Judith Cummins

Reclaim Fund Ltd annually receives dormant assets and reserves the amount required to meet customer reclaims. The remainder is allocated to The National Lottery Community Fund for distribution. In an unprecedented move to respond to the Covid-19 crisis, all money available for distribution this financial year was allocated in May 2020 as part of the government’s announcement of £150m of dormant assets funding. This money is supporting charities, social enterprises, and vulnerable communities to respond to and recover from the pandemic. There are therefore no unallocated funds available for England at this time.

The dormant assets scheme is managed by Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL), who estimate that £68m of new assets will be received by them in 2020, followed by £83m in 2021 and £54m in 2022. Estimates are not made beyond this point, but RFL anticipates that ongoing levels will remain broadly similar in 2023. It should be noted that the dormant asset scheme is voluntary and so estimates can vary over time.

Currently, the dormant assets scheme only accepts bank and building society accounts. A consultation on expanding the scheme to include a wider range of dormant financial assets, such as shares and insurance policies, closed in mid-July. The government response to this consultation will be published this Autumn. We are working with industry stakeholders to estimate the value of the assets in scope for inclusion as part of this.

The information requested is not held centrally and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Employers are facing a skills shortage that we must act to address. It is vital in a fast moving and high-tech economy that technical education closes the gap between what people study and the needs of employers. This is why we are introducing over 20 T Levels, developed with 250 leading employers, and reviewing the wider post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. The department’s plans for reform of level 3 qualifications were published on 14 July 2021. We will continue to fund high quality qualifications that can be taken alongside or as alternatives to T Levels and A levels where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that T Levels and A levels cannot provide.

The department is streamlining and improving the quality of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below. We are strengthening the pathways to progression, creating clearly defined routes to further study, and/or skilled employment.

The call for evidence on qualifications and study at level 2 and below closed on 14 February. This asked for views on the range of options and types of support needed to support both 16 to 19 year olds and adults to progress to level 3 and above. We are considering feedback to the call for evidence and will consult on proposals later this year.

Our final plans setting out the groups of level 3 qualifications that will be available to adults in future were published on 14 July. This followed a consultation on level 3 qualifications that ran from 23 October 2020 to 31 January 2021.

It is intended that T Levels will be available for adults, and we believe these should exist alongside a range of other high-quality technical qualifications that are backed by employers. Adults will be able to study technical qualifications that allow entry to occupations, including those served by T Levels, and qualifications focusing on cross-sectoral skills that are transferrable across different occupations such as management, leadership and digital. Qualifications within safety critical industries will also be available for adults.

Adults progressing into further study will have access to the same range of academic qualifications as 16 to 19 year olds, as set out in the consultation response. We will also fund Access to HE Diplomas to support adults who do not have traditional qualifications to progress into higher education or to reskill.

Our final plans setting out the groups of qualifications that will be available alongside T Levels and A levels in future were published on 14 July.

We will fund two groups of technical qualifications alongside T Levels for 16 to 19 year olds. The first will be qualifications that are designed to enable entry into occupations where there are no T Levels. The second will be qualifications that develop more specialist skills and knowledge than could be acquired through a T Level alone, helping to protect the skills supply into more specialist industries or occupations.

Adults will be able to study a broader range of technical qualifications than 16 to 19 year olds. T Levels will be available for adults but we believe these should exist alongside a range of other high quality technical qualifications that are backed by employers. This includes smaller technical qualifications that enable entry into occupations that are already served by T Levels, and qualifications focusing on cross-sectoral skills that are transferrable across different occupations such as management, leadership, and digital. Qualifications within safety critical industries will also be available for adults.

We are phasing the introduction of reformed qualifications in line with the national rollout of T Levels, starting with a single test route (pathfinder) concentrating on the Digital route in the 2023/24 academic year. This means technical qualifications that lead to occupations in the Digital route that are not covered by T Levels will be available for young people and adults from 2023/24.

