Jared O'Mara

As the honourable Member notes, the functions of Parliament are currently exempt from the Public Sector Equality Duty. Making the functions of Parliament and of individual Members subject to the duty would make Parliamentary functions subject to compliance requirements by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the control of the Courts, raising constitutional questions.

Ministers of the Crown, when formulating policy, are acting as part of the Government and are therefore subject to the duty, as are Government Departments when preparing the policies behind primary legislation.

The Government has no plans to change this position.

This Government supports a wide range of policies to remove inequalities for people with disabilities. The Department for International Development is currently reviewing proposals for various events to mark the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

During my discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 9 October we discussed his forthcoming visit to the UK on the anniversary of the Balfour centenary. We are proud of the role we played in the creation of Israel, and will mark the centenary with pride and respect.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Maintaining security of supply is a top priority. The Government has been implementing a significant programme of work to ensure the UK will be ready for EU Exit in all scenarios, including in the unlikely event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Government is working with Ofgem and National Grid to ensure security of supply following EU Exit utilising existing measures such as the Capacity Market. Government has set out in a technical notice how cross-border trade and supply of electricity may be impacted in the unlikely event of a No Deal.

Maintaining security of supply is a top priority. The Government has been implementing a significant programme of work to ensure the UK will be ready for EU Exit in all scenarios, including in the unlikely event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Even with an unlikely ‘no deal’ outcome, the mechanisms of cross-border gas trading are not expected to fundamentally change for the UK and so we expect no material impact on security of supply. Government has set out in a technical notice how cross-border gas trading may be impacted in the unlikely event of a no deal Brexit.

We have established a taskforce to support businesses affected by the liquidation of Carillion. The taskforce includes representatives from leading business bodies, the construction sector, unions, banks and government to advise how to mitigate impacts on the supply chain and employees. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have held four meetings with them so far and we have already made good progress in exchange of information and collaborations and to identify key actions that need to be taken.

The Official Receiver, who is independent of Government, is currently gathering information on this with the support of PwC special managers.

The national funding formula allocates the significant majority of funding for schools on a per pupil basis. Where the number of places increases, and those places are filled, the formula will allocate more funding accordingly. Similarly, if the number of pupils (and school places) decreases, less funding is allocated.

On average, schools in Sheffield Hallam constituency will attract 6.0% more funding per pupil by 2019-20, compared to 2017/18 – an increase of £248 per pupil. Total funding will increase by 7.6% when rising pupil numbers are also taken into account. These figures are based on 2018/19 pupil data.

The national funding formula came into force in April 2018. The Department does not collect data on school balances for the 2018/19 financial year, and therefore cannot draw conclusions about its effect on school reserves.

It is recognised schools have faced cost pressures in recent years. This is why a strategy has been announced setting out the support, current and planned, to help schools make the most of their available resources. The strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-excellent-school-resource-management.

Local authorities are responsible for making sure that provision meets the needs of young people in their area.

The statutory duty to secure sufficient suitable education and training provision for all young people in their area lies with local authorities. Therefore, it is for Sheffield City Council to decide if there is a gap in provision or if students are able to access sufficient suitable places at other providers. If the local authority is able to provide evidence of a gap in provision, it should contact the Education and Skills Funding Agency to discuss options for filling that gap. This could include commissioning additional places if necessary.

The Department’s priorities for investment in the school estate are to ensure there are enough school places and that the school estate is safe.

The Department has committed £7 billion to deliver new school places between 2015-2021, on top of the investment in the free school programme.

Local authorities are under a statutory duty to ensure that there is a school place available for every child. Sheffield received £95.5 million to provide new school places from 2011-2018 and has been allocated a further £22 million from 2018-2021. Funding for school places is based on local authorities’ own data on school capacity and pupil forecasts. There is, therefore, no shortfall between the number of places funded and those that councils say they need to create.

Since 2015, the Department has allocated £6 billion in condition funding to those responsible for maintaining school buildings across the country. Included within this, Sheffield local authority receives an annual school condition allocation to invest in maintenance priorities across its schools. In 2018-19, they received £2.7 million and voluntary aided (VA) schools in the area were allocated £210,000.

Maintained schools in Sheffield also received their own direct capital allocations totalling £2 million in 2018-19 and £109,000 for VA schools. This includes their allocation from the additional £400 million of capital funding announced at Budget 2018. These figures do not include academies, which receive separate funding.

In addition, the Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition at over 500 schools across England, including 4 schools in Sheffield City Council’s area.

The Department is collecting updated data on the condition of the school estate in England which is due to be completed in autumn 2019 and will help inform future funding policy. The Department will also continue to look carefully at capital funding in preparation for the next Spending Review, along with all its priorities for the education system.

We remain confident that we will agree a mutually advantageous deal with the EU – we do not want or expect a no deal scenario. It is, however, the duty of a responsible government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes, including the unlikely event of no deal. Extensive work to prepare for this scenario has been under way for almost two years and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave. We have now published 106 specific technical notices – including on Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ – to help businesses, universities, citizens and consumers prepare for a no deal scenario.

