Julian Knight

In 2020/21 the closure of the estate to visitors, along with the much-reduced number of people working onsite, significantly affected income. In 2020/21 income from tours reduced by £2.4 million. Many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving. The impact on catering and retail was a net increase in costs of £4.6 million (catering) and £0.85 million (retail). With no education visits spending on the transport subsidy for schools was reduced by £0.6m.

(a) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2019–20.

(b) Taken from House of Commons Administration Annual Report and Accounts for 2020–21. See below for explanation of the figure.

*The House of Commons had budgeted to receive £2.4 million in income from tours in 2020–21 but, in the event, there was no income because tours were cancelled. It is important to note that this is income foregone, which is not the same as a net loss. (We noted on page 27 of the accounts that the loss in income is a gross figure; many tours staff were reassigned to other roles so there was no clear offsetting saving.)

In 2021 commercial tours, along with public access to retail and catering outlets, restarted over the summer. Income and expenditure in these areas continue to be closely monitored, as with all House of Commons 2021/22 budgets.

The established practice of the Commission is to meet in private. This is to enable free and open discussion between commissioners, and to enable officials to provide impartial and frank advice.

The House of Commons officials and external members who sit on the Commission do not have voting rights. However, their views are sought in respect of any Commission decision. This is in line with the recommendations of the Report of the House of Commons Governance Committee, House of Commons Governance, Session 2014–15, HC 692, paragraph 141, which was endorsed by the House on 22 January 2015.

Schedule 1 (Paragraph 6(2)) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 empowers the House of Commons Commission to determine its own procedure. The Commission has an established practice of making decisions by correspondence outside of its formal meetings. Such decisions usually relate to matters that are considered either uncontroversial or time-critical.

Schedule 1 (Paragraph 6(2)) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 empowers the House of Commons Commission to determine its own procedure. Its established practice is to operate by consensus, and formal votes on items requiring decision are rare. Where votes do take place, they are recorded in the Commission’s record of deliberations.

Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published a report on CPS West Midlands on 12 October 2021.

The report found that the Area added significant value and excelled in making good prosecutorial decisions. In addition, the report found that the Area’s RASSO casework was particularly strong, and its handling of victim and witness care issues was also praised by inspectors.

However, there were some aspects of performance that require improvement, such as the quality of case strategy at both the pre and post charge stages.

HMCPSI will conduct a follow-up inspection of CPS West Midlands next year to assess whether improvements have been made.

UKRI’s council level allocations were published on 30 May. The total UKRI allocation is £25.1 billion for 2022-25 and will reach its highest ever level in 2024-25 (over £8.8 billion).

This multi-year settlement provides UKRI and its constituent research councils with stability and certainty to deliver world class research and innovation across their portfolio, including in mathematical sciences.

Energy suppliers are responsible for providing rebates to eligible households and are only required to report on the number of rebates provided in England, Scotland and Wales. The Government does not hold data on the number of rebate recipients by constituency.

Companies House holds the data on the number of RP606 forms submitted to them. 2960 RP06 forms were submitted during the 2021 calendar year.

The Government is committed to building a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business. We will bring forward reforms to our employment framework when Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we will continue to take necessary action to support businesses and protect jobs.

My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have agreed to give the British Business Bank a new mission to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by supporting access to finance for smaller businesses. The Bank has already made good progress in this area. Between 2014 and the third quarter of 2020 a total of £160m has been invested into clean technology businesses by equity funds backed by the British Business Bank.

Ahead of COP26, BEIS has launched the Together for Our Planet Business Climate Leaders’ campaign, which has encouraged over 1,900 small and micro businesses across the UK to join the Race to Zero by making the SME Climate Commitment.

Small and medium-sized businesses have a vital role in the transition to Net Zero. Smaller businesses make up 99% of the UK’s 5.87 million enterprises and produce 50% of all UK business emissions. Small businesses will drive this transition through developing new technologies and ways of working.

