Jon Trickett

In the period in question The Attorney General’s Office has had no contracts with any of the listed firms.

Details of Government contracts valued between £10,000 and £25,000 are published on Contracts Finder. As Contracts Finder was implemented in 2016, not all records before this period are held centrally.

The Government Legal Department, (GLD) frequently award contracts to support legal work, the size, nature and timing of these awards is uncertain, and it is not possible to ascertain how many of £1m - £3m or more than £3m will be agreed in the next 12 months.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estimate 8 contracts will be between £1m to £3m and 10 above £3m over the next 12 months.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) are not able to provide this information due to commercial sensitivity.

The information on how much departments spend on monitoring the contracts or how many staff have monitored the contracts is not held.

The Attorney General’s Office wage ratio is as follows (a) 1:6.10 (b) 1:4.45 (c) 1:6.05.

As a small ministerial department with a limited number of staff disclosing salary figures would make staff potentially at risk of being identified.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) spent £18,547.96 on hospitality in 2020 financial year. This was the departments contribution towards the annual meeting of the five Attorneys-General from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, held in London on the 20^th July 2019.

There was no spend on hospitality in the 2021 financial year. In 2022, the AGO spent £1146.09 hosting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General during her visit to the UK.

Expenditure on advertising across the three years requested is:

Expenditure in 2021/22 is subject to the Department's audit being finalised, and is therefore provisional.

For management purposes the Prime Minister’s Office and COP26 unit are an integral part of the Cabinet Office. Expenditure on consultancy is published annually in our annual report and accounts and I refer the hon Member to my answer to PQ 22549 on 23 June, where our spend is outlined.

Details of consultancy contracts, including the supplier, above £10,000, are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

For management purposes the Prime Minister’s Office and COP26 unit are an integral part of the Cabinet Office. Expenditure on consultancy is published annually in our annual report and accounts and I refer the hon Member to my answer to PQ 22549 on 23 June, where our spend is outlined.

Details of consultancy contracts, including the supplier, above £10,000, are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

For management purposes the Prime Minister’s Office and COP26 unit are an integral part of the Cabinet Office. Expenditure on consultancy is published annually in our annual report and accounts and I refer the hon Member to my answer to PQ 22549 on 23 June, where our spend is outlined.

Details of consultancy contracts, including the supplier, above £10,000, are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

The Department is unable to provide spend on legal disputes, as this is not recorded separately from wider legal expenditure.

All of the contracts which the Cabinet Office has held with G4S, Serco and Capita worth over £10,000 since 2020 are available on Contracts Finder.

Details of Government contracts from 2016 above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder.

Contracts that are due to be agreed are on the Cabinet Office Commercial Pipeline. The next version of this is due to be published at the end of July 2022.

The amount spent on monitoring each contract in each year since 2010 and how many officials have been working on that monitoring in each year since 2010 is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Details of Government contracts from 2016 above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder.

For management and staffing purposes the Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. There are no contracts exclusive to No10 that are due within the next 12 months over £1m.

Departments publish details of ministers' gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings on a quarterly basis. Cabinet Office returns include official hospitality provided by the Prime Minister, official No10 receptions and official hospitality at Chequers. More information can be found on GOV.UK.

Please find below information regarding the highest remuneration amounts in CO, the median remuneration amounts in CO and the remuneration ratio.

The total remuneration includes salary, non-consolidated performance related pay and benefits in kind. It does not include severance payments, employer pension contributions and the cash equivalent transfer value of pensions.

The Department records hospitality and catering expenditure combined. Expenditure includes catering for events with external guests as well as expense claims made by staff.

Expenditure in 2022 is from 1st January 2022 to 30 June 2022.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Questions of 28 June is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Questions of 28 June is attached.

No.

The Civil Service Code governs the overarching conduct of civil servants. This includes the requirement to “always act in a way that is professional”.

The Government has accepted the Second Permanent Secretary’s general findings in full. As the published update states, steps must be taken “to ensure that every Government Department has a clear and robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol in the workplace.”

I announced to the House my intention to create an Office of the Prime Minister. Further details will be announced in due course. As Prime Minister, I am held to account each week at Prime Minister's Questions, answer written questions, and appear before the Liaison Committee at regular intervals.

The establishment and terms of reference of individual Select Committees is a matter for the House.

I announced to the House my intention to create an Office of the Prime Minister. Further details will be announced in due course. As Prime Minister, I am held to account each week at Prime Minister's Questions, answer written questions, and appear before the Liaison Committee at regular intervals.

The establishment and terms of reference of individual Select Committees is a matter for the House.

I announced to the House my intention to create an Office of the Prime Minister. Further details will be announced in due course. As Prime Minister, I am held to account each week at Prime Minister's Questions, answer written questions, and appear before the Liaison Committee at regular intervals.

The establishment and terms of reference of individual Select Committees is a matter for the House.

It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process I will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the terms of reference.

It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process I will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the terms of reference.

It would not be appropriate to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process I will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the terms of reference.

Owing to security considerations, I am unable to provide occupancy information specifically relating to the sites for which you have requested information. However, in each year since 2010, the total full-time equivalent headcount of staff recorded as working across both buildings never exceeded 1,500.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office. It considers applications under the business appointment rules about new jobs for former ministers, senior civil servants and other Crown servants. Political and independent members are appointed for five year, non-renewable terms.

Political members are nominated on the recommendation of the leader of the relevant political party.

In accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments, the appointments of Independent Members to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments are made on merit following an open and fair competition.

As outlined in its 2019 Public Appointments Diversity Action Plan, the government remains committed to ensuring that public appointees are drawn from all aspects of the society that they serve and this includes those on the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.

The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.

The Government is currently undertaking post-legislative scrutiny of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (the Lobbying Act). The outcome of this process will look to take into account any relevant findings of the Boardman review and Standards Matter 2, and will be set out in due course.

As set out in Written Statement HCWS185, the Government is working with the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to improve the operation and efficacy of the Business Appointment Rules.

The recommendations from Nigel Boardman’s report into the development and use of supply chain finance in government, as well as the Standards Matter 2 report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will be considered as a part of this work with an update to be published later this year.

The Civil Service Management Code requires departments to make appropriate arrangements that reflect the Business Appointment Rules for Civil Servants. Departments should provide an assurance statement outlining their application of the Rules. Departmental Audit and Risk Committees are required to consider the implementation of the Rules in their departments. Departments are also required to publish summary information in respect of individuals at director and deputy director grades, including special advisers of equivalent standing.

As set out in Written Statement HCWS185, the Government is working with the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to improve the operation and efficacy of the Business Appointment Rules.

The recommendations from Nigel Boardman’s report into the development and use of supply chain finance in government, as well as the Standards Matter 2 report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will be considered as a part of this work with an update to be published later this year.

The Civil Service Management Code requires departments to make appropriate arrangements that reflect the Business Appointment Rules for Civil Servants. Departments should provide an assurance statement outlining their application of the Rules. Departmental Audit and Risk Committees are required to consider the implementation of the Rules in their departments. Departments are also required to publish summary information in respect of individuals at director and deputy director grades, including special advisers of equivalent standing.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

In line with the Government’s approach to equality - which goes beyond the protected characteristics in the Public Sector Equality Duty - the Fast Stream graduate programme has a strong commitment to increasing the representation of all currently under-represented groups, including those from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds.

To increase success rates and broaden the entry pool of those from disadvantaged backgrounds the Fast Stream introduced programmes such as the Early Diversity and the Summer Diversity Internship Programmes.These programmes provide undergraduates from a socially or economically disadvantaged background the opportunity to gain experience of working for the Civil Service the Fast Stream. Undertaking an internship significantly increases the success rate onto the Fast Stream.

To attract an increased number of applications from those with working class and disadvantaged backgrounds, we have a range of specific interventions. These include targeted outreach (including virtual events) to universities with high proportions of socially and economically disadvantaged students, and working with partners (e.g. UpReach and Rare Recruitment) to advertise the Fast Stream as a scheme open to all.

This information is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

Details of central government contracts above £10,000, including the value of those contracts, are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

It is also the case that councils including Leeds City, Hounslow, Newham Borough, North Tyneside, Cumbria County and Milton Keynes have entered into contracts with Serco. Further details are available online.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published on gov.uk

The Government is engaging with civil service trade unions on Covid-19 related matters. Civil servants are able to raise any concerns with line managers, in line with existing departmental practice and procedures.

The Cabinet Office has ensured appropriate measures are in place to establish Covid secure workplaces in which as many staff as possible can work safely.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Sunningdale Park was sold, generating £48.4 million for the public purse and unlocking surplus Government land for new homes.

Details of the proposed redevelopment, which has been granted planning permission, are available on the website of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

Further to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions on 26 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 313), and the answers given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and myself to Oral Questions and Topical Questions on 27 February 2020 (Official Record, Vol.672, Col 456-457, 461-466), Andrew Sabisky was hired as a contractor between 10 and 17 February, and not as a Special Adviser.

Contractors are subject to the principles of the Civil Service Code. Information about the numbers of contingent labour workers in the Cabinet Office, which also covers 10 Downing Street, is published annually.

Government contractors are paid for from departmental budgets. The Government does not normally comment on individual personnel matters such as pay, or recruitment processes. The Government also does not normally disclose the names of individual line managers.

It has been the practice of successive administrations that the Government does not disclose details of internal meetings. Classified information is made available only to those with appropriate security clearance and whose responsibilities require it.

It would be inappropriate to comment further on the vetting status, checks or contractual arrangements of any individual.

The date in the expenditure entries listed in the Cabinet Office transparency data relate to the date payments were made.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer by the Rt. Hon. Member for Hertsmere (Oliver Dowden) of 14 January 2020 (PQ 1411).

Dominic Cummings’ blog invited people to get in touch to discuss opportunities, and did not set out proposed recruitment processes. As this activity was not conducted by government, the Government does not hold information generated by it, including within the email account. This was not part of the appointment process of Special Advisers, Civil Servants or contractors by government.

Information contained within the email account is overseen by the Downing Street Political Office.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer by the Rt. Hon. Member for Hertsmere (Oliver Dowden) of 14 January 2020 (PQ 1411).

Dominic Cummings’ blog invited people to get in touch to discuss opportunities, and did not set out proposed recruitment processes. As this activity was not conducted by government, the Government does not hold information generated by it, including within the email account. This was not part of the appointment process of Special Advisers, Civil Servants or contractors by government.

Information contained within the email account is overseen by the Downing Street Political Office.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer by the Rt. Hon. Member for Hertsmere (Oliver Dowden) of 14 January 2020 (PQ 1411).

Dominic Cummings’ blog invited people to get in touch to discuss opportunities, and did not set out proposed recruitment processes. As this activity was not conducted by government, the Government does not hold information generated by it, including within the email account. This was not part of the appointment process of Special Advisers, Civil Servants or contractors by government.

Information contained within the email account is overseen by the Downing Street Political Office.

Central Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder, including details of the department awarding the contract and the duration of the contract. (https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk)

This information is not held centrally.

