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).
Remain neutral in Israel-Palestine conflict and withdraw support for Israel
Gov Responded - 6 Nov 2023 Debated on - 11 Dec 2023 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsWe want the UK to be neutral in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and withdraw offers of support for Israel.
Seek a ceasefire and to end Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Gov Responded - 13 Nov 2023 Debated on - 11 Dec 2023 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to seek a ceasefire and also seek to address the root cause of the current conflict by promoting dialogue and advocating for the end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Urge the Israel Government to allow fuel, electricity and food into Gaza
Gov Responded - 10 Nov 2023 Debated on - 11 Dec 2023 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsThe UK Government should urge the Israeli Government to stop the blockade of Food, Fuel and Electricity to the already impoverished city of Gaza
Reform the Gender Recognition Act.
Gov Responded - 7 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Feb 2022 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsReform the GRA to allow transgender people to self-identify without the need for a medical diagnosis, to streamline the administrative process, and to allow non-binary identities to be legally recognised.
Renationalise the NHS, scrap integrated care systems, and end PFI contracts
Gov Responded - 23 Dec 2021 Debated on - 31 Jan 2022 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsWe demand the Government restore England’s publicly funded, publicly provided NHS by reversing all privatising legislation, ending ongoing PFI contracts, and scrapping plans for Integrated Care Systems and for-profit US-style ‘managed care’.
Do not restrict our rights to peaceful protest.
Gov Responded - 6 Apr 2021 Debated on - 26 Apr 2021 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsThe right to peaceful assembly and protest are fundamental principles of any democracy and the proposed part of this bill that gives the police new powers to tackle disruptive peaceful protests should be removed from The Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Improve Maternal Mortality Rates and Health Care for Black Women in the U.K.
Gov Responded - 25 Jun 2020 Debated on - 19 Apr 2021 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsBlack Women in the U.K. are 5 times more likely to die during pregnancy and after childbirth compared to White Women (MBRRACE, 2019). We need more research done into why this is happening and recommendations to improve health care for Black Women as urgent action is needed to address this disparity.
I request a full public inquiry into death of my son, Matthew Leahy. (20 yrs.)
Gov Responded - 2 Aug 2019 Debated on - 30 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsMatthew was taken to, ‘a place of safety’, and died 7 days later.
24 others died by the same means, dating back to the year 2000. An indicator that little was done to address the growing problems.
Something went terribly wrong with the NHS Mental Health Services provided to my son.
Require universities to reimburse students' tuition fees during strike action
Gov Responded - 21 Apr 2020 Debated on - 16 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsThe University and College Union has repeatedly called on its members to strike. However, strikes are ineffective if students, not employees are the main source of revenue. For this to change, government needs to step in and require universities to reimburse tuition fees lost due to strike action.
Reimburse all students of this year’s fees due to strikes and COVID-19
Gov Responded - 5 Jun 2020 Debated on - 16 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsAll students should be reimbursed of this years tuition fees as universities are now online only due to COVID-19, with only powerpoints online for learning materials which is not worthy of up to £9,250. Furthermore, all assessments are being reconsidered to ‘make do’ and build up credits.
Refund university students for 3rd Semester Tuition 2020
Gov Responded - 19 May 2020 Debated on - 16 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsAs students are unable to access facilities or continue with their eduction at their university setting in the following semester, we would like to request that the government considers refunding tuition payments for Semester 3.
Require universities to partially refund tuition fees for 20/21 due to Covid-19
Gov Responded - 24 Sep 2020 Debated on - 16 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsThe quality of online lectures is not equal to face-to-face lectures. Students should not have to pay full tuition fees for online lectures, without experiencing university life. The Government should require UK universities to partially refund tuition fees while online teaching is implemented.
Lower university tuition fees for students until online teaching ends
Gov Responded - 30 Oct 2020 Debated on - 16 Nov 2020 View Kim Johnson's petition debate contributionsStudents across the UK have returned to University to be told our learning will be predominantly online for the foreseeable future. The Government should therefore lower our tuition fees and we should receive a partial refund for the effects this will have on our learning and university experience.
These initiatives were driven by Kim Johnson, 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.
Kim Johnson has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to amend the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861 to provide that only a person who directly commits, or who makes a significant contribution to the commission of, an offence may be held criminally liable.
