Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Stop the implementation of betting affordability/financial risk checks
We want the Government to abandon the planned implementation of affordability checks for some people who want to place a bet. We believe such checks – which could include assessing whether people are ‘at risk of harm' based on their postcode or job title – are inappropriate and discriminatory.
Reform the Grocery Supply Code of Practice to better protect farmers
Gov Responded - 27 Nov 2023 Debated on - 22 Jan 2024 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCP) to require retailers, without exception, to:
- Buy what they agreed to buy
- Pay what they agreed to pay
- Pay on time
We believe the current GSCP is inadequate and doesn't protect farmers from unfair behaviour.
Repeal the current Dangerous Dogs Act and replace with new framework
Gov Responded - 24 Jan 2023 Debated on - 27 Nov 2023 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and replace it with legislation that focuses on early intervention to prevent dog bites and tackle dog-related issues regardless of breed or type, based solely on their behaviour.
Bad owners are to blame not the breed - don't ban the XL bully
Gov Responded - 23 Nov 2023 Debated on - 27 Nov 2023 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributions
I believe that the XL bully is a kind, beautiful natured breed that loves children and people in general, and are very loyal and loving pets.
Create an emergency fund for ASD (autism) & ADHD assessments
Gov Responded - 14 Dec 2021 Debated on - 6 Feb 2023 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsThe Government should create an emergency fund to deal with the massive waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults. This would provide resources for local health services deal with current waiting lists and new patients.
Review management of ADHD assessments and increase funding
Gov Responded - 21 Apr 2022 Debated on - 6 Feb 2023 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsThe Government should commission a review of how Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessments are managed by the NHS, including through Shared Care Agreements, and increase funding to reduce waiting times.
Include abortion rights in the Bill of Rights
Gov Responded - 20 Sep 2022 Debated on - 28 Nov 2022 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsAs Parliament considers the Bill of Rights, the Government must reconsider including abortion rights in this Bill. Rights to abortion must be specifically protected in this legislation, especially as the Government has refused to rule out leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
Ensure Trans people are fully protected under any conversion therapy ban
Gov Responded - 12 May 2022 Debated on - 13 Jun 2022 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsEnsure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.
Give further financial support to the Events and Hospitality industry
Gov Responded - 15 Oct 2020 Debated on - 11 Jan 2021 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsBeing the first to close and still no clue as to when we can open, this seasonal industry is losing its summer profits that allows them to get through the first quarter of next year.
Even if we are allowed to open in December, 1 months profit won't be enough to keep us open in 2021. We need help
Create a Minister for Hospitality in the UK Government
Gov Responded - 3 Nov 2020 Debated on - 11 Jan 2021 View Julian Lewis's petition debate contributionsThe UK hospitality industry. Responsible for around 3m jobs, generating £130bn in activity, resulting in £38bn in taxation. Yet, unlike the Arts or Sports, we do not have a dedicated Minister.
We are asking that a Minister for Hospitality be created for the current, and successive governments.
These initiatives were driven by Julian Lewis, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Julian Lewis has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Julian Lewis has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Dogs (DNA Databases) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Andrew Griffith (Con)
June Bank Holiday (Creation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Peter Bone (Ind)
Nuclear Submarine Recycling (Reporting) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Luke Pollard (LAB)
Armed Forces (Derogation from European Convention on Human Rights) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Leo Docherty (Con)
Armed Forces Covenant (Duty of Public Authorities) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Gavin Robinson (DUP)
Armed Forces (Statute of Limitations) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Benyon (Con)
The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) has a Special Services Agreement for provision of policing on the Parliamentary Estate; external policing is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The House of Commons Commission cannot therefore provide the requested information pertaining to policing arrangements in the vicinity of the Parliamentary Estate in the last 10 years.
PSD is in frequent communication with the MPS to assess expected protest activity and other events in the surrounding area that may impact access to and/or the safety of Parliament and those working or visiting here. During extended and heightened protest activity, for example around the debates on Brexit, PSD has worked with the MPS and with other parties such as broadcasters to protect Members, staff and the public. PSD also issues advice to Members and other passholders around personal security, including any specific guidance around ongoing events.
