First elected: 26th June 2008
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by John Howell, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
John Howell has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision for the effect of an apology in certain legal proceedings.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to limit the grounds of appeal against decisions on planning applications consistent with a neighbourhood development plan or local plan; and for connected purposes
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Pension Transfers (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Investigation) Bill Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - David Johnston (Con)
Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jim Shannon (DUP)
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Pension Transfers (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Investigation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con)
Fetal Dopplers (Regulation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Antoinette Sandbach (LD)
Parish Council Governance (Principles of Public Life) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Mims Davies (Con)
I have made no assessment of the implications of the debate or the new Charter on government policy as the Charter is aimed at political parties, but we appreciate the work of the Council of Europe and in particular PACE in this sphere. The government's roadmap for fostering diversity and inclusion is set out in Inclusive Britain, which I published on 17 March.
This debate underlines this Government’s belief that the circumstances of one’s birth should not determine life outcomes. We are taking a new approach to equality, which goes beyond the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 to address socio-economic and geographic disparities too. As part of this new approach, we are delivering the Equality Data Programme, which examines the different barriers that hold people back and will encourage evidence-based action to tackle them.
Through our levelling up agenda, we will create a society where everyone, wherever they live and regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed. The Government published its landmark Levelling Up White Paper in February, which sets out ambitious plans to address regional disparities across the UK, put more money in the pockets of those who need it most, and transform the UK economy by generating higher paid jobs and new investment.
We are aware of the Council of Europe’s recent report on LGBT+ people. We are fully committed to supporting the rights of all LGBT+ people and are clear that all forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable.
Unlike many of the other countries criticised in this report, the UK has robust legal protections in place to protect LGBT+ people and enable them to get on with life including Hate Crime legislation, the Equality Act 2010 and equal marriage, but we know there is more to do.
The Home Office will shortly be publishing a new Hate Crime Strategy to set out the Government’s plan for tackling these abhorrent crimes and will respond to recommendations set out by the Law Commission in due course.
The UK has long recognised the unequivocal threat that climate change and environmental degradation poses to the lives and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world, including the most marginalised and vulnerable.
During the 48th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, the UK voted to recognise the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The UK Government will continue to monitor the implementation of this human right and make internal assessments of the implications from both the Human Rights Council and the Council of Europe.
The Government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking action to address disparities wherever they exist. That is why the Prime Minister established the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in July 2020.
The Commission submitted its findings to the Prime Minister on 31 March, along with 24 recommendations for key actions for the Government. We will publish our response to the report later this summer and it would be inappropriate to comment on the implications of the debate of 24 June in advance of that.
Government departments stand ready to respond to natural hazard risks. The Resilience Directorate and the COBR Unit in the Cabinet Office work across Government, including with the Government Office for Science, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the UK Health Security Agency , the Meteorological Office and private sector organisations, to assess the risk of natural hazards, build resilience and develop response plans to respond effectively should hazards occur.
The Government is committed to tackling risks and vulnerabilities. The UK Government Resilience Framework, published in December 2022, is the first articulation of our new strategic approach to resilience. The Framework is a risk-agnostic plan to strengthen the systems, structures, and capabilities which underpin the UK’s resilience to all risks, including those which are yet to emerge.
The Department for Business and Trade works closely with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, who recognise the importance of the CleanTech sector in Israel and its success and innovation in developing new technologies, along with the value that this can bring to the UK economy.
The Embassy both prioritises this sector and assists Israeli companies who wish to invest and expand into the UK. It also supports UK corporates who are looking for solutions that Israeli start-ups can provide in this sector.
As an independent nation in control of our trading future, the UK government considers a broad range of factors when developing international trade policy – including benefits to the UK economy and our international obligations.
In line with those international obligations, the Government will continue to ensure that our trade policy reflects our high standards and protections – both in new trade agreements and via multilateral fora.
Having secure and growing trading relationships can increase UK influence and assist open conversations with partners on a range of issues, many of which are listed in the Council of Europe report “Doc. 15739”.
The UK Government is committed to convene and lead international engagement on CCUS through engaging in multilateral fora and fostering bilateral relationships to collaborate and share lessons on CCUS.
Domestically, In March 2023 we announced up to £20 billion funding for early deployment of CCUS across all sectors. This includes the £1 billion Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Infrastructure Fund, supporting the ambition for CCUS in four industrial clusters by 2030 at the latest.
