3 APPG memberships (as of 1 Nov 2023)
Afghanistan, Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, Inclusive Growth5 Former APPG memberships
Children of Alcoholics, Entrepreneurship, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Saudi Arabia, World Bank and International Monetary Fundvoted Aye - in line with the party majority
One of 140 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 194 Noes - 275
On Tuesday, we finally had answers from Lisa Wilkinson about the mistakes that led to the collapse of that much-loved …
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which spending programmes their Department devolves for administration to (a) …
That this House notes that extreme poverty has risen for the first time this century; highlights on current trends 3 …
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish proposals for increasing the on-lending of UK Special Drawing Rights …
Name of donor: The Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & International Monetary Fund
Address of donor: 66 avenue d'Iéna, …
This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations …
A Bill to make the offence of supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug aggravated when the person to …
Division Voting information
Debates during the 2019 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
(78 debate interactions)
(24 debate interactions)
(18 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(93 debate contributions)
(63 debate contributions)
(40 debate contributions)
(38 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(23,029 words contributed)
(5,561 words contributed)
(1,918 words contributed)
(1,624 words contributed)
Birmingham, Hodge Hill Petitions
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).
of 148,966 signatures (1.64%)
of 196,044 signatures (1.47%)
of 12,954 signatures (1.37%)
of 15,106 signatures (1.17%)
of 95,293 signatures (0.80%)
of 196,044 signatures (1.47%)
of 148,966 signatures (1.64%)
of 246,898 signatures (0.58%)
of 607,711 signatures (0.14%)
of 95,293 signatures (0.80%)
Latest EDMs signed by Liam Byrne
Protecting civilians in Gaza and Israel (No. 2)
Tabled by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that these horrific acts do not justify responding with the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; expresses its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of …
(Most recent: 20 Nov 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 44
Scottish National Party: 39
Independent: 9
Plaid Cymru: 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Alba Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Alliance: 1
Conservative: 1
Protecting civilians in Gaza and Israel
Tabled by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that these horrific acts do not justify responding with the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; expresses its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of …
(Most recent: 26 Oct 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 40
Scottish National Party: 38
Independent: 9
Plaid Cymru: 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Alba Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Alliance: 1
Conservative: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Liam Byrne, 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.
Liam Byrne has not been granted any Urgent Questions
2 Adjournment Debates led by Liam Byrne
1 Bill introduced by Liam Byrne
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish proposals for increasing the on-lending of UK Special Drawing Rights via the IMF, for transferring the capital returned to the UK by the European Investment Bank to the World Bank, and for increasing the UK’s support for the African Development Bank, for the purpose of reducing debt burdens and the cost of capital and contributing to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
2 Bills co-sponsored by Liam Byrne
Supply of Drugs to Children Under 16 (Aggravated Offence) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Kevin Hollinrake (Con)
Food Insecurity Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab)
198 Written Questions in the current parliament
(View all written questions)The Attorney General’s Office does not have individual spending programmes which are devolved to local government or other local spending bodies.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Cabinet Office did not devolve any spending programmes for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies in financial year 2021/22.
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the written statement issued today by my Rt Hon Friend, The Minister of State for Security and Borders.
As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face.
June's G7 Summit in Cornwall will mark the first face to face meeting of world leaders in almost two years and offers us a unique opportunity to agree concrete action to improve global health, tackle climate change and make the world fairer and more prosperous.
I look forward to meeting with my fellow leaders to discuss these issues as we all act to fight and defeat Covid and revive the global economy from its devastating impact.
The Department publishes its support to local government and other bodies as part of the annual report of the application of the Industrial Development Act 1982. This includes details of support to Local Enterprise Partnerships (and relevant Mayoral Combined Authorities) for the delivery of Growth Hubs under sections 11 and 12 of the Act. The budget for 2023/24 is £11.9 million. Future years’ budgets are subject to confirmation under the Department’s normal business planning processes.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
a) The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and other departments have assessed the high-level strategy published by the EU, which broadly aligns with UK interests. DBT is engaging closely with the EU and Member States across this agenda at ministerial and senior official level, as well as in technical discussions on specific policy areas.
b) Executive Order 14017 instructs heads of US agencies to complete reviews of supply chain resilience. It does not directly impact UK policies. This Government has been proactively working with allies including the US on resilience, including reducing vulnerabilities in critical technologies and on clean energy supply chains through our Atlantic Declaration.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
(a) The Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954, together with licences made under it, do not make Chinese-origin firms the subject of any restrictions on trade and investment.
(b) Export controls apply to anyone exporting controlled items from the UK, regardless of country of origin. The Government assesses all export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will not licence the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with these Criteria.
(c) None. The Procurement Act is not due for commencement until Autumn 2024.
(d) Huawei
(e) Eight final orders (which imposed conditions on, or blocked or unwound deals) issued involved acquirers linked to China. All notices of final orders are available on gov.uk.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
All ministerial meetings with external organisations are published in the quarterly transparency returns.
Steps are being taken by the UK government to protect national security through public procurement including the creation of a permanent National Security Unit for Procurement within the Cabinet Office. As part of the Procurement Act, the Government will introduce new, mandatory debarments for specific types of contracts where the supplier poses an unacceptable risk to national security. The Cabinet Office have committed to publish guidance to assist contracting authorities in assessing national security risk and using their exclusion powers.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ministers for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) can control imports into the UK through various means, notably the Open General Import Licence. This permits the importation of all goods into the United Kingdom, subject to various exceptions which include goods such as firearms and nuclear materials. These exceptions are granted under the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954.
DBT does not have policy responsibility for all import controls — The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for Government policy on sanctions, although relevant departments work closely together on this.
The UK’s import controls regime is consistent with its domestic and international obligations. Controls can be used for numerous reasons including national security.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Export Control Act 2002 provides broad powers to control and licence exports, trade, transfers of technology and technical assistance for military goods and technology.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC). These Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework, which requires ECJU to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment, and the capabilities it could support.
HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with these Criteria, including if there is a risk of diversion to a weapon of mass destruction or military programme of concern, or if the export could present a risk to the UK’s national security.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Procurement Act will enable Cabinet Office Ministers to mandate that a supplier is debarred from specific types of contracts where the supplier poses an unacceptable risk to national security. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 enables Department of Science, Innovation & Technology Ministers to impose, monitor and enforce controls on public communications providers’ use of designated vendors’ goods, services and facilities within UK public telecommunications networks.
The National Cyber Security Centre and the newly formed National Protective Security Authority provide expert advice and guidance to both public and private organisations to identify risks and vulnerabilities to the UK’s national infrastructure.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold data regarding the value of accumulated (a) grants (b) loans and (c) equity investments made to firms operating in each of the sensitive areas of the economy set out under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.
The Annual Report of the National Security and Investment Act, published by the Cabinet Office, provides details of notifications received from firms operating by sector of the economy and country of origin.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The government has set itself a mission that, by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution, with a simplified, long-term funding settlement. At Spring Budget, the government announced the trailblazer devolution deals with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA), which included a commitment to introduce single funding settlements at the next Spending Review for these MCAs. At Autumn Statement, the government published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMCA and WMCA, setting out how the single settlements will work. The government also announced an ambitious new ‘level 4’ of the devolution framework, including a single transport funding settlement for eligible institutions, and a ‘consolidated’ pot at the next multi-year SR covering two DLUHC investment themes – local growth and place, and housing and regeneration. Following successful delivery of the ‘consolidated’ pot, and learning from the trailblazers, Level 4 institutions will then become eligible to receive a single settlement from the subsequent multi-year Spending Review.
Details of major funding programmes, including those administered by local government or other local bodies, are available on gov.uk.
DSIT’s £100 million Innovation Accelerators programme is accelerating the growth of three high-potential innovation clusters in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.
