Florence Eshalomi

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

From 1 April 2022, free access to asymptomatic and symptomatic tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make free testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be available in due course. We will review the impact of these policies on people who are at risk of serious illness.

From 1 April 2022, free access to asymptomatic and symptomatic tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be available in due course. Equalities impact assessments were completed to inform decisions on Living with COVID-19 and we will continue to consider the impacts on all groups.

From 1 April 2022, free universal access to asymptomatic and symptomatic tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be made available in due course. We will continue to review the impact of these policies on those who are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and their contacts.

There are regular discussions on a wide range of issues including the need to provide medicines to those affected in Ukraine. The United Kingdom is working with the World Health Organization and other international partners to address the health impacts of the crisis in Ukraine.

The information is not held in the format requested. In addition to the Civil Service Code, the Government Communications Service offers propriety in digital and social media guidance and is available to discuss questions relating to social media when working with ministers.

The Department employs an in-house social media team to use digital channels and create content to communicate departmental policies online. It is often appropriate for content relating to Government policies, guidance and announcements, created by civil servants, to be amplified or posted on other channels including ministers' own social media accounts where this facilitates wider engagement from the public. Content creation is one part of the digital team’s responsibilities, there is no individual cost per video or graphic created. The creation of these assets, as well with other communications products, is funded by the Department’s Communications Directorate staffing budget.

The HIV Action Plan, published in December 2021, set out our plans to increase HIV testing in England for the whole population, including heterosexual men and women. There will also be a focus on those populations and settings where testing rates should increase, such as black African communities. We will continue to invest over £3.5 million to deliver a national HIV Prevention Programme over the next three years. The Programme aims to raise awareness of HIV and increase knowledge of testing. During National HIV Testing Week from 7 to 13 February 2022, self-sampling HIV testing services were available in England. In addition, we are expanding opt-out testing in accident and emergency departments in local authority areas with the highest prevalence, supported by an investment of £20 million over three years.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Innovation fund. This work is due to be completed by the end of March 2022 and the findings will be made available in spring 2022.

The Department is awaiting the findings from the evaluation of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Innovation Fund to inform its decision on the future of the Fund. The evaluation is due for completion at the end of March 2022. A decision will be made in spring 2022.

The Department’s impact assessment estimates of the number of workers who may remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 at the end of the 12-week grace period and are not medically exempt. For National Health Service staff, this is estimated to be 4.9% or 73,000. However, the exact behavioural response to the regulations is uncertain and is dependent on the decisions of health and care workers. We continue to encourage unvaccinated staff to make the positive choice to be vaccinated. Since the Government’s consultation in September, the latest data shows an overall net increase of NHS trust healthcare workers vaccinated with a first dose of over 75,000.

Following the continued success of the vaccination programme, on 31 January 2022, the Government announced that vaccination will no longer be a condition of deployment for health and social care staff, subject to a public consultation and parliamentary process.

We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) (No.2) Regulations 2021 introduces a requirement for all providers of Care Quality Commission regulated services to deploy vaccinated workers to certain roles.

These requirements do not apply for workers where vaccination is not clinically advised due to a specific medical condition. Other workers exempt from these requirements are those aged under 18 years old; those who do not have face-to contact with patients or service users; those providing care as part of a ‘shared lives’ agreement; and those who have participated in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccination, either currently or previously.

The current clinical advice is that individuals who contract COVID-19 should not be vaccinated until at least four weeks after onset of symptoms, or first positive test for those who are asymptomatic. As such, individuals who contract COVID-19 and must postpone their vaccination would be temporarily exempt from vaccination. Workers would have a period of 42 days following a positive test to receive their vaccine.

Each pharmacy is able to order is almost 2,500 tests every week. Increased ordering limits are available as requested by individual pharmacies as well as providing additional stock on a one-off basis.

We continue to work with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and pharmacies to ensure sufficient supplies are maintained to meet increased demand.

