Gordon Henderson

The direct risk to the UK’s own energy supply is low as we currently source less than 1% of our gas from Russia and have a well-functioning gas market able to access a diverse range of supplies from domestic producers, Norway, LNG and storage, as well as the Continent. There would, nevertheless, be potential indirect impacts if Europe as a whole stopped receiving Russian gas. With the System Operator (National Grid) we have assessed, and continue to assess, the impacts of the complete cessation of the gas supply from Russia to Europe on the UK and will include the latest analysis as part of the annual DECC/Ofgem Statutory Security of Supply Report.

The impact on the UK economy would depend on the length and type of disruption. As many external bodies have noted, the impact on prices would depend upon the length of disruption, the costs of LNG imports and storage levels in the EU.

DECC commissioned a 2011 report from Oxford Economics looking at the effect of fossil fuel price shocks on the UK economy. DECC uses this report to inform its general understanding of the impacts of gas price shocks. This paper can be found on the HMG website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fossil-fuel-price-shocks-and-a-low-carbon-economy.

The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) indicate the number of offences charged, in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ courts, rather than identifying the number of defendants prosecuted. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 created the offence of harassment and latterly, as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, stalking.

In each year since 2011-12 the number of offences charged by way of the stalking or harassment offences under the Act is as follows:

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same victim.

Since October 2021, all Central Government Departments, their ALBs and Non-Departmental Public Bodies have required suppliers bidding for relevant major public procurements (of £5m or more) to commit their UK operations to achieving Net Zero by 2050. This aligns with the UK’s own legally binding Net Zero target.

As set out in our manifesto, the Government will bring forward legislation to remove the outdated 15 year time limit on overseas voting rights.

The Government’s proposals will make no change to the extent to which taxation is the basis for enfranchisement in the UK.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

NHS England has published the net zero supplier roadmap, detailing steps for suppliers to align with NHS net zero goals. The roadmap offers extra support for SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) and VCSEs (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprises) facing compliance challenges. My Department (DBT) has collaborated with industry and NHS partners to publish materials on the UK’s approach to achieving net zero healthcare which we have been showcasing internationally. We also work to champion net zero suppliers overseas.

Following consultation, the Government is currently updating its Fuel Poverty Strategy for England and is considering the appropriate mix of subsidy, incentives and regulation required to meet the statutory Fuel Poverty Target to improve homes to an energy efficiency rating of Band C by 2030. We plan to publish an updated fuel poverty strategy later this year.

We will consult on a one-year extension of the current Warm Home Discount scheme later this year. We will also consider reform to improve the fuel poverty targeting of the scheme beyond 2022, and will consult on this in due course.

There are no plans to ban the sale of fireworks that are not silent. The Government is aware of the impact of exceedingly loud fireworks which is why there is already a noise limit in place on consumer fireworks. Under the 2015 Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations the maximum noise level of fireworks, for sale to the public, must not exceed 120dB.

Like other businesses, seaside and high street arcades have been able to access the Government’s £300 billion package of support measures, which has included a business rates holiday, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. In addition, a new Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be introduced from 1 November to protect viable jobs in businesses which are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus. On 9 October, the Chancellor announced that JSS will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions.

The department has also worked closely with industry representatives on developing guidance to ensure that the sector could reopen in a Covid secure way. We will continue to keep this guidance under review with the industry.

VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, which it does through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. VB sit on the Coastal Tourism Leadership Forum (run by the National Coastal Tourism Academy), helping to shape the Coastal Visitor Economy Vision and Action Plan. DCMS are observers at the forum.

One of the projects currently being supported by the £40m VisitEngland Discover England Fund is the South West Coastal Path, which is promoting the path to the Dutch and German market.

Government recently published the Tourism Sector Deal which aims to improve the sector’s productivity and ready our visitor economy for the visitors of the future.

VisitEngland administer the £40m Discover England Fund which has helped to develop a number of tourism products which celebrate our coastal communities, such as England’s Seafood Coast, the Garden Gourmet Trails of England and England’s Coast.

My colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also provide support and funding to coastal areas through the Coastal Communities Fund and the Coastal Revival Fund, much of which has a tourism focus. They have also set up Coastal Community Teams around the country to support the development of the coastal economy. An example of this investment is the Queensborough Harbour Trust Community Interest Company who received £500,000 of Coastal Communities Funding, increasing the number of moorings in the harbour, improving facilities for visitors and planning further activities and events for the future.

By 2020 this government will be spending £6 billion on supporting families with childcare. All 3 and 4 year olds, and the most disadvantaged 2 year olds, can access 15 hours a week of early education. From September 2017, this government doubled the childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week.

We recognise that parents’ working patterns vary significantly and want to ensure that the free entitlements deliver childcare to meet their needs, as well as being high quality early education to support the development needs of children. We are also encouraging partnerships between providers to support flexible provision.

In particular, we want 30 hours to continue to build on the flexible provision that we were already seeing across the country with the universal 15 hours. All the free entitlements can be “stretched” by taking fewer hours per week over up to 52 weeks of the year to cover term-time and the school holidays, for example 23 hours for 48 weeks of the year, and free places can be delivered at weekends.

