Greg Smith

We recognise the important role that targets, alongside long-term policy frameworks have often played in the development of low carbon technology in the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course. We are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy, including green hydrogen. As part of this we are looking to formalise regular engagement between Government and industry to discuss and drive development of the UK hydrogen economy. We have not set any targets, although we support green hydrogen production facilities both through innovation funding and other grants. An example is our support for the industrialisation of production processes at the new ITM Power Gigafactory being built in Sheffield which when complete will be the largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in the world.

COP26 will provide an opportunity to demonstrate a range of UK innovations and developments, including potential use of hydrogen as a contributor to achieving our net-zero ambition. We are exploring how this might be achieved, including demonstration of hydrogen appliances developed under the Hy4Heat programme, as part of the BEIS Energy Innovation Portfolio. The UK is well placed to enhance international cooperation to accelerate clean energy innovation, including hydrogen technologies.

The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course.

In order to inform our approach, we are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment. We will be further engaging with industry on both schemes throughout the year.

The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial. These forums offer opportunities to discuss international activity on hydrogen, including strategies put forward by Germany, Denmark, and the European Commission. This contributes to understanding of, for example, respective drivers for interest, levels of ambition, innovation priorities and policy support frameworks. This is informing our own strategic approach to the development of hydrogen in the UK context, including opportunities for partnership and economic benefit.

The Government is committed to exploring the?development?of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier, alongside electricity and other decarbonised gases. Recently, the government published its Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) for hydrogen and fuel cells which identified that in 2050 up to 15,000 jobs per annum could be created through domestic hydrogen opportunities. In order to support the development of hydrogen, unlocking jobs and growth we are:

• Investing in innovation, with up to £121m supporting a range of projects exploring and developing hydrogen across the value chain;
• Supporting hydrogen deployment through our £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Fund; and
• Developing sustainable business models to support low carbon hydrogen production at scale.

The Department for Transport developed the Transport Energy Model, published in 2018, to provide a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of different road vehicle technologies and fuels. This showed that battery electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK have substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional petrol or diesel cars, even when taking into account the energy mix of the electricity to charge the vehicle and the electricity used for battery production.

In order to obtain their full environmental benefits, EVs and their batteries need to be manufactured using electricity from carbon-free sources. With the Government’s announcement of up to £1 billion to support EV supply chains, our increasing use of carbon-free energy sources, and our commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the UK is an attractive option for investment in low-carbon battery manufacture.

The Government is aware of the socioeconomic, environmental and supply concerns surrounding the mining of raw materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and is taking steps to address these.

The Government has committed £274m into the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC) to support the research, development and scale-up of world-leading battery technology in the UK.

This include research to make better use of global resources and support a more circular economy; for example, by reducing the amount of critical raw materials, such as cobalt, that are used in EV batteries, and localising more of the battery supply chain to the UK. The Faraday Institution’s £10m ‘ReLiB’ (Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries) research project is developing the technological, economic and legal infrastructure to allow close to 100% of the materials in lithium-ion batteries to be reused or recycled at the end of their first life. Through the Faraday Institution, the UK participates in the Global Battery Alliance: a World Economic Forum initiative seeking to accelerate action towards a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and innovative battery value chain.

Arrangements for selecting pupils by ability are for the admission authorities of selective schools to decide. We are working with the sector and intend to publish advice on the impact of COVID-19 on testing arrangements for admissions to selective schools shortly.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic, infectious and primarily respiratory disease caused by the slow-growing bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). It is mainly a disease of cattle and other bovines, but it can affect a wide range of mammal species, including pigs.

TB is a notifiable disease in pigs and other non-bovine farmed animals. This means that suspected lesions of TB detected in the carcases of those animals during veterinary post-mortem examination or routine post-mortem meat inspection in the slaughterhouse must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) without delay. APHA will place the affected herd under precautionary movement restrictions pending completion of bacteriological culture and whole-genome sequencing to try to identify the bovine TB bacterium from those lesions in the laboratory.

On certain occasions it becomes necessary to repeat an initial negative culture and, because M. bovis is a slow-growing bacterium, this will substantially increase the turnaround time for the final laboratory results.

The numbers of primary cultures and re-cultures are shown in the table below, along with the results thereof.

The higher percentage of re-cultures in 2020 and 2021 are due in part to a decision that all pig samples sent from the bovine TB Low Risk Area of England and all of Scotland should be subject to primary culture and secondary culture, conducted simultaneously (in parallel) in order to minimise the time the affected herd is under precautionary movement restrictions. The large number of ‘other’ results in 2021 is due to a large proportion of cultures that had not yet completed the full incubation time at the time the data were extracted.

APHA has validated a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that can detect the bovine TB bacterium directly from tissue samples collected at post-mortem meat inspection, without the need for bacteriological culture. The major advantage of this new method is that it will typically take only three weeks to report a result from the day the sample reaches the laboratory, compared with 6-22 weeks for bacteriological culture. It is hoped that this new PCR test for TB will enter routine use at APHA for tissue samples from pigs and other non-bovine animals early in 2022.

We want people at home and abroad to be lining up to Buy British. We have announced an export package to support food and drink producers, and will be establishing an Export Council. This will bring together industry and Government to drive export growth. We are also expanding our agri-food counsellor network to make sure that our sectors can take advantage of export opportunities.

The Government is preparing to introduce an interim licensing regime for the 2021 releases of common pheasant and red-legged partridge within European protected sites and within a 500m buffer zone around the sites. A consultation will be launched shortly proposing a general licence to cover the majority of European Protected Sites. It will not cover consents or include other activities beyond gamebird release.

Defra is working closely with Natural England to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to assess individual applications for the forthcoming interim licensing regime for pheasants and red-legged partridges on and near European Protected Sites. We will be launching a public consultation on the interim licencing regime shortly.

Natural England is very aware of the timeframes involved and the need for decisions to be made promptly to align with the shooting industry's annual calendar of activity.

Natural England, and other competent authorities, have a duty to review consents for activities on areas subsequently designated as European sites, within a reasonable timeframe.

