Jamie Wallis

The Government remains committed to protecting everyone who is at risk of conversion practices from harm, and will shortly publish a draft Bill and consultation response setting out our approach to banning these abhorrent practices. The draft legislation will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee in this parliamentary session.

Equality Hub Ministers and officials have engaged widely on the issue of conversion practices with victims, LGBT groups, healthcare professionals, faith groups, groups advocating for sex-based rights and parliamentarians. This engagement was an important part of developing proposals for the public consultation that closed earlier this year and many such organisations responded to that consultation.

We are carefully considering all the responses to that consultation and will respond in due course. We will continue to work closely with a full range of stakeholders.

We are evaluating our Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme, which will allow us to gather information on the barriers and enablers to take up. We are also working on a digital tool to help parents understand the options available to them and make it easier to access Shared Parental Leave.

The Home Office recently carried out a review of the Computer Misuse Act, which led to a public consultation on proposals for new powers to assist law enforcement agencies in tackling these threats. They are currently analysing the responses to these proposals.

The Cabinet Office will work with the Home Office to consider implications.

The Government is committed to protecting and promoting the combined strengths of our Union, the most successful political and economic union in history. It is vital that we continue to work together across the UK on our common challenges including recovering from Covid-19 and supporting the NHS.

My Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, is now the Minister responsible for the Union portfolio.

The Government has committed almost £200 million for Made Smarter to help UK manufacturers capitalise on Industrial Digital Technologies.

The £50m Made Smarter Adoption programme is available in 5 English regions.

It is complemented by a £147m Innovate UK-led Made Smarter Innovation programme.

The £9m invested in the Adoption programme’s pilot phase added an estimated £68m gross value added to the region and an increase in 800 SME manufacturing jobs. Further evidence is being gathered including through a full evaluation of the programme. This will inform any future iterations of the programme, as part of the usual policy-making process.

Government recognises the role businesses play in helping meet our net zero target, and already offers a range of support. The Government has relaunched the UK Business Climate Hub, providing free net zero advice to small businesses and signposts funding opportunities. The Hub will soon be complemented by a new Energy Advice Service for small businesses.

Alongside local support schemes, Government offers the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Workplace Charging Scheme and Cycle to Work scheme.

The Net Zero Council has also established a working group to address the barriers small businesses face in reducing their emissions.

Ofgem supports community energy projects and welcomes applications from community interest groups, co-operative societies, and community benefit societies to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.

The Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals through UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government encourage community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.

The Government has also reintroduced the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen our engagement with the sector.

We are transforming skills through local skills improvement plans, which bring together businesses with further and higher education institutions. The plans are supported by £165 million of funding which helps providers respond to the skills needs identified by local businesses. We are also investing £300 million in Institutes of Technology, which are collaborations between business, higher education and further education, further driving our employer-led reforms.

We are implementing an exciting and ambitious reform programme to level up the further education sector, ensuring it becomes a powerhouse that supplies the skills employers need, and equips young people and adults to have productive and fulfilling careers.

On 21 January 2021 we published the Skills for Jobs white paper focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity. Area based planning is a key focus; Local Skills Improvement Plans will be introduced to help providers to better serve the needs of their local area.

We are also ensuring people have opportunities to upskill and reskill at different points in their life by delivering my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. This includes introducing a Lifelong Loan Entitlement from 2025, funding people for their first level 3 (A level equivalent) course, and short, flexible ways to train through employer-led bootcamps. These measures will be a key enabler in levelling-up for those who do not have university level education.

We have put in place a number of programmes and policies to address the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, such as the COVID-19 catch-up premium and the Skills Recovery Package, which is focused on supporting young people. This includes incentives for employers to take on new apprentices, tripling the number of traineeships, and a new high-value course offer for school leavers.

We are continuing to engage with the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the UK's tapeworm-free status.

We will publish the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Fish at the Time of Killing, and will study its recommendations carefully.

The Red Meat Levy Redistribution Scheme came into operation on 1 April 2021. It enables the transfer of levy, collected at slaughter, between the English, Scottish and Welsh levy bodies. This will recognise that in some cases, animals have spent some of their life and gained some of their value in another part of Great Britain. The levy will be apportioned on how long animals have spent in each country.

I am committed to further simplifying the way Railcards can be purchased.

Railcards are current available for purchase by eligible passengers through a variety of channels including third-party retailers, online, by telephone and station ticket offices.

Railcards are typically available as a plastic card or digitally using the railcard app on a mobile device, and passengers can buy a one year or a three-year version, depending on their preferences.

The Government remains committed to confirming the status of UK issued Blue Badges for motorists visiting Europe. Twenty countries have already committed to recognising Blue Badges and are listed on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-using-it-in-the-eu/using-a-blue-badge-in-the-european-union

Discussions continue with a number of countries. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the progress of discussions while they are on-going.