PSD and other Parliamentary officials also liaise with Westminster City Council (WCC), the Greater London Authority (GLA), the MPS and others on issues of safety and security in the nearby area. Parliament has supported the Parliament Square Streetscape Project, which is led jointly by the GLA and WCC and with the involvement of the MPS, to consider the feasibility of improvements to the Streetscape around the Palace of Westminster.
The Cabinet Office has worked with the University of Southampton to support the release of the Mountbatten archive, whilst ensuring sensitive and official information is handled appropriately and in line with the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act. Dr Lownie lost his appeal against the Cabinet Office, but continued to seek costs in a separate application. This application was rejected by the First Tier Tribunal and permission to appeal at the Upper Tribunal was also rejected.
The final legal costs relating to the First Tier Tribunal hearings and associated litigation regarding this archive are £180,454. This relates to 5 appeals EA/2020/0021, EA/2020/0026, EA/2020/0058, EA/2020/0059 and EA/2021/0125 as well as a further 5 related appeals and application to seek costs including UA-2022-001422, 001425, 001427, 001428 and 001429-GIA. These costs include those incurred by the Cabinet Office for external legal counsel and work by the Government Legal Department.
The cost of officials’ time, including Cabinet Office legal advisers’, is not recorded against each Freedom of Information request.
To provide this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Cabinet Office. Civil servants do not record the proportion of time that they spend on individual matters, and cover a range of responsibilities, including Freedom of Information and litigation.
Those who participated in the Nuclear Test Programme made a significant contribution to the safety and security of the UK by ensuring that we were equipped with an appropriate nuclear capability; it is right that their contribution is recognised.
The Prime Minister and I look forward to meeting with representatives of the Nuclear Test Veteran community shortly.
I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office update from the Second Permanent Secretary which has been published on GOV.UK and placed in the Library of the House.
It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further while the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation is ongoing. At the end of the process, the Prime Minister will ask the Second Permanent Secretary to update her findings, which will be published in line with the Terms of Reference.
From 21 June, there is no longer a maximum number of attendees at weddings set out in law. Instead, the number of attendees at weddings, civil partnerships and receptions will be determined by how many people the venue or space can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place.
The Government committed to explore whether and how COVID-status certification might be used to reopen our economy, reduce restrictions on social contact and improve safety. As set out in the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021,’ the Government will set out its conclusions on the COVID-status Certification Review in advance of Step 4 of the Roadmap, in order to inform the safe reopening of society and the economy.
An update on the Roadmap Reviews was published on 5 April and can be found here:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster further updated via a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 April 2021, which can be found below: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-04-29/hcws947
As the Rt. Hon. Member will be aware, there are several FOI exemptions that remain in place for historic records. As I said in my previous answer, this case is currently before the First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights) and it would not be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
Before he retired as Chief of Defence Staff in 1965, the first Earl Mountbatten accepted that personal diaries could not be put into the public domain without first being vetted. Earl Mountbatten made clear that ownership of all of these papers would be handed over to the Broadlands Trustees. In 1969, the Broadlands Trustees entered into undertakings not to give general or particular access to these papers without the express permission of the Prime Minister of the day through the Cabinet Secretary. A copy of the Undertakings is available at the National Archives. In line with this agreement, the Cabinet Office is continuing to work with the University of Southampton to support the release of the Mountbatten archive whilst ensuring sensitive and official information is handled appropriately and in line with the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act.
This case is currently before the Information Tribunal. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to make further comment whilst this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
The Cabinet Office is working with the University of Southampton to support the release of the Mountbatten archive whilst ensuring sensitive information, including personal data, is handled appropriately and in line with Freedom of Information Act.