The Government is committed to supporting tourism recovery in the UK, which is why we published the Tourism Recovery Plan in June 2021.

In March 2022, the national tourist board and DCMS’ arms-length body, VisitBritain, welcomed 9 international trade buyers from Canada to the West Midlands for an educational visit. In May 2022, VisitBritain took part in a global multinational press trip to Birmingham to promote the Commonwealth Games and the wider region. Ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, VisitBritain is promoting the West Midlands as a premier UK holiday destination, focusing on key markets in Australia, India, and Canada.

VisitBritain has done extensive work with the West Midlands Growth Company on the business events front including marketing support, North American trade mission support, and opportunities to participate in trade shows at heavily discounted rates.

Birmingham was also a featured city in VisitBritain’s GREAT funded £10 million ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ international campaign. Birmingham was also a featured city in VisitEngland’s recent ‘Escape the Everyday’ domestic marketing campaign, which encouraged people to book a city break in spring.

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. With that in mind, we expect sports to do all they can to protect their athletes.

The Government has carefully considered the recommendations, including for a sport ombudsman, that were made as part of the Duty of Care Review in 2017.

We recognise that this is a very complex area with different challenges across elite and grassroots sport that means a one size fits all solution is not viable. We will continue to strive to improve the culture in sport at all levels.

Our focus has been on strengthening existing structures rather than establishing a new body to deliver the same functions. Working with Sport England and UK Sport, progress has included:

• UK Sport piloting a complaints handling disclosure service with the objective of addressing issues of independence of reporting of complaints.

• Legislation introduced to extend the definition of a ‘position of trust’ within the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to include sports coaches making a vital step in making our sports clubs more secure to young people.

We will continue to keep the option of an ombudsman under review.

In my response to question 138959, I expressed my view on the critical role that landlords play in enabling access to full fibre broadband. I also set out the measures DCMS is taking to ensure landlords understand that role, as well as ways the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act will help address situations where landlords do not engage with requests for wayleaves.

Additional measures in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill are intended to encourage more collaborative negotiations and faster dispute resolution in relation to requests for rights to install telecommunications apparatus.

This should lead to better engagement from landlords, meaning that more tenants across the country can benefit from fibre broadband. This will support our ambition for a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the UK by 2025.

Between now and 2025, the way landlines work in the UK is changing. Providers are moving from the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. The PSTN is a privately-owned telecoms network and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry.

As this is an industry-led migration, communications providers will contact their customers with information ahead of their line being upgraded. The exact migration process will depend on the provider and the type of equipment the customer has at their premises.

We are working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate levels of communication and vulnerable consumers are protected. Ofcom requires that providers must engage in effective communications to ensure all vulnerable customers understand the risk in the migration to VoIP. We are also ensuring the telecoms industry is engaging with priority sectors such as Critical National Infrastructure and Telecare providers ahead of time.

Ofcom has set out initial proposals for the process for retiring the fixed copper broadband network. This is a separate process to the PSTN migration and we do not expect to see copper retirement in the next three years.

Ofcom set out last year its Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (‘WFTMR’) which establishes the frameworks it considers necessary to meet its duties under the Communications Act 2003, including the Statement of Strategic Priorities, to promote competition and investment in gigabit-capable networks.

The measures established under this WFTMR are now monitored through Ofcom’s Openreach Monitoring Unit.

Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom - rather than the government - is responsible for publishing a report of what it has done in consequence of the Statement every twelve months. The most recent report from Ofcom is on Ofcom’s website.

However, the fixed telecoms network market is as competitive as it has ever been and there are currently more than 80 providers building gigabit-capable networks across all parts of the UK.

The department is delivering the single biggest programme of teacher development ever undertaken in this country and investing further in the skills and careers of teachers.

We will deliver 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024, giving all teachers and school leaders access to world-class, evidence-based training and professional development at every stage of their career.

This includes supporting school leaders to develop their expertise through delivering three refreshed leadership National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) in Senior Leadership, Headship, and Executive Leadership.