We plan to shortly consult on our proposals for the interim licensing of game bird releasing. We are committed to achieving an interim licensing regime which is both effective and workable for users.

In England in 2020 there were 24 hen harrier nesting attempts recorded. Nineteen of these were successful and 60 chicks have fledged.

Based on information held by Natural England, ten of these nesting attempts were on land where the RSPB had primary control over the access, with five of these being failed attempts.

There were a number of reasons for the five failed nests. One was thought to be predated by a fox, two were abandoned for unknown reasons and a further two nests may have failed due to the disappearance of a breeding male.

In England in 2020 there were 24 hen harrier nesting attempts recorded. Nineteen of these were successful and 60 chicks have fledged.

Based on information held by Natural England, ten of these nesting attempts were on land where the RSPB had primary control over the access, with five of these being failed attempts.

There were a number of reasons for the five failed nests. One was thought to be predated by a fox, two were abandoned for unknown reasons and a further two nests may have failed due to the disappearance of a breeding male.

Natural England has received approximately 160 applications to control Corvid species on or close to European protected sites. To date, 26 of these applications have been granted, 8 rejected, with 126 still to be determined or have been withdrawn. For some applications, not all corvid species for which a licence has been requested have been granted.

The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 will be amended at the end of the Transition Period under powers in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018. This will ensure that the regulatory framework in this area maintains existing environmental protections and that the UK continues to meet its international obligations.

We have no other plans to amend the Regulations.

The Government’s policy on wildlife licensing already follows a risk-based approach. We believe that people should be free to manage wildlife within the law where they need to do so. Legislation provides statutory authorities with the parameters within which they may licence otherwise prohibited activities where there is a demonstrable need to do so. In taking a licensing decision the authorities balance a number of risks and issues before coming to a decision, involving taking a precautionary view of the risks where necessary in the circumstances.

Herring and lesser black-backed gull populations have both declined in recent decades. An assessment carried out by Natural England (NE) has indicated that the scale of activity carried out under licences in recent years, were it to continue, would be above a sustainable level and would be likely to have a harmful impact on the population levels of both species. For this reason, it has been necessary to scale back the lethal control of these gull species.

In rural areas, where populations overall are known to be in decline, NE has set upper ‘safe’ number of birds that could be killed. Upper ‘safe’ levels have not been identified for lethal control in urban populations of gulls, as these are faring better.

Beyond a class licence for air safety, gull control is now via individual licence. In taking this decision, it was recognised that there would be an impact on the level of control particularly in rural areas, but this was considered necessary given the situation, so that licensed activity would need to be prioritised. NE considers the strength of need in each licence application individually but generally protecting human life and health is the overriding priority.

Any control to be undertaken under other purposes such as preventing serious damage and conserving wild birds and flora or fauna will need to be targeted. If applicants do not receive an individual licence, they may still be able to achieve some of their objectives by using alternative non-lethal measures.

The Department is in the process of carrying out a review of General Licences for certain bird species. This has involved extensive stakeholder engagement including a public survey which generated over 4,400 responses and a series of workshops with licence users and other stakeholders. The resulting General Licences will draw on a detailed assessment of the scientific literature, identified user needs and stakeholder views and knowledge. To further help stakeholders we intend to allow time for them to familiarise themselves with the new licences before the changeover takes place.

The Secretary of State granted general licences for the lethal control of certain wild birds in June 2019, which are valid until 29 February 2020. Since June 2019, Defra has been undertaking a review of these general licences, including a public survey which generated over 4,400 responses, a review of scientific evidence and a series of workshops with licence users and other stakeholders. The Secretary of State will make an announcement soon on licensing arrangements from 1 March.

The UK is particularly well placed to be a leader in hydrogen and fuel cell powered transportation due to our high-quality engineering and manufacturing capability in relevant supply chains creating opportunities for investment and jobs. The Government’s approach to delivering long-term ambitions for greener transport is technology neutral and we are supporting hydrogen where the market favours its use.

In road transport, hydrogen is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation following changes made to the scheme in April 2018. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Advanced Propulsion Centre are funding a wide range of development projects in hydrogen roads vehicles across technology readiness levels. Government is also supporting the technology through the £23m Hydrogen for Transport programme and £2m FCEV fleet support scheme. The Clean Maritime Plan published last year recognised hydrogen as one of a number of the key fuels on a pathway to zero-emission shipping. Our innovation programmes have supported the development of hydrogen technology, such as the ‘Hydroflex’ train, and continue to provide funding opportunities for innovative environmental projects. These trials may provide a springboard for industry growth and commercial exploitation. In support of the Clean Maritime Plan (2019) the Department has published research into the economic opportunities afforded by the transition to alternative fuels in shipping, and has undertaken an assessment of uptake scenarios for such fuels, including hydrogen and hydrogen carriers.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions. Like battery electric vehicles, their well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions depend on the method of energy production. A range of production pathways and technological improvements in hydrogen production are under development, with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the Department for Transport published the outputs of the Transport Energy Model. The model provides a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of a range of fuel and powertrain options for cars, vans, buses and heavy goods vehicles over the period to 2050. This assessment does not distinguish between urban and rural scenarios with regard to the potential for greener transport in rural areas. Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy that will examine which parts of the network are best suited to use of hydrogen trains, as well as battery and electrification. This will inform Government decisions in 2020.

There has been no specific guidance issued to HS2 Ltd by the Secretary of State for Transport in regards to the placement of CCTV cameras around site. HS2 Ltd’s Tier 1 contractors need to comply with all legislation around the use of CCTV on their sites, which has been provided to them by HS2 Ltd.

The design of the HS2 railway, including associated features such as the Addison Road Bridge, is a matter for HS2 Ltd, the company charged with the project’s delivery, and its contractors. The design of the Addison Road bridge was developed by the main works contractor to Scheme Design stage during 2019. This was shared with the HS2 project team at Buckinghamshire County Council in July 2019 and feedback was received from them in October 2019. The design for the highway is expected to be finalised in May 2020, where further review and pre-application discussions are planned with the local authority. The Department is not directly involved in the detail of this process, but was involved in establishing the overall framework and continues to monitor it.