Lateral flow device tests are available for all key workers either at a local pharmacy, some community sites and via GOV.UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procured additional stocks of lateral flow device (LFD) tests and increased delivery capacity. Over 350 million additional LFD tests were secured, additional home delivery capacity was provided through the Royal Mail, while more tests were supplied to pharmacies and community testing.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procured additional stocks of lateral flow device (LFD) tests and increased delivery capacity. Over 350 million additional LFD tests were secured, additional home delivery capacity was provided through the Royal Mail, while more tests were supplied to pharmacies and community testing.

As set out in the Plan, we will tackle stigma and improve knowledge and understanding across the health and care system about transmission of HIV and the role of treatment and prevention. We have committed to increase the number of people retained in care and receiving effective treatment through innovations in care models and supporting those with multiple or complex needs.

Decisions on funding and access to social care support services for people with HIV will continue to be made by local authorities.

The Public Health Grant will be maintained in real terms for 2022 to 2025, which will support local authorities to continue to invest in essential sexual and reproductive health services and prevention. This includes £23.4 million in 2021/22 for the HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis.

The HIV Action Plan aims to ensure that all underserved populations benefit equally from improvements made in HIV outcomes. This includes increased HIV testing in targeted, high-risk populations, including in black African communities. The Plan seeks to expand access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, including the development of a plan to drive innovation in its delivery to improve access for key groups.

The HIV Action Plan is due to be published on 1 December 2021. The Plan will be followed by a monitoring and evaluation framework to be published in 2022, which will measure progress in ending new HIV transmission against 2019 levels.

Local Government action on HIV testing and prevention is funded through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant. It was announced in the Spending Review that the Public Health Grant will be maintained in real terms for 2022/25. We will continue to invest in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Grant, with £11 million provided in 2020/21 and £23.4 million in 2021/22. We will set out our plans to expand the settings in which PrEP might be made available outside of sexual health services in the HIV Action Plan.

The HIV Action Plan is due to be published on 1 December 2021. The Plan will be followed by a monitoring and evaluation framework to be published in 2022, which will measure progress in ending new HIV transmission against 2019 levels.

Local Government action on HIV testing and prevention is funded through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant. It was announced in the Spending Review that the Public Health Grant will be maintained in real terms for 2022/25. We will continue to invest in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Grant, with £11 million provided in 2020/21 and £23.4 million in 2021/22. We will set out our plans to expand the settings in which PrEP might be made available outside of sexual health services in the HIV Action Plan.

The HIV Action Plan is due to be published on 1 December 2021. The Plan will be followed by a monitoring and evaluation framework to be published in 2022, which will measure progress in ending new HIV transmission against 2019 levels.

Local Government action on HIV testing and prevention is funded through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant. It was announced in the Spending Review that the Public Health Grant will be maintained in real terms for 2022/25. We will continue to invest in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the Grant, with £11 million provided in 2020/21 and £23.4 million in 2021/22. We will set out our plans to expand the settings in which PrEP might be made available outside of sexual health services in the HIV Action Plan.

The overall impact of the change will be reviewed by the ‘For Assessment of Individualised Risk steering group and the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs one year after implementation. Both groups will review any changes in the number of people coming forward to donate blood and the type of infections identified when all donations are screened for possible infections before being used. In addition, NHS Blood and Transplant will review the risk factors associated with markers of infection on a weekly basis, as well as reviewing the numbers and rates of new and past infections and current trends.

Following the Government’s announcement on 11 October, this change will be implemented by the end of 2021 at the latest. NHS Blood and Transplant is currently implementing the safe removal of the question from the blood donor safety check and providing training to staff.

The Department has considered the evidence presented by the For the Assessment of Individual Risk steering group on the removal of the question that asks potential blood donors about whether they have recently had sex with a partner who may ever have had sex in an area where HIV is endemic.