The government is investing £184 million in NPQs in this parliament, and have confirmed that our fully-funded scholarships for leaders at all levels will be continued for the next two years.

To ensure the department continues to retain teachers and leaders, we are building a world-class teacher development system for teachers and school leaders at all levels. The reforms create a golden thread of high-quality, evidence-based training and support running from initial teacher training through to school leadership. The department will deliver 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024.

The department has launched a refreshed suite of fully funded National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders. The leadership NPQs will give school leaders the expertise needed to improve teaching quality and pupil outcomes in their schools.

The department has also created an Early Headship Coaching Offer. This is for head teachers in their first five years of headship who are currently undertaking or have recently undertaken the NPQ for headship. The offer forms a targeted package of unassessed support when head teachers are less experienced and most at risk of leaving the profession.

The department is also funding a scheme for school leaders to improve and promote good mental health and wellbeing. The scheme, delivered by the charity Education Support, is providing one-to-one counselling, supervision, and peer support from experts to around 2,000 school leaders. Support is available for those at deputy head level and above in state-funded schools in England.

The education staff wellbeing charter is a set of commitments from the department, Ofsted, schools, and colleges to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff. Through the charter, the department pledges to work with the sector to drive down unnecessary workload, improve access to wellbeing resources, and champion flexible working, among a range of actions to support staff wellbeing.

The department is also taking action to ensure the schools system supports leaders and teachers. We want to spread the benefits of the best multi-academy trusts so that every child learns with the benefits of a strong, supportive family of schools. The department is supporting teachers and leaders to deliver higher standards of behaviour in schools by delivering an ambitious programme of work. This includes publishing the revised behaviour in schools guidance, implementing the department’s £10 million behaviour hubs programme, and delivering the national behaviour survey.

Additionally, building on the success of Oak National Academy’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department will establish a new arms-length national curriculum body. These resources will ensure high-quality lessons are available nationwide for the benefit of all children. It will free teachers to teach using the best possible resources, reducing workload so teachers can concentrate on delivering lessons, and creating new resources only when there is a reason to do so.

Regular school attendance is vital for children’s education, wellbeing and long-term development. Given the disruption already caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the department's focus is on maximising the number of children who regularly attend school.

The department publishes detailed pupil absence data as part of the school census and includes the most recent periods of national lockdown. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-autumn-2020-and-spring-2021.

The department also recently published new guidance for schools, trusts and local authorities setting out how we expect them to work together to ensure as many young people are regularly attending school as possible.

The department recognises that enrichment activities play an important role in an engaging school experience and supporting more children to attend. Research shows that engaging in enrichment activities can benefit children’s mental health, social skills, confidence, and general wellbeing. That is why the department is committed to ensuring young people have access to high-quality extra-curricular activities and are supporting a range of initiatives to expand access to these through schools, including Duke of Edinburgh and Cadets.

The government is investing over £200 million a year in the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years. This programme provides healthy meals and enriching activities to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing, and learning, and supporting their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To build on this foundation, the department is also supporting schools to navigate the resources available to develop a high-quality extracurricular offer, by providing guidance on how to make these activities a success and working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help schools ensure their pupils are getting the most out of the National Youth Guarantee.

The department's recent Schools White Paper also outlined our ambitions for the curriculum as a whole. The department is clear that all children should be entitled to take part in sport, music and cultural opportunities. These are an essential part of a broad and ambitious curriculum, and they support children’s attendance and engagement in education.

It is crucial that every school has a well-designed and well-sequenced curriculum which includes the teaching of skills, to ensure children build knowledge in a broad range of subjects before going on to specialise after the age of 16 and develop skills needed for further education and training.

The programmes of study for each national curriculum subject set out the ‘matters, skills, and processes’ to be taught at each key stage. The programmes of study are subject-specific. This ensures that pupils can secure key knowledge in specific subjects, before transferring and applying their understanding to new contexts and real-world problems. Without this secured understanding, pupils are likely to find it difficult to apply their knowledge to new situations and are at risk of developing misconceptions in the process.