This follows previous UK Government investment into CCUS between 2004 and 2021 the UK Government has invested over £346 million into CCUS Research, Development and Deployment (RD&D). This funding has ensured the UK remains at the forefront of CCUS Research and Innovation, developing the skills, knowledge, and technology to allow the UK to deploy CCUS domestically and export our expertise around the world.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on states to focus on: access to the internet; improving digital literacy; promoting access to STEM education and careers; and ensuring equality of access to public services. The Government is already making progress on these issues.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is delivering on the Government’s commitment to universal access to reliable internet via its social tariffs initiative. To support low-income families, we have worked closely with Ofcom and the industry to bring a range of social tariffs into the market. These low-cost, high-quality broadband and mobile offers are available from a range of providers, across 99% of the UK and start from as low as £10 per month.
The Assembly called on States to ‘combat digital illiteracy regardless of gender, age, social status, economic situation, disability or any other personal characteristic’. The Government remains committed to developing digital skills across the whole of the UK. Through our Digital Entitlement scheme, free Essential Digital Skills Qualifications are available to enable people to gain the skills needed to participate in modern life.
The Assembly also called on States to ‘promote equal access to education and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers’. The Government is funding a new generation of AI talent through scholarships, each worth £10,000, supporting underrepresented groups, including women, to undertake AI and Data Science Conversion Courses. The conversion courses provide a masters in AI and data science, and allow those from a non-STEM background to learn the skills needed to secure employment in the UK’s cutting-edge AI and Data Science sectors.
The Assembly urged States to ‘ensure equality of access to public services’. We are working to ensure that online services are as inclusive as possible by making public sector websites accessible to as many people as possible. Furthermore, assisted digital support services aim to increase digital inclusion for those online users who lack digital confidence, digital skills or access to the internet.
As stated at the Council of Europe, the Government will continue to scrutinise and prioritise digital inclusion. The recent House of Lords inquiry into Digital Inclusion is an example of this oversight, and will ensure the Government continues to prioritise and deliver against this important area.
The Government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity - pushing for greater participation, employment, commercial opportunities and visibility in the media. We appreciate the increased focus the Council of Europe has given to all these aspects.
There is no place for discrimination anywhere, it is completely unacceptable. There are some fantastic initiatives that exist to encourage women to take up sport and physical activity, for example Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, which has already inspired millions of women and girls to get active regardless of shape, size and ability. The Code for Sports Governance also requires national governing bodies to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan (DIAP) with Sport England and UK Sport. It is important that we make progress in the wider culture of sport to ensure women’s sport is treated equally to men’s at all levels.
The Government is committed to being one of the safest countries to be online and we recognise the wider international debates taking place to address online safety. This includes the work of the Council of Europe, in particular the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, noting that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.
The UK continues efforts to tackle online harm through our Online Safety Bill, and to do so in a way that defends freedom of expression and pluralism online, protecting people’s rights to participate in society and engage in robust debate online. We remain committed to a pluralistic media landscape, where people can access information from a range of sources in order to form their opinions.
The Government shares the concerns raised by the Council of Europe about the impact of children’s exposure to pornography online.
The Online Safety Bill provides protection for children from online pornography. Services in scope of the Bill that host or publish pornography, including pornography sites, social media, video sharing platforms and forums will be required to protect children from this content.
The Government continues to engage with international partners, including through multilateral organisations such as the Council of Europe, to lead global discussions and build consensus around our approaches to tackling online harms.
This Government recognises the vital role of the media in supporting our communities and our democracy through the provision of reliable and high-quality information. The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the value of accurate information and trusted news sources in times of crisis. We are currently considering the conclusions of the Council of Europe debate, which rightly highlighted the importance of a strong, pluralistic, and independent media ecosystem in times of crisis.
We recognise the crucial work of the Council of Europe and in particular the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in this sphere, noting that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.
The Government is committed to reforming football governance, and recognises the crucial work of the Council of Europe and in particular the PACE in this sphere, noting that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.
The Government recognises the need for the long-term financial sustainability of football clubs, particularly those in the lower leagues. That is why we have welcomed the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance and have endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game.
The Government is working at pace to review the report in full, including detailed consideration of the recommendations made on improving financial stability and the governance of football clubs across the game, as we work towards issuing a full response to the report in the Spring.
Services in scope of the draft Online Safety Bill will need to protect users from illegal abuse, including illegal antisemitic abuse. Services in scope which are likely to be accessed by children will need to protect them from harmful or inappropriate content.