Retaining this deferral ensures we maintain a robust and careful approach to blood donation that protects both donors and those receiving this potentially life-saving intervention. The safeguards in place to ensure the safety of those donating and those receiving blood and blood products remain under regular review.

The Department has considered the evidence presented by the For the Assessment of Individual Risk steering group on the removal of the question that asks potential blood donors about whether they have recently had sex with a partner who may ever have had sex in an area where HIV is endemic.

Retaining this deferral ensures we maintain a robust and careful approach to blood donation that protects both donors and those receiving this potentially life-saving intervention. The safeguards in place to ensure the safety of those donating and those receiving blood and blood products remain under regular review.

We have no current plans for a cross-Government strategy specifically on obsessive compulsive disorder.

We remain committed to the ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan to invest at least an additional £2.3 billion a year into mental health services by 2023/24. This will provide at least an additional 345,000 children and young people with timely access to National Health Service-funded mental health support by 2023/24. The proposals set out in the Green Paper on transforming children and young people’s mental health provision include the piloting of a four-week access and waiting time for children and young people’s mental health services.

In addition, on 5 March, the Department announced an additional £79 million for mental health support for children and young people in 2021/22. This will allow approximately 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services and a faster increase in the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges over the next financial year.

We have no plans to do so. All consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists and the extended multi-disciplinary team have specific training and qualifications to work with young people presenting with obsessive compulsive disorder as a core element of their specialist clinical role. This is integral to the provision of all community-based and specialised mental health inpatient services for children and young people.

The Department has three non-executive directors as shown in the following table.

Recruitment to non-executive roles is overseen by Departmental officials on behalf of Ministers in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance. Those recruited are selected on the basis of the skills and experience set out in the Cabinet Office’s guidance, which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/role-of-government-non-executives

Non-executive directors are entitled to an allowance of £15,000 per annum. An additional allowance of £5,000 per annum is available for the lead non-executive director role and the Audit and Risk Committee Chair. The Departmental board meets four times a year. In common with all Government departments, the role of the Departmental Board and the work of non-executive directors is set out in the Cabinet Office’s guidance, which is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/role-of-government-non-executives

EMCOR UK are contracted to provide security services to the Department’s buildings. Closed circuit television cameras are not installed in each of the Ministers’ offices.

Non-executive directors comply with the provisions of the Cabinet Office’s Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Board members are required to submit any declarable interests annually. This information forms part of the independent National Audit Office review ahead of the publication of Departmental annual report and accounts.

Information on any relevant interests will be published in the Department’s annual report and accounts, which is available on GOV.UK.

The information is not held in the format requested and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Since 2016, the Department has occasionally referred Freedom of Information requests to the central Cabinet Office Clearing House for advice on handling in accordance with referral criteria, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information

Prioritisation for COVID-19 vaccination in phase one of the programme is based on reducing mortality, morbidity and protecting the health and social care system. Phase two, which started on 13 April, has been based on risk of serious health outcomes from COVID-19 therefore individuals have not been prioritised on the basis of factors such as responsibility for child-care. There are currently no plans to prioritise on this basis.

We will publish a national strategy for disabled people later this spring, taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. Additionally, National Health Service recovery guidance makes clear that community services must be prioritised for children and young people aged up to 25 years old with special educational needs and disabilities and who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or who are going through an assessment.

The Government remains committed to achieving zero new HIV transmissions in England by 2030. As part of this commitment, we will be developing a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and HIV Action Plan on reaching the 2030 target, which we plan to publish in 2021. We will consider issues related to improving gender parity, and issues around research, data and services for women as part of the process to develop both the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and HIV Action Plan.

The Government remains committed to achieving zero new HIV transmissions in England by 2030. As part of this commitment, we will be developing a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and HIV Action Plan on reaching the 2030 target, which we plan to publish in 2021. We will consider issues related to improving gender parity, and issues around research, data and services for women as part of the process to develop both the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy and HIV Action Plan.

