Ian Byrne

Every death from this virus is a tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with everyone who has lost loved ones. The Government remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that these families secure the opportunity to scrutinise the Government’s response to managing the pandemic that they deserve.

The Prime Minister made clear in his statement to this House on 12 May that bereaved families and others will be consulted on the inquiry’s terms of reference before they are finalised.

The Crown Commercial Service engaged with both suppliers prior to the merger to ensure that no unfair competitive advantage over other suppliers can be achieved under the Facilities Management (RM3830) framework agreement. . The Cabinet Office has recently issued guidance that sets out how Central government organisations should use a new Social Value model to take account of the additional social benefits that can be achieved in the delivery of its contracts. The guidance applies to in-scope procurements advertised after 1 January 2021.

Interserve and Mitie have announced a proposed merger of Interserve's Support Services division with Mitie. Interserve and Mitie are both strategic suppliers to the Government, and as such are monitored by the Cabinet Office. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the Competition and Markets Authority investigation of the proposed merger is ongoing.

Interserve and Mitie have announced a proposed merger of Interserve's Support Services division with Mitie. Interserve and Mitie are both strategic suppliers to the Government, and as such are monitored by the Cabinet Office. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the Competition and Markets Authority investigation of the proposed merger is ongoing.

Interserve and Mitie have announced a proposed merger of Interserve's Support Services division with Mitie. Interserve and Mitie are both strategic suppliers to the Government, and as such are monitored by the Cabinet Office. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the Competition and Markets Authority investigation of the proposed merger is ongoing.

"DCMS recognise that these are extremely challenging times for freelancers, and understand the crucial role they play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. We are working hard to ensure that we help to provide financial support to freelancers during this period.

On 5 July, DCMS announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema.

As a result of these grants and loans, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, albeit in a socially distanced way, which will increase employment opportunities for freelancers. Each organisation that receives money will know what best they can do to support their workforce, including their freelance workforce.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has also been extended with applications opening in August for a second and final grant. The grant will operate in the same way as the existing scheme with self-employed workers eligible for a single payment covering three months, at a level of 70% of average monthly earnings up to a maximum of £6,570 (i.e. down from 80% and a maximum of £7,500).

Alongside this funding, ACE have announced £95m of additional support for individuals, which can include freelancers. This involves things such as an additional £75m in project grants. These will be focused on applications that maximise employment opportunities and those from under-represented groups and freelancers are eligible to apply to this directly. National Portfolio Organisations can also apply to create new work with bids that create employment opportunities prioritised. A further round of the ACE programme ‘Discover Your Creative Practice’ will also open in the autumn, which will make approximately £18m available for individuals looking to develop new creative skills that will help them to further develop their career. ACE will also be adding £2m into relevant benevolent funds to support those less well supported by the programmes outlined above, including stage managers and technicians

Currently, DCMS are working to aid sector reopening, and support organisations who are in need of financial support due to the coronavirus pandemic. We are tracking the public health situation and scientific guidance closely in order to ensure we are able to support sectors using clear guidelines. Should the scientific guidance change in the future, or the coronavirus situation worsen, we will continue to work through what guidance and support is necessary to support our vital arts and creative sectors.

From the Government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund we have held back £258m in reserve to provide us with flexibility to respond to the path of covid-19 and its impact. The Government will conduct a Spending Review this year and all decisions regarding funding for future financial years will be considered at that event.

DCMS recognise that these are extremely challenging times for freelancers, and understand the crucial role they play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. We are working hard to ensure that we help to provide financial support to freelancers during this period.

On 5 July, DCMS announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema.

As a result of these grants and loans, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, albeit in a socially distanced way, which will increase employment opportunities for freelancers. Each organisation that receives money will know what best they can do to support their workforce, including their freelance workforce.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has also been extended with applications opening in August for a second and final grant. The grant will operate in the same way as the existing scheme with self-employed workers eligible for a single payment covering three months, at a level of 70% of average monthly earnings up to a maximum of £6,570 (i.e. down from 80% and a maximum of £7,500).

Alongside this funding, ACE have announced £95m of additional support for individuals, which can include freelancers. This involves things such as an additional £75m in project grants. These will be focused on applications that maximise employment opportunities and those from under-represented groups and freelancers are eligible to apply to this directly. National Portfolio Organisations can also apply to create new work with bids that create employment opportunities prioritised. A further round of the ACE programme ‘Discover Your Creative Practice’ will also open in the autumn, which will make approximately £18m available for individuals looking to develop new creative skills that will help them to further develop their career. ACE will also be adding £2m into relevant benevolent funds to support those less well supported by the programmes outlined above, including stage managers and technicians.