We have been strengthening the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities system through the biggest programme of reforms in a generation. We have legislated to improve the system and have invested £341 million since 2014 to help ensure the reforms make a real difference. We will continue to build on this, so that every child has the chance to fulfil their potential.

The Environment Agency undertakes a risk-based approach and may inspect U1 sites if it receives intelligence or complaints suggesting illegal activity.

The Government is currently reviewing the waste exemptions element within the environmental permitting regime to prevent the use of exemptions, including the U1 exemption, to cover illegal activity. A Government response will be published in the spring. The Environment Agency is also developing a charges scheme for 2024, which will help fund proactive compliance assessment at exempt sites.

In 2018, Defra and the Welsh Government consulted on reforming the waste exemptions element in the environmental permitting regime to prevent the use of exemptions to cover illegal activity.

The consultation specifically asked whether the Government should keep the U1 exemption with no changes to its conditions, change the exemption (amend its conditions) or remove the exemption and require activities it covers to be carried out under an environmental permit.

A Government response to the consultation was published on 26 November 2018. However, because of the breadth of impacts that will result from changing these exemptions, and the implications for different business practices that can emerge from relatively minor technical changes, Defra and the Welsh Government have been further considering the impacts of the proposed changes. A supplementary Government response will be published in the spring.

Defra recognises the role small abattoirs play in supporting the rural economy.

Defra is working with industry to find innovative solutions to support abattoirs. The Rural Development Programme for England Growth Programme, which is delivered by the Rural Payments Agency, is currently supporting a farmer-led mobile abattoir project which is trialling the use of a compact system for the on-farm slaughter of livestock. The project is due to be operational in autumn 2021 and, if successful, could be replicated elsewhere.

However, any decision to establish a new abattoir would be a commercial decision for the abattoir themselves.

We met the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to discuss their proposals at Ministerial and official level and the Secretary of State wrote to the NFU to thank them for their considered input into the development of our new policies. The Agricultural Transition Plan published in November sets out our plans for agricultural policies, including for the Sustainable Farming Incentive which we are currently piloting.

We have ongoing engagement with the NFU and meet regularly.

We are preparing new legislation to tackle waste crime, such as fly-tipping. This includes reforming how those transporting waste are regulated and introducing mandatory electronic tracking of waste, subject to consultation. The Environment Bill will also ensure authorities have better access to evidence and improved powers of entry. The Defra-chaired National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group works with the National Farmers Union and others to share advice on how to prevent fly-tipping on private land.

It is vital that aid spending delivers value for money. I have set a challenge that we ensure aid money is not just spent well, but cannot be spent better.

All organisations which receive funding from DFID are required to provide independently audited financial statements. The United Nations Board of Auditors provides independent external audit services for UN programmes while competitive bidding processes are conducted to appoint auditors for other programmes.

Recent audits of DFID’s programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) have been conducted by Talal Abu Ghazaleh & Co, El Wafa and Price Waterhouse Cooper. Price Waterhouse Cooper is regulated by the UK’s Financial Reporting Council.

Talal Abu Ghazaleh & Co and El Wafa are based in Jordan and the OPTs respectively, and are therefore not regulated by any British regulator. The National Audit Office, the principal state audit body in the United Kingdom, also provides independent external audit of DFID’s spending in the OPTs.

On 8 August, the Government announced a funding package of over £40 million for Local Transport Authorities to procure additional, dedicated home to education transport services, including the provision of additional coach services.

This funding will help children and young people get to school and college, whilst social distancing reduces the capacity of existing public transport.

Coach operators could contact local authorities to discuss their home to school transportation plans.

The Government has also announced several measures available to UK businesses, including the coach sector, to support them through this time, including: a further exemption to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations until July 2021; Government recognition of refund credits under the Bonded Coach Holiday Scheme to allow customers to book a future holiday or request a refund when trading resumes; and access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and Time to Pay.

An impact assessment was carried out on the effect of introducing a trailer registration requirement and was published alongside the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018.

The cost to business and private users of large non-commercial trailers was assessed as follows:-

• Familiarisation costs estimated at a one-off cost at £7 per trailer

• Trailer registration fee expected to be no more than £28 (one-off cost) per trailer and since confirmed at £26

• Registration plate at an average cost of £16 from private suppliers

Trailer users will benefit from avoiding enforcement costs that may otherwise be incurred during international travel. Overall the benefits of the scheme are expected to be much greater than the costs and this scheme has been broadly welcomed by industry.

The design, installation and maintenance of traffic management measures including traffic lights and roundabouts are the responsibility of the local traffic authority, in this case Kent County Council. It is for them to determine which solution is appropriate for a particular road or junction, taking into account local circumstances. I am grateful to my Honourable Friend for raising this issue and have written to Kent County Council to ask them to respond to him directly on it.