The Cabinet Office publishes data on civil servants’ median pay by English region and grade. The relevant data, as of 31 March 2019, is available via the link below on table 26:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2019

The Cabinet Office works with Departments across Government to make sure that all requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act are considered on a case-by-case basis, and exemptions are applied to withhold sensitive information where appropriate. The Government continues to lead the way on transparency, and routinely publishes data beyond its obligations under the FOI Act.

All requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act are considered on a case-by-case basis, and exemptions are applied to withhold sensitive information where appropriate. The Government continues to lead the way on transparency, and routinely publishes data beyond its obligations under the FOI Act.

The Cabinet Office publishes data on civil servants’ median pay by region and grade. The relevant data, as of 31 March 2019, is available via the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-median-salaries-by-uk-region-and-grade

As terms and conditions for sick absence are delegated, departments are able to decide whether they wish to sign up to the Trades Union Congress's charter entitled, Dying to Work.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

The Government will bring forward measures requiring electors to show an approved form of photographic ID before casting their vote in a polling station in a UK parliamentary election in Great Britain and local election in England. Any voter who does not have an approved form of ID will be able to apply, free of charge, for a local electoral identity document.

The Government remains committed to introducing Voter ID ahead of the next scheduled general election. We will bring forward primary legislation enabling the implementation of Voter ID when Parliamentary time allows.

The Government will bring forward measures requiring electors to show an approved form of photographic ID before casting their vote in a polling station in a UK parliamentary election in Great Britain and local election in England. Any voter who does not have an approved form of ID will be able to apply, free of charge, for a local electoral identity document.

The Government remains committed to introducing Voter ID ahead of the next scheduled general election. We will bring forward primary legislation enabling the implementation of Voter ID when Parliamentary time allows.

The Government remains committed to ensuring elections are secure and fit for the modern age, and further detail will be announced in the coming months.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy does not hold centrally the breakdown between advice on legal disputes and other forms of advice and this can only be obtained disproportionally.

Legal, professional and consultancy costs are included within note 4.1 of the BEIS Annual Report and Consolidated Accounts here.

The total value of contracts held by BEIS with (a) G4S, (b) Serco and (c) Capita in each year since 2020 is detailed in the table below.

This information is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The information required to calculate the Annual wage ratio is not held centrally and can only be obtained disproportionally. However, financial year data is held centrally. The table below shows Department’s wage ratio in financial years 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Annual spend on hospitality is not held centrally and can only be obtained disproportionally. However, the table below shows Department’s hospitality spend in financial years 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Data from the independent Great Britain energy regulator, Ofgem, show that the average estimated network costs per domestic customer per year in March 2021 were: gas distribution - £121; electricity distribution - £93; electricity transmission - £35; gas transmission - £10. This data is published at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-data-and-research/data-portal/all-available-charts?sort=created&page=2 (chart: ‘estimated network costs per domestic customer’).

Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem as the energy regulator. While dividends are a matter for the individual companies and are a normal part of returns to equity capital providers, the return on capital network companies can earn is regulated by Ofgem.

Ofgem uses the RIIO price control to establish a regulatory framework which allows network companies to attract the investment they need to ensure a safe, secure and reliable supply of energy while saving consumers money by keeping returns as low as possible. In the most recent price control for gas distribution and electricity transmission RIIO-2, Ofgem has reduced the allowed return on capital to save consumers £2.3 billion over the five-year price control period. Ofgem will propose a similar reduction in allowed returns in the forthcoming electricity distribution price control.

Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem as the energy regulator. While dividends are a matter for the individual companies and are a normal part of returns to equity capital providers, the return on capital network companies can earn is regulated by Ofgem.

Ofgem uses the RIIO price control to establish a regulatory framework which allows network companies to attract the investment they need to ensure a safe, secure and reliable supply of energy while saving consumers money by keeping returns as low as possible. In the most recent price control for gas distribution and electricity transmission RIIO-2, Ofgem has reduced the allowed return on capital to save consumers £2.3 billion over the five-year price control period. Ofgem will propose a similar reduction in allowed returns in the forthcoming electricity distribution price control.

The Government and Ofgem ensure all consumers going through Supplier of Last Resort process will not go off supply and will have their credit balances protected.

Millions of domestic energy consumers on their supplier’s standard variable and default tariffs are protected by the energy price cap. The price cap limits the rates a supplier can charge for these tariffs. The cap level is set by the energy regulator Ofgem and represents a fair price for energy based on the actual costs associated with supplying energy to consumers’ homes.

The Government and Ofgem strive for orderly market exits and that customers are protected, with their supply uninterrupted. The available data the Government can share on the number of customers whose energy supplier has exited the market since the beginning of August 2021 is in the table below. Government does not hold regional customer data.

The Government is inviting views on how future policy can best achieve the vision set out earlier this year in the Energy Retail Market Strategy, and how the lessons from recent market developments should inform this to ensure the energy retail market is resilient, sustainable, and continues to protect consumers as we move to a net zero energy system. The Government aims to publish an updated Strategy as soon as possible, once the market has stabilised.

As set out in their Statutory Consultation published in June 2021[1], OFGEM’s proposal for the Review of the Consolidated Segmental Statement (CSS) will ensure that the CSS better meets its aims, including providing transparency and market intelligence, ensuring consumers are treated fairly and supporting policy development. Further details can be found in the Final Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation.

[1] https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/final-proposals-and-statutory-consultation-reviewing-consolidated-segmental-statement

BEIS publish Fuel poverty statistics by Region (Table 1), Local Authority (Table 2) and parliamentary constituency (Table 4) in England, the latest data covers 2019. These are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-sub-regional-statistics#2019-statistics.

The Government’s projection for the number of households in England that were in fuel poverty for the year 2021 is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fuel-poverty-statistics-projections-2021.

The energy price cap from 1 April 2022 will be announced by Ofgem later this year.

It is Ofgem’s role, as the independent regulator, to set the price cap.

The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty, reducing energy bills and delivering warmer, safer homes for the most vulnerable. The Government considers improving the energy efficiency of homes to be the best long-term method of tackling of fuel poverty. Energy efficiency schemes include the Energy Company Obligation and the Sustainable Warmth Competition.

Ofgem rules require energy suppliers to offer customers at risk of debt, or in debt, the facility to repay their debt in instalments and require suppliers to take into account a customer’s ability to pay, where they are facing financial difficulties.

In order to further help consumers, the Government has already introduced the extra £500m Household Support Fund for those more in need this winter, on top of other schemes like the Warm Home Discount, which is being increased to £150 and extended to an extra 780,000 households, to support the most vulnerable.

The aviation sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry that are experiencing difficulties have been able to draw from the unprecedented package of support, including around £8bn for the air transport sector since the start of the pandemic.

The travel and tourism industries are also crucial to the UK economy, and that is why we have provided support of over £35 billion to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. On top of the Government’s wider economic support package, we have extended business rates relief and introduced Restart grants of up to £18,000 for many in the sector.

Companies House does not hold any information on companies where the directors have made major decisions while not having quoracy.

I am grateful for the Committee’s report, and I am considering their recommendations. I am due to the meet the Scheme Trustees on 21 June, and I am keen to hear their views before responding to the Select Committee.

Fuel poverty is measured at the household level. Using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator, a household is considered to be fuel poor if it is living in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D, E, F or G and its after housing costs income minus its energy costs would be less than 60 per cent of the median after housing costs income.” The number of households in fuel poverty in England between 2010 and 2019, the latest year for which statistics are available is shown in the table below:

Further details on trends in fuel poverty in England can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fuel-poverty-trends-2021.

Following the publication of the 2019 fuel poverty statistics on 4^th March, projections for 2020 and 2021 are due to be published on the 29^th of April this year.

The number of post offices that were in the Yorkshire and the Humber region was 1005 in March 2010 and 948 in March 2020.

The table below shows the estimated number of households living in fuel poverty for the requested areas:

The latest available estimates are for 2018. Estimates for fuel poverty in 2010 have not been made at sub-regional level under the current Low Income High Costs metric.

Also note, estimates of fuel poverty at the sub-regional level are based on a small number households and are therefore subject to higher levels of uncertainty in particular when comparing changes over time.

The regional data in the table above was taken from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fuel-poverty-trends-2020 table 4.

The parliamentary constituency data in the table above was taken from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-sub-regional-statistics.

For example, the data for 2018 was found in table 5 of the following:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2020.

Data on household electricity and gas energy bills are published as part of the Quarterly Energy Prices statistical series (here). The department collects this information at the regional level and does not hold it at the constituency level. Data on the average annual domestic electricity bills for UK regions are presented in table QEP 2.2.3 and average annual domestic gas bills for GB regions are presented in table QEP 2.3.3 (here).

Rolls-Royce has made clear that the restructuring and global site review reflects the change in medium-term market conditions which have been impacted by the global COVID19 pandemic. Rolls-Royce has announced proposals to consolidate work into the UK including consolidating all widebody engine Assembly & Test capability in Derby, as well as closing a site in the US and consolidating the advanced manufacturing capabilities into Derby and Washington, Tyne & Wear.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has worked closely with the hospitality sector to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.

Hospitality businesses have been able to benefit from Government support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund.

On 5 January, when the new National Lockdown began, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a one-off top up grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring.  A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses.

Improving the energy efficiency of homes is the best long-term solution to tackle fuel poverty. The Energy Company Obligation is a GB wide energy efficiency scheme worth £640m per year until March 2022 and is focused on low-income and vulnerable households. The Green Homes Grant, launched in September 2020, is a £2 billion programme which will help improve the energy efficiency of homes in England. Of this, around half is specifically for low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households.

We recognise that some households may need immediate support this winter and so we provide assistance with energy bills for low income and vulnerable consumers through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.

We have also successfully negotiated an agreement with energy suppliers to support customers impacted by COVID-19. Based on the circumstances, this could include reassessing, reducing, or pausing debt repayments for households in financial distress and support for prepayment meter customers to stay on supply.

The energy price cap currently protects around 11 million households in Great Britain on standard variable and default tariffs. From January 2021 a further 4 million households with prepayment meters will also come under the protection of the cap after the prepayment meter price cap expires. The cap ensures that loyal energy customers are protected from poor value tariffs, saving consumers a total of around £1 billion on their bills annually.

We have a clear commitment to level up all areas of the country. The recent announcement of our 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution to support green jobs, and a forthcoming Industrial Strategy refresh, are a critical part of this.

Improving energy efficiency is the best long-term solution to tackle fuel poverty and at the Summer Economic Update we announced more than £2 billion of funding for upgrading the energy efficiency of homes. The Green Homes Grant is a £2 billion programme which will help improve the energy efficiency of homes in England. Low-income homeowners in receipt of certain benefits may be eligible for a grant covering up to 100% of the cost of installation. The 2020 Spending Review committed a further £320 million in funding for the Green Homes Grant for 2021-22 and £150 million to help some of the poorest homes become more energy efficient and cheaper to heat with low-carbon energy.