The cross-government Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office has been established to reduce the barriers that disabled people face in their lives.

The National Strategy for Disabled People due to be published later this year will focus on the issues that most affect disabled people: housing, education, transport and jobs. As part of this, departments across Whitehall are considering how they can make the greatest contribution to the lives of disabled people in our nation.

More widely, the Department continues to deliver the Access for All programme which provides accessibility improvements over and above those being delivered as part of other major projects or whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure. We have recently allocated £350 million to add another 209 stations to this programme during Control Period 6.

The Government is still in the process of considering all of the conclusions in the Oakervee Report and their implications. It is looking at providing its response, including on question of passive provision for an additional station, in due course.

The Department will update its guidance on the ‘exclusively non-commercial purposes’ exemption to EU Regulation 1071/2009 on operator licensing in line with the High Court judgement in due course.

The number of reported road accidents with a personal injury within 50 metres of a pedestrian crossings in Great Britain between 2016 and 2018 can be found in the below table.

HS2 Ltd has undertaken extensive wildlife surveys across the route, which includes barn owls. In addition, HS2 Ltd has a Barn Owl Mitigation Plan (developed after consultation with wildlife groups including the RSPB) to ensure that best practice guidelines are followed to minimise any adverse effects of HS2 on barn owls and maximise potential benefits.

There has been a recent incident in Calvert Jubilee nature reserve where some (non-ancient woodland) vegetation was inadvertently cleared without the landowner’s consent. In this case HS2 Ltd believed they understood who owned the land and had obtained their consent in advance of these works taking place. However, after further investigation it has become clear that their ownership information was incorrect, and that the land in question was in fact owned by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

HS2 Ltd have written directly to the Trust to unreservedly apologise for this error and to discuss the matter further with them.

No further works will take place at this site until a full investigation has been carried out by HS2 Ltd. HS2 Ltd are putting in place additional assurance measures to prevent a repeat of this incident.

We will provide an update on whether the project should continue in due course.

The Department of Health and Social Care is the responsible department for the regulation of e-cigarettes. The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, through the Office for Product Safety and Standards, does not have a role in compliance or enforcement of e-cigarettes

The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 introduced e-cigarette product and safety standards, with a duty to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of any product which is to be placed on the United Kingdom market. Non-compliant products are subject to local trading standards enforcement measures. The Department works with the MHRA, Trading Standards and other regulatory enforcement agencies to ensure that products sold in the UK comply with regulations for all e-cigarette products and that non-compliant products are removed from the market.

We continue to closely monitor the dementia diagnosis rate on a monthly basis. The Government has made £17 million available this financial year to NHS England and NHS Improvement to reduce dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to deliver targeted efforts to support recovery of referrals, diagnosis, and where appropriate, support access to post-diagnostic support.

We will be setting out our plans on dementia for England for future years in due course, including improving diagnosis rates.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for health and care, including on assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers. NICE’s guideline NG97 states that FDG-PET and CSF tests should be considered when the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is uncertain.

Clinical commissioning groups are expected to commission appropriate services, including such testing, in line with their local population health needs.

The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including the food and drink industry, on proposals for restrictions on the promotion of high fat, salt and sugar products. We have been careful to consider the views of industry through two consultations and extensive engagement throughout the development of the regulations. The final impact assessments on the proposals to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar by location and by volume are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/restricting-promotions-of-food-and-drink-that-is-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt

We have made no specific estimate as the Government does not hold data on the number of vaccinations administered to British nationals through overseas programmes.

Data on the number of vaccinations administered to British nationals through overseas programmes is not held centrally.

Work is ongoing to determine which non-United Kingdom vaccines could be recognised in this country. However no final decisions have been taken.

The Department has regular discussions with the food and drink industry and other stakeholders.

An e-learning programme, ‘Children’s Emotional and Additional Needs’ includes training for health visitors to provide support to children with long-term conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Five mandated health reviews for children aged 0 to five years old are offered to all families. However, mandated reviews are not the full extent of the health visiting service offer and additional contacts and reviews are considered where health visiting teams could respond to a family’s identified needs. Health visitors utilise their clinical judgement and can refer children to a specialist teams to assess for cerebral palsy if needed.

The Personal Child Health Record is constantly under review. The content and format are overseen by a multi-disciplinary group, hosted by the Royal College of Paediatric Child Health.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

No specific assessment has been made of these recommendations at this stage. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting later in April to consider the report.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning public health services for 0 to five year olds. The skill mix in any area will vary depending on local needs and therefore the number and ratio of health visitors to support staff will vary. To help increase the health visiting workforce, a Specialist Community and Public Health Nurse apprenticeship (Level 7) is now available, offering an alternative route direct into the health visiting profession.

Local delivery models of Child Development Teams vary and local authorities are encouraged to use the national commissioning guidance. The skill mix in any given area will vary depending on local needs, as this is because it should be led by health needs of a population and geographical areas. We will continue to work with the Local Government Association, professional bodies, and locally through Public Health England centres, to share evidence and guidance that allows councils to make the best decisions to meet local need.

From 15 March to 19 April 2020, the Department spent £3,157,287 on advertising relating to COVID-19 restrictions, launching the ‘Stay At Home’ campaign. From 19 April 2020, responsibility for COVID-19 public information campaigns transferred to the Cabinet Office.

The Government has measures in place to prevent cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the most vulnerable infants. Babies born prematurely are particularly vulnerable to RSV.

Each winter the National Health Service treats the most vulnerable infants with Palivizumab. Palivizumab provides passive immunity to RSV, similar to the protection offered by a vaccination. During the last RSV season, October 2020-Feburary 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement produced a rapid policy statement that extended the criteria to include a larger population of at-risk infants with the aim of decreasing hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates in such infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) usually causes a mild self-limiting respiratory infection in adults and children, but it can be severe in infants who are at increased risk of acute lower respiratory tract infection. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends that at-risk infants for whom RSV infection is likely to cause serious illness or death and all children less than 24 months of age with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome are given the Synagis injection.