DCMS recognise that these are extremely challenging times for freelancers, and understand the crucial role they play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. We are working hard to ensure that we help to provide financial support to freelancers during this period.

On 5 July, DCMS announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema.

As a result of these grants and loans, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, albeit in a socially distanced way, which will increase employment opportunities for freelancers. Each organisation that receives money will know what best they can do to support their workforce, including their freelance workforce.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has also been extended with applications opening in August for a second and final grant. The grant will operate in the same way as the existing scheme with self-employed workers eligible for a single payment covering three months, at a level of 70% of average monthly earnings up to a maximum of £6,570 (i.e. down from 80% and a maximum of £7,500).

Alongside this funding, ACE have announced £95m of additional support for individuals, which can include freelancers. This involves things such as an additional £75m in project grants. These will be focused on applications that maximise employment opportunities and those from under-represented groups and freelancers are eligible to apply to this directly. National Portfolio Organisations can also apply to create new work with bids that create employment opportunities prioritised. A further round of the ACE programme ‘Discover Your Creative Practice’ will also open in the autumn, which will make approximately £18m available for individuals looking to develop new creative skills that will help them to further develop their career. ACE will also be adding £2m into relevant benevolent funds to support those less well supported by the programmes outlined above, including stage managers and technicians.

The Repayable Finance Scheme is intended to assist larger organisations who need more than £3m, and that have a history of financial resilience. Thorough financial checks will be conducted prior to awards being granted, and recipients will need to demonstrate financial viability as a result of receiving the award. This support package represents the most cost effective way of preventing key cultural and heritage organisations from insolvency, and the repayable finance option will ensure a return to the taxpayer on their investment.

Loans will be available on generous terms including a payment term of up to 20 years, an initial repayment holiday of up to four years and a 2% interest rate per annum. Further details are available in the guidance published by Arts Council England.

The Department aims to give as much notice as possible to schools of future funding to support effective planning and has now confirmed the overall funding for the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium will continue at £320 million for the 2021/22 academic year. Schools will be permitted to carry forward any unspent PE and sport premium funding from the current academic year to ensure it is spent to benefit primary pupils’ physical education, school sport and physical activity recovery. Funding will be allocated according to a formula and details will be confirmed in the autumn.

The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.

During national lockdown restrictions, all schools and colleges, including special schools and special post-16 settings, remain open to vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers. We recognise that the characteristics of the cohorts in special schools will mean that these settings continue to offer face to face provision for all pupils, where appropriate. This is because we know that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families, can be disproportionately impacted by being out of education. The department has published new guidance on the period during the national lockdown, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak#history

It is important that staff in these settings continue to be supported. The rapid asymptomatic testing programme will include testing staff, vulnerable pupils and students, and children of key workers, including those within special schools and special post-16 settings. Further announcements on the roll out of testing to staff in primary schools will follow in due course, to help support the reopening of education settings.

Public Health England have advised that the current guidance on the system of controls should continue to be followed. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, this creates an inherently safer environment where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced.

The personal protective equipment (PPE) portal can be used by residential special settings to access COVID-19 PPE. These providers will have received an email invitation to register with the portal. Depending on local arrangements, special schools and special post-16 settings may be able to access PPE for their COVID-19 needs via their local authority or local resilience forum. Our published guidance clearly outlines the circumstances in which PPE should be used, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings-including-the-use-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems, and as the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19. In the next phase of the vaccine rollout, JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other Government departments. The department will input into this cross governmental exercise.

Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff. Current evidence suggests that pre-school children (0 to less than 5 years) are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission. There is no evidence that the new strain of COVID-19 causes more serious illness in either children or adults, or that it disproportionately affects young children.

Public Health England (PHE) advice remains that the risk of transmission and infection is low if early years settings follow the system of controls, which reduce risks and create inherently safer environments. This report from PHE shows that, at present under 5s have the lowest confirmed case rate of all age groups: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports.

Early years settings have been open to all children since 1 June 2020, and there is no evidence that the early years sector has contributed to a significant rise in virus cases within the community. Early modelling evidence from SAGE showed that early years provision had a smaller relative impact on transmission rate when modelled with both primary schools and secondary schools. Further information on this evidence is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886994/s0257-sage-sub-group-modelling-behavioural-science-relaxing-school-closures-sage30.pdf.