Working Time Regulations (Amendment) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Peter Dowd (Lab)
National Minimum Wage Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Paula Barker (Lab)
National Eye Health Strategy Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Marsha De Cordova (Lab)
Multi-storey car parks (safety) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Maria Eagle (Lab)
Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Zarah Sultana (Lab)
Criminal Appeal (Amendment) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Barry Sheerman (LAB)
Children not in school (register) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Flick Drummond (Con)
Planning and Local Representation Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Rachel Hopkins (Lab)
Abuse of Public-facing Workers (Offences) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Olivia Blake (Lab)
Transport (Disabled Passenger Charter) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Charlotte Nichols (Lab)
Public Advocate (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Maria Eagle (Lab)
The Government has today published Command Paper CP 822, which contains a draft Media Bill.
The draft Bill contains measures which will ensure that UK radio remains available to listeners via their smart speakers over the coming years, while providing scope for innovative collaboration and partnerships between stations and the smart speaker platforms.
The Government has today published Command Paper CP 822, which contains a draft Media Bill.
The draft Bill contains measures which will ensure that UK radio remains available to listeners via their smart speakers over the coming years, while providing scope for innovative collaboration and partnerships between stations and the smart speaker platforms.
The Government has engaged with a wide range of international counterparts including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Malta, to understand the approaches they have taken to ban conversion therapy. We will continue to engage with counterparts around the world that are committed to protecting everyone from conversion practices to share insight and develop our approach.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
It is too early at this stage for the Government to comment on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. We will continue to engage with our counterparts in the Scottish Government as the Bill progresses.
The Government held a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in 2018, which we responded to in 2020. We carefully considered the responses to the consultation and concluded that the balance struck in the legislation is correct. There are proper checks and balances in the system for people who want to change their legal sex and we have no intention of changing what is required to do so.
We are progressing in our commitment, announced at the same time in 2020, to make the gender recognition process more straightforward and accessible. That is why we have already reduced the fee to £5 and are digitising the application process to make it more accessible and easier to navigate.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 50166 on 22 September 2021.
The priorities of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Equality Hub are closely aligned: both are working to promote the safety and empowerment of women and girls; share a commitment to advance LGBT equality through the Global LGBT Conference; are supporting our global leadership on disability rights; and collaborate across many other areas of work as we advance core freedoms and liberties across the world.
Whether it be banning the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy, ending violence against women and girls, or improving equality of opportunity in education here in the UK and internationally, joint working towards common goals strengthens our ability to deliver equality for all.
More broadly, having Ministers based across Government in the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for International Trade, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will support our ambitions to build back fairer from COVID-19 and level up across the country.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold data on the number of defendants assessed under the modern slavery National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
The NRM is the UK framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Certain public authorities, including the police, have a statutory duty to refer potential victims to the NRM. Adults must agree to this. The CPS cannot make referrals; it is not a first responder.
Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 provides for a statutory defence for adult and child victims of modern slavery who are accused of committing criminal offences. The defence does not apply to the most serious crimes such as murder or manslaughter.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold data from which it is possible to cross-reference Threshold Test charging decisions about a defendant with subsequent Full Code Test decisions. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
The Code for Crown Prosecutors is clear that the Threshold Test may only be applied after a rigorous examination of its five conditions. This ensures that it is only applied when necessary and that cases are not charged prematurely. Any decision to charge under the Threshold Test must be kept under review and the Full Code Test must be applied as soon as practicable.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Management Information is available showing the number of pre-charge legal decisions when the Principal Offence Category allocated at the first consultation was homicide and whether the final consultation completed against the suspect involved application of the Threshold Test.
Data can be provided from April 2019 to the end of September 2023 and the tables below show this information for each year and the financial year 2023/24 to date.
Table 1 - Legal Decisions | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | April - September 2023 |
Threshold Test | 840 | 850 | 971 | 1030 | 524 |
% Threshold Test of Legal Decisions | 47.5% | 49.0% | 53.0% | 54.2% | 54.1% |
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Table 2 - Decisions to Charge | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | April - September 2023 |
Threshold Test | 836 | 848 | 968 | 1026 | 523 |
% Threshold Test of Legal Decisions | 59.8% | 58.8% | 62.1% | 64.3% | 65.6% |
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Table 3 - Decisions to NFA/OoCD | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | April - September 2023 |
Threshold Test | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
% Threshold Test of Legal Decisions | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
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Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System |
Principal Offence Categories comprise a range of offences. These cannot be separated to report suspect outcomes by specific offence.