In the event of a no deal scenario the government’s underwrite guarantee will cover funding for successful competitive bids to Horizon 2020 submitted before exit day. In July 2018, we extended this guarantee to cover all successful competitive bids by UK entities to Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participation submitted between exit day and the end of 2020. The guarantee will apply for the lifetime of qualifying projects, even where this extends beyond 2020.

The government will cover funding for successful Erasmus+ bids from UK organisations that are submitted while the UK is still a Member State, even if they are not approved until after we leave. The government will need to reach agreement with the EU for UK organisations to continue participating in Erasmus+ projects and is seeking to hold these discussions with the EU. The government has also extended the underwrite guarantee to cover the payment of awards under successful Erasmus+ bids submitted post-March 2019 until the end of 2020. The eligibility of UK organisations to participate in calls for bids once the UK is no longer a Member State is subject to agreement between the EU and the UK.

Funding for adult education, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), is not allocated by subject at the national level. Instead, education providers have the freedom and flexibility to use their Adult Education Budget (AEB) allocation to meet the needs of their local communities, including through the provision of ESOL classes. Unemployed adults who are looking for work are eligible for full funding; all other learners are co-funded with the government contributing 50% of the course fee.

The table attached sets out the funding spent on ESOL from the AEB over the past five years based on what providers delivered. The table also shows the funding for English language projects by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. The department cannot show future subject-specific allocations, as this is for each provider to determine based on local demand and need on an annual basis. In addition, from 2019/20, the government is devolving approximately 50% of the AEB to eight Combined Authorities and London (subject to meeting readiness conditions). These areas will have responsibility for determining adult English language and other adult further education provision in their local areas.

There are a number of other funding sources for ESOL and English language provision, including through Home Office funding for English language as part of its commitment to help vulnerable people integrate into their local communities.

Section 9 of the Hunting Act 2004 does not relate to the research and observation exception under the Act. Paragraph 9, Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 sets out an exception for research and observation. The Department does not hold information on the application of that exemption or any research published under or relating to it.

Anyone who has information about individuals illegitimately relying on the research and observation exemption should report the matter to the police, as they deal with complaints of illegal hunting.

We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal. That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved. But it is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, including the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal. We have already carried out very significant ‘no deal’ preparations and we are now stepping up the pace, including publishing a series of technical notices so that businesses and citizens have time to prepare.

The government has well established ways of working with the food industry to mitigate possible disruption and we will be using these to support preparations for leaving the EU.

The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from third countries. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products when we leave the EU.

The government has no plans to ban the breeding of pheasants and partridges for the shooting industry.

Sheffield City Council has been identified in the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations as a local authority with concentrations of NO2 projected to be persistently in exceedance of the legal limit in locations on the A57, A61 and A630. The Government is working with Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to produce a local air quality plan to reduce these levels of NO2 in the shortest possible time.

The UK Plan also sets out information on annual nitrogen oxide emissions from other transport such as rail. At a national level, emissions from the rail sector are relatively low; however the Government is committed to reducing them further. Recent train operating franchises that the Department for Transport has negotiated include commitments to replace older diesel units with new units compliant with the latest emission standards (through the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Directive) which have become progressively more stringent over time for both NO2 and particulate matter emissions.

You can find Sheffield City Council’s air quality information on its website https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/pollution-nuisance/air-quality.

The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to a captive animal or to fail to provide for its welfare. The statutory Gamebird Code, which was made under the 2006 Act, provides additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds. Failure to follow the code's recommendations can be used in evidence in court to support a welfare prosecution.

Inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) refer to the code when asked to inspect a game farm. When required, APHA officials advise farmers on achieving compliance and, if appropriate, legal action will be taken.

The High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis at the September United Nations General Assembly will be an important moment to galvanise international political commitment to tackling TB and anti-microbial resistance. The government will have appropriate representation at this meeting.

The UK Government is helping lower and lower middle income countries achieve the ambitious 2035 targets of WHO’s End TB Strategy. We do so by increasing access to, and use of, effective diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, including drug resistant TB. The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria is the principal mechanism the UK uses to finance our contribution to combat TB. We have pledged up to £1.1 billion for 2017-2019 to this Fund, which will support treatment for 800,000 people with TB. We also invest in research and product development into more effective diagnosis and treatment. Finally, we support countries to strengthen health systems that can deliver quality TB programmes.

The UK is the largest donor to Gavi, the global vaccine alliance that provides developing countries with Pneumococcol to vaccinate against pneumonia. 109 million children were vaccinated between 2010 and 2016, thanks to Gavi’s support, saving an estimated 762,000 lives.

DFID supports Gavi’s Pneumococcol Advanced Market commitment which reduces costs, enabling 58 countries to introduce vaccinations. We also support countries to build stronger health systems that can respond to existing disease burdens and emerging health issues, including pneumonia.