From the 2024/25 academic year, building on learning from the pathfinder, we will scale up the introduction of reformed technical qualifications including those which lead to occupations not covered by T Levels in the Education and Childcare, Construction, Health and Science, and Engineering and Manufacturing routes. All remaining technical and academic qualifications for young people and adults, including technical qualifications that lead to occupations in routes where there is no T Level will be introduced in 2025/26.

Detailed criteria for approval including qualification content and assessment are still in development and we will continue to work with sector experts to finalise these, including the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Ofqual, employers, awarding organisations and post-16 providers. Guidance, qualification approval criteria and funding approval criteria for qualifications approved for delivery from 2023 will be published later in 2021. Approval criteria for qualifications to be delivered from 2024 and beyond will be published in 2022.

Employers are facing a skills shortage that we must act to address. It is vital in a fast moving and high-tech economy that technical education closes the gap between what people study and the needs of employers. This is why we are introducing over 20 T Levels, developed with 250 leading employers, and reviewing the wider post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. The department’s plans for reform of level 3 qualifications were published on 14 July 2021. We will continue to fund high quality qualifications that can be taken alongside or as alternatives to T Levels and A levels where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that T Levels and A levels cannot provide. This may include some Pearson BTECs provided they meet new quality criteria for funding approval.

The impact assessment published alongside the consultation response acknowledged that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to take qualifications that could have their funding approval removed. However, it stated that these students should gain the most from these changes because they are the most likely to be taking qualifications that do not deliver the skills employers need and will have access to higher quality qualifications in future.

We are strengthening progression pathways, creating clearly defined academic and technical routes with qualifications leading to further study, and/or skilled employment. This clarity of purpose will provide all students, including those from lower income and disadvantaged backgrounds, with a range of good options and allow them to see more easily how their study will help them to progress. For students progressing to higher education, A levels provide excellent preparation, either on their own or alongside other high-quality academic qualifications. Removing many qualifications that overlap with A levels and streamlining the system to a smaller number of high-quality qualifications will provide greater clarity for students, higher education institutions and employers and will give confidence that every option is high quality and will support progression.

Alongside our reforms to level 3 qualifications, we want to improve study at level 2 and below, which has been neglected for too long. Getting level 2 and below right is key to making sure that students have clear lines of sight to level 3, apprenticeships, traineeships, and for some, directly into other employment. We are considering feedback to the call for evidence which ran from 10 November to 14 February and will consult on proposals for reform later this year.

Employers are facing a skills shortage that we must act to address. It is vital in a fast moving and high-tech economy that technical education closes the gap between what people study and the needs of employers. This is why we are introducing over 20 T Levels, developed with 250 leading employers, and reviewing the wider post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below.

The department’s plans for reform of level 3 qualifications were published on 14 July 2021. We will continue to fund high quality qualifications that can be taken alongside or as alternatives to T Levels and A levels where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that T Levels and A levels cannot provide. The future landscape may include some Pearson BTECs and/or qualifications similar to current Applied General qualifications, provided they meet new quality criteria for funding approval.

The impact assessment published alongside the consultation response recognised that some students may find it more difficult to achieve level 3 qualifications in future. However, the assessment stated that the changes will generally be positive as students will have access to higher quality qualifications in the future, including new T Levels. This will put students in a stronger position to progress onto further study or skilled employment. The assessment acknowledged that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to take qualifications that could have their funding approval removed. These students should gain the most from these changes because they are the most likely to be taking qualifications that do not deliver the skills employers need. We are committed to ensuring that T Levels are accessible to all young people and have introduced flexibilities for students with special educational needs and disabilities. The T Level Transition Programme will support young people who are not yet ready to progress to a T Level but have the potential to succeed on it after some further preparation.

All qualifications will need to meet new quality criteria to be approved for funding in future. Technical qualifications will need to be approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) to be considered for funding approval. For academic qualifications, the department will set criteria to ensure all qualifications approved for funding are necessary alongside A levels. Ofqual will provide advice about quality to both the Institute and the department. This will ensure that all qualifications are high quality and provide the skills needed to support progression either into skilled employment or further study.

