Jane Stevenson

On 22 February the Government published it's 'COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021' roadmap to recovery.

As part of this, the government has committed to four reviews (large events, COVID-Certification, international travel and social distancing) to consider different non-pharmaceutical interventions and how they might be utilised in the summer and beyond.

The November restrictions currently in force in England are clear that you can only leave home where there is a reasonable excuse to do so. Whether such an exemption exists will depend on the circumstances of a specific situation, but it would not normally be reasonable to do so to visit a second property.

Further guidance on these restrictions is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november#travel

These restrictions will cease to have effect from 2 December.

Further to the answer given by my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster during his oral statement on 28 April 2020, the Government will ensure recognition is both timely and appropriate and is reflective of the profound gratitude the nation feels towards everyone on the frontline.

The Net Zero Strategy, published on 19 October 2021, reaffirms the Government’s commitment to work with the steel industry on decarbonisation and to consider the implications of the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee: to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’.

BEIS continues to work with companies, who are developing their own decarbonisation strategies, to understand the trajectories of their plans and to support them as they make commercial decisions on the optimum route for their sites.

This is a global issue initiated by a reduction in Chinese magnesium production. The Government is monitoring the situation. At present there are no reported disruptions to the aluminium sector or supply chains.

As part of the work to develop a strategy on Critical Minerals, the Government will establish an Expert Committee on critical minerals. This committee will provide high quality, independent and well-considered advice to the Government on technology-critical minerals and metals priorities, including magnesium.

The Government has not made a financial impact assessment of the effect on UK manufacturing companies of obtaining AS9100 certification. This is an industry standard rather than a regulatory requirement.

The UK has been at the forefront of aviation for more than 100 years. Our Aerospace Sector is a world leader in the design, manufacture and aftercare of some of the highest value products on aircraft – wings, engines and advanced systems. Aerospace companies in the UK work to the highest quality and standards which ensures the world leading standing of our Aerospace sector.

As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister said, we intend to publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown in the last week of February. That plan will depend on the continued success of our vaccination programme, and on deaths falling at the pace we would expect as more people are inoculated.

The data requested is not available from official statistics.

We have been working with companies across the steel sector to ensure that they can access the unprecedented package of support measures that the Government has made available during this challenging time.

The Government has also helped steel companies to reduce their costs through resource and energy efficiency, including through a package of compensation and exemptions from electricity costs, and has provided more than £560 million in support to the UK steel industry since 2013.

In?addition, we have established an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF),?backed by up to?£315 million?of investment. The IETF will help businesses with high energy use, including steel companies, to cut their bills and transition the UK’s industry to a low carbon future.

The government recognises the importance of spectators to competitive sport and remains committed to working towards their full return to stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so.

We published the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ setting out the roadmap out of the lockdown restrictions for England, and which explains how restrictions will be eased over time. It is now confirmed that Step 3 of the roadmap will go ahead as planned on Monday 17 May which will see fans return to stadia, albeit under capacity caps.

We further welcome the return of spectators at selected events as part of the science-led Events Research Programme (ERP). The ERP is currently running its first phase of April and May pilot events to inform decisions around the safe removal of social distancing at Step 4 of the roadmap. The pilots are running across a range of settings, venues, and activities, so that findings support the full reopening of similar settings across multiple sectors.

As stated in the Roadmap, the government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact later this summer, no earlier than 21 June. This will be subject to the outcomes of the 4 government-led reviews, including the ERP.

The government remains committed to working towards the safe return of spectators to stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so.

The supply of vaccines and hitting vaccination targets for priority groups is the immediate priority for the Government. Transmission data is evaluated so the impact of vaccine rollout can be determined.

Government continues to proactively engage across the sector, to maintain a complete picture of the impact of Covid-19, and are working closely with DHSC and public health experts alongside sporting national governing bodies to determine the next steps in the readmission of fans into stadia and viably increasing spectator capacities without compromising public safety. We also remain in close contact with the Sports Technology Innovation Group (STIG), formed of sporting bodies and health experts, to assess the latest thinking and high-tech solutions that could enable further spectators to return.

The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance and we will continue to be led by wider public health guidance. The recently announced capacity limits have been agreed by the Government with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and Public Health England as a maximum capacity for spectators, in light of the updated Covid Tiering system. Capacity limits will be kept under review in line with wider public health policy decisions.

A series of successful pilot events demonstrated the ability of the sector to follow covid secure guidance. We have updated our guidance to the sector, and the SGSA’s SG02 guidance sets out explicit guidance on how safe socially distanced capacities can be maintained.

The Prime Minister announced on Saturday 31 October that new National Restrictions will be introduced across England from Thursday 5 November. These new measures will apply nationally for four weeks up to Wednesday 2 December. The restriction on spectators attending stadia will continue during this time.