Diaries from 1918 to 1934 have already been released. Further volumes will be released in due course as necessary sensitivity work is completed. This is in line with undertakings given by Earl Mountbatten in 1969 on the publication of the archive.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 led to parliamentary paralysis at a critical time for our country. It is for this reason that the Government made a commitment, in the manifesto and the Queen's Speech, to take forward work to repeal the FTPA. Announcements about the repeal legislation will be made in due course.
The setting of tariffs, and associated payment methods, are a commercial decision for the energy companies. Regulation of the sector is the responsibility of independent regulator Ofgem.
Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Ofgem also has rules to protect consumers from the risk of disconnection, in particular preventing suppliers from directly disconnecting consumers between November and April.
On the impact of suppliers cutting off supply, between Q3 2021 and Q2 2022, suppliers directly disconnected 3 gas accounts and 19 electricity accounts according to Ofgem data. Neither the Government, nor Ofgem hold more detailed data on the recent impact of disconnections, or pre-payment installations and switches, on the groups listed.
High quality customer service makes commercial sense and the Government expects all businesses to treat consumers fairly. However, the Government does not seek to intervene in the detail of how businesses conduct their activities, which are essentially commercial matters. For free advice on consumer rights and how to make complaints, consumers may contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (www.consumeradvice.org.uk/) or Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 (www.consumeradvice.scot) for consumers living in Scotland.
The Paris Agreement require all countries to report to the UNFCCC on progress against emissions reduction commitments by December 31st 2024, and every two years afterwards. This information will be publicly available. The Enhanced Transparency Framework is designed to show that all countries are contributing their fair share to the global effort. At COP26, all countries agreed the Glasgow Climate Pact, which requests countries to revisit and strengthen their 2030 emissions reduction targets, as necessary, to align with the Paris temperature goal by the end of this year, and it signalled the start of the first Global Stocktake to assess the world’s collective progress. The UK Government is committed to delivering its legally-binding net zero target.
While the UK was the first major economy to commit to net zero, today 90% of global GDP is covered by net zero pledges (which includes Russia, China, the USA and India). We are absolutely committed to delivering on net zero and ensuring the UK is at the forefront of the rapidly growing global green economy.
The North Sea Transition Deal sets out how the UK’s offshore oil and gas sector will help deliver on net zero while continuing to contribute to UK energy security, in the last year two new fields were consented.
Smart meters will not need to be replaced or upgraded as a result of sunsetting 2G and 3G networks. Smart meters can work with a range of communications technologies and the system has been designed to accommodate the inevitable evolution of communication services over time. Communications hubs, which are installed alongside smart meters and connect them to the national smart metering network, can be replaced independently of the meter.
Energy security is an absolute priority for this Government. We meet around half of our annual gas supply through domestic production and the vast majority of imports come from reliable suppliers such as Norway. Less than 3% of our gas was sourced from Russia in 2020.The UK is not dependant on Russian oil or gas.
The UK’s exposure to volatile global gas prices underscores the importance of our plan to build a robust domestic renewable energy sector to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
The Government has published a full breakdown of where UK energy comes from at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes.
Mergers and takeovers are primarily commercial matters for the parties involved. The Government has powers under the Enterprise Act 2002 to intervene in transactions which raise national security concerns. The Government has recently strengthened those powers through the National Security and Investment Act 2021.
The Government is aware of this proposed transaction and is monitoring developments closely.
Details of the frequency and subject matter of what sensitive or highly classified information is transmitted outside Government can itself be sensitive, and its disclosure may give rise to national security risks. I therefore cannot publish the information in the detail my Rt. Hon. Friend has requested.
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee is well-placed to have oversight of the Investment Security Unit. The Committee already provides scrutiny on a number of sensitive areas, such as the civil nuclear programme, and it is well placed to consider how effectively and efficiently the Investment Security Unit is interacting with the business community and investors in delivering the National Security and Investment regime.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) allows Local Authorities to put in place discretionary business support. Local Authorities are free to provide support that suits their local area, including to support those businesses not required to close but which have had their trade severely affected by the restrictions, and those businesses that fall outside the business rates system such as market traders. At the Budget on 3rd March, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an additional £425 million will be made available via the ARG, meaning that more than £2 billion has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020. The further top-up of 3rd March is conditional on Local Authorities spending their existing allocations. Officials continue to engage with Local Authorities to ensure compliance to both the scheme rules and wider reporting requirements.