Alongside our reforms to level 3 qualifications, the department wants to improve study at level 2 and below, which has been neglected for too long. Improving level 2 and below is key to making sure that every student has a clear progression route, whether that is to high quality level 3 qualifications, apprenticeships, traineeships, or directly into skilled employment at level 2. The department is considering feedback to the call for evidence, which ran from 10 November 2020 to 14 February 2021, and there will be consultation on reform proposals later this year.

Ensuring sufficient childcare for families continues to be a government priority. This is why we have ensured that wraparound childcare settings have been able to remain open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers during the current national lockdown, in line with those children eligible to attend school for onsite provision; and have updated our guidance for providers of after-school and holiday clubs and other out-of-school settings to support providers to operate as safely as possible, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-schools-coronavirus-covid-19.

However, we recognise that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason, the Government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the current crisis. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants, through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and the Self-Employed Support Scheme (SEISS), as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the Devolved Administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support, during the current national lockdown.

We have also encouraged all local authorities to consider using local grants that have been made available to them during the COVID-19 outbreak, to support the wraparound childcare sector in their areas, and to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for all families, but particularly those with vulnerable children and children of critical workers. This includes funding streams such as the discretionary fund already mentioned, as well as the expanded Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities. This programme will give children eligible for Free School Meals the option to join a free holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021 – giving disadvantaged young people opportunities they might otherwise lose out on.

The department does not hold a central register of wraparound providers, and so we are unable to make an official assessment of the effects wraparound closures on levels of children’s physical activity. However, we are acutely aware of the benefits to children’s physical and mental wellbeing of attending these settings. Therefore, the Youth Investment Fund remains an important manifesto commitment. In the recently announced Spending Review, £30 million of capital investment was committed for 2021-22. This will provide a transformational investment in new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture.

Used tyres have a range of applications in the UK, including for reuse as part-worn tyres, various recycling routes including commercial tyre retreading and the use of granulated tyres in sports and safety surfaces and for recovery, where tyres are used as a fuel in cement kilns. Export is also a feature of the used tyre market. For example, my officials are pursuing with the Indian authorities questions related to the environmentally sound movement and subsequent treatment of tyres there.

Under the Government’s 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy we identified a number of waste streams, including used tyres, as candidates on which to consult for future producer responsibility approaches. We will consider circular economy principles in the design of schemes that result from that.

The information requested is not held centrally and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Between January and September 2019 the Department for International Development ran a nationally representative survey to assess the level of demand for sustainable investment practices at cost of £44,950. There was no other departmental budget spent on opinion polling or focus groups in the UK in 2019.

The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) is tailored to the UK economy and balances the interests of UK consumers and producers. It is a lower tariff regime than the EU’s Common External Tariff. In designing the UKGT, we assessed all available evidence submitted during the public consultation in depth and considered a range of factors, such as the five principles set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.

The UKGT eliminates tariffs on imports where the UK has limited domestic production, which may lower cost pressures for UK households and businesses.

We will publish more analysis in the Taxation Information and Impact Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as is standard practice.

The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) is tailored to the UK economy and balances the interests of UK consumers and producers. It is a lower tariff regime than the EU’s Common External Tariff. In designing the UKGT, we assessed all available evidence submitted during the public consultation in depth and considered a range of factors, such as the five principles set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.

The UKGT eliminates tariffs on imports where the UK has limited domestic production, which may lower cost pressures for UK households and businesses.

We will publish more analysis in the Taxation Information and Impact Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as is standard practice.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Department for International Trade and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

All the Department’s contracts of over £10,000 can be found on the Government Contracts Finder web-site at https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has led to delays for customers, alongside a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements. The current increased demand for the DVLA’s services has also contributed to delays with paper applications.