Public Health England (PHE) monitors levels of RSV activity in England and Wales and publishes information throughout the season. NHS England is working with PHE as part of its preparing and planning for the 2021 RSV season. This includes ensuring access to Synagis out of season in the event of a spring/summer outbreak and ensuring that clinicians have access to the most up to date and evidence-based guidance to support patient treatment and safe discharge from hospital.

This data is not available in the format requested.

From June 2020 to March 2021, the rate of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been much lower than expected. This is thought to be a result of measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic response, such as social distancing, lock down and masks. The Government extended the use of palivizumab immunisation in October 2020 with an aim to decrease hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates in at risk infants.

The rates of RSV in England are monitored by the Respiratory DataMart system, and this can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports

In the past month, the proportion of positive specimens of RSV have been tracked by the Respiratory DataMart at 0.0%.

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the awareness of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) through more training of doctors and nurses, particularly through community paediatricians, development of guidelines with nurses, and links with genetic and neurology clinics. Professionals at the expert NF1 centres, based in Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, including consultants and specialist nurses also undertake the usual range of activities to raise awareness of the condition by giving lectures and presentations, attending conferences and publishing papers in medical journals.

NHS England has commissioned a national specialised service to address the healthcare needs of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients with rare complications that cause major health problems (called complex-NF1).

NHS England has published processes on its website that set out how it decides which treatments to prioritise for funding at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/

NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned a national specialised service to address the healthcare needs of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients with rare complications that cause major health problems (called complex-NF1). There are two centres responsible for the diagnosis and long-term care of patients with complex NF1, which are based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

These centres also provide education with the National Health Service to raise and maintain awareness of NF1 and are expected to form a relationship with local health and social care providers to help optimise any care for complex NF1 patients provided locally.

The complex NF1 service has approximately 450 patients on its caseload, however the number of patients treated in the last 12 months is not held centrally.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned a national specialised service to address the healthcare needs of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients with rare complications that cause major health problems (called complex-NF1). There are two centres responsible for the diagnosis and long-term care of patients with complex NF1, which are based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

These centres also provide education with the National Health Service to raise and maintain awareness of NF1 and are expected to form a relationship with local health and social care providers to help optimise any care for complex NF1 patients provided locally.

The complex NF1 service has approximately 450 patients on its caseload, however the number of patients treated in the last 12 months is not held centrally.

COVID-19 is a new disease and the science around ‘immunity’ remains uncertain – we do not know, for example, how long an antibody response to the COVID-19 virus lasts or whether having antibodies means one does not transmit the virus to others.

Before considering whether antibody testing and certification could ever be used to enable specific individuals to be exempted from social distancing restrictions and/or self-isolation measures, we first need to improve our understanding of how the immune system responds to COVID-19.

To gain answers to these critical questions on immunity, the United Kingdom Government has been working closely with the Office for National Statistics, Biobank, universities and other partners to establish a series of studies that will help us learn more about the prevalence and spread of the virus, as well as the nature and duration of the immune response.

The Department, Public Health England, the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service have published guidance on the care of residents in care homes, including those with dementia. It asks care homes to consider alternatives to in-person visiting, including use of telephones or video, or the use of plastic or glass barriers between residents and visitors. NHSX has rapidly established a team to support those who are vulnerable, isolated or in social care with technology during Coronavirus (Covid-19). The team has taken several steps to ensure that care homes have the technological capability to maintain social contact for their residents, including: a pilot of 2,050 Facebook Portal devices, and negotiating broadband deals to make sure care homes have the connectivity to access video calls. Twelve of the major telecoms providers have also agreed to work with care homes that have slow, or no broadband connections, to improve connectivity wherever possible. A number of offers have recently been made available to care homes.

The Department’s COVID-19 Adult Social Care Action Plan outlines the importance of restricting visitors to care homes at this time to reduce the risk of infection for care home residents and staff. The Adult Social Care Action Plan is available to view at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-social-care-action-plan

It is recognised that this restriction in visitors may cause anxiety for both residents and their relatives. Existing guidance encourages that alternatives to in-person visiting are explored such as telephones or video calling. It is important that relatives can visit their loved one if they are dying, or if the relatives’ bereavement is likely to be worse, with a higher risk of psychological and physical morbidity. The Adult Social Care Action Plan acknowledges this exception.

As the national testing capacity has increased, we have built a national testing infrastructure and are using this capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tests a day to residents and staff in care homes for older people. We know many of those in care homes will have specific needs, including residents with dementia. We have provided detailed guidance and training materials to ensure staff can administer tests safely and effectively, and with due regard for the residents’ best interests.

Our care system represents the best of us, supporting our loved ones with tenderness and dedication at their time of greatest need. Through this unprecedented expansion of testing, we can give them the certainty and confidence that high-quality testing can provide.

As the national testing capacity has increased, we have built a national testing infrastructure and are using this capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tests a day to residents and staff in care homes for older people. We know many of those in care homes will have specific needs, including residents with dementia. We have provided detailed guidance and training materials to ensure staff can administer oropharyngeal tests safely and effectively, and with due regard for the residents’ best interests.

Our care system represents the best of us, supporting our loved ones with tenderness and dedication at their time of greatest need. Through this unprecedented expansion of testing, we can give them the certainty and confidence that high-quality testing can provide.

This Government has announced that it will provide £40 million to reduce National Health Service staff login times, tackling one of the main technology frustrations facing NHS staff.

NHSX is leading on a programme to deliver faster access to systems using this money. Discovery work is underway and a milestone plan is currently being developed that will include the roll out of single-sign on where appropriate.

The discovery work will also look at helping organisations speed up access to systems and simplify logon processes for their staff.

Harnessing the best technology will improve care for patients and reduce burden on staff.

For education practitioners, governing boards are required to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, and to have regard to the statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’.