Legal decisions are to charge, take no further action (NFA), or recommend an out of court disposal (OoCD).
Following the receipt of a file from the police requesting a CPS charging decision, several consultations may take place before the final decision whether to charge or not is taken by the reviewing lawyer. The first consultation may result in a legal decision outcome or in an action plan that needs to be sent to the police for further investigation or additional evidentiary material to allow a charging decision to take place.
The methodology of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023 is set out on their website at: www.cps.gov.uk/publication/crown-prosecution-service-joint-enterprise-pilot-2023-data-analysis.
This involved the application of a local ‘flag’ to joint enterprise homicide and attempted homicide cases which were then manually reviewed and certain case features were counted. The number of cases in which the defendant was assessed under the modern slavery National Referral Mechanism was not counted during the pilot and it is not possible to extract further management information from the local ‘flag’ centrally.
The methodology of the Crown Prosecution Service (“CPS”) Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023 (the “Joint Enterprise Pilot”) is set out on the CPS website: Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023: Data Analysis | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk).
The methodology involved the application of a local ‘flag’ to joint enterprise homicide and attempted homicide cases which were then manually reviewed and certain case features counted. The number of cases in which the Threshold Test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors was applied was not counted during the Joint Enterprise Pilot and it is not possible to extract further management information from the local ‘flag’ centrally.
Informed by the results of the Joint Enterprise Pilot, the CPS has updated its case management system in order to commence a full national monitoring scheme in the spring. A new mandatory national Joint Enterprise Monitoring Code ‘flag’ will enable the CPS to extract management information from such cases centrally, including whether the Threshold Test was applied when a defendant was charged.
The Code for Crown Prosecutors is clear that the Threshold Test may only be applied after a rigorous examination of its five conditions. This ensures that it is only applied when necessary and that cases are not charged prematurely. Any decision to charge under the Threshold Test must be kept under review and the Full Code Test must be applied as soon as practicable.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance on secondary liability (Secondary Liability: charging decisions on principals and accessories | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)) provides guidance to CPS prosecutors on what needs to be proved in respect of the secondary party’s participation in an offence.
The secondary party, by words or conduct, must encourage or assist the commission of the offence by another person, and must intend to do so.
Mere accidental presence at the scene of an offence or mere association with the principal offender or a group or gang will not alone be sufficient to prove that a secondary party participated in the offence.
If the offence requires a particular intent, the secondary party must intend to assist or encourage the other person to act with that intent.
The CPS guidance provides a number of scenarios to demonstrate the type and level of participation that may amount to assistance or encouragement.
The guidance also contains a section on intent (see “Mens rea – Intent”) that explains in detail how intent may be proved in practice, in relation to various types of scenarios.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is issued in accordance with the law as it currently stands.
The law on joint enterprise is a common law doctrine and is not currently governed by statute. A decision to legislate in this area (if deemed appropriate) is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Justice.
The current guidance covers the main principles of joint enterprise, as clarified in the lead case of R v Jogee. It is clearly stated in the guidance that a secondary party to an offence must intend to encourage or assist the commission of the crime by another person.
Joint enterprise is a common law doctrine, meaning that it has developed over time through case law rather than being set out in statute.
The doctrine may apply where two or more persons are involved in committing a criminal offence.
Where joint enterprise applies, the secondary party or accessory will be liable for the offence if they encourage or assist the commission of the offence by the principal party, and they intend to encourage or assist the commission of the offence.
The secondary party will not therefore be liable if they do not intend to encourage or assist the commission of the offence.
The outcomes of the Joint Enterprise pilot were published on 29 September 2023 and will inform the Crown Prosecution Service's national monitoring scheme of joint enterprise cases.
As an open economy, we welcome investment where it supports UK growth and jobs, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements, and does not compromise our national security. The Government has robust powers under the National Security & Investment Act to block or impose remedies on transactions that pose a national security risk.
As you will appreciate, we cannot comment on specific acquisitions nor the applicability of the National Security and Investment regime.