Funding decisions for health services in England, including IVF, are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.

We published the first Women’s Health Strategy on 20 July 2022, which contained a number of important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service-funded fertility services. This includes improving access to IVF for female same-sex couples by removing the additional financial burden they face when accessing treatment. We expect this to take effect during 2023.

In response to Putin's assault on Ukraine we have introduced the largest and most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced, targeting Putin's war machine. Since the invasion we have sanctioned over 1400 individuals and businesses/entities. We are targeting oligarchs close to Putin without fear or favour, and we will continue to do so.

In making designations under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA) the Government is required to act in accordance with rights conferred by the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. SAMLA provides designated persons with a right to review their designation and designated persons are able to challenge that decision in UK courts.

The UN conventional arms embargo on Iran is due to expire on 18 October. The UK, alongside our E3 partners (France and Germany), remain concerned about the impact of the expiry on the region. Despite E3 efforts to find a compromise in the UN Security Council, there was no consensus to extend the embargo. We remain committed to countering Iranian proliferation to non-state actors in the region. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions will remain in place as will other prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons, including to Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi militia groups and the Houthis. Regional security needs to be addressed through any renewed negotiations with Iran, regional dialogue and by working with partners in the region.

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 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. In the meantime, the EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will remain in place until at least 2023. 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.

We warmly welcome the agreement between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. This is an historic step which sees the normalisation of relations between three great friends of the UK. We welcome both the decision to normalise relations, as well as the suspension of plans for annexation - a move the UK has opposed as it would have been counterproductive to securing peace in the region. The UK is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution and is strongly supportive of a regional approach to peace. We profoundly hope that this moment can be used as a step towards direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Foreign Secretary announced on 30 March an important new partnership between the Government and airlines to fly home more stranded British travellers, where commercial routes do not exist. The Government will provide up to £75 million financial support to enable special charter flights to priority countries, operated by airlines including Virgin, Easyjet, Jet 2 and Titan. This service has already begun, with flights earlier this week from Ghana and Tunisia.

Our High Commissioner in Canberra has written to the Australian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on this issue. We are signposting British nationals to commercial flight options and continuing to explore new routes by which they can travel home. We have also set up an online registration tool for any British Nationals in Australia who require our support. Found at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/australia/return-to-the-uk. Over 50,000 British Nationals have left Australia on commercial flights in the last month.

In New Zealand, the British High Commission in Wellington is fully staffed and doing all it can to support British Nationals at this time, including finding routes home. Our High Commission remains open to issue emergency travel documents. However, given the New Zealand Government's directive on social distancing, we are asking people not to visit our High Commission in Wellington or our Consulate in Auckland in person, and instead reach out via our online webform. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/new-zealand/coronavirus. Between commercial and charter flights, over 4,200 British Nationals have departed since 31 March.

The Government provides a Research & Development Allowance (RDA) which gives relief for capital expenditure on R&D incurred by a trader. This includes plant, machinery and buildings used for R&D activity.

In 2021, the Government previously consulted on targeting the R&D tax reliefs towards R&D with specific social value, for example green technology. It was noted that differentiated tax relief for specific R&D would increase complexity and compliance costs, widen the scope for abuse, and could be less effective than direct government spending.

The Pro-innovation Regulation of Technologies Review is working closely with industry to identify barriers to innovation and getting emerging technologies to market. The Review has now published reports on Green Industries, Life Sciences and Creative Industries, as well as Digital Technologies.

The government is moving quickly to implement the recommendations from the Digital Technologies report. For example, the government outlined four options for an AI Sandbox in the AI Regulation White Paper and will provide further detail in the forthcoming response to the White Paper consultation. The government is also working with the Intellectual Property Office and industry to develop a Code of Practice on copyright and AI, with the aim of publishing a draft before summer Parliamentary recess. On the review of the Computer Misuse Act, we have created a multistakeholder group including representatives from the cybersecurity industry and system owners’ to consider these issues, and reach a consensus on the best way forward.

The law in relation to fire and rescue services in Wales is devolved to Senedd Cymru.

The Home Office are in dialogue with Welsh Government as part of routine engagement with the Four Nations. This engagement has featured integrity related issues, including most recently, the Welsh Government take-over of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority functions.

The Home Office will prioritise the actions needed to ensure fire and rescue services are welcoming, respectful workplaces that enable all individuals who work in them to thrive. We expect all partners and sector leaders to play their part.

We are grateful for the detailed consideration the Law Commission has given to its review of hate crime laws. In April 2023, the Government published a response to Recommendation 8 on misogyny as a hate crime. The Government will respond to the remaining recommendations in due course.

Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s new National Cyber Strategy which is supported by £2.6bn of new investment over the three-year Spending Review period. The National Cyber Strategy (2022-2025) has set the direction and ambition for investment and efforts in UK Cyber.

