. They are best-placed to understand their communities’ needs and the most appropriate response.

We keep anti-social behaviour under review through the ASB Strategic Board which brings together key partners.

The Government does not have current plans to update guidance on on-street parking.

The Government did support a private members bill to improve the situation for motorists in relation to private parking companies. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act received Royal Assent in 2019. This Act will lead to the creation of an independent code of practice for private parking companies and a “one-stop-shop” for parking appeals.

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government laid an advisory Code of Practice for private parking companies in the House of Commons Library. On 3 November 2019, the government announced that the British Standards Institution (BSI) will write the Code in consultation with consumer and industry groups. The Government has committed to developing the final code this year, and will carry out a full public consultation, to give the parking industry, the public and other interested parties the opportunity to have a say.

The Ministry of Justice has not conducted an assessment of the CPS’s use of restorative justice. This is because the CPS has a very limited role in restorative justice (reparative conditions are an option for conditional cautions) and it does not provide or fund restorative justice services.

Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, all victims have the right to receive information about the availability of restorative justice services. The Code also stipulates the obligations on providers of restorative justice, including ensuring that victims are able to give informed consent to participation and that it is in the best interests of the victims.

The Ministry of Justice provides funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission a wide range of local support services for victims, including restorative justice services. From April 2018 to March 2019 the Ministry provided about £68m, with about £4.4m spent on restorative justice services. PCCs also spent another £1m from other sources on restorative justice services.