The Energy Company Obligation scheme requires energy companies to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures to low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households. The current scheme is worth £640m per year and ends in March 2022. The Prime Minister announced an extension to this scheme until 2026 in his Ten Point Plan. We also recently closed our consultation on the extension of the Warm Home Discount until March 2022. This will continue to provide a £140 energy bill rebate to over 2 million low income and vulnerable households, and vital projects helping fuel poor households throughout the country through Industry Initiatives.

We are currently consulting on improving the standard of privately rented homes in England and Wales through a minimum energy efficiency performance standard of Band C, helping to tackle fuel poverty in that tenure.

An updated fuel poverty strategy for England will also be released in the coming months, outlining our commitments to delivering against our statutory target to ensure that as many fuel poor homes as is reasonably practicable achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C, by 2030.

We are investing over £695m in towns and cities across Leeds city region to provide the infrastructure and business support needed to grow the economy and jobs. In addition, investment of £30m per year will be made until 2035 for transport schemes to improve the connection between local areas and urban centres. The spatial concentration of jobs in the area has shifted over the last decade, and local priorities for investment are based on improving the local economy including increasing opportunities for work for young people.

Employers are required to file an HR1 Form with the Redundancy Payments Service where they are proposing to dismiss 20 or more employees at a single establishment. Between 1^st April 2020 and 30^th September 2020 HR1 forms were received from 4,112 businesses.

The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service collects HR1 data and shares it with Government Departments and Agencies which provide support for redundant employees and the unemployed. HR1s are submitted by employers where there is a proposal to make 20 or more redundancies at an establishment. HR1s may include proposed dismissals due to changes to terms and conditions or a proposed relocation of employees which may not necessarily result in any redundancies.

The HR1s received detail a maximum number of potentially affected employees and the Insolvency Service makes no estimations from the HR1 returns of the number of employees that may be at risk in any particular location.

Since 23 March 2020, the Department has applied the Government’s Safer Working Guidance (for England, Scotland and Wales) to ensure the safety of our staff.

In line with the Government’s latest guidance from 1 August 2020, we are gradually increasing the number of staff working in the office whilst also continuing to enable working from home. This follows a programme of ongoing activity across all our sites to complete COVID-19 Risk Assessments, prepare our buildings, and consult with staff.

The COVID-19 Risk Assessment for 1 Victoria Street was undertaken on 12 May 2020. The risk assessment was subsequently reviewed and updated on 2, 3, 4 and 11 June 2020. Prior to this, individual risk assessments were carried out for departmental staff needing to work in the building since the advent of COVID-19.

The risk assessment was undertaken by the Department’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing team in consultation with the Departmental Trade Union Side, with engagement from the Government Property Agency and ISS (our facilities contractor).

Based on current social distancing measures and maintaining a COVID-19 Secure building, 84% reduction in workplace capacity was identified resulting in 13% of the Department’s staff being able to work in the 1 Victoria Street office at any one time, when compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.

In line with the “Working Safely during Coronavirus guidance on office working”, the majority of staff are working from home. When deciding on whether staff can return to the workplace, the Department considers whether staff perform a critical role which cannot be performed remotely, or if there are personal circumstances which mean an individual is unable to work from home. This may include a lack of a safe, suitable working environment or a wellbeing concern.

The risk assessment results for 1 Victoria Street follow the Results summary of COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Civil Service Departments, which was published on GOV.UK by the Cabinet Office on 3 August 2020. A copy of the Results summary of COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Civil Service Departments has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

The Government has put forward a package support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This includes the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF). Businesses in scope of this scheme are those with a property that, on 11 March 2020, were in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 which received tapered relief) or Rural Rates Relief.

Local authorities are responsible for delivering grants to eligible businesses and we have provided detailed Grant Funding Schemes guidance for local authorities on the eligibility for, and provision of, this fund: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding. We are also working closely with local authorities to ensure the appropriate assurance checks are made before grants are paid out and to promote and share best practice, including providing supplementary guidance and FAQs.

The Government regular meets with Airbus to discuss a wide range of business issues. Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

Airbus is benefiting from the Government’s £300 billion Covid-19 business support package, which includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Aerospace companies, such as Airbus, are also benefiting from over £6.25 billion of through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, as well as our grants for research and development, and through UK Export Finance over the next 18 months.

The total amount that DCMS spent on litigation services provided by the Government Legal Department and any external law firms and Counsel representing the department was:

(a) £198,557.00 (inc VAT) in 2020

(b) £226,283.10 (inc VAT) in 2021

(c) £197,729.56 (inc VAT) in 2022 (as at 30 June 2022)

These figures do not include the cost of Government Legal Department advice in relation to employment matters or the cost of advice by external firms or Counsel in relation to matters which did not result in litigation.

DCMS has one associated agency, Building Digital UK (BDUK). BDUK has not been involved in any litigation since it was established as an executive agency on 1 April 2022 - before that time any costs would have been included in the figures set out above. The organisation does seek legal advice on various matters including to support internal appeals on subsidy control, commercial matters, and compliance cases during the regular course of business.

Since 1 January 2020, the Department has not held any contracts with Serco, G4S or Capita. To note, the Department publishes details of all contracts, with a value over £10,000, on Contracts Finder.

Details of government contracts are published on Contracts Finder above £10,000, for the core Department, and above £25,000, for the wider public sector. As Contracts Finder was implemented from 2016, not all records before this time are held centrally.

The Department’s commercial pipeline is also publicly available on the GOV.UK.

The management of contracts held by the Department is devolved to individual Business Units and undertaken by identified Contract Managers within policy or operational teams, with the responsibility for monitoring contract performance resting with the Senior Responsible Officer. The contract management role is typically undertaken by policy or operational staff as part of their existing roles and therefore costs are not distinguishable. Specialist commercial oversight, training and support is provided by the DCMS Commercial function where necessary and as applicable, depending on the level of risk, complexity and value.

The DCMS Annual Report for 2020-2021 provides information on the highest and lowest remuneration for staff for the years 19/20 and 20/21:

Remuneration ranged from £22,375 to £185,000 (2019-20: £21,117 to £195,000).

This calculation is based on total remuneration, and therefore takes into account salary, allowances, non-consolidated performance related pay and benefits in kind. It does not include severance payments, employer pension contributions and the cash equivalent transfer value of pensions.

Information for 2021-22 is not yet available and will be published in the 21-22 DCMS Annual Report and Accounts (publication aimed for October 2022).

The figures provided are subject to audit.

The Department spent the following amounts on hospitality between 2019-2022:

2019-20 - £18,040

2020-21 - £124

2021-22 - £102,073

*2021-22 figures are unaudited.

The expenditure for 2021-22 includes £92,000 in relation to the Future Tech Forum, a two day event in November 2021 where the Secretary of State for DCMS hosted leading figures from around the world, including Ministers.

According to the latest Lloyds Bank 2021 Consumer Index, over 9 million people in the UK are lacking in foundation digital skills and 5% (2.6 million) of the population have not been online in the last 3 months.

There has been a substantial decrease amongst the amount of households that do not have internet access. Between 2020 and 2021, the percentage of households without internet access has decreased from 7% to 4% in the UK.

The Lloyds Bank Consumer Index estimates that 13% of people in Wales, 8% of people in the North East and 8% of people in the South West have not been online in the past 3 months. These are the areas with the highest proportion of people offline. The East Midlands is estimated to have 6% of people offline, the North West, South East, and Yorkshire and the Humber have an estimated 4% offline. Both the West Midlands and London have 3% of their population offline.

Superfast broadband coverage is now available to over 97% of the UK, and Think Broadband reports that gigabit-capable networks now serve more than two in five (40%) premises in the UK.

Earlier this month, Ofcom published its UK Home Broadband Performance research which showed that the average download speed in the UK was 80.2 Mbps. This is an increase of 25% from 2019. The same report highlighted upload speeds of 21.6 Mbps which is equal to a 54% increase over the same period. Upload and download speeds will vary based on the type of connectivity installed within a property and the consumer’s individual retail package.

Ofcom published as part of its Connected Nations report in June 2020 the average speeds for each Nation. This showed the average download speeds as:

• England: 74 Mbps

• Wales: 58 Mbps

• Scotland: 70Mbps

• Northern Ireland: 64 Mbps

Regional data is produced on a quarterly basis by the website ThinkBroadband, and can be accessed at the following address: https://labs2.thinkbroadband.com/local/browse. Average speeds have been increasing each quarter as more premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband networks.

Different packages offered by suppliers may offer greater speeds, data allowances or other benefits, so it is difficult to assess the average cost. For example a number of broadband packages may include Pay TV subscriptions and other additional add-ons. However, to ensure decent broadband is affordable to everyone, a number of operators have brought in new nationwide affordable tariffs starting at £15 per month. For example, BT and Hyperoptic provide fibre social tariff products for households in receipt of Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits offering download speeds ranging from 40Mbps, up to 150Mbps.

As set out in the roadmap announced by the Prime Minister on Monday 22 February, spectators at some large events will return subject to capacity caps from step 3 (expected to take place no earlier than 17 May). Government is working to produce both overarching guidance for all outdoor events and guidance for different spectator environments such as non-elite sports which will be available as we progress along the roadmap.

I am content to share copies of all my written correspondence with the National League with the Hon Member’s office which detail my discussions with them on this issue.

On 19 November 2020 I gave a statement to the House on the principles of the Sports Winter Survival Package, which was open to National League clubs.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100million support fund for local authority leisure centres.

Sport England has also provided £220million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds including their £35million Community Emergency Fund. This sector support was recently boosted by an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations as part of Sport England’s new strategy Uniting the Movement. This funding is yet to be allocated and Sport England will provide further information in due course.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100million support fund for local authority leisure centres.

Sport England has also provided £220million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds including their £35million Community Emergency Fund. This sector support was recently boosted by an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations as part of Sport England’s new strategy Uniting the Movement. This funding is yet to be allocated and Sport England will provide further information in due course.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. The Treasury estimates that around £1.5 billion of public money has gone into sports.

As part of this, Sport England has committed £220m of National Lottery and Exchequer funding since March 2020 to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. Up to 27 January 2021, £162m of this funding has been distributed to a range of sports activities. This sector support was recently boosted by an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations as part of Sport England’s new strategy Uniting the Movement. Further details of Sport England funding including the organisations that have benefited can be found at: https://www.sportengland.org/why-were-here.

The £300m Sports Winter Survival Package also aims to protect the immediate futures of major spectator sports in England over the winter period. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them. We will also continue to promote exercise throughout the pandemic and encourage the usage of sports facilities when they are able to open again.

Youth services are provided by local authorities and the data concerning the number of youth centres there were in the Yorkshire and Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020 is not held by my department.

My department has not provided funding to football for the specific purpose of investigating the link between football and dementia. Sports have a responsibility to understand the potential risks to the health and wellbeing of their participants, and put in place measures to ensure their safety.

The Libraries Taskforce published the public libraries in England extended dataset on 11 January 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-libraries-in-england-basic-dataset#history This provides details of static libraries (statutory and non-statutory) in England as at 1 April 2010 and 1 July 2016. Data on mobile libraries was inconsistent and incomplete, and therefore was not included in this dataset.

Details of the number of libraries as at 31 December 2019 has been collected by Arts Council England and will be published shortly.