We continue to prioritise keeping early years settings open in full because of the clear benefits to children’s education and wellbeing and to support working parents. Caring for the youngest age group is not something that can be done remotely.

These plans are being kept under review in the light of emerging scientific evidence. We are working with the scientific community to understand the properties and dynamics of the new variant VUI-202012/01 in relation to children and young people.

The department has been in regular contact with all local authorities, including that of Liverpool West Derby. During these meetings we collect and feedback the concerns and issues raised by providers and the local authority to the relevant policy teams within the department, to ensure that policy is reflective of the needs and experiences of those delivering essential early education.

PHE have endorsed a ‘system of controls’ which are the set of actions all early years settings must take. These are outlined in more detail here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

These build on the hierarchy of protective measures that have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, these measures create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.

Regarding the next phase of vaccine rollout, JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other government departments. The Department will input into this cross governmental exercise.

We announced on 24 August 2020 that local authorities will continue to receive supplementary funding for their maintained nursery schools for the whole of the 2020-21 academic year. The department has regular discussions at official and ministerial level about all aspects of the education system for the forthcoming spending review.

We are committed to funding for maintained nursery schools in the longer term. Any reform to the way they are funded in the future will be accompanied by appropriate funding protections. The Government plans to spend more than £3.6 billion on early education entitlements in 2020-21.

From January 2021, trees entering Great Britain from the EU have been subject to third country import requirements and controls on the highest risk products have been applied. This includes requirements to pre-notify, the need for a phytosanitary certificate to accompany regulated consignments and physical inspections on imports once they have arrived in Great Britain. It was already the case that imported trees from non-EU countries were subject to import controls and risk-based checks at the border. All forestry operators and businesses supplying such operators, including those from the private sector, must comply with these requirements when importing trees or other regulated material.

Plant health risks are continually identified, assessed, and managed by the UK Plant Health Risk Group which includes key experts from within Defra, the Forestry Commission, and across the Devolved Administrations. This analysis, and the underpinning biological and economic data and evidence, is captured by the UK's publicly available Plant Health Risk Register, including how the pest has been or could be introduced into the UK. Over 1200 pests are currently recorded on the Risk Register, and the numbers are increasing. Through this screening process, we are able to identify significant threats and to prioritise our actions and resources accordingly, making evidence-based decisions on whether to regulate the pest and the control measures necessary to protect our crops, trees, gardens and countryside. It is through this mechanism that a number of tree genera are already prohibited from being imported from non-EU sources, with stringent requirements in place for other genera, which must be met before they can be imported.

We are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this parliament. We published our ambitious England Trees Action Plan on the 18th May which sets out our plans to at least treble tree planting rates in England in support of this, using more than £500 million from the Nature for Climate Fund.

Planting and establishing more domestic trees will play an important role in supporting the green economy, levelling up rural areas and creating thousands of new jobs. Using UK grown timber can reduce our carbon footprint from imports and reduce emissions by replacing carbon-intensive materials.

We committed in the Clean Growth Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan to increase the use of timber in construction, identifying it as key measure in encouraging commercial forestry. Our England Trees Action Plan includes measures to encourage both supply and demand for UK grown timber, including a new Forestry Innovation Fund which will provide financial support to develop innovative timber products, the use of procurement policies to increase public demand for sustainably sourced timber and increase the safe use of timber in construction.

Through the England Trees Action Plan, we are also working to increase tree production in our domestic nursery sector through targeted activities supported by the Nature for Climate Fund. This will build on current facilities and explore innovative ideas and technologies to improve production capacity. This is necessary to create a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse planting stock, which is ready for our future climate in the UK. This should encourage further development of domestically grown trees and minimise the reliance on tree imports.

Forestry England manages two nursery sites, one at Delamere in Cheshire and the other at Wykeham in Yorkshire. Following a detailed review of future tree seedling supply needs, Forestry England plan to close Wykeham nursery and to concentrate production at its Delamere facilities. Forestry England is strengthening the resilience of tree supply by investing to adapt to the impacts of climate change and biosecurity challenges.

The nurseries exist primarily to supply trees for Forestry England; the closure at Wykeham will not impact upon current or future tree planting ambitions nationally or by Forestry England. In support of their biosecurity assurance protocols Forestry England only plant trees grown in Britain with Plant Healthy certification.