The government recognises the valuable role of elite sport to the UK. That is why elite sports continue to be able to continue behind closed doors which will both enable vital broadcasting revenue to flow to the sector and whilst also bringing joy to millions of sports fans. The government is also working hard through the Sports Technology and Innovation Group and other initiative to enable the return of fans to stadia as soon as it is safe to do so.

The Government has worked closely with the football authorities throughout the pandemic, this saw the Premier League and English Football League as some of the first elite competitions to return "behind closed doors". We also ensured that Project Restart was shared with everyone by getting Premier League football on the BBC for the first time ever.

We will continue to have regular discussions with the Premier League on a range of topics, including viewing access to their matches, and the return of fans when it is safe to do so.

Apprenticeships provide people with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start an exciting career in a wide range of industries, everything from artificial intelligence, archaeology, data science, business management, and banking. We want more young people to benefit from high-quality apprenticeships.

To encourage more young people to consider apprenticeships, we are promoting apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme. This free service provides resources and interventions to help better educate young people about apprenticeships and has reached over 600,000 students across England in the 2020/21 academic year.

In the ‘Skills for Jobs’ White Paper, published in January 2021, we announced the introduction of a three-point-plan to enforce provider access legislation. This requires that all maintained schools and academies provide opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to visit schools to talk to all year 8-13 pupils. This plan includes creating clear minimum legal requirements, specifying who is to be given access to which pupils and when. This is an important step towards real choice for every pupil.

We are introducing a range of measures to incentivise schools and colleges to prioritise careers guidance and hold them to account for the quality of their careers programmes. In addition to a strong statutory framework, this includes tougher enforcement and an Ofsted review of provision. To build a whole-school or whole-college approach, we will build careers awareness into every stage of teacher professional development and embed careers education into the secondary curriculum.

The National Careers Service, a free, government-funded careers information, advice and guidance service draws on a range of labour market information to support and guide individuals. The National Careers Service is impartial, and careers guidance is tailored to individual needs. Young people aged 13 to 18 can access ongoing in-depth information, advice and guidance from the service via local telephone-based advisers or the National Careers Service website.

The department offers guidance and support to young people who are considering applying for apprenticeships through our apprenticeships.gov.uk website, which explains the application stages in a step-by-step process. Students can search for new apprenticeship opportunities on our Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service; over 15,000 apprenticeship vacancies were advertised on FAA in October 2021.

The Department is continuing to work closely with colleagues across government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years sector. This includes ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme, as well as encouraging local authorities to prioritise appropriate testing for private voluntary and independent nurseries and childminders via the Community Testing Programme wherever possible. This is now available to all local authorities.

The Department is continuing to work closely with other government departments and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years sector. This includes ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme as well as strongly encouraging local authorities to prioritise appropriate testing for early years staff via Community Testing programmes, which now covers all local authorities. Many local authorities’ Community Testing programmes are already underway for early years staff to access asymptomatic testing where appropriate.

The Department is rolling out our asymptomatic testing programme to primary schools, schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools who will receive testing kits for staff from Monday 18th January. The asymptomatic testing programme will offer all primary school, schools-based nursery and maintained nursery school staff home Lateral Flow Device test kits for twice weekly testing. This will help to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 in primary schools and nurseries by identifying asymptomatic positive cases. Those who test positive will then self-isolate, helping to reduce transmission of the virus.

The Government has been working closely with Ofqual and the exam boards on the approach to GCSE, AS and A level exams and assessments in 2021, to ensure that exams go ahead next year and students receive the qualifications they deserve. In August, Ofqual published a number of subject-level changes to exam and assessment requirements for A levels next year, including for non-exam assessment, in order to free up teaching time and take account of public health considerations.

On 12 October, the Government confirmed that no further subject-level changes to exams and assessments will be made for GCSEs, AS and A levels.

In confirming these changes, we are giving teachers, school and college leaders and students clarity on what will be assessed in exams next summer.

Students taking A levels in the autumn exam series will not be assessed on the basis of any non-exam assessment, including coursework, with the exception of those taking art and design qualifications.

I am very aware of the issues currently facing organisations in this sector with falls in income and pressure on staff. Defra is in regular contact with the main bodies representing the sector, including the Canine and Feline Sector Group, the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and the equine welfare charities, to understand their position and offer advice. The Government has supported the sector, providing guidance which enables it to continue to operate within the current restrictions which is available here: www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Guidance%20for%20Pet%20Rescues.pdf.

Where income has fallen we have encouraged the sector to consider all the various financial support arrangements already announced by the Chancellor, and issued guidance for the charity sector which provides further information and advice on raising funds, available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector. Social enterprises such as community interest companies can benefit from all of the measures set out by the Chancellor to benefit small businesses. We are also exploring the possibility of assistance from the additional specific fund recently announced by the Chancellor to support charities and not-for-profit organisations.