For workers in the National Health Service, Infection Prevention and Control guidance published on GOV.UK sets out what personal protective equipment (PPE), including FFP3 masks, should be used and on what occasions. The equivalent guidance for workers in social care settings is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-social-care-guidance

In December we established a four-month stockpile of COVID-19 critical PPE, including FFP3s. We are confident that we have secured enough FFP3s for the winter period and that we have the processes and logistics in place to distribute them to where they are required.

As a result of the FFP3 fit-testing project, a further eight types of mask were made available, and we now supply over 12 different models to the NHS, with over 41 million units of FFP3 face masks available for distribution.

The programme currently includes a team of up to 160 fit testers being mobilised for approximately five months and we are in the process of doubling the size of the team.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has provided expert strategic scientific advice to the Government throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies

Individuals who are eligible to form a support bubble may choose to do so with their partner and where this is not possible, couples can meet up outside. The guidance states that those in an established relationship do not need to socially distance outdoors but those in the early stages of a relationship should follow the guidance on social distancing.

The Department has provided £5 million of grant funding to Mind and the Mental Health Consortia to distribute to mental health charities to support adults and children as part of a Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. We provided a further £4.2 million of grant funding directly to mental health charities. These investments are supporting a wide range of groups that include LGBTQ+, black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities.

In providing grant funding, the Department ensures the Government’s duties under the Equalities Act 2010 are met to ensure we are taking into account the needs of a diverse range of groups. The Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund also has an independently chaired governance group, including officials from the Department, which monitors the allocations from the Fund to ensure fairness and diversity.

Monitoring and tracking the impact of COVID-19 on people's mental health is a key part of the overall national response to the pandemic. We recognise the disproportionate impacts that have been experienced by some groups during this time.

The Government Equalities Office is engaging with other Government departments and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) sector to understand how we can best support the LGBT population at this time and as we move into recovery.

As with all NHS services during the COVID-19 pandemic, gender dysphoria clinics experienced a disruption to their services. However, the clinics did not close and offered remote appointments and electronic repeat prescriptions where appropriate.

To address the continuing increase in the number of people seeking care from gender dysphoria clinics, NHS England ran a number of contract award processes, in 2019, with the aim of increasing clinical capacity and reducing waiting times. As a result, three new adult gender dysphoria services will begin to see patients in 2020/21 as pilots for evaluation.

The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was selected to run a new gender dysphoria service as a pilot in London and the first patients were seen in July 2020. The Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a contract to deliver a similar pilot service in Cheshire and Merseyside, and a contract award is imminent for a provider to deliver a similar pilot service in Greater Manchester.

As has been the case under successive Administrations, it is not government policy to comment on security procedures in government buildings.

Non-executive directors comply with the provisions of the Cabinet Office's Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Board members are required to submit any declarable interests annually; this information forms part of the independent National Audit Office review ahead of the publication of Departmental annual report and accounts. Information on any relevant interests will be published alongside the Department annual report and accounts, which are available on gov.uk.

The FCDO's Non-Executive Directors bring independent challenge and external expertise, an important function as we complete the merger of the two legacy Departments. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, the time commitment expected from Non-Executive Directors is approximately 20 days per year, for which they are paid £15,000 each per annum, except the lead Non-Executive Director who is paid £20,000.

All four are members of the FCDO's departmental board, the Supervisory Board, which meets quarterly. They are also all members of the Management Board, which meets monthly, and between them they chair the Staff Advisory Board and the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, and sit on the Strategy Committee, Investment Committee, Delivery Committee, Senior Leadership Board, Transformation Board, and People Committee. They also provide support and challenge to teams and projects across the FCDO.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) do not hold this information centrally, and it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The FCDO (and its former legacy departments) has referred requests to the Cabinet Office Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria. This is available on the gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may proscribe an organisation if she believes it is concerned in terrorism, and it is proportionate to do so.

We keep the list of proscribed organisations under regular review.

For Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), applicants must meet continuous residence requirements and are generally only allowed to be out of the UK for a maximum of 180 days in a 12-month period.

However, absences beyond 180 days can be allowed if there are serious or compelling reasons. Examples in current guidance include reference to a pandemic, and certain extended absences due to Covid-19 could fall within this definition. Each case would be considered on its own facts.

Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams.

The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times.

There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams.

The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times.

There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams.

The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times.

There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams.

The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times.

There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

This information is not held. External wall surveys, in the form of EWS1 assessments, are an industry process and data on them is not collected by MHCLG.

The Department has published estimates regarding EWS1 requirements on residential buildings in England, which are available online here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england

EWS1 is not a Government form or regulatory requirement, and it is not a safety certificate. EWS1 was created by industry to help with mortgage valuations for flats in blocks with cladding. It is designed to identify whether a block is likely to need value-affecting remediation work.

Building owners are responsible for ensuring their building is safe and they have a legal duty to maintain an up-to-date fire risk assessment. This should include the external walls and Government has clarified the Fire Safety Order, through the Fire Safety Bill, to ensure this is abundantly clear.

We will continue to work with lenders to help them to recognise alternative forms of assurance of building safety such as a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment which includes the external walls.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has referred requests to the Cabinet Office Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria which is available on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK in places most in need, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities.

As set out at Spending Review 2020, one portion of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will support investment in people and skills, in communities and places and in local businesses, all tailored to local needs. A second portion of the Fund will be targeted differently to people most in need, through bespoke employment and skills programmes. This will support improved employment outcomes for those in and out of work in specific groups of people who face labour market barriers.

The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework later this year.

The Government has been very clear that it is the responsibility of the building owner, landlord or responsible person to ensure the safety of residents in buildings with unsafe cladding systems. We expect building owners and landlords to pursue all avenues to fund the remediation costs for unsafe cladding without passing on costs to leaseholders, by meeting these costs from their own resources, by claiming on insurance policies or warranties, or taking legal action. Where this is not possible the Government is making an unprecedented £5 billion available to fund the cost of replacing unsafe cladding for leaseholders in residential buildings 18 metres and over in England. Building owners and landlords should therefore not be seeking to charge leaseholders for the costs of remediation of unsafe cladding on buildings that are eligible for Government funding and should instead apply for the funding.

The Waking Watch Relief Fund is a £30 million fund to install alarms in high rise residential buildings. Common alarm systems will enable costly waking watch measures to be replaced in buildings waiting to have unsafe cladding removed. The National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) have welcomed the Fund and guidance published by the NFCC is clear that alarms are preferable to waking watches.

The Fund is targeted at buildings which are at the greatest risk and where cost to leaseholders is highest. However, the Government is also providing a long-term, low interest financing scheme to help pay for remediation costs in buildings between 11-18 metres. This will speed up the pace of remediation and remove the need for costly interim measures.

However, the Government expects building owners, who are responsible for their buildings, to meet costs without passing them on to leaseholders wherever possible, through their own resources or by recovering costs from applicable warranty schemes or from the developers or contractors who were responsible for the installation of unsafe cladding.

Interim measures such as waking watch should only be used as a short-term option to mitigate an immediate risk. They are not an alternative to remediation. Building owners are responsible for the safety of their buildings, which includes remediating their buildings as swiftly as possible.

The purpose of Government funding is to make homes safer, quicker. The Building Safety Fund does not cover the costs of remediation work on buildings with non-ACM cladding systems that had been committed to, or where work had started on site, prior to the Budget announcement on 11 March 2020. We will be publishing further details on the financing scheme for buildings between 11-18 metres.

The Government has rightly targeted funding at the removal of unsafe cladding on higher rise buildings (over 18 metres), where the risk is greater and the cost of cladding remediation is higher. It is our strong expectation that building owners will have completed ACM remedial works on all high-rise residential buildings by the end of 2021. We also expect owners of buildings with unsafe non-ACM buildings systems supported by the Building Safety Fund to be started on site by September 2021. Our monthly published updates on ACM remediation progress and Building Safety Fund statistics can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-programme.