Forestry England has been proactive in strengthening biosecurity across their operations and were the first locations in which the Plant Healthy audit protocols were tested. Forestry England are working closely with industry partners in encouraging the development of robust biosecurity assurance across the whole tree nursery sector.

We do not keep track of the private sector's current stocking density levels. However, through the England Trees Action Plan, we have set out measures to expand our data on trees, woodlands and forests. This includes establishing a Nursery Notification Scheme which will provide information on supply and demand of different kinds of tree, which will support nurseries and seed suppliers to produce the right stock at the right time.

We do not hold information or make assessments on the ability of private sector operators to fulfil public contracts. However, we are working to increase tree production in our domestic nursery sector through targeted activities supported by the Nature for Climate Fund. This will include capital investment in nurseries to improve the quantity, quality, diversity and biosecurity of domestic tree production. This is necessary to create a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse planting stock, which is ready for our future climate and grown in the UK. This should encourage further reliance on domestically grown trees.

We know that collaborative engagement with both the public and private forest nursery sector is crucial to enhance nursery production. Through the England Trees Action Plan, we are setting out a roadmap for future engagement, building on what we already have in place. This will allow us to develop collaborative, committed and transparent relationships with the nursery sector that delivers better strategic alignment and enhances plant and seed production further.

As a result of the 2017 NO₂ Plan and 2018 supplement, 61 local authorities including Liverpool have been required to assess what action is needed to address NO₂ exceedances in their area and develop local plans. The Government is committed to improving air quality in the UK and have provided £572 million to support the development and implementation of required measures by these local authorities.

Liverpool City Council submitted a final plan to deliver compliance with legal limits for NO₂ in the form of an Outline Business Case in October last year. We continue to work with the Council to ensure their final plan delivers compliance with legal NO₂ limit levels in the shortest possible time.

Our Clean Air Strategy (CAS) sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollutant emissions from a wide range of sources. The World Health Organization has recognised the CAS as an example for the rest of the world to follow. Our Environment Bill was reintroduced to Parliament on 30 January 2020 and makes a clear commitment to set an ambitious target for fine particulate matter, the pollutant of most concern for human health. It also ensures that local authorities have a clear framework and simple to use powers to tackle air pollution in their areas, and will provide the Government with new powers to enforce environmental standards for vehicles. All this action will improve air quality across the UK, including in the most affected areas

While the details?of?free trade agreements?are?reserved?for formal negotiations,?HM Government has been clear that?increased trade does not have to come at the expense of?our high?labour standards.?The United Kingdom?is an active member of the International Labour Organisation and we?will?continue to uphold our world-leading standards and?international?commitments.

The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) temporarily suspend the existing franchise agreements' financial mechanisms for an initial period of six months. They were developed at an early stage of the covid-19 crisis as a bespoke solution to address the particular circumstances of rail franchises. These include the fact that the government would face large and direct financial exposure via its obligations under the Railways Act if any franchise were to fail financially and become unable to operate its services. The EMAs include explicit provisions to prevent 'double recovery', ensuring franchisees cannot be compensated through the EMAs where funding from other government support schemes has been obtained.

Operators are required to continue to fulfil their obligations under the EMAs for a small, pre-determined management fee. Fees are set at a maximum of 2 per cent of the cost base of the franchise before the Covid-19 pandemic began, intended to incentivise operators to meet reliability, punctuality and other targets.

To help communities across the country, we have pledged £500m to start reopening lines closed following the Beeching report, reconnecting smaller towns, regenerating local economies and improving accessibility to jobs, homes and education.

I encourage MPs, to work with local authorities and community groups in their constituency to come forward with proposals to reinstate axed local services and stations. This funding will help develop these proposals, and accelerate the delivery of schemes that are already being considered for restoration.

The DWP announced in July 2019 that it would consider how the benefit system supports people nearing the end of their life. The DWP has conducted a wide ranging evaluation which considered the views of claimants, stakeholders and clinicians on how it supports those nearing the end of their lives. The evaluation has shown that there are three key areas for the Department to consider: a consensus to change the six-month rule; improving ​consistency with other services used by people nearing the end of their lives; and raising awareness of the support that is available. The Department is committed to delivering an improved benefit system for claimants that are nearing the end of their lives and is working across Government to bring forward proposals following the evaluation.

The breakdown requested is not available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. However, in the 12 months to end of 2019, 2,300, or less than 0.07 per cent, applications were made to Universal Credit where the claimant passed away and the claims closed after the declaration, but prior to receiving the first payment.

Universal Credit can be claimed by a range of working age people, some of whom have health conditions or disabilities, which may be degenerative or life limiting. The decision to claim Universal Credit can be prompted by a range of a factors, including when someone is terminally ill, so mortality figures should not be viewed in isolation.

The data requested is not collected centrally at constituency or city level.

On 15 June, NHS England and NHS Improvement published a new 10-point plan and announced an additional £100 million expansion of care for patients with ‘long’ COVID-19 in England. This additional investment includes £70 million which will be used to expand National Health Service treatment and rehabilitation services and establish 15 paediatric hubs to coordinate care for children and young people. A ‘long’ COVID-19 clinic is available as part of Liverpool University Foundation Hospital Trust, while one of the paediatric hubs will be set up within Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The remaining £30million will be used for an enhanced service for general practice to support care and enable consistent referrals.

Research is ongoing so we can better understand the virus and its long-term effects. Over £30million of funding has already been committed to research projects and a further £20million is available for a further research call which closed on 12 May. Successful applicants from this call will be announced in due course.

The data requested is not collected centrally at constituency or city level.

On 15 June, NHS England and NHS Improvement published a new 10-point plan and announced an additional £100 million expansion of care for patients with ‘long’ COVID-19 in England. This additional investment includes £70 million which will be used to expand National Health Service treatment and rehabilitation services and establish 15 paediatric hubs to coordinate care for children and young people. A ‘long’ COVID-19 clinic is available as part of Liverpool University Foundation Hospital Trust, while one of the paediatric hubs will be set up within Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The remaining £30million will be used for an enhanced service for general practice to support care and enable consistent referrals.

Research is ongoing so we can better understand the virus and its long-term effects. Over £30million of funding has already been committed to research projects and a further £20million is available for a further research call which closed on 12 May. Successful applicants from this call will be announced in due course.

The Government’s decision on moving to step four of the roadmap will involve undertaking impact assessments, as part of the duties placed on it by the Public Sector Equality Duty.

We will continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings and highlight that wearing a face covering may still help to reduce risk of transmission.

Public Health England has not undertaken any direct modelling on the effect of air pollution on hospitalisations and deaths for COVID-19.

The Parliamentary under-Secretary of State (Lord Bethell) called those hon. Members whose constituencies would be affected by surge testing due to the new South African variant and contacted the affected Metro Mayors and the Combined Authority Mayor of Liverpool.


We are committed to keeping Parliamentarians updated.

The Government has announced an expansion of the Job Support Scheme for businesses which are legally required to temporarily close as a direct result of Coronavirus restrictions. The Government will provide employers with a grant for employees unable to work, covering two thirds of their usual wages and subject to a cap. Support will be available from 1 November for 6 months.

The Government has also introduced the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme. Businesses which are required to close due to a local lockdown in England can now receive up to £3,000 per month and are eligible for payment after two weeks of closure.

For local authorities that agree to being placed at Very High Alert, a small amount of additional business support may be made available subject and proportionate to local needs, to complement national measures to protect jobs and businesses.

The government recognises that every region and community will be feeling the impact of this crisis and remains committed to helping the unemployed return to work and supporting those most vulnerable to job losses. We will continue to work closely with local areas to make sure that individuals and businesses are directed to the right support during this difficult period. To support those on low incomes throughout the outbreak, the government has created a package of temporary welfare measures, including a £20 per week increase in the Universal Credit standard allowance and an increase in the Local Housing Allowance.

The Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme will provide businesses in England which are forced to close due to local restrictions with up to £3,000 per month, depending on their rateable value.

Additionally, and from 1 November, in line with the Jobs Support Scheme, businesses in England which have been forced to close on a national basis or which have not been able to reopen since the national lockdown was introduced in March, will also be eligible for these grants.

In order to protect jobs and UK businesses, we are expanding the Job Support Scheme for businesses legally required to temporarily close their premises as a direct result of Coronavirus restrictions. The Government will provide employers with a grant for employees unable to work, covering two thirds of their usual wages and subject to a cap. Support will be available to eligible businesses from 1 November for 6 months, with a review in January.

The Prime Minister also announced on Monday that a further £1bn will be made available to LAs in England to support them during this unprecedented time; and that up to £465m would be provided to LAs at High or Very High Alert through the Contain Outbreak Management Fund. This is in addition to the more than £4.8bn of funding which has already been provided to LAs in England to help them manage the impacts of Covid.

We aim to publish an equality impact assessment covering the Home Office measures in the Bill before Lords Second Reading.

We will be publishing an equality impact assessment in relation to the Home Office provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, including Part 4.

The Government is committed to tackling gun crime and knife crime across England and Wales. Through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we have introduced a ban on certain rapid-firing rifles and we are also introducing greater regulation of antique firearms to prevent their misuse by criminals.

We have also consulted on statutory guidance on firearms licensing to improve standards and the consistency of police licensing decisions, and we have established a multi-agency national firearms threat assessment centre to improve our capability to disrupt the supply and use of illegal firearms by criminals and Organised Crime Groups. This unit works closely with Merseyside police and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 will also give the police with more powers to tackle knife crime and make it more difficult for young people to get hold of knives in the first place. The Act also introduces Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will give the police an important new tool to help them to help to steer those most at risk away from serious violence and knife crime.

Funding for Merseyside Police increased by £18.3 million last year and the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner has set out her plans to use this funding to recruit 80 more police officers. In addition, the Home Office has provided £100 million in 2019/2020 through the Serious Violence Fund. Of this, Merseyside Police has been allocated and additional £4.2 million this year from the Home Office Serious Violence Fund to pay for a surge in police operational activity against serious violence, and a further £3.37 million to develop Merseyside’s Violence Reduction Unit. This is a non-statutory partnership which offers leadership and strategic coordination of the local response to serious violence by bringing together police, local government, health and education professionals, community leaders and other keypartners to identify the drivers of serious violence and agree a multi-agency response. The Government has announced a further £35 million to continue funding Violence Reduction Units next year, and Merseyside has been allocated a further £3.37 million for 2020/21 as part of this.

The Government has also provided Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner with £700,000 over two years through our £22 million Early Intervention Youth Fund for an early interventions programme targeting young people aged 8-19, to tackle serious violence and criminal exploitation. Under year 3 of the anti-knife crime Community Fund (2019-20), we have funded 5 community-based projects in Liverpool and Merseyside totalling £132,550.

We are also providing a targeted £25million to tackle county lines drugs gangs, given the links between drugs, county lines and serious violence.

The ban on bailiff enforcement has now been lifted, reflecting the gradual easing of national restrictions and ensuring that landlords are able to exercise their right to justice. Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service, which runs the bailiff service, has worked with the Ministry of Justice's Health and Safety team and Public Health England to ensure that measures are put in place to protect all parties to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission during the enforcement of possession.

Where an eviction is scheduled with the mandatory minimum notice period of 14 days, the tenant can inform the court if they or anyone they live with has coronavirus symptoms, has tested positive for Covid-19 or are is waiting for a test result, or has been instructed by the NHS to self-isolate. Where this is the case, the appointment will be rescheduled for a later date with a minimum of 14 days' notice. The tenant can also apply to suspend the eviction in certain circumstances, for example where they were unable to attend the original hearing and would have had a good chance of defending the claim for possession had they done so.

When carrying out an eviction, the bailiff will follow the latest Public Health England and government guidance. They will conduct the eviction wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and maintain social distancing. They must ask if anybody in the household has symptoms, is self-isolating or shielding. If that is the case, or if the bailiff observes any visible symptoms of Covid-19, then they must withdraw from the property immediately. Bailiffs also will not evict if the household is quarantining in line with government guidelines on return from an amber list country, and the eviction will be rescheduled. Bailiffs have also been asked to undertake regular Covid-19 tests and not to attend work if they or anyone they live with has tested positive for Covid-19.

Bailiffs are now able to enforce an eviction if a landlord has a valid warrant of possession. This reflects the gradual easing of national restrictions and ensures that landlords are able to exercise their right to justice. The bailiff measures were appropriate at the height of the pandemic to help control the spread of infection but these restrictions could only ever be temporary. They prevent landlords from repossessing properties when they have valid grounds to proceed.

The latest statistics for the first quarter of 2021 show that the volume of possession claims by landlords is down by 74% compared to the same quarter in 2020. This suggests that landlords are bringing significantly fewer claims for possession than before the pandemic. The reduction in claims means that fewer cases will proceed to the stage at which someone could be evicted, compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Where an eviction is scheduled, this will not be carried out by bailiffs if they are made aware that the tenant or anyone they live with has coronavirus symptoms, has tested positive for Covid-19, is waiting for a test result, or has been instructed by the NHS to self-isolate.

To mitigate against the accumulation of rent arrears and associated possession action, the government has put in place an unprecedented financial package. This includes support for businesses to pay staff salaries through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has been extended until the end of September 2021, continued support for low income households with an extension of the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit until the end of September, and maintaining Local Housing Allowance rates at the increased level applied in April 2020 in cash terms.

Tenants will further be protected through longer notice periods, as landlords are now required to serve four months' notice in all but the most serious cases, giving them more time to find alternative accommodation.

The latest homelessness statistics covering the period October - December 2020 show a 40% decrease in households owed a homelessness duty due to the end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy compared with the same period in 2019.

Where a person is at risk of losing their home, local authorities have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent homelessness. In 2021/22 we are providing local authorities with £310 million to discharge their duties under the Act, a £47 million increase on previous years funding. This can be used to offer financial support for people to find a new home, to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation to ensure families have a roof over their head. This underlines the government's commitment to fully enforcing the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 by ensuring councils have the funding they need to prevent homelessness and help more people sooner.

Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study November-December 2020 suggested that approximately 1% of private renters were 2 months or more behind. Additionally, approximately 3% of social renters were 2 months or more behind. Most renters in arrears had arrears of less than 2 months.

We do not hold data on the potential number of households that will be in 2 months' or more accumulated rent arrears as of 1 August 2021 in Liverpool West Derby constituency.

The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to support tenants with living costs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit are in place until the end of September helping renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance rates have been maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector continue to benefit from the significant increase in the local housing allowance rates applied in April 2020. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government has made £140 million available in DHP funding.

Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study November-December 2020 suggested that 1% of private renters were 2 months or more behind. Additionally, approximately 3% of social renters were 2 months or more behind.

The Department does not hold information about the number of households with 4 months' or more accumulated rent arrears in Liverpool West Derby Constituency.

The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to support tenants with living costs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit are in place until the end of September helping renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance rates have been maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector continue to benefit from the significant increase in the local housing allowance rates applied in April 2020. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government has made £140 million available in DHP funding, building on the £180 million provided last year.

The Department does not hold information on the total number of households which were at risk of bailiff enforcement on 1 June 2021.

However, the latest published figures on warrants issued show that there were 2,480 warrants of possession issued to landlords and 43 warrants of possession issued to mortgagors in England and Wales in January to March 2021. The volume of mortgage possession warrants issued was down 99% compared to the same Quarter in 2020, whilst the volume of landlord possession warrants issued was down 80% on Q1 2020. Repossessions in mortgage cases were down almost 100% compared to the first quarter of 2021, whilst repossessions in landlord cases were down by 96%. Across all claim types, there were 37 warrants of possession issued in the Liverpool Local Authority area in Q1 2021, compared to 234 in Q1 2020. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-january-to-march-2021/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-january-to-march-2021

Visits to children in the youth custody estate and compassionate visits to adult establishments have continued throughout national lockdown. In line with changes to the stay at home guidance and travel restrictions in the community, over the coming weeks and months we will support establishments to ease some of the regime restrictions currently in place. This will be done when it is safe to do so and guided by public health advice. Our National Framework, which sets out in detail how we will take decisions about easing coronavirus-related restrictions in prisons, was published on GOV.UK on 2 June: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services

Maintaining safety and the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners continues to remain a priority, as it has throughout the pandemic. A range of tools have been made available to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate any risks. Healthcare providers have continued to provide access to services for prisoners throughout the pandemic.

We recognise that family contact provides a crucial lifeline for those in our care. Secure video calls have now been introduced at all prisons across England and Wales. As of 5 April, over 169,000 secure video calls have been made. Currently 66% of prison cells have in-cell telephony.

We have tailored guidance for supporting specific groups of people in prison whose wellbeing may be more impacted by Covid-19 measures put in place. We are delivering more in cell-activity and are continuing to improve our offer to support prisoners during this period.

Work is currently underway to roll-out of a revised version of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT), which is the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm. This is first being rolled-out in the female estate and ten ACCT pilot sites from April 2021, followed by roll-out in the rest of the estate in Summer 2021. We will, however, be keeping these timeframes under review to ensure they remain feasible in the context of covid-19.

Visits to children in the youth custody estate and compassionate visits to adult establishments have continued throughout national lockdown. In line with changes to the stay at home guidance and travel restrictions in the community, over the coming weeks and months we will support establishments to ease some of the regime restrictions currently in place. This will be done when it is safe to do so and guided by public health advice. Our National Framework, which sets out in detail how we will take decisions about easing coronavirus-related restrictions in prisons, was published on GOV.UK on 2 June: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services

Maintaining safety and the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners continues to remain a priority, as it has throughout the pandemic. A range of tools have been made available to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate any risks. Healthcare providers have continued to provide access to services for prisoners throughout the pandemic.

We recognise that family contact provides a crucial lifeline for those in our care. Secure video calls have now been introduced at all prisons across England and Wales. As of 5 April, over 169,000 secure video calls have been made. Currently 66% of prison cells have in-cell telephony.

We have tailored guidance for supporting specific groups of people in prison whose wellbeing may be more impacted by Covid-19 measures put in place. We are delivering more in cell-activity and are continuing to improve our offer to support prisoners during this period.

Work is currently underway to roll-out of a revised version of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT), which is the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm. This is first being rolled-out in the female estate and ten ACCT pilot sites from April 2021, followed by roll-out in the rest of the estate in Summer 2021. We will, however, be keeping these timeframes under review to ensure they remain feasible in the context of covid-19.

Visits to children in the youth custody estate and compassionate visits to adult establishments have continued throughout national lockdown. In line with changes to the stay at home guidance and travel restrictions in the community, over the coming weeks and months we will support establishments to ease some of the regime restrictions currently in place. This will be done when it is safe to do so and guided by public health advice. Our National Framework, which sets out in detail how we will take decisions about easing coronavirus-related restrictions in prisons, was published on GOV.UK on 2 June: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services

Maintaining safety and the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners continues to remain a priority, as it has throughout the pandemic. A range of tools have been made available to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate any risks. Healthcare providers have continued to provide access to services for prisoners throughout the pandemic.

We recognise that family contact provides a crucial lifeline for those in our care. Secure video calls have now been introduced at all prisons across England and Wales. As of 5 April, over 169,000 secure video calls have been made. Currently 66% of prison cells have in-cell telephony.

We have tailored guidance for supporting specific groups of people in prison whose wellbeing may be more impacted by Covid-19 measures put in place. We are delivering more in cell-activity and are continuing to improve our offer to support prisoners during this period.

Work is currently underway to roll-out of a revised version of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT), which is the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm. This is first being rolled-out in the female estate and ten ACCT pilot sites from April 2021, followed by roll-out in the rest of the estate in Summer 2021. We will, however, be keeping these timeframes under review to ensure they remain feasible in the context of covid-19.

As a result of the strong but necessary measures we introduced in prisons, including suspending social visits, lives have been saved and the NHS is being protected from the impact of widespread local outbreaks.

Some prisons have already started to ease restrictions, including re-starting social visits with appropriate social distancing and hygiene arrangements, and enabling more time out of cell. More prisons will do so over the coming weeks, guided by public health advice and with safety remaining the absolute priority.

Individual prisons and the youth estate will progress at their own speed, taking full account of their specific local circumstances.

A temporary video call service to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends has also been introduced. This is intended for use whilst contact is limited and we are considering the benefits of maintaining these digital solutions in the longer term, in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews.

The Lord Chancellor has a duty to ensure that legal aid is made available in accordance with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2012) and last year the Government spent £1.7bn on legal aid.

Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation and representation in a court or tribunal. Legal Aid is not allocated by constituency but is available for cases where the relevant criteria, such as the financial eligibility of the applicant and/or the degree of legal merit in their case, is met, where applicable. Legal aid may not always be ‘free’, for instance where contributions are required towards the overall subsidised costs depending on the means of the applicant, or where this must be paid back, such as upon conviction in criminal matters, or where assets are recovered in civil proceedings.

Alongside this, in February 2019 the Ministry of Justice published the Legal Support Action Plan which outlines how the Government aims to improve the breadth of support on offer to people when they experience legal problems. As part of this, a series of pilots will be launched to test early forms of intervention that stop people’s problems from escalating and becoming more complex. This includes an investment of up to £5m into a Legal Support Innovation Fund to explore the role technology can play in helping people identify and resolve their legal issues, and we are enhancing the support on offer to litigants in person by providing a further £3m of funding over the next two years, ensuring that those representing themselves in court understand the process and are better supported through it. Many of the measures announced in the action plan will help people, including those on low incomes, access free legal support.

Access to justice is a fundamental right and the Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can get the support they need to access the justice system across England and Wales.