For health practitioners, general practice play a key role in the identification of disorders such as cerebral palsy, and the condition is identified as a key area of clinical knowledge in the Royal College of General Practitioners curriculum.

NHS England has advised that there are currently no plans to establish a national register of children with cerebral palsy. As health is a devolved matter, it would be for the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to make decisions about such registers in their respective countries.

NHS England and NHS Improvement established the Children and Young People Transformation Programme Team to take forward commitments on keeping children well, improving quality of care, integrating services, and including children and young people in all that they do.

During 2020/21 the programme team will work with local areas to develop integrated models of care for children and young people. Health and care systems will work together to achieve more joined up services that cater for the needs of children and young people across primary, secondary and specialist care; between mental health and physical health; between National Health Service public health and education; and between children, adolescent and adult services. This will include health and care for children and young people with disabilities.

Information on how many individual contractors’ businesses have been assessed under IR35 rules for the supply of agency staff to National Health Service trusts is not held by the Department.

Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to improving survival rates for cancer and we have committed to the new 28-day faster diagnosis waiting times standard. Implementation in all trusts including Buckinghamshire, subject to Government approval, is planned from spring 2020.

Buckinghamshire is included in plans to develop Rapid Diagnostic Service models as part of the Long Term Plan for Thames Valley to improve and speed up cancer diagnostics and patient experience. During 2019, they established a non-site specific (also referred to as vague symptom) pathway for general practitioners (GPs) with Buckinghamshire NHS Trust to fast track such patients.

Cancer is a priority for this Government and in October 2018 we announced a package of measures that will be rolled out across the country with the aim of seeing three quarters of all cancers detected at an early stage by 2028 (currently just over half). This is part of the Long Term Plan for the National Health Service and forms part of how the Government will achieve its ambition to see 55,000 more people surviving cancer for five years in England each year from 2028.

The Long Term Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/

HMRC do not hold the requested estimates and do not routinely collect data on profession.

The Government and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are determined to continue to tackle promoters and operators of tax avoidance schemes. This includes challenging the entities, including umbrella companies, and individuals who promote disguised remuneration schemes.

Umbrella companies advising individuals to use disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes are treated as promoters or enablers by HMRC. Where appropriate, they are subject to the range of measures laid out in HMRC’s strategy for tackling promoters of tax avoidance schemes, published on 19 March 2020. The strategy sets out HMRC’s work to date and outlines how HMRC will continue to take robust actions against promoters of tax avoidance. The Promoter Strategy is available on GOV.UK.

The Government announced new measures at Budget 2020, which will strengthen the existing regimes and which will help HMRC act more swiftly against promoters and enablers. The Government has also announced that it will consult in the spring on further measures to tackle promoters.

HMRC do not hold the requested estimates and do not routinely collect data on profession.

The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. Where they have business premises, event hire companies may benefit from either of the grants schemes announced on 17 March:

• The Small Business Grant Fund, which provides eligible businesses with a £10,000 grant per property, for each property in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief (RRR).
• The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, which provides eligible businesses with a £10,000 grant per property, for each property used for these purposes with a rateable value of £15,000 or less and which is not in receipt of SBRR or RRR. Businesses are also eligible for a £25,000 grant per property, for each property used for these purposes with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.

In addition to these grants, small businesses, including those in the event hire industry, may be able to benefit from the new Discretionary Grant Fund announced by the Government on 1 May. Government has provided up to an additional £617m for Local Authorities in England to enable them to make grants payments to businesses which are facing high fixed property-related costs, but have been excluded from the existing grants schemes because of the way they are treated by the business rates system. Local Authorities are responsible for defining precise eligibility for these funds, and businesses will need to apply to their Local Authority in order to receive grants. Businesses which think they may be eligible for a discretionary grant should contact their Local Authority.

Businesses not eligible for these grant schemes have access to other support measures the Government has introduced, including:

• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for SMEs
• VAT deferral for up to 12 months
• The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs
• Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020

The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support.

Applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) opened on Monday 20^th April.

This is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they will be able to provide based on the data available. HMRC will make the timescales for publication and the types of data available in due course.

HMRC have examined their data systems and because of the way the data is held, they cannot construct an average of sole trader profits over several years for such a large group within the resource constraints for a Parliamentary Question.

HMRC are using Self-Assessment data to identify those eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and aim to contact those eligible by mid-May 2020.

Eligibility for the SEISS is based on average trading profits for sole traders and income from partnerships. More information on the eligibility criteria can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme.

Those with average profits above £50,000 are not eligible for SEISS but could still benefit from other support. The SEISS supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/

In April 2017, the Government changed the off-payroll working rules for those working in the public sector, shifting responsibility for determining employment status from the worker’s own limited company to the organisation they work for. These existing rules continue to apply.

On 17 March 2020, the Government announced that the reform to the off-payroll working rules that would have applied for people contracting their services to large or medium-sized organisations outside the public sector, as well as engagers in the public sector, will be delayed for one year from 6 April 2020 until 6 April 2021.

This is part of the additional support for businesses and individuals to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19. This means that the different rules that exist for inside and outside the public sector will continue to apply until 6 April 2021.

The Government remains committed to this policy to ensure that people working like employees, but through their own limited company, pay broadly the same tax as individuals who are employed directly.

The Government has announced today further details about the review of the off-payroll working rules reform. As set out at Budget 2018, the reform is due to be extended to all sectors from April 2020. The review will address any remaining concerns from businesses and individuals about how the upcoming reform will be implemented, and will focus on steps the Government can take to ensure smooth and successful implementation. The self-employed are not in scope of the rules; and the review will consider whether any additional support for businesses is needed to ensure that the self-employed are not affected.

The total number of pre-constructed concrete sections delivered to Glen Parva to 21 July 2021 is 5,951. Delivery has been variable between the first delivery which took place on 26 January 2021 and the latest update. This averages out at 234 panels per week. The deliveries to the site are still ongoing.

HMP Five Wells has incorporated 15,183 pre-constructed concrete panels during the installation period between September 2019 to September 2020, averaging out at 290 panels a week. The reason for the variance between the number of panels delivered to each site is due to the difference in delivery stage between the projects. HMP Five Wells has fully completed its pre-cast concrete installation at the point of reporting whereas Glen Parva is still ramping up installation process as of 29 April 2021.