Major platforms will also need to address legal but harmful content for adults. These companies will have to set out clearly what legal content is acceptable on their platforms and enforce their terms and conditions consistently and transparently. If platforms fail in their duties under the Bill, they will face tough enforcement action including fines of up to 10% of global annual qualifying turnover.
The draft Bill has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee which reported its recommendations on 14 December. We are considering the Committee’s report and will introduce the Bill as soon as possible.
The Government is committed to protecting the freedom of the press and recognises that a vibrant and free press plays an invaluable role in our cultural and democratic life. We want to make sure that this continues, with high journalistic standards working in the public interest. The government set up the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, and published the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. The plan and the Committee’s aim is to ensure that journalists operating in the UK are as safe as possible, reducing the number of attacks on and threats issued to journalists. In addition, the government recently published an Online Media Literacy Strategy and Action Plan. Matters involving the Council of Europe are the responsibility of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. As an independent non-Ministerial Department, Ministers cannot direct or control the Charity Commission. It is answerable to the courts for its legal decisions.
Disputes and disagreements in charities can be particularly damaging to the public’s confidence in charities. The Charity Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into Christ Church college in January last year and has continued to engage with the charity over a number of issues connected to the dispute at the College. These have included the expenditure of charitable funds on legal expenses connected to the dispute. The Commission has also instructed the trustees to commission an independent governance review. The Commission continues to closely engage with the charity and will do so until the matter is resolved.
The department actively participates in the Council of Europe education programme through a seat on the Council of Europe Education Steering Committee. The aim of this committee is to help develop a culture of democracy through quality education. The department has not undertaken such an assessment.
The government is committed to promoting and protecting children’s rights and recognises the crucial work of the Council of Europe. We value and endorse the report’s key message that every child has the right to speak and be heard.
The government continues to actively engage with children and young people through its policy making and promotes the use of the children’s rights impact assessment across Whitehall, including the development of a children’s rights training package.
We have proactively sought views from as many young people as possible as we prepare the UK’s United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of a Child state party report, which we will submit to the UN Committee in June.
This has included:
We also work closely with the Children’s Commissioner for England and welcome her work with children and young people, in particular, the big ask survey, which was distributed to all children across England and captured their views on their priorities for the future.
This Government recognises the value of supporting students to study and do work placements overseas because of the benefits it brings to the UK and our international partners.
Student mobility can provide life changing opportunities while creating a generation of globally minded young people with broadened horizons. It enhances productivity and employment outcomes for young people while also helping to build international relationships between students and institutions.
That is why we introduced the UK’s £110 million international mobility programme, the Turing Scheme, which is providing the opportunity for more than 40,000 students in schools, colleges and universities to study and work abroad this academic year in over 150 destinations.
The Turing Scheme specifically seeks to support participation of UK students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas of historical low participation in student mobility. More than 19,000, 48%, of the placements approved for funding are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. This will help to ensure these life-changing opportunities are accessible to everyone across the country.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, protecting and promoting the best interests of the child has been at the heart of the action this government has taken, and continues to take. The debate at the Council of Europe highlighted a number of areas impacted by COVID-19 relating to children’s rights, such as education, socio-economic inequality and vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak the government has worked to prioritise vulnerable children. During the outbreak, we were one of few countries across the world to keep schools open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers throughout national restrictions, protecting children’s right to education. We also distributed over 1.3 million laptops and tablets to schools, trusts, local authorities and further education providers for disadvantaged children and young people as part of a £400 million government investment to support access to remote education and online social care services.
We know that the mental health and wellbeing of young people has been affected by the outbreak, and that being back in school and college plays a central role in promoting wellbeing for pupils. That is why we worked hard to ensure that schools were first to reopen in March 2021. We have also announced £17 million towards improving mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges, including £7 million additional funding for local authorities to deliver the Wellbeing for Education Recovery programme.
We have put £200 million into Summer Schools, giving secondary pupils access to enrichment activities and this year we are investing up to £220 million in our Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has now been expanded across England.
Children's social care services and early help services have also continued to support vulnerable children and young people and their families throughout the outbreak.
The government is now looking ahead to recovery. We must 'build back better' for vulnerable children and their families to ensure support is available for those that need it most, when they need it. As part of this, we have invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2-19 in schools, colleges and early years settings. This will have a material impact in addressing lost learning and closing gaps that have emerged.
The Secretary of State understands that the debate at the Council of Europe raised prominent issues about the devastating effects that armed conflicts have on the environment. The Secretary of State has confidence in the UK’s approach and actions on this issue, particularly in Ukraine.