We will announce further details on the additional £3.5 billion in funding announced on 10 February, and how it will work alongside existing funding schemes.

We are taking decisive action to improve building safety and prioritising unsafe cladding which is a higher risk and can act as a fire accelerant – and is a greater risk in higher rise blocks. Home Office analysis of fire and rescue service statistics shows buildings between 18 and 30 metres are four times as likely to suffer a fire with fatalities or serious casualties than apartment buildings in general.  18 metres is also the height at which building standards become more restrictive in England and presumptions about firefighting tactics change

It is right that we prioritise action on higher rise buildings (over 18 metres) where risk to multiple households is greater when fire spreads. It is therefore the height criterion we have chosen for the Building Safety Fund and the Waking Watch Relief Fund. For the purposes of the Building Safety Fund we are allowing a tolerance of 30cm to this measurement so where there is appropriate evidence that a building measures 17.7 metres or above it will be eligible in regard to its height. This is to allow for measurement error, the potential for ground levels to have varied from the original design and the settlement of the building over time.

On 10 February, we announced a generous finance scheme, which will provide leaseholders in buildings of 11-18m with access to finance for cladding remediation costs, and a commitment that their monthly cladding repayment costs will not exceed £50 a month.

We will publish more information soon.

On 10 February, we announced a generous finance scheme, which will provide leaseholders in buildings of 11-18m with access to finance for cladding remediation costs, and a commitment that their monthly cladding repayment costs will not exceed £50 a month.

The package of measures that we announced will not only provide greater certainty to leaseholders but also to mortgage lenders and the housing market and will help to restore the effective lending, purchasing and selling of properties.

We will publish more information on how the finance scheme will work as soon as we are in a position to do so.

MHCLG has begun a pilot data collection project for 11-18m residential buildings to identify materials in use and to inform the design of a wider national 11-18m data collection exercise, and we will be publishing further details.

We are taking decisive action to improve building safety and prioritising unsafe cladding which is a higher risk and can act as a fire accelerant – and is a greater risk in higher rise blocks. Home Office analysis of fire and rescue service statistics shows buildings between 18 and 30 metres are four times as likely to suffer a fire with fatalities or serious casualties than apartment buildings in general.  18 metres is also the height at which building standards become more restrictive in England and presumptions about firefighting tactics change

It is right that we prioritise action on higher rise buildings (over 18 metres) where risk to multiple households is greater when fire spreads. It is therefore the height criterion we have chosen for the Building Safety Fund and the Waking Watch Relief Fund. For the purposes of the Building Safety Fund we are allowing a tolerance of 30cm to this measurement so where there is appropriate evidence that a building measures 17.7 metres or above it will be eligible in regard to its height. This is to allow for measurement error, the potential for ground levels to have varied from the original design and the settlement of the building over time.

The Department has ongoing engagement with developers and building owners of private sector high-rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding. This has led to the remediation of over half of high-rise residential buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding being funded by the developer, freeholder or through warranty claims, without passing the costs onto leaseholders. Furthermore, the Private Sector ACM Remediation Fund and the Building Safety Fund for the remediation of buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding both require applicants to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to recover the costs of replacing the unsafe cladding from those responsible through insurance claims, warranties or legal action.

High-rise buildings (private and social sector buildings over 18 metres) with unsafe cladding systems where there is a waking watch in place and costs are being passed on to leaseholders are eligible for the scheme. We will work with local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services on the delivery of the fund and expect to publish a prospectus with further information on eligibility criteria and evidence requirements in January.

The Waking Watch Relief Fund will open in January with the aim of providing funding for the installation of alarms as quickly as possible.