We estimate that there will be around 600-700 permanent jobs created at both HMP Five Wells & Glen Parva once they are open. We will not have a final number of jobs created until these prions are open. An operator has not yet been appointed for Glen Parva and the Department does not currently collect granular workforce data from private prison providers, which includes HMP Five Wells. To publish this data or require the provider to do so would require significant changes to the contracts of all private prison providers and we currently have no plans to do this.

We have interpreted ‘indirectly employed jobs’ as those not employed by the prison operators but indirectly via contractors or part of the supply chain for prison operation. We do not hold this information.

The total number of pre-constructed concrete sections delivered to Glen Parva to 21 July 2021 is 5,951. Delivery has been variable between the first delivery which took place on 26 January 2021 and the latest update. This averages out at 234 panels per week. The deliveries to the site are still ongoing.

HMP Five Wells has incorporated 15,183 pre-constructed concrete panels during the installation period between September 2019 to September 2020, averaging out at 290 panels a week. The reason for the variance between the number of panels delivered to each site is due to the difference in delivery stage between the projects. HMP Five Wells has fully completed its pre-cast concrete installation at the point of reporting whereas Glen Parva is still ramping up installation process as of 29 April 2021.

We estimate that there will be around 600-700 permanent jobs created at both HMP Five Wells & Glen Parva once they are open. We will not have a final number of jobs created until these prions are open. An operator has not yet been appointed for Glen Parva and the Department does not currently collect granular workforce data from private prison providers, which includes HMP Five Wells. To publish this data or require the provider to do so would require significant changes to the contracts of all private prison providers and we currently have no plans to do this.

We have interpreted ‘indirectly employed jobs’ as those not employed by the prison operators but indirectly via contractors or part of the supply chain for prison operation. We do not hold this information.

The total number of pre-constructed concrete sections delivered to Glen Parva to 21 July 2021 is 5,951. Delivery has been variable between the first delivery which took place on 26 January 2021 and the latest update. This averages out at 234 panels per week. The deliveries to the site are still ongoing.

HMP Five Wells has incorporated 15,183 pre-constructed concrete panels during the installation period between September 2019 to September 2020, averaging out at 290 panels a week. The reason for the variance between the number of panels delivered to each site is due to the difference in delivery stage between the projects. HMP Five Wells has fully completed its pre-cast concrete installation at the point of reporting whereas Glen Parva is still ramping up installation process as of 29 April 2021.

We estimate that there will be around 600-700 permanent jobs created at both HMP Five Wells & Glen Parva once they are open. We will not have a final number of jobs created until these prions are open. An operator has not yet been appointed for Glen Parva and the Department does not currently collect granular workforce data from private prison providers, which includes HMP Five Wells. To publish this data or require the provider to do so would require significant changes to the contracts of all private prison providers and we currently have no plans to do this.

We have interpreted ‘indirectly employed jobs’ as those not employed by the prison operators but indirectly via contractors or part of the supply chain for prison operation. We do not hold this information.

The information requested is not held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

At HMP Five Wells, starting in May 2019, the workforce on the site averaged around 100 people per day throughout the working week. The workforce built up over time and peaked in November 2020 with approximately 1,000 people per day for a two-month period. Currently the site is running with approximately 750 people per day during the working week.

At Glen Parva, construction began in August 2020 with around 30 people per day on site. This has steadily risen as activity increases on site, with a number of dips such as over the Christmas period. Currently, there are approximately 470 people on site each day.

At HMP Five Wells car and van movements (entering and leaving site) started in May 2019 at around 100 vehicles per week and increased to around 3,500 vehicles per week at peak in October 2020. The site is currently (in July 2021) running at around 2,500 vehicles per week.

At Glen Parva, car and light vehicle movements are not tracked specifically – deliveries to site are tracked but this includes heavier vehicles and excludes operatives arriving by car. It is therefore not possible to provide data on the number of car and light vehicle movements at the site.

Deliveries commenced at HMP Five Wells in May 2019, however it is not possible to distinguish between HGV deliveries and non-HGV deliveries from the data available. Deliveries commenced at Glen Parva in January 2021. Between January 2021 and the end of June 2021, 8916 HGVs made deliveries to the site. All main contractors provide a traffic management plan which is shared with sub-contractors. This helps to manage the impact of construction traffic on the surrounding community.

We currently define the South East region to be the region of England including London and surrounding counties, namely Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey and East and West Sussex.

Projected demand for new prison places at both a national and local level is one of a range of factors that are taken into account when considering proposed sites for new prisons. Other considerations and constraints include closeness to home to facilitate resettlement back into the community, delivering value for money for the taxpayer (including in relation to the costs of both purchasing and developing new sites), the availability of land, and the ability to build on that land.

In terms of demand for prison places, internal estimates indicate that by April 2027, when the proposed prison near Edgcott will be fully operational, areas within the South East region will have both surpluses and deficits in Category C Resettlement places, including a deficit of places in London.

As a national service, HMPPS uses individual prisons’ capacity to meet national and wider geographical demand. Internal modelling has indicated that, if the MoJ did nothing to expand the existing estate save for new prisons already under construction, demand for Resettlement Category C places could outstrip capacity by c. 4,000, nationally, in April 2027.

The proposed new prison will hold men for whom it is the nearest available Category C Resettlement prison place to their home area (subject to any other relevant constraints) providing the opportunity to maintain or re-establish family and community ties. Thus the proposed new prison near Edgcott is also critical in managing estimated deficits for Category C Resettlement prison places in the adjacent south west region.

The MoJ did not meet with Buckinghamshire Council on 8 October 2020.

The Ministry of Justice submitted a planning application to Buckinghamshire Council for a new prison at Grendon Springhill on 21 June 2021. The Heritage, Ecology and Transport Assessments have been updated to reflect the revised scheme and have been submitted with the outline planning application. They will be made public in due course via the Buckinghamshire Council planning portal.