The following table lists the number of static libraries in each local authority within the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Officials have checked the Ofcom Connected Nations performance data at constituency level, and it reports that as at May 2019, the average download speed in Hemsworth is 37.7 Mbit/s. This is the most recent performance data available - unlike coverage data it's only published once a year.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm, including serious injuries. With that in mind, we expect sports to do all they can to protect their players.

It is clear that further examination of the links between health, dementia and football is needed to better understand this issue. I welcome the Professional Footballers' Association’s recent move to set up a dedicated task force to further investigate the issue of brain injury diseases in football.

Ofcom’s latest UK Home Broadband report found that the average download speed in the UK was 72 megabits per second. The report did not break this down by nation.

In terms of access, ThinkBroadband estimates that a third of premises in England are now connected to gigabit-capable networks, while superfast broadband is available to 97% of English premises.

The BBC is responsible for administration of TV licences and, therefore, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not hold this information.

The TV Licensing website has some information on the number of cancelled licences for 2018/19 and 2019/20: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-licences-facts-and-figures-AB18

More information may be held by the BBC.

We recognise the crucial role that freelance individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading.

We recognise the crucial role that individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. As a result of these grants and loans, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, albeit in a socially distanced way, which will increase employment opportunities for freelancers. Each organisation that receives money will know what best they can do to support their workforce, including their freelance workforce.

And the culture recovery fund will benefit freelancers, because it will invest in organisations and help them to reopen, and restart performances. It will help many put on cultural activity within this Financial Year which wouldn’t have been possible without this funding.

The government has taken active steps to support the self-employed. Over three quarters of eligible people in the cultural sectors have benefitted from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

The Arts Council England has made £119 million available to individuals, with £23.1 million already distributed and £95.9 million currently available to apply for via open funds. This includes:

• £17.1 million distributed through the Emergency Response Fund for individuals;

• £6 million distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on the self employed.

• £18 million available through their Developing Your Creative Practice fund;

• £77.9 million available through National Lottery Project Grants (available to both individuals and organisations).

And the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will benefit freelancers, because it will invest in organisations and help them to reopen, and restart performances. It will help many put on cultural activity within this Financial Year which wouldn’t have been possible without this funding.

The 1,385 successful arts recipients that were announced on Monday 12 October set out in their applications that this support would enable them to deliver over £150million of cultural activity before the end of March 2021. As organisations prepare for this activity, they will likely increase their employment of cultural freelancers.

We continue to engage with the sector to discuss the on-going challenges facing the industry.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic.

We have also supported elite sports to return to "behind closed doors" competition, which enabled vital broadcast revenue, retained competitive integrity and brought joy to millions of sports fans. The Government recognises the implications for elite and professional sports clubs of not being able to admit spectators to stadia from 1 October, and are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is working with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what can be done to provide further support to the sector.

The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses throughout the pandemic, including a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. Many sports clubs have benefited from these measures.

Where it can, we will expect the top tiers of professional sport to look at ways in which it can support itself, with government focusing on those most in need. I also welcomed the Premier League announcement to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League to help clubs throughout the football pyramid and encourage the ongoing discussions

The Government recognises the impact that Covid-19 is having on the sporting sector, and has supported elite sports to return to "behind closed doors" competition, which enabled vital broadcast revenue, retained competitive integrity and brought joy to millions of sports fans.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is working with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what can be done to provide further support. The Department will also continue to work with colleagues across Whitehall to support the sector.

The Government fully understands the decision not to reopen stadia on October 1 is frustrating for sports fans. But in the face of rising infections and further restrictions it would not have been possible. The decision was taken on advice from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Scientific Officer (CSA) and takes into account travelling to and from games held in stadia, where there may be further social interaction and the risk of virus spread. The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance.

I am grateful to those clubs who have piloted the return of spectators so far. Work continues at pace to find solutions that will allow crowds safely back into stadia as soon as possible. The Government will continue to work closely with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this. Spectators will return to stadia when it is safe to do so.

The Government fully understands the decision not to reopen stadia on October 1 is frustrating for sports fans. But in the face of rising infections and further restrictions it would not have been possible. The decision was taken on advice from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Scientific Officer (CSA) and takes into account travelling to and from games held in stadia, where there may be further social interaction and the risk of virus spread. The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance.

I am grateful to those clubs who have piloted the return of spectators so far. Work continues at pace to find solutions that will allow crowds safely back into stadia as soon as possible. The Government will continue to work closely with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this. Spectators will return to stadia when it is safe to do so.

The Government recognises the impact that Covid-19 is having on the sporting sector, and has supported elite sports to return to "behind closed doors" competition, which enabled vital broadcast revenue, retained competitive integrity and brought joy to millions of sports fans. The government also ensured Project Restart was shared with everyone by getting Premier League football on the BBC for the first time ever.

We have been clear that we expect those in sport with the broadest shoulders - where they can at the top tiers - to support itself. The Government is focusing its support on those in the sector most in need as a result of the decision not to readmit spectators to stadia from 1 October.

The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance.

The government recognises that fans will be disappointed that sports pilot events were paused and that spectators were not able to be admitted to stadia from 1 October. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is working with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what can be done to provide further support. The Department will also continue to work with colleagues across Whitehall to support the sector.

The safety and security of players and spectators is of paramount importance.

On Tuesday 22 September it was announced that all sports pilot events currently ongoing would be paused with immediate effect, due to the sharp upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases. As set out in our Roadmap, sports events pilots, and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so.

Under government guidance non-elite sport clubs are able to admit spectators, whilst adhering to COVID-19 guidance. It is up to the respective governing bodies to determine what constitutes the boundary between elite and non-elite within their sports, and consider any appropriate additional regulation including total spectator numbers should that be appropriate within their sport.

The government meets with the BBC on regular occasions to discuss a wide range of issues, including the over 75 concession. The Government has consistently made clear its disappointment with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.

The BBC remains responsible for the administration of the concession and it will be responsible for setting out what those affected will need to do. It must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.

The department does not hold the total spend information relating to legal disputes, as the financial system does not have a specific structure to extract the data and legal spend is not recorded centrally.

For contract spend, following a search of the department’s special payment register, the department has not made any payments in respect to the settlement of procurement disputes, either in or out of court, during the following three financial years:

• 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020: £0.00.
• 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021: £0.00.
• 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022: £0.00.

Following a search of the department’s records, the total value of contracts held by (a) G4S (b) Serco and (c) Capita is as below:

To note, the total value of the contract listed above is pro-rata over the length of the contract, using annualised contract values.

Details of government contracts from 2016 above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder available here: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.

Details of government contracts from 2016 above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on the GOV.UK Contracts Finder site which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. As Contracts Finder was implemented in 2016, not all records before this time are held centrally.

For the July 2022 to June 2023 period, the total anticipated number of contracts for the department only (not including agencies and non-departmental public bodies) worth between £1 and £3 million is currently three. For the same period, the total number of contracts over £3 million is 136. This is the anticipated project pipeline and the department makes no commitment that the annual value of any contract will be as stated, or the timing of any future procurement exercises will be as stated. The sourcing route for any subsequent procurement has not been determined. For example, it could be via frameworks managed by Crown Commercial Services or open competitions. The department cannot therefore guarantee that these opportunities will be available to all suppliers.

We do not hold spend data on contract monitoring or how many officials work on monitoring in each year from 2010.

The department’s wage ratio, based on gross basic salary only, on 1 April each year (the date when any pay award is implemented) is as follows:

• 2020 – 8.0 : 1
• 2021 – 7.6 : 1
• 2022 – 7.4 : 1

The exact information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold specific data on the number of children in care placed with private providers or local authorities. Ofsted publishes data on the number of places available in children’s homes or foster care that are provided by local authorities or private companies, but not the proportion of places taken up by children.

As of 31 March 2021, private companies ran 83% of children’s homes (2,032) in England, providing 78% (7,555) of places. Local authorities ran 14% (339) of children’s homes, providing 16% (1,643) of places. Twenty-three of these local authority homes were run by organisations that provide the children’s services function of the council, including trusts. Voluntary providers ran 91 homes (4%), providing 501 places (5%).

There were 13 secure children’s homes in England as of 31 March 2021, offering 234 places in total. 12 of these homes are run by local authorities and one by a voluntary organisation.

Local authorities provided 64% (29,500) of foster placements in England as of 31 March 2021, with the remaining 36% (15,800) provided through independent fostering agencies.

The recent children’s social care market study completed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) considered evidence of cost differentials between private providers and local authority run children’s homes (excluding secure children’s homes) and foster care. Their analysis found that for children’s homes, the cost to local authorities to provide their own placements was no lower than procuring these through private providers. However, the analysis also found indicative evidence that for fostering placements, local authorities could provide some placements more cheaply in-house as opposed to purchasing them through private providers.

The department has welcomed the report and is carefully considering the CMA’s recommendations.

The Children and Families Act 2014 placed duties on early years providers, schools, further education colleges (FE), and some post-16 providers to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to succeed in their education. Our SEND Code of Practice sets out clear guidance that they should apply a 'graduated approach’, which means identifying a child or young persons’ needs, implementing appropriate support, reviewing it regularly and taking their views into account. The Code of Practice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

The department is committed to supporting the development of teachers' and educational professionals' skills, as well as evidence based and effective practice within nurseries schools and colleges. The department has funded the whole school SEND consortium, through our contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs, to deliver a programme which supports school staff in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, including dyspraxia. In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a further £2 million to this work, bringing the total funding for this contract to over £8 million since 2018.

In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a grant of almost £1.2 million to the Education and Training Foundation. This grant will support the FE workforce in identifying and meeting the needs of learners with SEND, including those with dyspraxia. The department also announced recently that it will offer training bursaries, worth £15,000 each (tax free), for a further academic year (2022/23), to those specialising in SEND teaching in the FE sector.

The department does not differentiate between different types of SEND in the way funding is allocated to schools, colleges and local authorities for the responsibilities they have for supporting children and young people with SEND. Over the last 10 years there have been substantial increases in core schools funding, which includes funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for children and young people with more complex needs. In financial year 2022/23 alone, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to 2021/22: an increase of 5% in real terms per pupil.

The Children and Families Act 2014 placed duties on early years providers, schools, further education colleges (FE), and some post-16 providers to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to succeed in their education. Our SEND Code of Practice sets out clear guidance that they should apply a 'graduated approach’, which means identifying a child or young persons’ needs, implementing appropriate support, reviewing it regularly and taking their views into account. The Code of Practice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

The department is committed to supporting the development of teachers' and educational professionals' skills, as well as evidence based and effective practice within nurseries schools and colleges. The department has funded the whole school SEND consortium, through our contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs, to deliver a programme which supports school staff in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, including dyspraxia. In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a further £2 million to this work, bringing the total funding for this contract to over £8 million since 2018.

In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a grant of almost £1.2 million to the Education and Training Foundation. This grant will support the FE workforce in identifying and meeting the needs of learners with SEND, including those with dyspraxia. The department also announced recently that it will offer training bursaries, worth £15,000 each (tax free), for a further academic year (2022/23), to those specialising in SEND teaching in the FE sector.