The United Kingdom imported £3.2bn timber in 2020 (down from £3.4bn in 2019), over two-thirds of which (69%) was imported from the EU. In 2021, in the four months from January to April, the UK has imported £1.4bn of timber (70% from the EU).

By weight this was 6.1 Megatonnes of timber imports in 2020. So far in 2021 (January to April) 2.4 Megatonnes of timber have been imported.

The United Kingdom’s policy on trade remedies, under which anti-dumping is one measure, is to protect British producers from harm caused by unfair trading practices, such as dumping, subsidies, or unforeseen surges in imports.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), established on 1^st June, is Britain’s independent arms-length body responsible for investigating unfair trading practices or unforeseen surges in imports, based on the evidence available.

If the TRA concludes that a measure should be imposed following an investigation, it will provide an impartial and evidence-based recommendation to the Secretary of State. When a recommendation is received, the Secretary of State may only accept or reject it and cannot amend the details of the TRA’s recommendation.

As part of our transition policy, we transitioned one anti-dumping measure on aluminium foil in small rolls from China, and one on certain aluminium road wheels from China. The TRA will conduct a review of the two measures in due course.

The United Kingdom’s policy on trade remedies, under which anti-dumping is one measure, is to protect British producers from harm caused by unfair trading practices, such as dumping, subsidies, or unforeseen surges in imports.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), established on 1^st June, is Britain’s independent arms-length body responsible for investigating unfair trading practices or unforeseen surges in imports, based on the evidence available.

If the TRA concludes that a measure should be imposed following an investigation, it will provide an impartial and evidence-based recommendation to the Secretary of State. When a recommendation is received, the Secretary of State may only accept or reject it and cannot amend the details of the TRA’s recommendation.

As part of our transition policy, we transitioned one anti-dumping measure on aluminium foil in small rolls from China, and one on certain aluminium road wheels from China. The TRA will conduct a review of the two measures in due course.

The Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have engaged closely with the European Commission to secure tariff-free quota allocations for some British steel exports into the EU from 1^st January 2021.

The United Kingdom has put in place some country-specific allocations within its overall tariff rate quotas for steel products subject to the steel safeguards also, to enable EU companies to trade tariff-free into the United Kingdom. These tariff-free allocations came into operation on 1^st January 2021 too.

Aluminium products exported to the United Kingdom are not subject to safeguard measures.

The priority of HM Government is to make sure that British industry retains appropriate trade remedy protections at the end of the transition period.

We have committed to carrying across existing measures where there is a British producer interest, including steel safeguard measures; of the 26 steel product categories currently covered by EU safeguard measures, we have worked with industry to identify 19 product categories that are relevant to Britain. Some aluminised products are amongst these categories.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) is currently conducting a transition review to consider whether it is appropriate to vary the United Kingdom's safeguard measures, extend them or revoke them. Interested parties can provide evidence to factor into TRID’s assessment.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, as amended, to maintain the highways network for which they are responsible, including highway grass verges.

There is no temporary permitted weight limit of 32 tonnes for volumetric concrete mixers (VCMs). 32 tonnes is the standard weight limit applicable to 4-axle rigid HGVs.

Following consultation in 2017, the Government implemented a temporary arrangement whereby a limited number of VCMs would be permitted to temporarily operate at weights higher than the standard 32 tonnes for vehicles of their design, using Vehicle Special Orders (VSOs). This was in recognition that, historically, some in the sector had operated VCMs at laden weights in excess of the 32-tonne limit. This temporary arrangement was put in place to allow time for the industry to adjust to the normal permitted weight limits over a reasonable timescale. It was not enacted as a step towards increasing permitted vehicle weights more widely.

The government recognises the continued challenges faced by the aviation industry as we look towards reopening international travel further.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with the aviation industry, including with regional airports, and remain committed to working collaboratively to reopen international travel in a safe and secure way.

1110 miles of track in Great Britain have been electrified for passenger traffic from 2010 up to March 2020, compared to 63 miles between 1997 and 2010. Further electrification of the network will play an important role in our plans to decarbonise the railway, alongside the deployment of battery and hydrogen trains on some lines. The Department’s forthcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan will set out the government’s ambition for the scale and pace of rail decarbonisation between now and 2050.

Departmental ministers and officials meet with train manufacturers regularly and discuss decarbonisation and our net zero target.

As well as recent meetings with individual manufacturers, on 22 April I have supported the establishment of the Sustainable Rail Executive, and on 28 April I will be giving a speech at the Rail Industry Association Innovation Conference, where rail decarbonisation will be a key theme.