My hon. Friend, the Member for Wealden (Nusrat Ghani), is the Minister of State (Minister for Science and Investment Security) at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. A summary of her responsibilities can be found on gov.uk here:
Minister of State (Minister for Science and Investment Security) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed the public inquiry into COVID-19 will begin in Spring 2022. The Government recognises that it must engage and consult with bereaved families and others, before the terms of reference are finalised. The terms of reference will set out the purpose and structure of the Covid-19 inquiry, including the exact areas that will be investigated.
The Government is aware of Bereaved Families for Justice’ call to be represented during the COVID-19 Inquiry. Throughout the pandemic senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, have met and will continue to meet with bereaved families.
We also recognise the need for bereaved families to be represented on the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. The Commission will carefully consider how communities across the country can remember those who have lost their lives and recognise those involved in the response in a fitting and permanent way. I want to thank the Bereaved Families for Justice group for all their efforts in representing bereaved families throughout the pandemic.
Thanks to our collective national resolve, the Social Distancing measures we introduced are continuing to save lives. These measures are kept under constant review, with a formal review point every three weeks.
As the Prime Minister said on Thursday 30 April, he will be setting out a comprehensive plan this week. We have set out five tests which we will need to be satisfied with, before that plan can be put into action.
In April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) rose by a record amount, to £10.42 an hour. The annual minimum wage rates are based on recommendations of the Low Pay Commission (LPC), an independent body which draws on a range of research and stakeholder evidence to strike a balance between support for low paid workers, affordability for business and the impact on the wider economy.
The Government praises those organisations which are able to go further than the statutory minimum rates, but the figures endorsed by the Living Wage Foundation for London and the rest of the UK are voluntary.
The Science and Technology Framework sets out our commitment to expanding STEM opportunities to as diverse a range of people as possible.
The Government is inspiring people from all backgrounds through continued funding and support of the CREST Awards, STEM Ambassador programme, and our AI and Data Science Conversion Course and scholarship programme.
The Government has consistently emphasised how essential it is to build mathematical capabilities in the UK, and the Prime Minister announced last year an ambition for all young people to study maths to age 18. We are also committed to supporting the establishment of new Academy focussed on the Mathematical Sciences, helping the sector in a long-term and sustainable way.
The Energy Prices Act 2022 contains a provision requiring intermediaries to pass on energy price support to end users. Further detail will be set out in regulations and guidance in due course, however, the requirement will be retrospective which means landlords will be required to pass on payments from October onwards.
Policy on environmental protections is owned by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and any decisions regarding retained EU law on environmental protections are for Defra Ministers to take.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not held discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the content of Defra policy.
The UK is a world leader in environmental protections. In reviewing our retained EU law, we want to ensure that environmental law is fit for purpose for the United Kingdom’s unique environment, enabling us to drive improved environmental outcomes and deliver on our commitment to halt nature’s decline by 2030.
Policy on the environment is owned by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and any decisions regarding retained EU law on the environment are for Defra ministers to take.
Policy on public health is owned by the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC), and any decisions regarding retained EU law on public health are for DHSC Ministers to take.
We are working through how best to involve stakeholders in this process and we will want to hear the views of environmental organisations as we develop the REUL programme.
The Government actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs), which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice, and regulations on animal research. Since the NC3Rs was launched in 2004, it has committed £100 million in research to develop 3Rs technologies.
In addition to funding the NC3Rs, UKRI also funds a portfolio of research projects involving humans, human materials, animal models, and non-animal technologies. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and NC3Rs have recently launched a £4 million joint funding call focussed on supporting next generation non-animal technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip and computer modelling, to work towards providing more reliable and applicable alternatives to reduce the use of animals in research.
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.
As part of the Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences, UKRI have committed £124 million out to 2028-29. UKRI will seek further opportunities to support mathematical research as it moves towards greater collective management of its funding, creating a portfolio of investments.
The Government does not hold this information.
The land criteria for woody biomass, which includes the definitions of legal and sustainable sourcing, were transposed into the requirements of support schemes from the Timber Standard for Heat and Electricity (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timber-standard-for-heat-electricity) at the time of the schemes’ developments. Stakeholders have been consulted repeatedly during the development and enhancement of the UK’s biomass sustainability criteria, and the outcomes of the consultations can be found on gov.uk. This includes the last consultation on adjustments to sustainability and reporting provisions for biomass under https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/biomass-sustainability
The Government is currently reviewing its existing biomass sustainability criteria across the transport, heat and energy sectors and intends to set out recommendations for further enhancements to these in the Biomass Strategy, set to be published in late 2022.
The Government does not hold this information. In accordance with the government’s strict sustainability criteria, where biomass is sourced from forests, it needs to be sourced from areas managed in a way that is consistent with sustainable forest management practices, irrespective of the sourcing location.
Information is not available on the support given specifically for the generation of electricity from the burning of wood pellets.
The figures in the table below give the value of the support under the Renewables Obligation for generation from all the types of biomass used by Drax.
Year | Notional value of support under the Renewables Obligation[1] |
2011/12 | £50.5m |
2012/13 | £21.3m |
2013/14 | £181.3m |
2014/15 | £399.1m |
2015/16 | £548.1m |
2016/17 | £547.9m |
2017/18 | £399.2m |
2018/19 | £513.3m |
2019/20 | £508.9m |
2020/21 | £508.5m[2] |
Drax has received support under the Contracts for Difference scheme since 21 December 2016. Payments to individual projects are published by the Low Carbon Contracts Company on their Data Portal[3].
[1] Support under the Renewables Obligation is through tradeable certificates. The figures give the notional value of the support, based on Ofgem’s certificate report as at 14 January 2022 from their Renewables and CHP Register at: https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportViewer.aspx?ReportPath=/DatawarehouseReports/CertificatesExternalPublicDataWarehouse&ReportVisibility=1&ReportCategory=2
[2] Provisional figure as all the certificates for 2020/21 may not have been issued yet.
[3] The Low Carbon Contracts Company’s Data Portal is at: https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/dashboards/cfd/actuals-dashboards/historical-dashboard
Since April 2020, all privately rented homes in England and Wales are required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard of EPC band E, unless a valid exemption applies. BEIS has consulted on raising the minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in England and Wales to EPC band C. Under the Government’s lead proposed option, landlords would be required to spend up to £10,000 to reach EPC Band C for new tenancies from 1 April 2025 and all tenancies by 1 April 2028.
In the Net Zero Strategy, the Government committed to consider an ultimate backstop date to ensure that all homes meet a net zero minimum energy performance standard before 2050, where cost effective, practical, and affordable.
The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing tidal energy. Any such consideration would of course be subject to rigorous value-for-money assessment.
As part of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) published on 24 December, the UK has agreed to associate to Horizon Europe which represents a valuable collaboration on science and research to tackle global challenges, and in fields that will benefit the British people. The Government is committed to establishing the UK as a science and research global superpower, and this deal fulfils our manifesto commitment to collaborate internationally in this regard. As a responsible government, we were also prepared for a scenario where we did not agree to participate in Horizon Europe and were ready to implement a suite of domestic alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration if required.
As part of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) published on 24 December, the UK has agreed to associate to Horizon Europe which represents a valuable collaboration on science and research to tackle global challenges, and in fields that will benefit the British people. The Government is committed to establishing the UK as a science and research global superpower, and this deal fulfils our manifesto commitment to collaborate internationally in this regard. As a responsible government, we were also prepared for a scenario where we did not agree to participate in Horizon Europe and were ready to implement a suite of domestic alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration if required.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested nearly £500 million towards 2,200 new research and innovation initiatives, both in the UK and globally. These initiatives are diverse and include research into new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The University of Liverpool is part of a new national research project to study the effects of emerging mutations in SARS-CoV-2. Supported by £2.5 million of funding from UKRI, the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium will study how mutations in the virus affect key outcomes. This includes factors such as how transmissible the virus is, the severity of COVID-19 caused, and the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments.
The Consortium will bring together leading virologists from 10 research institutions, including the University of Liverpool. The university will work alongside the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium, which plays a world-leading role in virus genome sequencing, as well as Public Health England, to boost the UK's capacity to study newly identified virus variants and rapidly inform the Government’s policy.
The current overall UKRI portfolio of COVID-19-related grants, including awards supported by Innovate UK, involves vaccine projects that provide greater diversity of approaches than for the first generation of vaccines developed. More details can be found on the UKRI website.
Our Safer Working guidance was updated on 26 November to reflect the new tiers.
Our shops and branches guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/shops-and-branches.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced during his Spending Review increases to the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) to come into force from 1 April 2021. These increases mean that a full-time worker earning the NLW will be over £345 better off over the year, and allow the Government to make progress towards its long-term ambition for the NLW to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. The Government remains committed to supporting low paid workers, including key workers, and so is continuing with an increase to the NLW this year.
In July, the Government delivered a significant real-terms pay increase to 900,000 public sector workers across 9 workforces. For 2021/22, we will target resources where they will have the most benefit. The NHS Pay Review Body and Doctor and Dentist’s Review Body will make their recommendations as usual next year. We will also protect the lowest paid, with 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than £24,000 receiving a minimum £250 increase.
We understand that COVID-19 restrictions may affect the availability of installers, along with their ability to install measures in households. We have therefore stated installers must follow government guidance on ‘Construction and other outdoor work’ and any other relevant COVID-19 guidance when undertaking installations. Based on the latest advice from my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, tradespeople may continue to work as they are unable to do so from home.
The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme is designed to help stimulate economic recovery and to support and create tens of thousands of jobs. The time-limited nature of the Scheme is determined by the nature of the funding available from HM Treasury. Any potential funding allocations for future years will be determined in the next Spending Review.
Higher rates of problem gambling are associated with certain products, particularly those online, compared to most land-based products. We want to take this into account in the design of the statutory levy, as well as the higher operating costs in the land-based sector. Public Health England’s evidence review of gambling-related harms, based on Health Survey data, showed football pools to have a 'problem gambling' rate of 5%, which is higher than the population level which has been at or below 1% for the past 20 years.
The consultation on the design of the statutory levy opened on 17 October and has now closed. Our consultation specifically invited views on the question of levy rates so that the Government has the best available evidence to inform our final policy decisions on a structure of the levy. The Government is carefully considering the evidence received, and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.
As announced in the Spring Budget, the Government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England.
Around three quarters of the £100 million funding package will be targeted this year towards those frontline organisations most at risk as a result of cost of living pressures, due to increased demand from vulnerable people and higher delivery costs. The other quarter will be used to provide investment in energy efficiency measures to help civil society organisations reduce their future operating costs.
Officials are working at pace to finalise the delivery time frames and eligibility criteria. Further details, including how to apply for funding, eligibility criteria and application deadlines, will be announced as soon as possible.
Matters related to telecoms are the responsibility of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) following the machinery of government changes announced on 7 February 2023. I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 22 June 2023, in my capacity as a DSIT Minister, to Question UIN 190472.
Gospel music and other individual musical genres receive public support through a wide variety of sources, including Arts Council England. Decisions made by the Arts Council about the allocation of funding are taken at arm's length from the Government. Its decisions are made in line with the Arts Council’s ten-year strategy, Let’s Create, which sets the direction for all the artforms it supports.
Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor the Arts Council England holds aggregated data for funding for gospel music as a specific sub-genre. Liverpool Lighthouse is a new inclusion in the Arts Council England National Portfolio and incorporates the National Gospel Music Centre. Liverpool Lighthouse will host the first Liverpool Gospel Music Festival which will take place on 9 September 2023.
Other National Portfolio Organisations, such as Punch and Pegasus Opera engage with the gospel community and have supported several gospel-focused projects through the National Lottery Project Grants programme.
Arts Council England holds data regarding a number of other sub-genres its musical investment supports. Data for Lottery and Grant-in-Aid funding in 2022/23 for these sub-genres was as follows:
Music -Subclassifier | 2022/23 |
Brass bands | £1,729,589 |
Choral | £2,345,593 |
Classical | £96,311,624 |
Experimental | £7,737,713 |
Folk | £1,903,573 |
Jazz | £7,264,868 |
Media Arts | £800,960 |
Opera | £67,730,537 |
Popular | £26,257,424 |
South Asian | £6,764,995 |
World | £7,362,628 |
Total | £226,209,504 |
The department is continuing to work with the expert advisory panel to develop the cultural education plan and intends to publish the plan in the coming months.