Regular school attendance is vital for children’s education, wellbeing and long-term development. Given the disruption already caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the department's focus is on maximising the number of children who regularly attend school.

The department publishes detailed pupil absence data as part of the school census and includes the most recent periods of national lockdown. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-autumn-2020-and-spring-2021.

The department also recently published new guidance for schools, trusts and local authorities setting out how we expect them to work together to ensure as many young people are regularly attending school as possible.

The department recognises that enrichment activities play an important role in an engaging school experience and supporting more children to attend. Research shows that engaging in enrichment activities can benefit children’s mental health, social skills, confidence, and general wellbeing. That is why the department is committed to ensuring young people have access to high-quality extra-curricular activities and are supporting a range of initiatives to expand access to these through schools, including Duke of Edinburgh and Cadets.

The government is investing over £200 million a year in the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years. This programme provides healthy meals and enriching activities to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing, and learning, and supporting their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To build on this foundation, the department is also supporting schools to navigate the resources available to develop a high-quality extracurricular offer, by providing guidance on how to make these activities a success and working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help schools ensure their pupils are getting the most out of the National Youth Guarantee.

The department's recent Schools White Paper also outlined our ambitions for the curriculum as a whole. The department is clear that all children should be entitled to take part in sport, music and cultural opportunities. These are an essential part of a broad and ambitious curriculum, and they support children’s attendance and engagement in education.

It is crucial that every school has a well-designed and well-sequenced curriculum which includes the teaching of skills, to ensure children build knowledge in a broad range of subjects before going on to specialise after the age of 16 and develop skills needed for further education and training.

The programmes of study for each national curriculum subject set out the ‘matters, skills, and processes’ to be taught at each key stage. The programmes of study are subject-specific. This ensures that pupils can secure key knowledge in specific subjects, before transferring and applying their understanding to new contexts and real-world problems. Without this secured understanding, pupils are likely to find it difficult to apply their knowledge to new situations and are at risk of developing misconceptions in the process.

Levelling up is at the heart of the agenda to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic and to deliver for every part of the UK. In education, ability is evenly spread but opportunity is not. The department aims to reduce the dependency of people’s education and skills outcomes on where they live by ensuring that in every area children are able to access excellent schools, progress to high quality technical and higher education, and go on into good jobs.

Education on financial matters helps to ensure that young people are prepared to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed. Finance education forms part of the citizenship national curriculum which can be taught at all key stages and is compulsory at key stages 3 and 4. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum. Financial education ensures that pupils are taught the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and managing financial risk. At secondary school, pupils are taught about income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.

The department has introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum, which provides young people with the knowledge and financial skills to make important financial decisions. In the primary mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on the essential arithmetic knowledge that pupils should be taught. This knowledge is vital, as a strong grasp of numeracy and numbers will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, using percentages. There is also some specific content about financial education, such as calculations with money.

The secondary mathematics curriculum develops pupils’ understanding and skills in relation to more complex personal finance issues such as calculating loan repayments, interest rates and compound interest.

As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver these subjects, so they can develop an integrated approach that is sensitive to the needs and background of their pupils. The Money and Pensions Service published financial education guidance for primary and secondary schools in England, to support school leaders to enhance the financial education currently delivered in their schools to make it memorable and impactful. This guidance is available here: https://maps.org.uk/2021/11/11/financial-education-guidance-for-primary-and-secondary-schools-in-england/.

The department will continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service and other stakeholders such as HM Treasury, to consider learning from other sector initiatives and whether there is scope to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.

Each year Defra undertakes an air quality assessment across all zones in the UK, including London. This latest report is available here:

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/viewonline?year=2020_issue_1&jump=5-1#report_pdf

Changes in transport trends across the UK are considered in our modelling of ambient concentrations, used to supplement our monitoring network in our annual compliance assessments. Monitoring data in London is uploaded and available in near real-time on UK-Air ( https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/).