The Government is focussing public funding on buildings with the highest risk, which are those buildings over 18m in height. The Waking Watch Relief Fund will not be available for buildings below this height.

The Waking Watch Relief Fund does not cover retrospective costs where waking watch services are no longer in place because alarms have been installed prior to 17 December 2020. The purpose of the Fund is to incentivise the purchase of alarm systems in buildings where there is currently a waking watch in place and there is no common alarm system.

The Government has made £1 billion available to fund the removal of unsafe non-Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding. This is in addition to the £600 million made available already to ensure the remediation of the highest risk ACM cladding

The Government’s decision to place the scope of the Building Safety Fund at external wall systems, and buildings over 18m, reflects the exceptional fire risk that certain cladding products pose at that height, but also because unsafe cladding acts as an accelerant to fire spread

Our guidance is clear that it remains building owners’ responsibility to address unsafe cladding on buildings of all heights. We have provided advice from the Expert Panel on the measures building owners should take to ensure their buildings are safe

We recognise that in many cases, leasehold agreements will allow building owners or their managing agents to pass remediation costs on to leasehold owners of individual flats. It is unacceptable for leaseholders to have to worry about the cost of fixing historic safety defects in their buildings that they didn’t cause

The Government is determined to remove barriers to fixing historic defects and identify financing solutions that protect leaseholders from unaffordable costs and we will provide an update when the draft Building Safety Bill returns to Parliament.

The EWS1 form was introduced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to assist in valuation of high-rise residential buildings for mortgage purposes. The Department does not support a blanket approach In EWS1 requests for lower rise properties and is encouraging mortgage lenders to accept other equivalent evidence from building owners for valuation purposes.

Building owners must take swift action to remediate their buildings. The Department is supporting industry in responding to this challenge including consideration of ways to address capacity issues across the sector.

The Government is clear that ‘No DSS’ requirements -- or any blanket ban on tenants on the basis that they are in receipt of benefits -- have no place in a modern housing market.

We noted the recent court judgement on this matter, and strongly encourage landlords and agents to look at all potential and existing tenants claiming housing benefit on an individual basis. We have engaged with the sector to encourage prevention of the practice of 'No DSS' restrictions. Last year major lettings portals Zoopla and Rightmove agreed to stop use of 'No DSS' adverts on their websites, and several major lenders agreed to remove restrictions on mortgages which prevented landlords from letting to tenants on benefits.

We have no plans at present to introduce legislation on this issue but are committed to bringing forward a Renters Reform Bill in due course, to deliver a better deal for renters, and a fairer and more effective rental market.

We have provided an unprecedented package of support for renters during this pandemic. On 5 June, we announced that the government’s suspension on evictions would be extended for another 2 months until 23 August, taking the moratorium on evictions to 5 months. We are committed to ensuring that no one is evicted from their home this summer due to coronavirus.

On Friday June 5 2020 the Government announced that the current suspension of evictions from social or private rented accommodation will be extended by 2 months until 23 August 2020. This means that no action to evict a tenant will proceed before 24 August 2020. The emergency measures in the Coronavirus Act, which require landlords to give at least 3 months' notice to evict tenants, are unaffected by this and remain in place until 30 September 2020.

We will also continue to work with the judiciary, legal representatives and the advice sector on arrangements, including new rules, to ensure that when the moratorium on evictions ends, the courts are better able to address the need for appropriate protection of all parties, including those shielding from coronavirus. This is to ensure that judges have all the information necessary to make just decisions and that the most vulnerable tenants can get the help they need.

On 18 March, we announced a radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. Emergency legislation will be taken forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three-month period. As a result of these measures, no renters in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction.

More information on these plans can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters.

Landlords cannot in general increase rent without their tenants' permission and there are no plans to change the rules regarding rent rises at this stage. We will protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus through a radical package of measures announced on 18 March, including emergency legislation to prevent landlords from starting eviction proceedings for at least a three-month period.

More information on these plans can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters.