Jacob Young

The UK is collaborating closely with partners to embed the Breakthrough Agenda, reinforcing the international leadership on hydrogen delivered under our G7 and COP Presidencies.

A report will be published on the global state of transition in Breakthrough sectors, and leading actors will convene to discuss accelerating Hydrogen Breakthrough delivery.

The Prime Minister’s 10-Point Plan and Net Zero Strategy sets out our blueprint for a Green Industrial Revolution. The plan invests in green technologies and industries; leverages billions of pounds of private sector investments to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs, and level up across the UK. It’s a clear plan to build back greener from the covid pandemic.

We are delivering on the Hydrogen Strategy and will soon be launching our £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, providing up to £100 million for our first allocation round for electrolytic hydrogen projects and publishing our Sector Development Action Plan.

Wheelchair users travelling in taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) designated as being wheelchair accessible and assistance dog owners travelling in any taxi or PHV are protected from discriminatory treatment by Sections 165, 168 and 170 of the Equality Act 2010, which prevent non-exempt drivers from refusing them carriage or charging them more than other passengers.

Local taxi and PHV licensing authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases referred to them, and convicted drivers face fines of up to £1,000.

However, the Government recognises that the law is inconsistent in its application, and is supporting the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Bill introduced by Rt Hon Jeremy Wright QC MP, which seeks to extend the existing protections to any disabled person when travelling by any taxi or PHV.

This Government is committed to seeing 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027. The department delivers a range of initiatives which includes specialised employment support like the Work and Health Programme, local trials in partnership with health, Access to Work and Disability Confident.

The Department continues to evaluate the impact of the out-of-home calorie labelling Regulations, including on people living with eating disorders and will publish a post- implementation review within five years of implementation. This will consider the implementation and effectiveness of the policy and will use various methods such as structured observations, intercept surveys, national survey analysis and qualitative interviews. The Department is commissioning additional research to ensure that the impact of the Regulations on people with lived experience of eating disorders is considered.

There is no shortage of lateral flow tests and we continue to procure enough stock to meet ongoing demand through national and local delivery channels. We are also ensuring that lateral flow device tests can be delivered to homes, collected from local pharmacies and some community sites.

The Department has regular discussions with relevant stakeholders on this issue and a solution is now in place for those vaccinated abroad with a vaccine that is also approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Since 25 November, anyone residing in England and vaccinated with any MHRA-approved vaccine types overseas can get an NHS COVID Pass. As of 9 December, individuals can now book a face-to-face appointment to visit a specific vaccination centre to update their record in the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS). Once vaccinations are verified and recorded in NIMS, they will be displayed in the NHS COVID Pass. Further expansion of this service, to include additional vaccines, is planned in due course.

Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since July 2019. Iran's nuclear programme is now more advanced than it has ever been before. Since February 2020, Iran has significantly reduced IAEA access by withdrawing from JCPoA-agreed monitoring arrangements, and suspending its implementation of the Additional Protocol.

The UK has repeatedly made clear that Iran must fully co-operate with the IAEA, including on all issues related to the IAEA's separate safeguards investigation. Doing so is both a legally-binding obligation and essential to assuring the international community of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

The UK has been clear that the scheduled expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020 would have major implications for regional security and stability. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Secretary Pompeo during his recent visit to Washington and with his French and German counterparts on 10 September. The UK Government continue to engage regional partners, the US, and others, to find a solution to Iranian proliferation in the region, whilst upholding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council. We will also continue to enforce sanctions regimes including those under UNSCRs 1540, 1701, and 2216 which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until at least 2023.

The UK has been clear that the scheduled expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020 would have major implications for regional security and stability. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Secretary Pompeo during his recent visit to Washington and with his French and German counterparts on 10 September. The UK Government continue to engage regional partners, the US, and others, to find a solution to Iranian proliferation in the region, whilst upholding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council. We will also continue to enforce sanctions regimes including those under UNSCRs 1540, 1701, and 2216 which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until at least 2023.

Safer Streets Round 4 was launched on 18 March and was open to Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, British Transport Police and eligible civil society organisations across England and Wales to submit bids. This latest round combined and expanded on Rounds One, Two and Three of the Safer Streets Fund, and the Safety of Women at Night Fund, and targets neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls, and anti-social behaviour as a primary focus for the first time.

The bidding for round 4 has now closed and on 25 July the Government announced £50 million funding for 111 projects. This includes 83 projects which will deliver a wide range of interventions to tackle ASB, including: outreach and diversionary activities; educational programmes; professional development courses; ‘street scene’ enhancements; behavioural change campaigns; additional CCTV cameras; and multi-agency training.

Police forces have also received funding to recruit additional officers. We have given forces the biggest funding increase in a decade and they are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.

There are currently 168 Local Authorities in the UK with supported asylum seekers residing in dispersal accommodation provided by the Home Office.

A further 24 local authorities have no-one residing in dispersal properties but have supported asylum seekers residing in contingency accommodation

Border Force and Immigration Enforcement Officers exercise statutory powers when performing their duties, including the power to use reasonable force if necessary.

The Home Office will always defend robustly any legal action brought against them by activists or anyone else, if it relates to the proper discharge of immigration officers’ duties for which they have lawful authority.

On 4 April, this Government announced its intention to temporarily release risk-assessed prisoners as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives.

Public protection is our top priority. No high-risk offenders will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. Likewise, no prisoner will be released if they have symptoms of coronavirus or without housing and health support being in place.

Prisoners who pass the stringent criteria for early release will be subject to strict conditions, and will be electronically monitored, including with GPS tags, with the option to recall to prison if necessary.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have attended cross-government meetings with the COP President, most recently on 22 March. I also recently met with the Chair of the Expert Panel on the Future of Energy to discuss the NI Executive’s Energy Strategy and how the UK Government can help in developing this. We continue to press for engagement with the Executive and Northern Ireland businesses in order to promote Northern Ireland’s interests.

Recent announcements of New Deal funding to support green technology in Northern Ireland and support for the production of hydrogen buses in Ballymena reflect the priority which this Government has given to decarbonisation. We all want to see Northern Ireland play a big role in the Green Industrial Revolution, and COP26 will provide us an opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland’s many advances in green technologies.

The UK Government recognises the importance of the steel industry in Wales and the UK. This House only needs to look at the £30 million loan we secured for Celsa to see our commitment to the sector. Our response during the pandemic helped secure more than 1,000 steel jobs.

This Department is focussed on jobs and growth in Wales. We’re ensuring the four City & Growth Deals support the different regions. We are working with partners to improve transport infrastructure and digital connectivity. We are continuing to support our existing industry and looking for opportunities to develop new sectors, particularly on renewable energy.