The impacts of changes in transport activity on the emissions of air pollutants will also be reflected in our National Atmospheric Emissions inventory.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 March 2022 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown, PQ UIN 129858.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 March 2022 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown, PQ UIN 129858.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 March 2022 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown, PQ UIN 129860.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 March 2022 to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown, PQ UIN 129859.

The Department for International Trade’s regional teams engage with Metro Mayors, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), local authorities, and our overseas network to promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in England, supporting 925 single site projects and creating 28,012 new jobs in 2020-21.

The Department leads several activities promoting FDI across the UK through mechanisms such as the Investment Atlas, our High Potential Opportunities Programme, and the GREAT global trade campaign.

We continue to promote Solihull’s investment capabilities through schemes such as Arden Cross. This is one of the UK’s largest development projects, which will be crucial to the Government’s levelling up agenda.

Private hire vehicle (PHV) legislation in London requires London PHV operator licence holders to comply with conditions attached to their licence, such as that set by regulation 9(14) of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators' Licences) Regulations 2000, as amended. If a London PHV operator licence holder fails to comply with a condition of their licence the legislation provides that the licensing authority, Transport for London, can suspend or revoke the licence.

The Government sets the regulatory framework for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, with licensing authorities responsible for licensing decisions and enforcement. Following the Divisional Court's judgment, Transport for London, the licensing authority for London, has amended its regulations governing private hire vehicle operator licences and in April 2022 issued guidance on complying with the legislation.

This High Court declaration was on the legislation that applies to private hire vehicle operators in London. Different legislation applies in the rest of the UK. The High Court considered the legislation that applies in the rest of England (except Plymouth) and Wales in reaching its decision on the London legislation, but it did not make a declaration on that legislation. Interpretation of the law is ultimately a matter for the courts and any clarification the Department could give would be couched in such terms.

Taxi and private hire vehicle policy is a devolved matter in all UK nations and any clarification in respect of the legislation that applies in their nation would be a matter for the relevant devolved administrations.

The issue of plying for hire was also considered by the High Court. However, the question of whether a vehicle is plying for hire in particular circumstances is a matter of fact and degree. It is not therefore possible to provide a list of factors which could be sufficiently determinative as to give clear guidance on this matter.

The Motor Cycles (Protective Helmets) Regulations 1988, which require motorcyclists to wear a helmet, do not apply to quad bikes as they fall outside the definition given of a motor bicycle, which is defined as a “two-wheeled motorcycle”. However, The Highway Code (Rule 83) does include advice that riders and passengers of motor tricycles and quadricycles, also called quad bikes, should wear a protective helmet.

There are no immediate plans to make the wearing of helmets compulsory but we are keeping the position under review; there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration such as, the level of use, the safety of riders in a collision and the availability or otherwise of seat belts.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is to use 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 and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.

Together with the ending of industrial action, these measures are having a positive impact. The queues are reducing, and customers will continue to see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.

The allocations of Housing Benefit Administration Subsidy are published annually within Housing Benefit Subsidy Circulars. The allocations for 2022-23 can be found in Circular S6/2022 on www.gov.uk

The Plan for Jobs provides a comprehensive package of support for young people, including the Youth Offer and Kickstart.

The Kickstart scheme is dedicated to helping 16 to 24-year olds at risk of long-term unemployment develop their skills and experience through fully funded six-month jobs. As of the 31^st January 2022, over 130,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people.

The DWP Youth Offer provides intensive work search support to young people aged 16 to 24 on Universal Credit and in the Intensive Work Search group. It includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with complex needs and additional barriers, and over 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland, and Wales.

In Solihull, Support for Schools advisers are engaging with secondary schools across Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC), including supporting a recent careers fair at Solihull College. Solihull Youth Hub in Chelmsley Wood is co-located and co-delivered with SMBC to support young people into employment, education, and training opportunities. We are also working with Solihull Children in Care team to ensure that all 16 to 24-year olds leaving care are included in the Universal Credit advance claim process and receive Work Coach support.

We continue to work with partners to deliver job fairs and Kickstart employer events as part of our commitment to supporting young people into sustainable employment.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Department does publish Experimental Statistics on Benefit Combinations and the latest available statistics to May 2021, which can be broken down by parliamentary constituency, are available on the Department’s Stat-Xplore website:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance for users of Stat-Xplore is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Statistics for a majority of the individual benefits administered by the Department are available at:

Statistics at DWP - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Most of these statistics are available by parliamentary constituency on the Stat-Xplore website and in particular, the statistics for People on Universal Credit are available for both November 2020 and November 2021.

The Department also publishes annual benefit expenditure tables and the latest publication by parliamentary constituency covers 2010/11 to 2020/21 and is available at:

Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Department has seen an increase in demand for its services and as a result, is rapidly expanding the space available, on a temporary basis.

This will enable more customers to be served and provide them with the support they need, enabling Work Coaches to provide tailored, face-to-face support in a safe and secure environment. This expansion will drive forward our ambitious £30 billion Plan for Jobs, helping people back into the Labour Market right across the UK.

The Department is focusing on locations where they have already been an increased demand for services. The property secured is well positioned in Solihull’s town centre and within close proximity to multiple modes of transport.

We have no plans to make a specific assessment. However, following the publication of the ‘England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022’ in February 2022, the Department continues to monitor progress on its actions and resolve any barriers to implementation. The second England Rare Diseases Action Plan will be published at the start of 2023 and will report on progress and propose updated and new actions.

The Department funds the majority of research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the last five years, the NIHR has not funded specific research into AARS2 disorder.

We are developing the approach for dementia in England for the next 10 years, which will focus on the specific health and care needs of people living with dementia and their carers, including diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research. We are exploring the concept of brain health in encouraging people to reduce their dementia risk.

We will set out plans for dementia in England shortly.

Officials are currently analysing the responses received to the call for evidence to develop the 10 Year Cancer Plan. The Plan will address all cancer types, including rarer and less survivable cancers such as brain cancer.

Officials are analysing the responses received to the call for evidence to develop the 10 Year Cancer Plan. The Plan will set out how we will improve cancer services and further details will be available in due course.

The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, very seriously and we regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India at official and Ministerial level. The Prime Minister raised Mr Johal's case with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 April as part of a wide-ranging discussion. The Foreign Secretary last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 31 March 2022 and met with Mr Johal's family to discuss their concerns on 9 June. Consular staff have attended a number of hearings in Mr Johal's case in an observer capacity, and did so on 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 June. This Government will continue to look to raise our concerns about Mr Johal's case at all appropriate opportunities.

The national security community does not routinely avow details of the technology partnerships it enters into. Releasing details concerning national security technology can have significant security implications as would be the case in this scenario. Any contract can be fully scrutinised through the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

We have a long-standing, 75-year intelligence relationship with the United States, which is invaluable to each country's national security. The alliance has clear guidelines for how we share communication, translation, analysis, and code breaking information, and has helped protect our countries and allies for decades. Any move to cloud does not change this agreement.

The national security community does not routinely avow details of the technology partnerships it enters into. Releasing details concerning national security technology can have significant security implications as would be the case in this scenario. Any contract can be fully scrutinised through the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

We have a long-standing, 75-year intelligence relationship with the United States, which is invaluable to each country's national security. The alliance has clear guidelines for how we share communication, translation, analysis, and code breaking information, and has helped protect our countries and allies for decades. Any move to cloud does not change this agreement.

The national security community does not routinely avow details of the technology partnerships it enters into. Releasing details concerning national security technology can have significant security implications as would be the case in this scenario. Any contract can be fully scrutinised through the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

We have a long-standing, 75-year intelligence relationship with the United States, which is invaluable to each country's national security. The alliance has clear guidelines for how we share communication, translation, analysis, and code breaking information, and has helped protect our countries and allies for decades. Any move to cloud does not change this agreement.