The department does not differentiate between different types of SEND in the way funding is allocated to schools, colleges and local authorities for the responsibilities they have for supporting children and young people with SEND. Over the last 10 years there have been substantial increases in core schools funding, which includes funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for children and young people with more complex needs. In financial year 2022/23 alone, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to 2021/22: an increase of 5% in real terms per pupil.

The Children and Families Act 2014 placed duties on early years providers, schools, further education colleges (FE), and some post-16 providers to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to succeed in their education. Our SEND Code of Practice sets out clear guidance that they should apply a 'graduated approach’, which means identifying a child or young persons’ needs, implementing appropriate support, reviewing it regularly and taking their views into account. The Code of Practice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

The department is committed to supporting the development of teachers' and educational professionals' skills, as well as evidence based and effective practice within nurseries schools and colleges. The department has funded the whole school SEND consortium, through our contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs, to deliver a programme which supports school staff in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, including dyspraxia. In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a further £2 million to this work, bringing the total funding for this contract to over £8 million since 2018.

In the 2021-22 financial year, the government has provided a grant of almost £1.2 million to the Education and Training Foundation. This grant will support the FE workforce in identifying and meeting the needs of learners with SEND, including those with dyspraxia. The department also announced recently that it will offer training bursaries, worth £15,000 each (tax free), for a further academic year (2022/23), to those specialising in SEND teaching in the FE sector.

The department does not differentiate between different types of SEND in the way funding is allocated to schools, colleges and local authorities for the responsibilities they have for supporting children and young people with SEND. Over the last 10 years there have been substantial increases in core schools funding, which includes funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for children and young people with more complex needs. In financial year 2022/23 alone, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to 2021/22: an increase of 5% in real terms per pupil.

The most recent figures for pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM) are from the January 2021 school census, and are published in ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics’, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

The publication includes an interactive table tool that can be used to create tables for different areas within England. The following shows FSM figures for pupils in local authorities within West Yorkshire: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f9b0f73c-883b-4ac5-a3b0-38980e89fe84.

School census data on the number of schools in England is also published annually in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics’ release, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.

The January 2021 publication includes an interactive table tool which can be used to create tables for different areas within England. A table showing the number of schools in local authorities within West Yorkshire is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/caab6075-50cd-4724-9934-5891e31ecea6.

The January 2010 publication includes Excel tables showing data at local authority level, and Table 10a shows the number of schools.

The most recent figures for pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM) are from the January 2021 school census, and are published in ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics’, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

The publication includes an interactive table tool that can be used to create tables for different areas within England. The following shows FSM figures for pupils in local authorities within West Yorkshire: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f9b0f73c-883b-4ac5-a3b0-38980e89fe84.

School census data on the number of schools in England is also published annually in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics’ release, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.

The January 2021 publication includes an interactive table tool which can be used to create tables for different areas within England. A table showing the number of schools in local authorities within West Yorkshire is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/caab6075-50cd-4724-9934-5891e31ecea6.

The January 2010 publication includes Excel tables showing data at local authority level, and Table 10a shows the number of schools.

We remain in close contact with the Hong Kong SAR Government in order to minimise disruption to UK and Hong Kong families and businesses. We will continue to work together to reduce the restrictions on international travel.

We are working on a number of possible outcomes for those pupils who are currently unable to get home. Some boarding schools will make arrangements for them to stay there, or perhaps go to another boarding school if necessary. Some may also be able to stay with guardians, or perhaps family in the UK, where that is an option.

The Department follows expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which states that as long as asbestos-containing materials are in good condition, well protected either by their position or physical protection, and are unlikely to be worked on, it is usually safer to manage them in place. Where that is not the case, the duty holder should have it removed, and the Department provides significant condition funding which can be used for this purpose.

Since 2015, the Department has allocated £11.3 billion to those responsible for school buildings for essential maintenance and improvements, including removal or encapsulation of asbestos when such is the safest course of action. This includes £1.8 billion committed for financial year 2021-22.

Through the Priority School Building Programme, the Department has been rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition at over 500 schools across the country. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced a new 10-year rebuilding programme for schools, which will replace poor condition buildings with modern, energy efficient designs. The Department has announced the first 50 schools to benefit from the programme, as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade.

In July 2019, the Department published information from the Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) designed to understand the prevalence of asbestos in schools and how well it is managed. Of the 19,522 (88.4%) state-funded schools in England which participated, a total of 15,796 (80.9%) of participating schools stated some asbestos was present on their estate. The responses also suggested that there were no systemic failures in the management of asbestos in schools.

The Department takes the issue of asbestos in schools seriously, and is committed to supporting schools, local authorities and academy trusts to fulfil their duty to manage asbestos safely. We have taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen schools’ approach to managing asbestos. In addition to conducting the AMAP, the Department published updated guidance on effectively managing asbestos in schools in October 2020, working closely with HSE experts, union representatives and other sector representatives to do so.

The Department follows expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which states that as long as asbestos-containing materials are in good condition, well protected either by their position or physical protection, and are unlikely to be worked on, it is usually safer to manage them in place. Where that is not the case, the duty holder should have it removed, and the Department provides significant condition funding which can be used for this purpose.

Since 2015, the Department has allocated £11.3 billion to those responsible for school buildings for essential maintenance and improvements, including removal or encapsulation of asbestos when such is the safest course of action. This includes £1.8 billion committed for financial year 2021-22.

Through the Priority School Building Programme, the Department has been rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition at over 500 schools across the country. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced a new 10-year rebuilding programme for schools, which will replace poor condition buildings with modern, energy efficient designs. The Department has announced the first 50 schools to benefit from the programme, as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade.

In July 2019, the Department published information from the Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) designed to understand the prevalence of asbestos in schools and how well it is managed. Of the 19,522 (88.4%) state-funded schools in England which participated, a total of 15,796 (80.9%) of participating schools stated some asbestos was present on their estate. The responses also suggested that there were no systemic failures in the management of asbestos in schools.

The Department takes the issue of asbestos in schools seriously, and is committed to supporting schools, local authorities and academy trusts to fulfil their duty to manage asbestos safely. We have taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen schools’ approach to managing asbestos. In addition to conducting the AMAP, the Department published updated guidance on effectively managing asbestos in schools in October 2020, working closely with HSE experts, union representatives and other sector representatives to do so.

As new evidence or data emerges, the Government updates its advice accordingly to ensure that all our schools and colleges have the right safety measures in place.

The Department recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March 2021, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance.

As our updated guidance outlines, in primary schools, face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible, for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This applies to those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate. The same exemptions should be applied in schools, and we would expect teachers and other staff to be sensitive to those needs.

We continue to work closely with Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care and stakeholders across the sector to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice.

These measures will be in place until Easter. We will keep this under review and update guidance at that point.

The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. As of Monday 18 January, over 800,000 laptops and tablets had been delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities.

The number of devices available for each school, trust or local authority is based on children eligible for free school meals and takes into account existing devices available in schools. Schools, trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing the laptops and tablets and are best placed to know which disadvantaged children and young people need access to a device.

The Government is providing this significant injection of devices on top of an estimated 2.9 million laptops and tablets already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. On 12 January, we announced that we will be providing a further 300,000 devices over the course of this term.

Figures on the number of devices delivered, including by local authority, are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-3. These figures are broken down by local authority and academy trust.

We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

It is more crucial than ever before that we tap into the brilliant talent that our country has to offer, and make sure that university places are available to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so.

In the 2019/20 applications cycle, 11.4% of English 18 year olds applying for higher education were from disadvantaged backgrounds (POLAR4 Q1), and 11.3% of English 18 year olds accepted onto higher education places, were from disadvantaged backgrounds. This compares to 10.4% of English 18 year old applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds, and 9.7% of accepted English 18 year old applicants, in the 2011/12 applications cycle.

It is vital that students applying to university in 2021 have extra time to carefully consider their applications and make the best choices for their future. As such, for students applying to enter university in 2021, the UCAS deadline for most courses has been pushed back to 29 January 2021. We are encouraging universities to be flexible when making offers to individual students whose education has been disproportionally and adversely impacted from the COVID-19 outbreak, to ensure that these students are able to receive fair offers for 2021.

All higher education providers wanting to charge higher level fees must also have an Access and Participation Plan agreed by the Office for Students in which they set out the measures they intend to take to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups can access and succeed in higher education.

We have just launched a consultation on options for reforming the higher education admissions system in favour of post-qualification admissions. We are asking respondents to work with us to identify ways in which the system can be made to work better for disadvantaged students, particularly in terms of being able to access the most selective universities.

It is more crucial than ever before that we tap into the brilliant talent that our country has to offer, and make sure that university places are available to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so.

In the 2019/20 applications cycle, 11.4% of English 18 year olds applying for higher education were from disadvantaged backgrounds (POLAR4 Q1), and 11.3% of English 18 year olds accepted onto higher education places, were from disadvantaged backgrounds. This compares to 10.4% of English 18 year old applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds, and 9.7% of accepted English 18 year old applicants, in the 2011/12 applications cycle.

It is vital that students applying to university in 2021 have extra time to carefully consider their applications and make the best choices for their future. As such, for students applying to enter university in 2021, the UCAS deadline for most courses has been pushed back to 29 January 2021. We are encouraging universities to be flexible when making offers to individual students whose education has been disproportionally and adversely impacted from the COVID-19 outbreak, to ensure that these students are able to receive fair offers for 2021.

All higher education providers wanting to charge higher level fees must also have an Access and Participation Plan agreed by the Office for Students in which they set out the measures they intend to take to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups can access and succeed in higher education.

We have just launched a consultation on options for reforming the higher education admissions system in favour of post-qualification admissions. We are asking respondents to work with us to identify ways in which the system can be made to work better for disadvantaged students, particularly in terms of being able to access the most selective universities.

The requested data is presented in the table below. Please note that schools were not asked to complete the educational settings survey from 5 January while the survey was changed to reflect the changes in the national lockdown, Therefore, we present figures for 4 January instead.

On Monday 4 January, many schools were expected to still be on Christmas break or have planned inset days[5]. The response rate to the survey of educational settings on 4 January was low and nearly half of responding schools reported an inset day or non-COVID related closure (47%). Therefore, figures for 4 January 2021 exclude schools in areas expected to still be on Christmas break and those that reported inset days or non-COVID related closures.

Figures have not been adjusted for non-response and are therefore may not be nationally representative.

[1] Response rates are included for context.

[2] Attendance figures are for in person attendance.

[3] Includes ‘middle deemed primary’ schools.

[4] Includes ‘middle deemed secondary’ and ‘all-through schools’.

[5] The vast majority of schools in the following local authorities were expected to still be on Christmas break on 4 January: Suffolk, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Rutland, Bury, Stockport, Wigan, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Central Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, West Berkshire, North Yorkshire. Some schools in other local authorities were also still on Christmas break or had inset days - academies are not required to follow local authority term dates and schools can set their own inset days.

Based on the information supplied by local authorities, the table attached shows the number of Sure Start children’s centres in the Yorkshire and Humber region in 2010 and 2020.[1]

[1] Source: Downloaded from Get Information about Schools database https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Based on information supplied by local authorities as at 11 January 2020. These figures may be different to previous answers, and could change again in future, since local authorities may update their data at any time.

Schools have been restricted since 6 January 2021, not because they are unsafe but because additional measures are needed to contain the spread of the virus. The wider significant restrictions in place as part of the national lockdown to contain the spread of the virus in the community enable us to continue prioritising keeping nurseries and childminders open, supporting parents and delivering the crucial care and education needed for our youngest children.

Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff. Current evidence suggests that pre-school children (0 to 5 years) are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission which is referred to in the 65th SAGE meeting, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/935102/sage-65-meeting-covid-19-s0863.pdf.

There is no evidence the new strain of the virus causes more serious illness in either children or adults and there is no evidence that the new variant of coronavirus disproportionately affects young children.

Public Health England (PHE) advice remains that the system of controls are the right measures for early years settings, which reduce risks and create inherently safer environments.

Early years settings have been open to all children since 1 June 2020 and there is no evidence that the early years sector has contributed to a significant rise in virus cases within the community. Early modelling evidence from SAGE evidenced in the report Modelling and behavioural science responses to scenarios for relaxing school closures’ showed that early years provision had a smaller relative impact on transmission rate when modelled with both primary schools and secondary schools. The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886994/s0257-sage-sub-group-modelling-behavioural-science-relaxing-school-closures-sage30.pdf.

We continue to prioritise keeping early years settings open in full because of the clear benefits to children’s education and wellbeing and to support working parents. Caring for the youngest age group is not something that can be done remotely.

PHE have endorsed a ‘system of controls’ which are the set of actions all early years settings must take. They are outlined in more detail in the ‘Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ guidance, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

These build on the hierarchy of protective measures that have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, these measures create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced for children and staff.

The Department is committed to levelling up school standards and opportunities for all children, including those studying A levels. The Department does this through a mixture of policies that support disadvantaged pupils wherever they live in the country, as well as through extra support for places that fall behind.

Through the 16-19 funding formula, we provide additional funding to support disadvantaged students from economically deprived areas as well as students who have low prior attainment in maths and English. In the 2020/21 academic year, we allocated over £500 million of disadvantage funding (almost 10% of core programme funding).

For the 2020/21 academic year, we have also made up to £96 million available specifically for colleges, sixth forms and other 16-19 providers, to provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted through the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The evidence is clear that early intervention is the best way to address educational inequalities that appear at A level and beyond. The Department is spending £2.4 billion this year through the pupil premium to tackle educational inequality in the school system, as well as investing in a number of reforms to improve the quality of teaching. The Early Career Framework reforms and support for newly qualified teachers is the biggest teaching reform in a generation. In autumn 2020, the Department launched the early roll-out of the Early Career Framework reforms for eligible schools in the North East, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Doncaster. Meanwhile, the Department’s Opportunity Areas and One North East programmes are helping to raise standards in areas of the country that face particular challenges.

The published data available from the Department’s most recent release showed a narrowing of the percentage gap between the local authorities with the highest and lowest AAB proportions between 2017/18 and 2018/19 academic years. The gap fell from 48.4ppts to 38.8ppts; the difference in 2017/18 and 2018/19 respectively in the proportion of students achieving AAB or higher, where Reading and Knowsley local authorities recorded the highest and lowest proportions in both years. This information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results/2019-20.

However, it is important to note that data for the worst performing and best performing local authorities sit at the extremes of the data, and as such naturally fluctuate from year to year. It would not be prudent for the Department to draw out significant policy implications from the change in the gap in just one year.

The Department remains committed to high attainment for all students across the UK. Since 2011, we have reformed the national curriculum, GCSEs and A levels to set world-class standards across all subjects and invested heavily in improving the quality of teaching.

UCAS sector-level data on higher education entry rates by English region shows that in 2020, 18 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds were proportionally 80% more likely to enter full time higher education than in 2009. This data is available here: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2020.

The government has made the attainment, health and wellbeing of children and young people a priority. Many of the challenges set out require a cross-government approach.

School standards in England have improved overall since 2010. 86% of schools are now rated good or outstanding – up from 68% in 2010. Over the last 9 years, the percentage of children meeting expectations in the phonics screening check has gone up from 58% to 82%. We achieved our highest ever score in an international assessment of reading in 2016. There has been a 9-percentage point rise in key stage 2 maths results since new tests were introduced in 2016, and a significant improvement in maths scores for 15 year olds in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) international test results, driven by a decrease in the number of low attainers. Results from the Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 international test results show our year 5 and year 9 pupils continue to perform strongly on the international stage - we particularly welcome the significant improvement in attainment for our year 5 pupils since 2015.

We are reforming the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and over 3,000 schools are early adopters this year. We have strengthened the high-level curriculum summaries and early learning goals, including a focus on areas we know are key predictors of later success: communication and language, literacy and mathematics.

The government plans to invest over £7 billion during 2020/21 academic year, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19-year-old who wants one (this includes spending on apprenticeships). Provision is funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which works with local authorities to ensure that provision meets the needs of young people in their area.

Under Raising the Participation Age (RPA) requirements, all young people in England are now required to continue in education or training until at least their 18^th birthday. In practice most young people continue until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/raising-the-participation-age.

The Department for Education (DfE) works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. There is a joint programme overseeing the implementation of the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision green paper. This includes the provision of mental health support teams linked to groups of schools and colleges and part of a wider NHS England investment in children and young people’s mental health, which is transforming how specialist services are provided and make links to other services.

DfE also works closely with DHSC and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) on physical health, contributing to the government’s childhood obesity plan. The healthy schools rating scheme celebrates the positive actions that schools are delivering in terms of healthy living, healthy eating and physical activity, and supports schools in identifying further actions that they can take in this area.

The School sport and activity action plan sets out how we are working to support the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation that all children and young people should have access to 60 minutes a day of physical activity. We have also introduced a new curriculum covering relationships, sex and health education, which became mandatory from September 2020 and means that all pupils will be taught about ways to be physically and mentally healthy and about healthy relationships with their peers.

The monthly figures on the number of child protection referrals that were made to children’s social care services in England, up to March 2020, are published in the ‘Characteristics of children in need’ statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need.

The Vulnerable Children and Young People Survey collects fortnightly data from local authorities in England on the number of referrals made to children’s social care services. The data for the full month is not collected.

The attached tables show the number of referrals to children’s social care services, where the data is available for 2020.

The Department does not collect attendance information for all pupil characteristics, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We do collect attendance data for vulnerable children with an education health and care plan (EHCP) and/or social worker on a daily basis. This data is published at a national level as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Data covering the period including 1 December will be published on 8 December.

We estimate that on 26 November 78% of all pupils with an EHCP on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance, and 78% of all pupils with a social worker on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance.

The Department does not collect attendance information for all pupil characteristics, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We do collect attendance data for vulnerable children with an education health and care plan (EHCP) and/or social worker on a daily basis. This data is published at a national level as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Data covering the period including 1 December will be published on 8 December.

We estimate that on 26 November 78% of all pupils with an EHCP on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance, and 78% of all pupils with a social worker on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance.

The department wants to ensure that a wide range of opportunities are available to people of all ages to meet their future skills needs.

The department has introduced a number of additional measures this year as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, such as through the Plan for Jobs announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in July 2020, and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in September.

The Lifetime Skills Guarantee is aimed at eligible adults, including those that have become unemployed. As part of this, adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification will be fully funded for their first full level 3 course, enabling participants to access the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. This offer will be funded from the National Skills Funding, established to help people learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future.

The Prime Minister has also announced skills bootcamps, which will be available in 6 areas across the country. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and are linked to real job opportunities, helping participants to find jobs, and employers to fill much-needed vacancies. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from spring 2021, and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.

In addition, the government launched The Skills Toolkit in April 2020. This offers a wide range of digital and numeracy courses for all skills levels. Courses are available for free to the public, offering an opportunity for individuals to upskill and build on their CV. We have recently expanded The Skills Toolkit to increase the range of courses so that people can now choose from over 70 courses, covering digital, adult numeracy, employability and work readiness skills, which have been identified as the skills employers need the most. These courses will help people stay in work or take up new jobs and opportunities.

We are also investing £17 million in the sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) to triple the number of SWAP placements in 2020/21, enough funding to support an extra 40,000 job seekers with additional training opportunities and the chance of a job.

We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), worth £1.34 billion in the 2020/21 financial year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.

Our apprenticeship reforms are driving up quality and delivering the skills that employers need. As an incentive to employers to take on new apprentices we are providing a new payment of £2,000 to employers (in England) for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a payment of £1,500 for each new apprentice an employer hires aged 25 and over, before 31 January 2021. We have also introduced incentive payments, enabling employers to apply for £1000 per learner, for employers who offer traineeship work placement opportunities between 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2021.

Based on information supplied by local authorities, there were 2302 Sure Start children’s centres and 699 linked sites open as at 25 November 2020.[1]

The decision to keep children’s centres operational in response to the COVID-19 outbreak is one for local authorities. Data on the number of children’s centres that are currently operational is held at a local level.[2]

[1] Source: Downloaded from ‘Get Information about Schools’ (GIAS) database: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk on 26 November 2020.

[2] Local authorities are required to update their children’s centre records on a regular basis to reflect any permanent changes that they make to their children’s centre provision. However, the GIAS does not provide a facility to report temporary closures.

The Department does not hold COVID-19 testing data.

We collect data on the open status of schools, the number of schools that have indicated they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment, and the total number of pupils reported absent due to a confirmed COVID-19 case. The data is published from this collection at a national level as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

On 19 November 2020, 18,000 pupils in state-funded schools were reported absent due to a confirmed case of COVID-19. This data is collected at school level, not pupil level. Therefore, we cannot estimate a total for the number of pupils absent since the beginning of term.

Please note that Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence, and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE publishes data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings, which can be found through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-report.

In the academic year 2019/20, the Office for Students distributed £1.3 billion of funding to higher education providers via the teaching grant. The majority of this was allocated via the recurrent teaching grant to fund high-cost courses and specialist providers and to support student access and success for particular student groups. A further £100 million was provided as capital funding in the academic year 2019/20.

The decision was taken to increase the scale and reach of our offer in response to the challenges facing our changing economy, by consolidating our support in larger, more comprehensive offers.

The Unionlearn model has its limitations. It is reliant on a trade union presence in the workplace, which is more focused on larger employers and does not necessarily reach the unemployed, self-employed, start-ups, and many more small and medium-sized businesses that do not have union representation. The 2018 evaluation by Exeter University found only 2% of people supported through Unionlearn were unemployed and 5% were self-employed.

We are focussing on a much larger and more comprehensive package of training support, including the establishment of a £2.5 billion National Skills Fund to help adults get the skills they need, including the Lifetime Skills Guarantee – to support any adult who does not yet have an A-level equivalent qualification to obtain one. This is in addition to the existing entitlement for adults without English and maths level 2 qualifications or Basic Digital Skills level 1 to get fully funded support to gain these essential qualifications.