The Government works with and supports international partners and organisations collecting evidence of the environmental impact of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The theft of environmental resources is one element of the damage conflicts can cause, which is why Defra has invested £1.5 million to create a grain verification reference database to help identify stolen grain from Ukraine, and £1.1 million to support the collection of timber samples in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
In June 2023, the UK and Ukraine will jointly host the Ukraine Recovery Conference to underline the UK’s enduring commitment to Ukraine. The restoration of its environment is one part of this recovery.
We are not at this time planning on applying inflation indices but we will review payment rates for our offers so that they remain credible and attractive to farmers.
In light of recently rising input costs and price volatility around certain agricultural commodities such as nitrogen fertiliser, the Government is planning to change the way we make payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2022. Eligible farmers will now receive their payment in two instalments - half from the end of July and the rest from December 2022. This will be a permanent change to Direct Payments that will remain for the rest of the agricultural transition. By doing this, the Government intends to inject cash into farm businesses, helping them to make business decisions sooner, with more confidence.
This builds on the increase in revenue payment rates for the Countryside Stewardship scheme to reflect the change in costs since 2013, which Defra announced in January 2022. The majority of payment rates increased, on average by around 30%, although rate changes vary from option to option. These changes affected around 30,000 agreements and show we are willing and able to respond as and when there is a clear case.
In March 2022, Defra began rolling out the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) to recipients of the BPS. SFI will help with the costs of sowing nitrogen fixing plants and green manures in crops to substitute some fertiliser requirements for the coming season, as well as reducing the dependence on manufactured fertilisers which are impacted by the price of gas. Rising fertiliser prices highlight that we need to find alternatives and move towards more organic-based fertiliser products. SFI is designed to help farmers move to these new sustainable farming methods gradually - which will improve environmental conditions of the land, while building the long-term resilience of our food security and production.
The Secretary of State recently announced a range of measures in support of the current situation, such as delaying changes to the use of urea fertiliser to help farmers manage their costs and improving statutory guidance for use of slurry. Defra has also created the Fertiliser Taskforce - where Government and industry are working together to help improve market confidence and provide farmers with the information they need to make business decisions on fertiliser use.
Towards the end of this year, farmers will be able to apply for slurry storage grants, helping them to meet the Farming Rules for Water and reducing their dependence on artificial fertilisers. This grant will contribute towards the costs of covered slurry store construction projects, helping farmers to get six months storage capacity. We will set the rates based on our assessment of the market at the time, as is our usual practice.
Defra is supporting investment in technology and research to further improve productivity. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund has offered grants of up to £48m to over 4,000 applicants - enabling farmers to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure. We have also announced a new Adding Value theme - a £30 million fund helping farmers and growers to process, diversify and add-value to their products again using up to date market information.
The Government continues to monitor the wider context of global supplies that can impact farm income and productivity, as well as take-up of our agri-environment and other schemes. Defra will use the findings to inform our plans throughout the agricultural transition.
We are not at this time planning on applying inflation indices but we will review payment rates for our offers so that they remain credible and attractive to farmers.
In light of recently rising input costs and price volatility around certain agricultural commodities such as nitrogen fertiliser, the Government is planning to change the way we make payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2022. Eligible farmers will now receive their payment in two instalments - half from the end of July and the rest from December 2022. This will be a permanent change to Direct Payments that will remain for the rest of the agricultural transition. By doing this, the Government intends to inject cash into farm businesses, helping them to make business decisions sooner, with more confidence.
This builds on the increase in revenue payment rates for the Countryside Stewardship scheme to reflect the change in costs since 2013, which Defra announced in January 2022. The majority of payment rates increased, on average by around 30%, although rate changes vary from option to option. These changes affected around 30,000 agreements and show we are willing and able to respond as and when there is a clear case.
In March 2022, Defra began rolling out the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) to recipients of the BPS. SFI will help with the costs of sowing nitrogen fixing plants and green manures in crops to substitute some fertiliser requirements for the coming season, as well as reducing the dependence on manufactured fertilisers which are impacted by the price of gas. Rising fertiliser prices highlight that we need to find alternatives and move towards more organic-based fertiliser products. SFI is designed to help farmers move to these new sustainable farming methods gradually - which will improve environmental conditions of the land, while building the long-term resilience of our food security and production.
The Secretary of State recently announced a range of measures in support of the current situation, such as delaying changes to the use of urea fertiliser to help farmers manage their costs and improving statutory guidance for use of slurry. Defra has also created the Fertiliser Taskforce - where Government and industry are working together to help improve market confidence and provide farmers with the information they need to make business decisions on fertiliser use.