The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon have been in contact with their Australian counterparts to offer our condolences and stress our readiness to help in whatever way they need.

As I set out in my Oral Statement of 9 January in the House of Commons, we have deployed a team of UK experts to Australia.

The team includes a senior member of UK Fire and Rescue Service, a medical specialist in trauma and mental health, and a military liaison officer specialising in crisis response.

They will work with Australian counterparts to establish what further UK support will be of most use to Australian emergency responders, and ensure that such contributions are fully integrated with Australian efforts.

HM Treasury, as part of its normal activities, carefully monitors the UK economy, and any risks to it, and remains ready to respond to challenges.

The Term Funding Scheme (TFS) is a monetary policy tool of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the Government to comment on its conduct or effectiveness.

The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK’s economic framework, and essential for the effective delivery of monetary policy.

We will continue to work with non-bank lenders to support their participation in the new Recovery Loan scheme following the closure of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS).

The Treasury recognises the vital role that non-banks, including Community Development Financial institutions (CDFIs), and challenger banks play in the provision of credit to SMEs. I would like to take the opportunity to reaffirm that the Government recognises the vital role that CDFIs play in the provision of credit to SMEs and is grateful for the way the sector has responded to the current crisis. It is worth noting the Government remains committed to promoting competition and widening the funding options available to UK businesses.

Whilst there are no plans at this time to mandate large bank investment through social lenders like CDFIs, I should be clear that all lenders accredited under the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme can benefit from the transfer and assignment of the guarantee, which is something that alternative lenders requested to support their ability to access funding.

The British Business Bank’s Regional Angels Programme provides early-stage equity capital to smaller businesses with high growth potential across the UK. The British Business Bank’s funding for the next three years will be set out at the Spending Review.

At this stage of the pandemic it is still difficult to provide the certainty the sector needs to plan. It is therefore not the right time to consider an insurance-based solution. However, we are closely monitoring the situation and as the public health situation improves and the path to re-opening becomes clearer, we will work with DCMS to review how to communicate that path and support the sector, including sporting events, to safely reopen.

I am aware that many large events have long lead-in times, so potential support will need to be considered before public health restrictions are relaxed. Officials are working to understand what a viable roadmap would be for the reopening of the events sector and therefore the right point for considering potential support options, including insurance-based solutions.

The transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to a combined authority mayor can offer wider levers to prevent crime.

Mayors with broader responsibilities, including PCC functions, can enhance collaboration, joint working, and align public service delivery strategies to boost local outcomes.

With an expanded role comes a higher public profile, visibility, and greater ability to bring about local change. As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, where possible, the Government will look to have combined authority mayors exercise PCC functions where boundaries align and will take steps to remove barriers to more combined authority mayors taking on these functions.

Leadership on child safeguarding policy is principally shared between the Home Office, Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care. We have worked closely across Government to ensure we learn what needs to change in the light of Arthur's tragic death.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has been asked to deliver an independent review identifying what went wrong in this terrible case, and what needs to be improved nationally as a result. We have also commissioned a Joint Targeted Area Inspection to examine how all the relevant local agencies are working together to protect and safeguard children in Solihull.

The Home Office are supporting the police to develop their understanding of the complexity, sensitivity and risk involved in working with vulnerable victims of abuse and exploitation, through:

• funding the College of Policing’s training for senior police officers on safeguarding and public protection issues,
• funding the police-led Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, which identifies and promotes good practice and effective interventions to address vulnerability.

Government also works closely with voluntary sector partners to identify national trends and to ensure sufficient support to children and families at the local level. This was particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the Government has provided additional funding to boost the support provided by children’s charities, including:

• £7.6 million for national children’s charities who offered safeguarding services for vulnerable children.
• £11.4 million since June 2020 to the See, Hear, Respond programme, which helped vulnerable children and young people whose usual support networks have been impacted by the pandemic.