As a result, it was decided not to continue to fund the smaller Unionlearn offer. All the money will be invested in skills and retraining that will be fully accessible to everyone.

Unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund provides very little training and education itself, but instead supports, encourages and mentors individuals to undertake learning. In most cases, the actual learning is funded through the Adult Education Budget.

In the financial year 2019/20, our grant to the Union Learning Fund allowed Unionlearn to support 189,094 people in learning. The learning itself is provided by a range of providers including colleges, independent training providers and others. The type of learning is very wide and covers informal Adult Community Learning, basic skills, continuing professional development, as well as learning which leads to a formal qualification. We do not keep records on the actual qualifications gained.

Unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund provides very little training and education itself, but instead supports, encourages and mentors individuals to undertake learning. In most cases, the actual learning is funded through the Adult Education Budget.

In the financial year 2019/20, our grant to the Union Learning Fund allowed Unionlearn to support 189,094 people in learning. The learning itself is provided by a range of providers including colleges, independent training providers and others. The type of learning is very wide and covers informal Adult Community Learning, basic skills, continuing professional development, as well as learning which leads to a formal qualification. We do not keep records on the actual qualifications gained.

Social mobility is a top priority across the department. Every child should have the same opportunity to express their talents and make the most of their lives.

Evidence shows that what happens in children’s earliest years, before they start school, can have a huge influence on later outcomes. That is why the department has committed over £60 million to programmes to improve early language and literacy. Over 1 million disadvantaged two-year olds have taken up an early education place since the entitlement began in September 2013. Results show that the proportion of children achieving a ‘good level of development’ at age 5 is improving year on year. The percentage of children receiving free school meals (FSM) and achieving a good level of development was 57% in 2019, compared 36% in 2013.

A world-class education system that works for everyone is the surest way to spread opportunity across the country. That is why we are investing over £7 billion more in our schools by the 2022-23 financial year, compared to the 2019-20 financial year. This means schools around the country can continue to raise standards to give all children the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Schools continue to receive the pupil premium, worth £2.4 billion again this year, to enable them to arrange extra personalised support for disadvantaged pupils.

Our technical education reforms will also offer a real choice of high-quality training that has parity of esteem with traditional academic routes, so that all young people can follow the path that’s right for them and benefit from more choice in their education journey. The new T Levels will offer young people a high-quality alternative to A Levels. We are providing extensive support for their implementation, particularly around building capacity for industry placements and capital funding for high quality facilities and equipment.

We are making progress on spreading opportunity, with disadvantaged 18-year-olds entering full time higher education at record rates. The latest data shows that there were 24,900 placed English 18-year-old applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds, constituting an entry rate of 23.1%. Both are the highest on record.

Opportunity Areas (OAs) are working to improve outcomes for children and young people in 12 areas with low social mobility. This is at the heart of our work to level up and learn what works best in areas with entrenched social mobility barriers, so that we can roll out successful approaches across the country.

We are investing £90 million in the 12 OAs to tackle barriers preventing children and young people from achieving their potential. The OAs have also benefitted from £22 million through the “Essential Life Skills” programme, focused on developing resilience, wellbeing, and employability.

I am committed to doing all I can to support our young people leaving care and ensure that turning 18 years old isn’t the ‘cliff edge’ it can be seen as.

Since 2014, local authorities have been under a duty to provide financial support to enable young people in foster care to remain living with their former foster family to age 21 in a Staying Put arrangement. The department is providing funding of over £33 million in the 2020/21 financial year to support implementation, an increase of approximately £10 million (40%) on the 2019/20 financial year.

Since 2018, we have funded 8 Staying Close pilots (£5.8 million over two years) to test an enhanced offer of support, with accommodation and well-being, for young people leaving residential care. In the 2020/21 financial year we are continuing the pilots and have announced our intention to begin national roll-out.

During National Care Leavers’ Week in October 2020, my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, and I contributed to sector-led events, including the ‘Empathy Summit’ staged by Spectra and the Care Leaver Covenant. We now have 155 organisations signed up to the Care Leaver Covenant, businesses, charities, public bodies, and 85 in the process of developing their offer of practical help. I urge others to follow suit and identify what opportunities they can offer to care leavers.

Policies across government impact on care leavers’ lives, such as housing, employment and health. That is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has set up a cross-government ministerial care leavers board, to focus on issues facing care leavers.

In summer this year, I launched the latest intake to the Civil Service care leaver internship scheme, which this year has received over 700 applicants to work in a range of paid roles across government. We are now working, with the cross-government ministerial care leavers’ board, to identify similar opportunities in other large public sector employers, such as the NHS, police and the fire service.

Since 2018/19, as part the government’s rough sleeping strategy, we have provided nearly £6 million funding to 47 local authorities with the highest number of care leavers at risk of homelessness/rough sleeping. The funding allows them to employ specialist Personal Advisers to provide intensive support to small caseloads of care leavers most at risk.

During National Care Leavers Week 2020, this department and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published joint guidance to local authorities on establishing positive accommodation pathways for care leavers, including developing joint protocols between local authorities Children’s and Housing Services.

Providing care leavers with the support they need to access educational opportunities that will allow them to reach their potential is one of my main priorities. We have already:

• Launched 3 care leaver social impact bonds (£5 million over 4 years), which use ‘payment by results’ contracts to support care leavers into education, employment or training.
• In August 2018, introduced a £1,000 bursary for care leavers starting an apprenticeship. Local authorities are required to provide a £2,000 bursary for care leavers who go to university; and care leavers are a priority group for the 16-19 bursary (£1,200 a year) if they are studying in further education.
• In 2019, published the care leaver higher education (HE) principles guidance, which identify the areas where care leavers need extra support to access and succeed in HE, with examples of best practice from across the sector.
• In September, my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, wrote to local authority virtual school heads encouraging them to arrange workshops for care leavers, using free resources designed to help young adults prepare for independent student living.
• Launched the care leaver covenant, which provides a way for organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors to show their commitment to care leavers through providing concrete offers of support. There are now 155 organisations and around 60 HE institutions who have signed the care leaver covenant and published their ‘offer’ to care leavers.

At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, my hon. Friend, the Minister of state for Universities, wrote to universities and other HE providers, to highlight the vulnerability of care leavers and estranged students, and asked them to prioritise these groups for additional support. In addition:

• Care leavers were a priority group for the 220,000 laptops that the department provided to local authorities, for disadvantaged children and young people, so they can access education and social care services remotely. This included care leavers who are studying at university.
• The government has worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Providers were able to use OfS Student Premium funding worth around £23 million per month for April to July this year and £256 million, for the academic year 2020/21 starting from August, towards student hardship funds, including the purchase of IT equipment and mental health support, as well as to support providers’ access and participation plans.

The provision of free school meals (FSM) to children from out-of-work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government. The most recent statistical publication shows that there are around 1.4 million children eligible for and claiming a nutritious FSM, based on the January school census, saving families more than £400 per year. The 2020 publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2020. Take-up may currently be higher due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and current economic circumstances.

We are grateful for the hard work that school staff undertake throughout the school year to deliver this provision locally for the families that are eligible for FSM. During the COVID-19 outbreak, we are especially appreciative of the actions that schools have taken to continue FSM provisions during such challenging circumstances. We want to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their FSM, and schools continue to accept applications from pupils who are newly eligible. To support this, the department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.

We have put additional guidance in place to ensure we support pupils eligible for FSM who are having to self-isolate during term-time, asking schools to work with their caterers to provide food parcels. Given the increased uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak we are taking steps to make sure that children and families get the extra support they need over the winter. Building on the significant financial support given throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, a new £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme will be run by councils in England. The funding will be ring-fenced, with at least 80% earmarked to support with food and bills, and will cover the period to the end of March.

We are also investing up to £220 million in the Holiday Activities and Food programme which will be expanded across England next year. Children eligible for FSM will have the option to join a holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays, giving disadvantaged young people opportunities they might otherwise lose out on.

Additionally, we are increasing the value of Healthy Start Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 from next April. This scheme supports pregnant women or those with children under four who have a low income and are in receipt of benefits to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. This will help those on lower incomes to boost the long-term health of their children.

Finally, we have also pledged additional funding of £16 million for food distribution charities, conversations are ongoing as to how this is allocated. This is further to the £16 million distributed to food aid charities earlier in the COVID-19 outbreak.

The number of children that were eligible for Free School Meals in England and (a) Wakefield, (b) Leeds, (c) Kirklees, (d) Bradford and (e) Calderdale Local Authority areas in January 2020 is given in the table below.

Source: School census, January 2020 - https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/96abea42-23cf-4412-910b-85d104f9be9d.

Data for October 2020 is currently being collected through the autumn term school census and is not yet available.

The number of children that were eligible for Free School Meals in England and (a) Wakefield, (b) Leeds, (c) Kirklees, (d) Bradford and (e) Calderdale Local Authority areas in January 2020 is given in the table below.

Source: School census, January 2020 - https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/96abea42-23cf-4412-910b-85d104f9be9d.

Data for October 2020 is currently being collected through the autumn term school census and is not yet available.

The number of children that were eligible for Free School Meals in England and (a) Wakefield, (b) Leeds, (c) Kirklees, (d) Bradford and (e) Calderdale Local Authority areas in January 2020 is given in the table below.

Source: School census, January 2020 - https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/96abea42-23cf-4412-910b-85d104f9be9d.

Data for October 2020 is currently being collected through the autumn term school census and is not yet available.

Our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, has reported that over £380 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by families through the scheme as of 19 August 2020. The scheme was launched on 31 March 2020. Over 20,350 schools have placed orders for the scheme as of 28 July. The free school meal (FSM) voucher scheme has now closed. Now schools and their kitchens are open, normal free school meal provision has resumed, enabling children to have a nutritious healthy meal at school.

Our latest FSM guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools.

The department does not collect central information on the details of school expenditure, including whether they pay for externally provided mental health support for students. Schools and colleges have the freedom to decide what support to offer pupils based on their particular needs, drawing on evidence available on effective practice.

We are currently providing the biggest increase to schools funding in a decade. School budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in the 2021-22 financial year and £7.1 billion in the 2022-23 financial year, compared to the 2019-20 financial year. We recognise that local authorities’ costs in providing for those with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have increased. We have increased high needs funding for children and young people with the most complex SEND, from £5 billion in 2013 to over £7 billion in 2020-21 financial year, and it will continue to rise to £8 billion in the 2021-22 financial year. This increase means that in the 2021-22 financial year, every local authority will attract an increase of at least 8% per head of population, with some authorities seeing increases of up to 12%.

Schools are best placed to make decisions on how best to spend their funding to support their pupils, and we do not set restrictions on how much is spent on mental health provision. We know that there has been an increased need to focus on mental health and wellbeing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Getting children and young people back into school and college is key to their wellbeing. We have worked hard to ensure that all pupils and learners were able to return to a full high-quality education programme in September. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020/21 academic year, is supporting education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place.