Paper driving licence applications are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times and has been developing additional new online services and recruiting additional staff. The DVLA is exploring the possibility of securing extra office space to accommodate more staff to work predominantly on driver’s medical casework and queries. This will be surge capacity accommodation and resource to help reduce backlogs while providing future resilience and business continuity.

The DVLA has a number of communication channels for applicants to seek updates on their applications. As well as the contact centre’s telephone enquiry lines there are also email and webchat services available via GOV.UK. The DVLA’s contact centre has introduced extended opening hours and increased remote working with some staff handling email, webchat, social media and more recently telephone customer contacts remotely.

Information on the average time taken between applying for a provisional driving licence and receiving it is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union is leading to delays for customers who make paper applications.

Currently, paper applications are likely to take between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed as part of a driving licence application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

We are expecting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment report shortly and the Integrated Rail Plan will follow once Ministers have considered this advice.

The Secretary of State has had regular discussions with Transport for the North about Northern Powerhouse Rail, most recently in September. The Secretary of State also has regular conversations with Northern Leaders in his role as the Northern Powerhouse Minister, including several in preparation for the next Northern Transport Acceleration Council meeting.

In the Integrated Rail Plan, the Department will set out how projects, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, can be connected strategically to deliver the train services that people need and deserve, as effectively as possible. We are expecting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment report shortly and the Integrated Rail Plan will follow once Ministers have considered this advice.

Northern Powerhouse Rail aims to transform connectivity and economic growth. The assessment of proposals therefore includes their comparative connectivity and economic outcomes. Work to assess options is ongoing, including options serving Bradford. The Government is providing up to £500,000 funding to Bradford City Council to develop the city’s regeneration and development plans to support that work. We are currently awaiting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment for the North and Midlands, which will inform the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan.

Opinion polls and focus groups are routinely used to gather insight on communication campaigns to inform the strategic approach to DWP’s employment, benefits and pensions campaigns and to ensure these campaigns have impact, benefit the public and demonstrate good value for money.

In this case opinion polling for communication campaigns has been taken to mean all quantitative research which measures attitudes, behaviours and campaign recall.

Spending on opinion polling and related activities since January 2019 is as follows:

Spending on focus groups for communication campaigns since January 2019 is as follows:

Spending on focus groups for social research projects since January 2019 is as follows:

To note: The costs for the social research focus groups for the primary research projects are estimates, as the costs for research methods are usually combined (for example, by phase of the project); so the cost of one particular methodology wouldn’t necessarily be itemised by the contractor.

No decision has been made on changes to dental patient charges for the 2021/22 financial year.

No decision has been made on changes to dental patient charges for the 2021/22 financial year.

No decision has been made on changes to dental patient charges for the 2021/22 financial year.

We replied to the joint letter on 23 March 2021.

No formal assessment has been made recently. However, we know that diagnosis is important in ensuring appropriate access to treatment and support.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to encourage memory assessment services to provide safe and person-centred assessment and diagnosis via remote methods or in face-to-face consultations as appropriate during the pandemic. Webinars and guidance have been provided to support evolving best practice and a person-centred approach to diagnosis that supports patient choice.

In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The UK regularly raises the issue of demolitions with the Government of Israel, most recently on 12 July. The Foreign Secretary did so during his visit to the region on 26 May.

We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by recent escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel, including significant damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure including homes, schools, hospitals, and clinics.

We are in close contact with UN agencies and key partners on the ground to assess the situation and will monitor closely.

I announced funding of £3.2 million to UNRWA’s emergency flash appeal on 20 May. This will address the immediate humanitarian needs of vulnerable Palestinians living in Gaza.

Humanitarian access remains critical. We continue to urge Israel to ensure access into and out of Gaza, including for essential health services.

The UK remains clear that any Rohingya returns to Rakhine state must be voluntary, safe, dignified, and in line with UNHCR principles. At present, conditions in Myanmar preclude this possibility. The situation in Rakhine State is unpredictable following the military coup and we are monitoring the situation closely, including for the increased risk of atrocities. Until conditions improve, we will continue to support the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the surrounding host communities.