The Government intends to follow the appropriate procedures for reporting to Parliament on the work of the Investment Security Unit (ISU), by having the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee oversee the Investment Security Unit’s work. The Committee already provides scrutiny on a number of sensitive areas, such as the civil nuclear programme, and it is well placed to consider how effectively and efficiently the Investment Security Unit is interacting with the business community and investors in delivering the National Security and Investment regime.
The AstraZeneca and University of Oxford vaccine started clinical trials in April 2020 and is currently in phase 2/3. The Imperial College London vaccine started clinical trials in June 2020 and is currently in phase 1/2. The Novavax vaccine clinical trials started in May 2020 and is currently in phase 3. The end date of each trial is dependent on the clinical results and the data.
Government is working closely with vaccine developers to monitor progress of clinical trials.
Aside from certain specified products (e.g. food), there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin. We have no plans to introduce such a requirement. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 bans traders from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products.
We have made no specific assessment.
We would expect a lender to follow its normal credit policy when assessing additional security generally. Personal guarantees of any form cannot be used in respect of any Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilities up to £250,000. For facilities of £250,000 and over, claims on personal guarantees applied to the scheme facility cannot exceed 20% of losses on the scheme facility after all other recoveries have been applied. A Principal Private Residence cannot be taken as security to support a personal guarantee.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provides support to small businesses which were viable before the Covid-19 outbreak but are experiencing temporary adverse impacts due to Coronavirus.
In order for a business to be eligible for the CBILs, it must be considered “viable” by the lender. The lender must consider that the applicant (or its business group) has a viable business proposition determined by the lender’s underwriting policies. Any concerns over its short-to-medium term business performance due to the uncertainty and impact of COVID-19 cannot be taken into account. The applicant must still satisfy the other eligibility criteria of the CBILS.
For smaller value facilities (e.g. those of £30,000 or below) in determining the eligibility of the applicant, lenders may decide to determine the applicant’s credit worthiness based on its internal credit scoring models.
Corresponding changes have been made to the eligibility criterion which previously required the applicant (or its business group) to have a business proposition that can reasonably be expected to enable it to meet its repayment obligations under a proposed facility.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme cannot be used where an applicant was an “undertaking in difficulty” (UID) as at 31 December 2019. UID is defined to include businesses that have accumulated losses greater than half of their subscribed share capital as at 31 December 2019. In practice this means certain fast growth businesses may not be eligible for the CBILS (unless the business is less than three years old).
The requirement for an UID assessment is a requirement under the European Commission’s Temporary State Aid measures and a direct result of State Aid clearance. The need for UID checks to be carried out for CBILS facilities below £30k has already been removed by the British Business Bank on the basis that loans of this size are considered to involve a de minimis amount of State Aid. For facilities above £30k, lenders are required to gain comfort that an SME is not an UID, but this includes the option for lenders to rely on self-certification for facilities of any size (i.e. up to £5m).
Meeting our net-zero target by 2050 will require virtually all heat in buildings to be decarbonised, and heat in industry to be reduced to close to zero carbon emissions. It will involve large-scale transformation and wide-ranging change to energy systems and markets. The way heating is supplied to over 28 million homes, businesses and industrial users will need to change. Given the diversity of heat demand in the United Kingdom, no one solution can provide the best option for everyone. We are currently exploring and testing the different approaches to heat decarbonisation, including heat networks, heat pumps, hydrogen and biogas and improving energy efficiency in new buildings. - a mix of technologies and customer options will need to be available to decarbonise heat at scale.
The Department is developing policies to deliver low carbon heating in the 2020s and meet our climate targets. We are planning to publish a Heat and Building Strategy later this year, which will set out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings. These include the deployment of energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating as part of an ambitious programme of work required to enable key strategic decisions on how we achieve the mass transition to low-carbon heat and set us on a path to decarbonising all homes and buildings.
Alongside the action we are taking at home, the UK remains committed to demonstrating global leadership in tackling climate change. The UK is already demonstrating practical leadership across all aspects of the fight to tackle climate change. We’ve decarbonised faster than any other G20 nation since 2000, and through our Clean Growth Strategy and annual reports have a comprehensive and publicly available strategy. The UK is among the largest contributors of climate finance, providing at least £5.8 billion between 2016 to 2020 to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, reduce deforestation and support cleaner economic growth. At the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will double our International Climate Finance to at least £11.6 billion from 2021 to 2025 to drive clean and resilient growth in developing countries.
The UK has led the world as the first major economy to set a net zero 2050 target in law. Given the need for international action to address climate change, it is imperative that other countries similarly increase their ambition, and we are working to deliver that including through our hosting of COP26 this year. The UK will conduct a further assessment within 5 years to confirm that other countries are taking similarly ambitious action, multiplying the effect of the UK’s lead and ensuring that our industries do not face unfair competition.
As part of our commitment to net zero, and in line with the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change, HM Treasury is carrying out a review of the costs of net zero. The Government will also publish full impact assessments as we legislate for future carbon budgets.
The BBC is responsible for the funding, staffing and administration of Monitoring, which is provided under a specific “BBC Monitoring Agreement” between the BBC and government. The agreement provides assurances that core services will be funded by the BBC from Licence Fee Revenue.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government, and is independently responsible for approving the high-level strategy for BBC Monitoring and the budget for the core services.
The Government is satisfied with BBC Monitoring's ability to deliver the service based on agreed performance targets under the current funding model. Additional BBC Monitoring Services are subject to further contractual agreement and require funding directly from the recipient.
The BBC’s Annual Reports and Accounts show it spent £5.8 million on BBC Monitoring in 2015/16 and £4 million on BBC Monitoring on 2020/21.
The BBC will continue to receive billions in public funding every year.
The Government recognises the vital role that the BBC World Service plays across the globe.
The Secretary of State has made it clear to the BBC that it should continue to make a substantive investment from the licence fee into the World Service to ensure that it continues to effectively reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world - in English and through its language services.
My department is delighted to be working with Buckingham Palace, and a range of partners, to develop UK-wide opportunities to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
DCMS’s Platinum Jubilee website includes guidance on how Local Authorities, communities and individuals can get involved in the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
TV licensing is a matter for the BBC, though I am aware it has applied dispensation for public community screenings of events of national importance in the past. I am assured the BBC will be looking into arrangements around the Platinum Jubilee in due course.
The government has been clear that the BBC needs to be closer to, and understand the perspectives of, the whole of the United Kingdom and avoid providing a narrow urban outlook.
However, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent of the government and the government has no say over its decision making, including any proposed changes to its Regional Political Unit.
Non-professional groups of up to six people can now sing indoors, and can perform or rehearse in groups of up to 30 outdoors. In addition, multiple groups of 30 can now sing outdoors, provided the groups are kept separate throughout the activity. This is an important step forward in the return of non-professional performing arts activity from Step 2.
It is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
From 4 July, people will be allowed to travel to holiday accommodation - including bed and breakfasts - for overnight stays in England. Guidance has been published on how to open guest accommodation businesses safely whilst minimising the risks of COVID-19.
If a guest is displaying signs of the COVID-19 virus while staying in overnight accommodation, they should inform the accommodation provider, immediately self-isolate where they are to minimise any risk of transmission, and request a test. If they are confirmed to have COVID-19, they should return home if they reasonably can. If a guest cannot reasonably return home, their circumstances should be discussed with an appropriate health care professional and, if necessary, the local authority.
We regularly assess the nature of the tourism sectors’ engagement with the Government’s comprehensive economic support package. Tourism businesses - including those that do not plan to reopen on 4 July - can continue to access schemes such as the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.
In order to ensure appropriate support and guidance is given to the cultural sector, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which include extensive membership from across the artistic and creative industries sectors. The focus of these groups’ work is on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input. These groups specifically include representatives for dance and stage based entertainment, all of whom are being consulted extensively on how the sector can reopen and operate under social distancing. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.
The Secretary of State, my fellow Ministers and DCMS officials continue to consult the creative and cultural sectors extensively to ensure they understand fully the potential impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector. DCMS officials and ministers have also held regular calls with representatives from across the arts and cultural sector and these have included representatives from the Royal Shakespeare Company and a number of dance schools and representatives including Sadler’s Wells and Northern Ballet.
The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector through this pandemic and getting the curtain up at venues across the country as soon as it is safe to do so. In addition to the unprecedented financial measures the Government has announced DCMS has also worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England, made possible by Government funding.
The Government will look at reopening sites such as leisure parks and outdoor recreation facilities no earlier than 4 July, in line with the wider hospitality sector. Any decisions will be subject to further scientific advice and the risk assessment at the time.
As part of the Government’s leisure and recreation taskforce, my Department has set up a Visitor Economy Working Group to specifically focus on the practicalities and guidelines for opening up the sector during the recovery period. We will issue further guidance shortly on our phased reopening approach, including which businesses could be covered in each phase and the timeframes involved.
We recognise the huge value that charities like Age-UK are providing to the Covid-19 response as they provide advice and support to over 8.5 million older people who have been told to self-isolate.
My department is continuing to monitor the health of the sector, its contribution to the nation’s Covid-19 response and the financial impacts on charities, including Age-UK and other county-based charities, and is establishing mechanisms to collate robust and ongoing insights. The £750 million VCSE support package is available to support all charities - large or small - at risk of financial hardship that are providing key frontline services to vulnerable people affected by the pandemic.
Government remains committed to ongoing data collation and in depth engagement with the voluntary sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work closely to assess how we can support charities in doing their important work.
We are working at pace to finalise the grant agreement, processes and criteria for the fund this week, with a view to launch as soon as possible.
Compensating students for disruption is the responsibility of higher education (HE) providers, which are independent from government.
The Office for Students (OfS) has made clear that they expect universities to abide by the conditions of registration, maintain the delivery of HE and minimise disruption to students in the event of any industrial action. The OfS has also highlighted providers’ obligations under consumer protection law in relation to the impact of industrial action.
The OfS have wide-ranging powers to ensure that students’ interests are protected, and they expect providers to do all they can to avoid disruption to students.
The OfS’s powers include the ability to impose one or more specific ongoing conditions of registration, impose a monetary penalty, refuse to renew a provider’s access and participation plan, suspend aspects of a provider’s registration, vary or revoke a provider's authorisation for degree awarding powers, revoke a provider’s authorisation to use ‘university’ in its title, or deregister a provider.
The OfS has advised HE providers that, in the event of disruption caused by industrial action, students may be entitled to repeated learning opportunities or tuition fee refunds. These remedies are determined by the contents of the provider-student contract, as well as relevant consumer protection law.
Setting pay rates for lecturers in further education (FE) is the responsibility of colleges and the department plays no role in this process. However, we recognise that the department’s funding does affect college finances and, therefore, pay decisions. We will make available an additional £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year compared with the 2021/22 financial year. This is in addition to the £291 million extra funding for 16-19 education in the 2021/22 financial year, and the £400 million that the department provided in the 2020/21 financial year. We will be investing nearly £52 million in the FE Workforce in the 2022/23 financial year, to continue to support the FE sector with the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers. This includes bursaries worth up to £26,000 each tax-free, which are available to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for the 2022/23 academic year.
We recognise that arrangements for GCSEs during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed toa fall in student numbers for some providers and an increase for others. We increased the funding rates to colleges and other providers in the 2022/23 financial year, which will cushion the impact on allocations for institutions with falling student numbers.