For both Five Wells and Glen Parva prisons, we have used industry best practice and existing prison benchmarks to forecast their operational carbon footprints. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) has also been adopted to encourage low carbon building designs and low embodied carbon construction materials.

The operational carbon emissions of the prisons will be measured in line with Greening Government Commitment requirements. Once the prisons are operational this information will be regularly collated, along with data from all MoJ prisons, and our greenhouse gas emissions performance will be published annually.

Looking ahead to our next four prisons, their whole life carbon footprint will be measured by adopting the PAS2080 Carbon Management in Infrastructure verification scheme.

The MOJ submitted an application for outline planning permission to Buckinghamshire Council, the local planning authority, on the 21^st June. The Biodiversity Net Gain assessment methodology, supporting calculations and plans have been submitted as part of the application for the development.

The full details of our biodiversity plans will therefore be available to view, as part of our applications suite of documents, in due course via Buckinghamshire Council’s planning portal.

At both the HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva construction sites all vehicles must be parked within the work area site boundary using the temporary car park areas provided. Contractors are not permitted to use the streets or roads surrounding either site for parking.

The initial cost estimate for the previous Glen Parva project was based on an earlier design and reflected different assumptions than the current project; it was not a contract price and is therefore not directly comparable to the contract price for the current project. The previous project was part of a programme of six new prisons within the Prison Estate Transformation Programme. After that programme was reduced in scope in 2019, the project moved to being delivered on a standalone basis.

The project is currently delivering on time and on budget. The current budget reflects cost changes since the previous scheme and moving from an initial cost estimate to a contract price. Inflation has resulted in a £12m cost increase and, as initial cost estimates were carried out prior to detailed site surveys, site conditions have resulted in an increase of £8m. Other factors contributing to the increased cost include diseconomies of scale, changes in the construction market, and changes in scope and design to support the sustainability agenda, and to drive better outcomes and value for the taxpayer.

We are unable to disclose information regarding mitigation funding and expenditure on either the Five Wells or Glen Parva sites as this is commercially sensitive information.

As of May 2021, HMP Five Wells has employed 58 apprentices. It is estimated that over 50% of these were people living within a 25 mile radius of the site. None of these self-declared as ex-offenders.

As of May 2021, Glen Parva has employed 4 apprentices, 50% (2) of these were people living within a 25 mile radius of the site. None of these self-declared as ex-offenders.

The total number of apprenticeships that have been created throughout the pre-construction and construction phases, are set out below. Please note that if a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five people or fewer, the MoJ must consider whether this could lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations. For this reason, ≤5 is used as a replacement value from which it would be difficult to isolate or extract any individual data in this instance.

As of May 2021, at HMP Five Wells 81 jobs were held by those living within a 25 mile radius, representing 37% of the newly created jobs. As of May 2021, at Glen Parva 37 jobs were held by those living within a 25 mile radius, representing 32% of the newly created jobs.

The table below shows job creation month on month since beginning of construction at each site. Please note that if a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five people or fewer, the MoJ must consider whether this could lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations. For this reason, ≤5 is used as a replacement value from which it would be difficult to isolate or extract any individual data in this instance.

At HMP Five Wells, as of May 2021, 26 roles were filled by ex-offenders or prisoners released on temporary licence, representing 12% of the new jobs created.

At Glen Parva, as of May 2021, 31 roles were filled by ex-offenders or prisoners released on temporary license, representing 27% of the new jobs created.

By the end of the construction programme for both sites, 25% of the new job creation target during the construction phase is targeted to be filled by ex-offenders or prisoners released on temporary licence. However, this is reliant on job-holders and contractors self-declaring any convictions.

Information regarding land owned by the Ministry of Justice (including location and tenure) is available via the Government’s Property and Land asset database, e-PIMS, which can be accessed via the following link:

http//data.gov.uk/dataset/c186e17f-654d-4134-aed7-b3f13469546a/central-government-welsh-ministers-and-local-government-including-property-and-land

The Ministry of Justice is currently considering a number of sites for potential new prison developments, delivering a mix of places based on population type and category.

We have received outline planning permission for one site, adjacent to the existing prison at HMP Full Sutton, and we are preparing for pre-planning public consultation for another two.

There are no further sites currently undergoing public consultation. The pre-planning public consultation phase for our proposed new prison on land adjacent to HMP Grendon/Springhill formally started on 2 December 2020 and concluded on 29 January 2021. This was extended to accept any feedback received by email until 18:00 on Friday 5 February 2021, to ensure that all constituents had the opportunity to do so.

Potential new prison sites will be made public should they progress to pre-planning public consultation or if we make a public announcement. However, they are currently exempt from disclosure due to commercial sensitivities and to protect the development/formulation of government policy.

The information requested is not held.

There is a bus service supporting the local area which can be used by both staff and visitors, however, the majority arrive by private car or taxi. The nearest train station to the prison is Bicester which is approximately 15-20 minutes away by taxi. The prison has the facility to use its own transport to do pick-ups, however, demand for this is currently low.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

As at 31 December 2020 (latest data available), there were 7 prisoners held across HMPs Grendon and Springhill* who had a recorded home address in a Buckinghamshire local authority area.

As at 31 December, there were 371 sentenced male and female prisoners aged 18 and over held in other prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales who had a recorded home address in a Buckinghamshire local authority area. However, most of these individuals were not suitable to be held in either Grendon or Springhill due to their security category, their time left to serve, their individual resettlement needs or their specific offending behaviour requirements, which are best provided at other prisons.

Grendon and Springhill are both designated as national resources and can, at any time, reasonably expect to hold prisoners from across England and Wales. In the case of Grendon, this is because of the unique suite of interventions that they provide. In the case of Springhill, this is because there is not an even geographical spread of Open Prisons and, therefore, they are all designated as national resources. This means that, although every effort is made to ensure that most prisoners are in the closest Open Prison to their release address, this is not always in their home county.

There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security category, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.

HMPPS is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where individuals have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.