• £1.8 million to expand and promote the NSPCC helpline for adults to use to report safeguarding concerns.

The Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced powers, such as Public Space Protection Orders, which the police and local councils can use to prevent people from taking intoxicating substances, including psychoactive substances, in specified areas.

Due to the localised nature of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, data on the use of the powers from the Act locally is not collated centrally.

The provisional funding settlement for West Midlands Police will be up to £694.9 million in 2022-23; an increase of up to £39.4 million when compared to 2021-22.

Our High Commission and Consulates General are maintaining close contact with Australian authorities at federal and state level, exploring how the UK can support them and what assistance they would find most useful.

An initial expert team of specialists from defence, fire and health has been sent to Australia, as announced in the statement to the House on 9 January by Heather Wheeler, Minister for Asia and the Pacific. Its members have been working with Australian counterparts to establish what further UK support will be of most use to Australian emergency responders, and ensure that such contributions are fully integrated into the Australian response.

The Independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) was re-established in 2019 to offer advice to the Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals (the HD Committee) in the Cabinet Office on historic military medals claims, including cases which may not have been previously considered or where new evidence has emerged. The HD Committee is the principal body with responsibility for making recommendations on honours, awards, and medals.

The outcome of the review by the AMSC into the case of medallic recognition for all those who participated in the British Nuclear Test Programme during the period 1952 to 1991 was published by the Cabinet Office on 10 December 2020. The AMSC concluded that the case did not meet the level of risk and rigour which is generally required for the award of a campaign medal or clasp and the Ministry of Defence respects the findings of the independent review. This decision in no way diminishes the contribution of veterans who participated in the Nuclear Test Programme, and the Government continues to acknowledge and be grateful to all Service personnel who participated.

Through our national design guidance we encourage public spaces, including play areas, to be designed in an accessible and inclusive way.

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, such as local playgrounds.

The number of appeals received by the Planning Inspectorate in the calendar year 2021 can be found in the January monthly statistics via this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1048275/FINAL_Planning_Inspectorate_Statistical_Release_January_2022__002_.pdf

On 18 May 2022, the Government made payments to councils for the Local Council Tax Support Administration Subsidy Grant 2022-23. The allocations for this are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/localised-council-tax-support-administration-subsidy-grant-2022-to-2023 . Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received £248,864.

Between 1 April 2013 and 31 December 2021 1,112 homes were purchased in Solihull using the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme.

Further data on the number of households in England which have benefitted from the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme (including households in the Solihull constituency) can be found in the latest HtB Equity Loan scheme statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-31-december-2021/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-31-december-2021

In England, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will be delivered over the strategic geographies of Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, and district councils and unitary authorities elsewhere.

The West Midlands Combined Authority is the lead authority for the strategic geography covering the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and will be responsible for delivering UKSPF. Its UKSPF allocation amounts to £105 million over the three years (including the Multiply programme).

The allocations for the Fund have been published on GOV.UK and include how allocations for strategic geographies have been reached.

While the lead authority will have overall responsibility for the Fund, individual local authorities may take responsibility for a particular UKSPF intervention or policy, where this reflects the right approach to local needs.

The UK Government is clear that now is not the time to talk about another referendum. Instead, our engagement with the Scottish Government needs to be focused on the collective challenges we face - that means, for example, tackling the cost of living, supporting the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees and growing our economy.

The UK Government engages extensively with the Scottish Government on all fisheries matters, including recent negotiations with the EU and Norway to establish catch limits for shared stocks for 2022.

My Department has held regular meetings with Defra to ensure Scotland's interests were fully represented. The deal between the EU-UK-Norway has given the UK increased catch levels on Whiting, Herring and Haddock, and the deal between the UK and Norway achieved a great outcome for the Scottish fleet, gaining greater access to Norwegian waters.