Medway Port Authority, which guards the wreck under contract to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, provides: 24 hour surveillance of the wreck, both visually and by radar; patrols of the area around the wreck; and an initial response to any potential incursions into the prohibited area. Incursions, and incidents likely to result in an incursion, are reported immediately to the Police and to HM Coastguard so that appropriate specialist support can be provided.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) carries out regular surveys of the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery. These are generally multibeam sonar surveys and, in recent years, they have also included laser scanning of those parts of the wreck’s structure which are visible above the waterline. Survey reports, and background information about the wreck, are published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ss-richard-montgomery-information-and-survey-reports

In addition, Medway Port Authority guards the wreck under contract to the MCA. The Authority provides: 24 hour surveillance of the wreck, both visually and by radar; patrols of the area around the wreck; and an initial response to any potential incursions.

In March 2020, to ensure safety, we paused face-to-face assessments and assessed through paper-based review, telephone and video assessments. Working with providers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, we developed guidance to ensure the re-opening of assessment centres and resumption of face-to-face assessments can be conducted safely. Face-to-face will initially be for claimants unable to be assessed through other means.

DWP is working with the Ministry of Justice to develop a new digital system with a view to enabling swifter processing of appeals and a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit claimants can now submit their appeal online.

The Department laid The Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 before Parliament on 22 July 2019. This means we can identify claimants who are potentially eligible for Severe Disability Premium transitional payments and start making these payments as soon as possible.

From 24 July 2019, eligible claimants will be considered for backdated payments covering the time since they moved to Universal Credit. We estimate that by 2024/25, approximately 45,000 of the most vulnerable claimants will benefit from this package of support, worth an estimated £600million over the next six years.

I refer the honourable member to the answer the Minister for Employment gave on 30 January 2019 to Question 211077: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-01-22/211077/

A Managed Payment to Landlords (MPTL) is an Alternate Payment Arrangement (APA) that minimises the risk of claimants failing to pay their rent by paying an amount equivalent to the housing cost of their Universal Credit directly to their landlord, on the claimant’s behalf.

The decision to move a claimant on to managed payments can occur at the outset of the claim or when a claimant has accrued rent arrears - at two months or in some cases following one month due to ‘persistent underpayment’ of their rent. However, an APA can be requested at any point during the Universal Credit claim, as a claimant’s circumstances may change. A MPTL can be requested by the claimant, their representative or their landlord and will be considered on a case by case basis.

Requests for MPTLs are dealt with as a priority. The processing time of these requests is also regularly monitored. Landlords who are given access to the Landlord Portal are also given Trusted Partner status which allows them to make recommendations on whether an MPTL should be put in place. All APA recommendations from Trusted Partners will be implemented in good faith by DWP.

The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.

The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/

The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.

The Health and Care Act 2022 compels the National Health Service to take action on climate and environmental issues, including by reducing its emissions. The NHS is committed to reducing its environmental impact, whilst delivering the best possible patient care and outcomes, as well as the best possible value for taxpayers.

The Climate Change Act 2008 requires all areas of the public sector to reduce their emissions, although the pace of change will differ between different segments of the public sector, depending on cost, feasibility, and innovation. The NHS in England has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, the NHS will require the support of its suppliers. In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support NHS suppliers in aligning with the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/get-involved/suppliers/

The latest milestone, implemented from April 2024, sets out Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) requirements for NHS suppliers aligned to the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21. As set out in PPN 06/21, NHS suppliers’ CRPs need to cover, at a minimum, their emissions in the United Kingdom, and outline their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversion with suppliers and the NHS. This online, voluntary self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions. NHS England will continue to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, to inform policy development. Guidance setting out the detailed requirements of April 2027 will take into account suppliers’ feedback and readiness, and NHS England will aim to publish it well in advance of April 2027 to ensure suppliers have sufficient time to prepare.

In 2021, NHS England published the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which sets out a series of milestones to support National Health Service suppliers to align with the NHS’s net zero ambitions. The 2027 requirement for suppliers to publicly report targets, emissions, and publish a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) for global emissions aligned to the NHS net zero target, will build on milestones implemented in 2023 and 2024.

The milestone of 1 April 2023 required that suppliers bidding for any new contracts above £5 million per annum publish a CRP for their UK Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and a subset of scope 3 emissions as a minimum. This requirement was proportionately extended to all new procurements from April 2024, with a full CRP required for new procurements above £5 million per annum, and new frameworks operated by in-scope organisations. A Net Zero Commitment is required for procurements of lower value, as set out in the above-mentioned guidance.

NHS England has proactively engaged with suppliers since the launch of the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, and continues to engage with regulators, suppliers, and industry bodies, ahead of implementing future roadmap milestones, such as the April 2027 milestone. NHS England’s engagement approach has included regular supplier forums with trade bodies, external webinars, and horizon scanning of both the global and the United Kingdom’s regulatory and reporting landscapes.

NHS England launched the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment in June 2023, which enables a two-way conversation with suppliers and the NHS. This online voluntary, self-assessment and reporting tool allows suppliers to understand how to align with the NHS net zero and sustainability ambitions. After completing the assessment, suppliers receive a sustainability maturity score, valid for 12 months, against NHS priorities, and which signposts their current position and pathway to progress.

The April 2027 milestone is anticipated to build on the approach set out in the published guidance on implementing the April 2023 and April 2024 NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap requirements, which includes consideration of the relevant and proportionate application of the policy within procurements.