The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, most recently raised these issues with Bangladesh State Minister Shahriah Alam on 18th February 2021.

This information is not held centrally and to compile it would incur disproportionate cost.

The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021. This relief comes at a significant cost to the Exchequer, and there are currently no plans to extend the scope to include other sectors.

The Government has announced a significant support package to help businesses through the winter months, which includes an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, and an extension of the application window for the government-backed loan schemes.

The temporary zero rate of VAT on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was an extraordinary measure to help affected sectors (such as hospitals and care homes) during the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and when the global supply of PPE did not meet demand. The zero rate applies to PPE that meets the standard set out in the guidance from Public Health England (PHE).

This measure will come to an end on 31 October (as legislated), as new measures introduced by the Government will ensure supply of COVID-19 related PPE to affected sectors from 1 November. Face coverings that do not meet the standard set by PHE should not be affected by the temporary zero rate coming to an end.

HM Treasury has spent the below on (a) opinion polling in the periods under question:

The recent increase was partially to help understand public perceptions in order to inform the government’s response to the pandemic in the Spring Budget.

HM Treasury has spent no amounts on focus groups in the periods under question.

How road traffic offences are enforced and how resources are deployed are operational matters for the individual Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables in conjunction with local policing plans.

The police have a range of powers available to them in road traffic legislation and will in each case decided what the most appropriate enforcement action is.

Opinion polling and focus groups - along with other research methodologies and techniques - are conducted across the Department by individual business areas.

Each Directorate is responsible for commissioning work to meet their specific business needs. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Information on spend for opinion polling and focus groups for the whole department is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information in the table below has been provided by the Directorate of Defence Communications and Army both of whom have readily available figures broken down by month. The RAF has one payment of £2,000 for opinion polling over the timeframe requested.

Polling and focus groups are vital tools within Defence Communications because they provide insight for communications plans and allow us to evaluate the effect of our work. Communication is most effective when the target audience and their behavioural context is understood. By learning more about the general public’s behaviours, intentions, attitudes and communication preferences, Government communications can become more relevant, meaningful and impactful. Effective monitoring and evaluation helps us to articulate the value of communications campaigns and also helps us to improve campaigns on an ongoing basis.

MHCLG Ministers and officials have regular engagement with counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care, as well as with other government departments and with local authorities, on all matters relating to local authorities’ finances. We have worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care on the Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme.

The cost of establishing the full spend on opinion polling and focus groups is disproportionate. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) undertakes many research projects each year using external experts. Some of these projects will include either opinion polling or focus groups. This would form part of a wider package of research and to establish the specific cost of that part of the work across all of the projects would exceed 2.5 working days of effort.

Details of contracts awarded by MHCLG are routinely published on Contracts Finder.

MHCLG is able to provide the following limited information where it is able to identify spend through contracts solely for a) Opinion polling and b) focus groups.

Opinion Polls

Focus Groups

The Government will provide English councils with £500 million to support financially vulnerable residents, and expects that most of the funding will be used to provide additional council tax relief.

Further guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-covid-19-hardship-fund-2020-to-2021-guidance .

The 2020-21 settlement for local government provided local authorities with access to the largest increase in spending power in a decade to help local authorities meet rising demand for adult social care. In total, local authorities will have access to almost £6 billion of dedicated funding across adult and children’s social care in 2020-21.

The Government has also announced additional funding of £2.9 billion to support hospitals, councils and adult social care providers through the COVID-19 outbreak. Of this, £1.6 billion will go to local authorities to allow them to address increased pressures on services in their local areas, including adult social care.

The information requested is not held centrally and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

The Northern Ireland Office has had no spend on (a) opinion polling or (b) focus groups in any month since January 2019.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland has had no spend on (a) opinion polling or (b) focus groups in any month since January 2019.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has not spent any money on opinion polling or focus groups since January 2019.