The UK Government has committed to saving 1.4 million children’s lives by immunising 76 million children against killer diseases by 2020. Through the Ross Fund we are leading a major new global research programme. This will accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs to eliminate some of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, as well as saving lives from malaria and TB.

DFID supports countries to build stronger health systems, which will be able to respond to the existing disease burden and emerging health issues.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. I refer the Hon Gentleman to the exchange of letters between my Rt Hon Friend and my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister on her resignation; and to the statement issued by my Rt Hon Friend on 6 November:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-international-development-secretary-priti-patel

I refer [the Honourable Friend for Sheffield Hallam] to the answer I gave to [the Member for Midlothian] on 26 February 2019, UIN 224362.

The Department for International Trade has carried out significant preparations for a ‘no deal’ scenario, and alongside other Departments has published technical notices to guide businesses on preparing for this eventuality. Our technical notices cover trade remedies, export control regulation, and trade agreement continuity, as well as a further technical notice on tariffs which we published jointly with HMRC and HMT. We are also preparing the Department to provide business-friendly answers to EU Exit enquiries on areas within our competence. Together with other Departments we are ensuring that businesses can access Government information on EU Exit online.

Businesses, including current exporters to the EU, will benefit from the Department for International Trade’s strong offer regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations. This offer includes impartial export advice from International Trade Advisors, our overseas network with a presence in 108 countries, and access to digital services that sit on our great.gov.uk platform.

The Department for International Trade has carried out significant preparations for a ‘no deal’ scenario, and alongside other Departments has published technical notices to guide businesses on preparing for this eventuality. Our technical notices cover trade remedies, export control regulation, and trade agreement continuity, as well as a further technical notice on tariffs which we published jointly with HMRC and HMT. We are also preparing the Department to provide business-friendly answers to EU Exit enquiries on areas within our competence. Together with other Departments we are ensuring that businesses can access Government information on EU Exit online.

Businesses, including current exporters to the EU, will benefit from the Department for International Trade’s strong offer regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations. This offer includes impartial export advice from International Trade Advisors, our overseas network with a presence in 108 countries, and access to digital services that sit on our great.gov.uk platform.

The use of the additional capacity created by the Hope Valley Capacity scheme will be determined by the franchise specifier, the Rail North Partnership. Diversionary routes for the proposed Transpennine Route Upgrade will be part of the next phase of planning once the scope is agreed.

On 13 February 2018, the Secretary of State announced his decision to provide Network Rail Infrastructure Limited with the legal powers to construct, operate and maintain new passing facilities and associated railway infrastructure on the Hope Valley route between Bamford and Hathersage and at Dore. Network Rail have completed the single option design for the railway infrastructure scheme proposed in the Hope Valley and the timetable for further work on this scheme will be announced in due course.

The Department’s value for money assessment includes assumptions about the financial merits of increasing the number of passenger services on this route. This assessment will need to be refreshed as part of taking forward further work on this scheme. Decisions about future franchise changes will be assessed on their merits as part of this further work.

On 13 February 2018, the Secretary of State announced his decision to provide Network Rail Infrastructure Limited with the legal powers to construct, operate and maintain new passing facilities and associated railway infrastructure on the Hope Valley route between Bamford and Hathersage and at Dore. The position on funding for this scheme is as set out in the Secretary of State’s decision letter of 13 February 2018 which is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-rail-hope-valley-capacity-order

The Task and Finish group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles was established by the then Minister of State for Transport, John Hayes, and has received submissions from a number of disability representation organisations. I look forward to receiving the group’s findings soon.

The DWP provides role specific training which allows decision makers to reach decisions using a wide range of evidence, and in accordance with the relevant law. They work closely with Health Care Professionals, who undertake medical assessments and supply medical information and evidence to enable a decision to be reached.

The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.

The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.

As announced by the Secretary of State in his Oral Statement, to accommodate the changes in the scope of Universal Credit announced in the Budget, it has been necessary to make changes to the rollout plan.

We have carefully revised the rollout plan to ensure we continue safely and gradually to rollout this important welfare reform, and this will mean a slight change in date for when Universal Credit Full Service will be rolled out in some Jobcentres.

Following developments within the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, in particular some constituent members signalling that they no longer support the deal, the Government believes that the most sensible approach is to pause our work on the innovation pilot. This, we hope, will give further time for local issues to be considered and resolved, giving greater clarity on the future of the partnership and the extent of continuing local support for the pilot from all constituent members of the Combined Authority.

Despite taking the decision to pause this work, the Government remains fully committed to the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. Our main ambition is to work collaboratively to realise all elements of the devolution deal and to deliver the innovation pilot as soon as possible, once all partners have been able to recommit to the agreement.

We will keep this situation under close review with the hope that work on the innovation pilot can continue at the earliest viable opportunity.