Towards the end of this year, farmers will be able to apply for slurry storage grants, helping them to meet the Farming Rules for Water and reducing their dependence on artificial fertilisers. This grant will contribute towards the costs of covered slurry store construction projects, helping farmers to get six months storage capacity. We will set the rates based on our assessment of the market at the time, as is our usual practice.
Defra is supporting investment in technology and research to further improve productivity. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund has offered grants of up to £48m to over 4,000 applicants - enabling farmers to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure. We have also announced a new Adding Value theme - a £30 million fund helping farmers and growers to process, diversify and add-value to their products again using up to date market information.
The Government continues to monitor the wider context of global supplies that can impact farm income and productivity, as well as take-up of our agri-environment and other schemes. Defra will use the findings to inform our plans throughout the agricultural transition.
The UK remains deeply concerned about the restrictions on movement and access that affect Gaza. DFID is providing £1.3 million (2018-21) to support the UN’s Access Coordination Unit (ACU), which works with all relevant parties to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza for UN and NGO workers. The ACU works with the Egyptian authorities to facilitate access through the Rafah crossing.
The UK is committed to the protection and promotion of social rights. The UK has ratified the 1961 European Social Charter (ESC), the European Code of Social Security and numerous other international social rights instruments. The UK is fully committed to all of the Council of Europe instruments it has signed up to and engages constructively on the future of the world of work and the labour market at the Council of Europe.
The UK Government has conducted its own review on the ‘Future of Work’ led by the hon. member for Boston and Skegness at the request of the previous Prime Minister. This review concluded in August 2022. The Government is considering the review’s recommendations.
The recommendations from this report will be sent to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review following the ‘The future of work is here…’ debate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The UK is committed to the protection and promotion of social rights. The UK has ratified the 1961 European Social Charter (ESC), the European Code of Social Security and numerous other international social rights instruments. The UK is fully committed to all of the Council of Europe instruments it is Party to and engages constructively in work on socio-economic inequalities at the Council of Europe.
The UK Government is taking important steps to reduce inequalities and levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom, particularly as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have launched a suite of employment support schemes, significant investments in skills, training and apprenticeships, and Universal Credit has played a crucial and effective role in protecting the most vulnerable.
The Department for Work and Pensions is continuously reviewing its policies on socio-economic inequalities to ensure that no one and no community is left behind.
We have made no such assessment.
No assessment has been made on this debate at this point, but we continue to work closely with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office on global health issues and governance raised in the relevant debate discussed including negotiations on the targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the new Pandemic Instrument at the World Health Organization and in preparation for the High Level Meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
The United Kingdom continues to negotiate the text of the Pandemic Instrument and the amendments to the IHR to ensure they delivers on our priorities and provide the tools to achieve improvements globally in key areas of health emergency preparedness, prevention, and response. The Department of Health and Social Care also works closely with the Department for Business and Trade on health related issues linked to the World Trade Organization.
The Government will consider the conclusions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe alongside lessons learnt and relevant findings more generally, including in due course from the COVID-19 public inquiry, in looking at the best options for using technology to respond to any future pandemic.
The National Health Service COVID-19 app is currently available to those aged 16 or over in England and Wales and is an effective and anonymous contact tracing tool. It has been downloaded over 31.5 million times since its launch on 24 September 2020. As of December 2022, the app had 7.7 million users. It also enables users to check their symptoms and enter positive NHS-provided or private test results, as well as signposting to public health and policy advice. The App, which incorporates proportionate and appropriate data protection mechanisms, has been shown to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The vaccination programme has been designed to be fair to individuals and communities by removing barriers to access, while respecting and not discriminating against those who choose not to be vaccinated.
Due to the vaccination programme and ‘COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19’, the Government has removed domestic restrictions, while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing most other respiratory illnesses. COVID-19 status certification, including the NHS COVID travel pass, remains an important tool to allow individuals to demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination status when travelling outside the United Kingdom.
While no formal assessment has been made, the cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit works with social media platforms to understand and counter the extent of misinformation and promote accurate information from trusted sources.
The Government has no plans to make such an assessment at this stage. The Government discusses the appropriate response to COVID-19 with a wide range of partners, such as the World Health Organization, G7 and G20 bilaterally, which enables it to draw lessons on the most appropriate policies. The Government will be publishing its plans for living with COVID-19 in due course.