* If a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five people or fewer, the MoJ must consider whether this could lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018. For this reason, the MoJ has chosen not to provide an exact figure where the true number falls between one and five. The figures for HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill have therefore been presented as a composite and breakdowns by individual prison have not been provided.

As at 31 December 2020 (latest data available), there were 7 prisoners held across HMPs Grendon and Springhill* who had a recorded home address in a Buckinghamshire local authority area.

As at 31 December, there were 371 sentenced male and female prisoners aged 18 and over held in other prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales who had a recorded home address in a Buckinghamshire local authority area. However, most of these individuals were not suitable to be held in either Grendon or Springhill due to their security category, their time left to serve, their individual resettlement needs or their specific offending behaviour requirements, which are best provided at other prisons.

Grendon and Springhill are both designated as national resources and can, at any time, reasonably expect to hold prisoners from across England and Wales. In the case of Grendon, this is because of the unique suite of interventions that they provide. In the case of Springhill, this is because there is not an even geographical spread of Open Prisons and, therefore, they are all designated as national resources. This means that, although every effort is made to ensure that most prisoners are in the closest Open Prison to their release address, this is not always in their home county.

There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security category, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.

HMPPS is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where individuals have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.

* If a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five people or fewer, the MoJ must consider whether this could lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018. For this reason, the MoJ has chosen not to provide an exact figure where the true number falls between one and five. The figures for HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill have therefore been presented as a composite and breakdowns by individual prison have not been provided.

The Ministry of Justice considered land that it owns and sought information from other major land-owning government departments for details on land potentially suitable for a new prison site. An external search of suitable privately-owned land was also conducted. Following this exercise, land that was suitable and available was considered by the MoJ for use. The land available adjacent to HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill meets the relevant criteria, and is already owned by the MoJ and therefore was shortlisted as potentially suitable for a new prison build. The remaining list of shortlisted sites cannot be published because this is commercially sensitive information which, if shared, may undermine our ability to deliver.

The land adjacent to HMP Bullingdon was not put forward by any other government department as a potential site that met our criteria and was available for use.

Surveys have been carried out to determine whether the construction of a new prison is practical at the Grendon and Springhill site and they concluded that it is. Should a planning application be pursued here, the details of these works will be submitted to the local planning authority for review. At this point they will also be made available to the public via the planning portal.

We considered brownfield sites in England and Wales as part of the site selection process, but are unable to disclose a list as this is commercially sensitive information and may hinder future development requirements, as we deliver on our commitment for 18,000 additional prison places.

The Ministry of Justice considered land that it owns and sought information from other major land-owning government departments for details on land potentially suitable for a new prison site. An external search of suitable privately-owned land was also conducted. Following this exercise, land that was suitable and available was considered by the MoJ for use. The land available adjacent to HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill meets the relevant criteria, and is already owned by the MoJ and therefore was shortlisted as potentially suitable for a new prison build. The remaining list of shortlisted sites cannot be published because this is commercially sensitive information which, if shared, may undermine our ability to deliver.

The land adjacent to HMP Bullingdon was not put forward by any other government department as a potential site that met our criteria and was available for use.

Surveys have been carried out to determine whether the construction of a new prison is practical at the Grendon and Springhill site and they concluded that it is. Should a planning application be pursued here, the details of these works will be submitted to the local planning authority for review. At this point they will also be made available to the public via the planning portal.

We considered brownfield sites in England and Wales as part of the site selection process, but are unable to disclose a list as this is commercially sensitive information and may hinder future development requirements, as we deliver on our commitment for 18,000 additional prison places.

The Ministry of Justice considered land that it owns and sought information from other major land-owning government departments for details on land potentially suitable for a new prison site. An external search of suitable privately-owned land was also conducted. Following this exercise, land that was suitable and available was considered by the MoJ for use. The land available adjacent to HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill meets the relevant criteria, and is already owned by the MoJ and therefore was shortlisted as potentially suitable for a new prison build. The remaining list of shortlisted sites cannot be published because this is commercially sensitive information which, if shared, may undermine our ability to deliver.

The land adjacent to HMP Bullingdon was not put forward by any other government department as a potential site that met our criteria and was available for use.

Surveys have been carried out to determine whether the construction of a new prison is practical at the Grendon and Springhill site and they concluded that it is. Should a planning application be pursued here, the details of these works will be submitted to the local planning authority for review. At this point they will also be made available to the public via the planning portal.

We considered brownfield sites in England and Wales as part of the site selection process, but are unable to disclose a list as this is commercially sensitive information and may hinder future development requirements, as we deliver on our commitment for 18,000 additional prison places.

The Ministry of Justice considered land that it owns and sought information from other major land-owning government departments for details on land potentially suitable for a new prison site. An external search of suitable privately-owned land was also conducted. Following this exercise, land that was suitable and available was considered by the MoJ for use. The land available adjacent to HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill meets the relevant criteria, and is already owned by the MoJ and therefore was shortlisted as potentially suitable for a new prison build. The remaining list of shortlisted sites cannot be published because this is commercially sensitive information which, if shared, may undermine our ability to deliver.

The land adjacent to HMP Bullingdon was not put forward by any other government department as a potential site that met our criteria and was available for use.

Surveys have been carried out to determine whether the construction of a new prison is practical at the Grendon and Springhill site and they concluded that it is. Should a planning application be pursued here, the details of these works will be submitted to the local planning authority for review. At this point they will also be made available to the public via the planning portal.

We considered brownfield sites in England and Wales as part of the site selection process, but are unable to disclose a list as this is commercially sensitive information and may hinder future development requirements, as we deliver on our commitment for 18,000 additional prison places.

I would like to pay tribute to Independent Domestic Violence Advisors, they are a valuable source of support to victims of domestic abuse particularly as they prepare to give evidence at a court hearing.

Courts also have a role to play in ensuring that victims of domestic abuse have access to special measures such as screens that allow the witness to give evidence without being seen by the defendant.

We have been working across government to introduce the Domestic Abuse Bill which will enhance the safety of victims and the support that they receive.