We are aware of the challenges facing capital projects across different types of education providers. Many colleges who have approved bids for capital funding will also be contributing match funding towards their projects, and it is for colleges to manage their projects within the budget available. We will monitor progress across all college projects.
The security guidelines, commissioned at my request and published by Universities UK in October 2020, entitled ‘Managing risks in internationalisation: security-related issues’, advise universities on engaging in secure international collaborations. This includes a recommendation that due diligence should be conducted on all international partnerships, including donations. Universities due diligence processes should consider reputational, ethical and security risks. As autonomous institutions, universities will have their own fundraising and gift acceptance policies in place.
In line with the offer that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office extends to all organisations and businesses looking to work with Vietnamese entities, Linacre College and the University of Oxford have received background information, at their request, on working with Vietnamese entities.
If the Privy Council asks the department for advice, we will consider the case based on the facts before us.
As my right hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has recently stated, we intend to further explore the issues raised in the proposed Report Stage amendment to the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, seeking to introduce transparency and public reporting of foreign donations to universities.
The Department for Education is responding given its responsibility for the policy and guidelines around local authority care proceedings. The department is unable to comment on any criminal matters.
Whilst the Department for Education cannot intervene in individual cases, this government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them. The paramount consideration of the family court when making any decision is the child’s welfare.
On the points regarding the criteria applied by the family court system and the legal process in place, in all cases, a court will independently assess and carefully scrutinise all the evidence before any decision is made. Separate scrutiny by the child’s court appointed guardian will also be applied to ensure that the child’s interests and views are properly represented. Where local authorities are considering removing a child from their birth parents, it will consider all options available that are in the child’s best interest, including placing the child with other family members in England or abroad.
This government believes the best place for a child to thrive is with their family. However, after all options are explored and it is concluded that this is not in the child’s best interest, adoption can be considered. The court will consider all of the evidence before it, and where further information is needed to make a judgment about a child’s placement, they will instruct the local authority to explore this. The court will only make a judgment when it is satisfied that its decision is in the child’s best interest.
Schools are free to include a full range of issues, ideas and appropriate materials in their teaching, even where they are challenging and controversial. They can teach about contested views on race in a factual manner, acknowledging different opinions, just as pupils are often taught about a range of opposing and contested views on other topics. They should not, however, teach contested theories or opinions as fact.
Political impartiality in our education system is an incredibly important principle to uphold. We are working with the sector to develop guidance which will help schools understand and meet their duties in this area. This guidance will support schools to teach about complex political issues, in line with their legal duties on political impartiality.
Legal requirements on political impartiality in schools fall specifically on local authorities, governing bodies, academy trust leadership (including senior managers and academy trustees) and, in the case of maintained schools and academies, headteachers.
Where there are concerns about what is being taught, we expect that, in most instances, these can be addressed through dialogue and agreement, and simple steps can be taken to resolve any issues.
We are recognised across the world for our higher education system and we encourage the sector to collaborate with international partners. However, to be open, we must also be secure, and we will not accept collaborations which compromise our national security.
On the 29 April 2021, the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act was passed. The NSI Act enables the UK Government to protect all sectors, including research and Higher Education Institutions from hostile foreign interference through mandating notification and requiring approval of investments and other acquisitions in key areas. It also extends the UK Government’s screening powers to include acquisitions of control over assets such as intellectual and tangible property. Universities and other research organisations should have regard to the NSI Act when collaborating with other parties to acquire, sell or develop entities and assets.
In addition, I commissioned Universities UK to produce comprehensive security guidelines to advise universities on engaging in secure international collaborations published in October 2020, ‘Managing risks in internationalisation: security-related issues’. Among the recommendations in the guidelines were that due diligence be conducted on all international partnerships.
The government is committed to providing protection for vulnerable people fleeing Afghanistan, including Afghan students and scholars. In its first year, the Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme will welcome up to 5,000 vulnerable Afghans to the UK, who have been forced to flee the country, with up to a total of 20,000 in the long-term. Further details will be announced in due course.