The Government recognises the crucial work of the Council of Europe and in particular the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and notes that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review.
We are not aware of any specific issues. If an individual believes that their COVID-19 vaccine data is inaccurate, this can be resolved with the Vaccination Data Resolution Service (VDRS) via 119. The VDRS will contact the individual within 21 days. Where vaccine data does not appear on records in England, this will not prevent people from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals affected can attend a walk-in site for either their booster or primary course of vaccination.
Interoperable digital and non-digital solutions are now available in each nation of the United Kingdom. The service an individual accesses depends on where their general practitioner (GP) is registered.
Before an NHS COVID Pass can be issued, both vaccine doses must be recorded. NHS Digital has established live bi-directional data flows between England and Scotland which updates the GP record and NHS COVID Pass status. Therefore, those vaccinated in England, but registered with a GP in Scotland, can access the certification services provided in Scotland and vice versa, as well as being able to demonstrate their vaccination status anywhere in the UK.
Clinical trial participants have had access to a domestic COVID Pass to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated since 9 September. Therefore they will not be disadvantaged by the restrictions announced on 8 December.
The Government continues to make the case that anyone on a COVID-19 vaccine trial should be treated the same in terms of certification as someone who has received a deployed vaccine. Our Chief Medical Officer has written to all of his counterparts in the European Union and European Economic Community on this matter. Discussions are ongoing with other countries, including through groups such as the Group of Seven, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation to shape the approach taken around the world to sharing health status for travel.
The Vaccines Taskforce and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are working with Novavax to help ensure their COVID-19 vaccine is authorised as quickly as possible. The decision to license a vaccine is made by the MHRA.
The Department is not currently making any recommendations regarding hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment (HBOT) for long COVID due to a lack of scientific evidence to support its use.
There have been two long COVID research calls launched by the National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation, resulting in 19 funded projects. The calls specifically asked for projects investigating possible therapies for long COVID and a number of studies of this type have been funded. HBOT has not formed part of any application to either of these calls. Other ongoing calls are open and available for long COVID research applications and if a project on HBOT for long COVID was received, it would be considered.
The Department is aware of clinical trials currently taking place internationally, which are researching the use of HBOT for long COVID.
Face-to-face appointments have been available throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and approximately half of all appointments in June 2021 were delivered in person. NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to general practitioner practices on 19 July to set out that practices should offer a blend of face-to-face and remote appointments, with remote triage where possible. The letter is available at the following link:
Patients’ input into the choice of consultation mode should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary, for example the presence of COVID-19 symptoms.
Public Health England monitors the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and whether they have received one or two doses of the vaccination. This data is used to calculate vaccine effectiveness estimates which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-surveillance-report
NHS Digital collects data on the number of people who have contracted COVID-19, patients who have received one or two doses of a vaccine and hospital data that can be used to calculate average length of stay. These three datasets can be linked where possible to track patient outcomes for vaccinated people.
The United Kingdom and European Union are aligned in the technical approach to COVID-19 status certification. We are actively engaging other states on a bilateral basis and multilaterally through organisations including the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization to support this work. The certification app in France now allows scans the code from the NHS COVID Pass and work continues to set up similar arrangements elsewhere.
The debate at the Council of Europe highlighted key issues which the Government has considered in its policies regarding COVID-19 certificates. We are working to support United Kingdom residents to demonstrate their vaccination status using the fully secure NHS app. In addition to the digital service, the National Health Service is working on providing individuals with the means to demonstrate their COVID-19 status through non-digital routes to ensure the service is accessible to all.
We have no plans to make a specific assessment. Public bodies must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. This already requires them to consider how their policies affect people who are protected under the Equality Act 2010, including those with a disability.
We have not made a specific assessment.
We are committed to tackling discrimination. Public authorities, including the Department and all National Health Service providers, must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. This requires them to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination when carrying out their activities.
We echo the sentiments of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in wishing strength to all those who have become victims of the enormous tragedy in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We express our steadfast and united support to Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. Hamas does not speak for or act in the interests of the Palestinian people. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and its military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times. The Prime Minister has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 12 October. He reiterated the need to ensure the protection of innocent civilians and underlined the importance of safe humanitarian access to Gaza.
The UK Government has authorised the sending of a significant support package to the region, UK military assets will support regional stability and prevent escalation. On the 16 October, the Prime Minister announced a further £10 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), in response to the escalating conflict. We will continue to work with our regional partners so that essential aid can reach civilian populations in Gaza including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.