Delivery of the National Cyber Strategy is driving significant improvements in the UK’s response to cyber crime. It is strengthening the law enforcement response and driving greater collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Force.

Ransomware is a top priority for the Government. It is clear that ransomware attacks are increasingly common globally and represent one of the most significant, and growing, international cyber threats.

The Home Office launched a focused campaign to accelerate our response to this growing threat in June 2021. Key work strands include understanding the threat landscape; incident reporting, ransom payment, cyber sanctions; crypto assets policy, cyber insurance; and collaborating with colleagues across Government, law enforcement, industry and our international partners to tackle threat.

It is clear that ransomware attacks are increasingly common globally and represent one of the most significant, and growing, international cyber threats. As a transnational problem, any solution will need to be developed in close step with our international partners.

The UK works closely with allies across the world to disrupt ransomware gangs and the infrastructure they use to target UK businesses and organisations. In December 2021, the UK held a G7 Senior Officials’ Forum on ransomware to combat the threat, and the UK is taking a leading roles in the international US-led Counter Ransomware Initiative.

Resilience against these attacks is our best defence. The Home Office works alongside law enforcement and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to mitigate any harm to the UK from ransomware. The NCSC and the National Crime Agency (NCA) continues to advise organisations which fall victim to ransomware and provide guidance on how to protect yourself and your business.

I continue to speak regularly to my international counterparts on a wide range of security issues, including the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The UK works closely with our international partners on Cyber Security through bilateral and multilateral fora including via the G7 meeting of Interior Ministers I hosted in London in September 2021.

We have recently launched the National Cyber Strategy supported by £2.6 billion of new investment and a Government Cyber Security Strategy. This investment will strengthen the response from law enforcement, who partner with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Force in order to keep the UK safe.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to consider the establishment of a Civil Defence Force at this time. Such matters would fall within the remit of the Home Office. Defence support to Government Departments or civilian authorities in the UK is undertaken via the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) system which is the mature and well-understood process that enabled Defence to support the Government's successful response to COVID-19 over the last two years.

The initial phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme is designed for sponsors with a named Ukrainian beneficiary. We are exploring ways in which connections can be built between Sponsors and Ukrainians that do not yet know each other, including working with NGOs.

This government strongly supports the Enforcement Conduct Board’s work, as an independent oversight body for enforcement companies, to develop standards for enforcement work and processes for handling complaints. The Enforcement Conduct Board will ensure that the rules are being followed and that those facing enforcement action are treated fairly.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental freedom that underpins our democracy. The Bill of Rights will strengthen protections that support and preserve the space for wide and democratic debate.

The Residential Women’s Centre in south Wales will offer women an intensive residential support package in their own community to address the underlying causes of their offending.

Following an extensive search earlier this year, the Atlantic Hotel and Sunnyside House were two of the properties put on a shortlist of possible suitable sites for the Residential Women’s Centre.

We have now completed further technical assessments of the Atlantic Hotel. Following consideration of the changes that would be needed to make it suitable for the vulnerable women with whom we will be working, we have decided the site is no longer an option for the residential women’s centre.

We are still reviewing the results of the technical assessments of Sunnyside House.

We want prison officers to have a long and successful career within HM Prison and Probation Service. We have recruited some 4,200 more prison officers over the past three years and we are working hard to retain our staff, investing in additional pay, training and the tools staff need to do their jobs safely.

There has been a specific focus on improving the induction processes that aim to ease the transition into the prison officer job whilst also providing care and support for new recruits and the offer of additional training. These interventions are intended to reduce staff turnover in the early stages of employment.

The Prison Officer Entry Level Training has recently been redeveloped into an apprenticeship that will launch in Summer 2020. The apprenticeship aims to improve retention and build a portfolio of experience through on-site training and reflective learning over a longer period.

All staff have access to services including 24/7 counselling, trauma support and occupational health assessments. In addition, there is work being undertaken directly with Governors to address local issues that will support experienced staff and new recruits to remain in the service.

Staff are provided with the appropriate equipment and training to enable them to maintain a safe and secure work place and to create an environment which is rewarding to work in and which promotes the values needed to rehabilitate offenders. This includes the introduction of introduce body-worn cameras, police-style restraints and PAVA incapacitant spray.

For sites where the local labour/employment market make it hard to recruit and retain staff, market supplements (regional adjustments and weightings) are used together with a tailored approach to recruitment advertising to ensure that we are competitive in the local labour market.

Colleagues across Cabinet are delighted that the UK and Scottish Governments have made a landmark agreement to establish two new Freeports in Scotland.

With up to £52 million of UK government funding, freeports will support regeneration of communities across Scotland by creating higher quality, better-paid jobs whilst helping achieve our Net Zero agenda.

This builds on the UK Government's plan to level up the whole of the UK.