To ensure that staff were equipped to support wellbeing as children and young people returned to schools and colleges, we made it a central part of our guidance both on remote education and on the return to school. We supported this with a range of training and materials, including webinars which have been accessed by thousands of education staff and accelerating training on how to teach about mental health as part of the new relationships, sex and health curriculum, so that all pupils can benefit from this long-term requirement.

To continue this support we have invested in £8 million in the Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The programme is funding expert advisers in every area of England to train and support schools and colleges during the autumn and spring terms. More information about the programme is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-for-education-return-grant-s31-grant-determination-letter.

Of course, schools and colleges are not mental health professionals, so access to specialist mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. All NHS mental health trusts have ensured that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. We have also provided £9.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities, including charities such as Young Minds to support adults and children struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

The department does not collect central information on the details of school expenditure, including whether they pay for externally provided mental health support for students. Schools and colleges have the freedom to decide what support to offer pupils based on their particular needs, drawing on evidence available on effective practice.

We are currently providing the biggest increase to schools funding in a decade. School budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in the 2021-22 financial year and £7.1 billion in the 2022-23 financial year, compared to the 2019-20 financial year. We recognise that local authorities’ costs in providing for those with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have increased. We have increased high needs funding for children and young people with the most complex SEND, from £5 billion in 2013 to over £7 billion in 2020-21 financial year, and it will continue to rise to £8 billion in the 2021-22 financial year. This increase means that in the 2021-22 financial year, every local authority will attract an increase of at least 8% per head of population, with some authorities seeing increases of up to 12%.

Schools are best placed to make decisions on how best to spend their funding to support their pupils, and we do not set restrictions on how much is spent on mental health provision. We know that there has been an increased need to focus on mental health and wellbeing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Getting children and young people back into school and college is key to their wellbeing. We have worked hard to ensure that all pupils and learners were able to return to a full high-quality education programme in September. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020/21 academic year, is supporting education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place.

To ensure that staff were equipped to support wellbeing as children and young people returned to schools and colleges, we made it a central part of our guidance both on remote education and on the return to school. We supported this with a range of training and materials, including webinars which have been accessed by thousands of education staff and accelerating training on how to teach about mental health as part of the new relationships, sex and health curriculum, so that all pupils can benefit from this long-term requirement.

To continue this support we have invested in £8 million in the Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The programme is funding expert advisers in every area of England to train and support schools and colleges during the autumn and spring terms. More information about the programme is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-for-education-return-grant-s31-grant-determination-letter.

Of course, schools and colleges are not mental health professionals, so access to specialist mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. All NHS mental health trusts have ensured that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. We have also provided £9.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities, including charities such as Young Minds to support adults and children struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

We know that, across society, the COVID-19 outbreak has had an impact on wellbeing and mental health, but it has had a particular impact on children and young people. Due to this, the government has made children’s wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The department has taken action to ensure schools and colleges are equipped to support children and young people.

To ensure that staff were equipped to support the wellbeing of children and young people as they returned to school, we made available a range of training and materials, including webinars which have been accessed by thousands of education staff and by accelerating training on how to teach about mental health as part of the new relationships, sex and health curriculum.

We have worked hard to ensure that all pupils and learners were able to return to a full high-quality education programme in September. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020-21 academic year, is supporting education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. We are also?investing £8 million in the new Wellbeing for Education Return programme which is funding expert advisers who will be able to train and support schools and colleges in every area of England and can make links to available local authority provision.

Of course, schools and colleges are not mental health professionals, so access to specialist mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. All NHS mental health trusts have ensured that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. We have also provided £9.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities, including charities such as Young Minds, to support adults and children struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

The government published its second annual ‘State of the Nation: Children and Young People’s Wellbeing’ report on 10 October 2020. This year, the report focuses on publicly available data on children and young people’s experiences associated with wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings in the report show that many elements of wellbeing have remained stable. However, there have been impacts in a range of areas, including friendships, worries about the future and personal finance, as well as differential impacts for some groups.

To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. This includes introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, set out an ambition that all children and young people who need specialist support are able to access it within a decade, with a commitment to follow up the green paper 4-week waiting time pilots with a new national waiting time for specialist services. Mental health services will continue to receive an increased share of the NHS budget, growing by at least £2.3 billion a year by the 2023-24 financial year. Funding for children and young people's mental health services will grow faster than both overall NHS funding and total mental health spending. More details on the NHS Long Term Plan are available here:
https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan/.

It is important for schools and colleges to have the freedom to decide what support to offer pupils based on their particular needs and to draw on an evidence base of effective practice. This support can come from a number of sources, including counselling.

The department has published guidance on how to put in place effective school-based counselling, which schools can use to identify where further counselling support is appropriate for their pupils. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.

Our most recent survey of mental health provision in schools and colleges in 2016 and 2017 found that 61% of schools and colleges (56% of primary schools, 84% of secondary schools and 93% of colleges) reported offering access to a counselling service for their pupils.

The government is investing £8 million in the new Wellbeing for Education Return Programme, which is funding expert advisers who will be able to train and support schools and colleges in every area of England and can make links to available local authority provision, including counselling.

To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

This Government is delivering the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade, which will give every school more money for every child.

The Department has increased core school funding by £2.6 billion this financial year, then £4.8 billion and £7.1 billion by 2021/22 and 2022/23 respectively, compared to the financial year 2019/20, including additional funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities. This investment has enabled us to increase school funding by 5% in 2020/21 alone.

Areas with high proportions of students from a disadvantaged background will continue to receive the highest levels of funding and the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed considerably in both primary and secondary schools since 2011. Through the National Funding Formula, we provide a total of £6.3 billion targeted at schools with higher numbers of pupils with additional needs, including deprivation. On top of that the pupil premium, worth £2.4 billion this financial year, provides additional support for disadvantaged pupils – those currently or formerly claiming free school meals and currently or formerly looked after – to tackle educational inequality.

The Department has also announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils, as part of the COVID-19 catch-up package. This will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers.

The Department recognises and acknowledges that British Sign Language (BSL) can be a beneficial subject for children to be taught. However, the Department does not have plans to introduce any new subjects to the National Curriculum.

Although BSL is not part of the National Curriculum, schools may choose to offer BSL in their school curriculum or include it as part of their extra curricular activities programme.

The Department is working with subject experts to develop draft subject content for a potential BSL GCSE. The Department is engaging with Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, to ensure that the subject content can be assessed appropriately and will be working with stakeholders to ensure that a wide range of views are reflected. Subject to being able to develop subject content, which meets the rigorous requirements which applies to all GCSEs, we are aiming to consult publicly on draft content early in 2021. The precise timings of this may be subject to change.

The Department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis and publishes data from this collection, including the number and percentage of state funded schools that are fully open, as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Data has been published from 9 September. Data collected between 1 and 8 September has not been published because many schools had not started term or had inset days during this time.

Schools are considered fully open if they are able to provide face to face teaching for all pupils on roll for the whole school day and they have not asked a group of pupils to self-isolate. The number and proportion of state funded schools not fully open[1] [2] [3] on 15 and 22 September was as follows:

[1] All figures are adjusted for non-response.

[2] State-funded schools are state-funded primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and alternative provision.

[3] Schools can be not fully open for non-COVID-19 related reasons, such as staggering entry for nursery and reception pupils. Where schools are not fully open, most pupils are still attending. When pupils are unable to attend school because they are complying with clinical or public health advice, schools are expected to immediately offer them access to remote education.

Keeping a close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the Government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.

The Department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis, as well as gathering information from local areas and following up with individual settings. This is to confirm that procedures for requiring pupils to isolate are well understood and that necessary decisions are made on the basis of public health advice.

The Department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. The Department is currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 93 per cent of state funded schools were fully open on 24 September. Of all schools that responded to the survey, 6 per cent said they were not fully open due to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 24 September. Approximately 88 per cent of all children on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance on 24 September. More information is available at:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

The department publishes data about children and young people’s services, including weekly costs, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.

The approximate average weekly cost in England in 2018-19 for a child in residential care was £3,945 and for foster care was £580.

Children in care generally have lower educational attainment than other pupils.

63% of looked-after children enter care due to abuse or neglect. They often have a disrupted experience of education and this pre-care experience can have a significant impact on their attainment. Looked-after children are almost four times more likely to have a special educational need (SEN) than all children and this in part can also explain the gap in attainment compared to non-looked after children.

We expect looked-after children to be placed in good or outstanding schools. Schools must appoint a designated teacher for looked-after children and local authorities must have a Virtual School Head who is accountable for the educational attainment of all children looked-after by the local authority. We have introduced the pupil premium plus for looked-after children (£2,345 per eligible pupil and is managed by the Virtual School Head) to deliver the outcomes in each looked-after child’s personal education plan. The department’s exclusions statutory guidance is clear that the headteacher should, as far as possible, avoid permanently excluding a looked after child. The rate of permanent exclusion for looked after children was 0.14% in 2014–15. That has reduced in recent years; in 2017-2018, the rate was 0.05%. The local authority must have regard to the relevant statutory guidance when carrying out its duties in relation to the education of looked after children.

Information on the performance of children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months at Key Stage 4 is published in a statistical release. Due to the introduction of reformed GCSEs and the 9-1 grading scale, comparisons over a long timeframe are difficult. Table 5a shows that the percentage of children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months achieving the threshold in English and mathematics at grade 5 or above decreased slightly from 7.4% in 2017 to 7.2% in 2019. The publication is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/outcomes-for-children-looked-after-by-local-authorities-31-march-2019.

Equivalent figures are not available for A levels as we do not match data collected for looked-after children with Key Stage 5 attainment data on the national pupil database.

Information on the degree qualifications of children who have been looked after is not held centrally within the department.

The Office for Students published a report that looked at the effects of different characteristics on students’ degree attainment. Annex B describes how care-experienced students have lower rates of achieving a first or upper-second class degree when compared to students who have not been in care. For qualifiers in 2018-19, the attainment rate of care experienced students was 12.1% lower than the attainment rate of students who have not been in care. The report is available here:
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/differences-in-student-outcomes-further-characteristics/.

Since 2018, we have been working with universities to encourage them to sign up to the Care Leaver Covenant and publish their offer to care leavers. The website is available here:
https://mycovenant.org.uk/offers/educational/.

We continue to work with the sector to better understand the needs of care leavers and increase their attendance and attainment.

The number of looked after children placed in foster care, residential homes and other residential settings since 2010 are shown in the attached table.

The latest figures nationally on children looked-after by placement are published in Table A2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2018 to 2019’, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019.

The Department does not hold the information in the format required. National data on pupil attendance in educational establishments since 23 March was last published on Tuesday 7 July at the following link, covering data up to Thursday 2 July:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak-23-march-to-1-july-2020.

The publication includes breakdowns of attendance statistics for both primary and secondary schools and colleges from 1 June.

The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published figures include estimates for non-response.

The Department has recently published guidance for parents and carers in relation to the closure of educational settings, and this is available from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers.

The current guidance confirms that children with at least one parent or carer who is critical to the COVID-19 response can attend an education or childcare setting if necessary. However, many families with a parent or carer working in critical sectors will be able to ensure their child is kept at home. Every child who can be safely cared for at home should be, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.