The programme is pioneering a new model of R&D decision-making that empowers local leaders to harness innovation in support of regional economic growth. Partnerships of local government, business and R&D institutions in the three city regions led on selecting 26 projects for funding, working closely with Innovate UK.
DSIT also provides grant funding to local authorities for telecoms R&D projects through its Future Networks Programme.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The National Semiconductor Strategy sets out the government’s approach to growing our domestic semiconductor sector, safeguarding the UK against supply chain disruption and protecting our national security.
The government recognises that the issues facing the global semiconductor sector cannot be solved by any one country alone. We have committed to work closely with our international partners, both multilaterally and bilaterally, to encourage greater transparency in the global semiconductor supply chain, improve supply chain resilience, and establish areas of collaboration for mutual advantage.
In delivering this vision, the government has already announced ambitious international partnership agreements with the US and Japan in 2023. These agreements enhance our collaboration on supply chain resilience, as well as enabling our world class researchers to collaborate on cutting edge semiconductor technologies and supporting our companies to develop new business relationships. We are also working with other governments and industry in the OECD “Informal Exchange Network on semiconductors”, to multilateralise efforts to understand and improve semiconductor supply chain resilience.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
25 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions
(View all Liam Byrne's BEIS questions)BEIS does not set spending budgets for specific geographical regions. Where spend is ODA eligible then details are published at:
Specific spending details including departmental and geographic breakdowns are in this published file:
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
HM Land Registry holds information on the legal owner of registered estates. This may be a corporate or an individual proprietor.
HM Land Registry notes the country of incorporation for overseas companies in its Land Register. It does not hold information on the nationality of individuals. While some individuals have provided non-UK correspondence addresses, this does not necessarily indicate nationality.
HM Land Registry is unable to provide a breakdown of the many interests and estates in registered land.
Published information on overseas companies that own property in England and Wales is accessible here: https://use-land-property-data.service.gov.uk/datasets/ocod.
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/price-paid-data-downloads contains information on property sales, broken down by local authority. The last three years’ data is provided with this answer in a separate spreadsheet. In summary, the breakdown is as set out in the table below.
Year | Residential | Residential classified as new build |
2022 | 337,540 | 3,198 |
2021 | 964,359 | 54,607 |
2020 | 729,743 | 85,167 |
2019 | 839,999 | 112,303 |
We will place a detailed breakdown between UK and overseas companies, and individuals providing UK and non-UK correspondence addresses as soon as possible in the Libraries of the House.
Business activities including listing and trading in shares, investment and acquisitions, imports and exports, and data processing are subject to a range of legal and regulatory requirements. Some of these are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and others are the responsibility of other ministers. Where these requirements are not met, the Government stands ready to use appropriate compliance measures and enforcement powers.
The table below shows the Department’s 21-22 spending programmes, which it devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies. Budgets for future years have not yet been agreed.
PROGRAMME (£m) | BUDGET | 21-22 |
|
|
|
Growth Hubs | RDEL | 12.0 |
Local Enterprise Partnerships | RDEL | 10.0 |
Made Smarter | RDEL | 8.0 |
Manchester Earnback | RDEL | 10.0 |
Peer Networks | RDEL | 9.0 |
Business Basics | RDEL | 3.0 |
Local Net Zero Hubs | RDEL | 7.2 |
Green Homes Grant - Local Authority Delivery | CDEL | 280.4 |
Homes Upgrade Grant (HUG) | CDEL | 152.2 |
HNDU pipeline and related expenditure | RDEL | 6.1 |
Heat Networks Transformation Programme | CDEL | 117.7 |
Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme (HNES) | RDEL | 1.6 |
Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) | CDEL | 178.5 |
As of 1 April 2021, the proportion of all registered companies in the UK, having not listed an ultimate beneficial owner (Person of Significant Control) are 0.25% of the effective company register.
The Government has provided an unprecedented support package totalling over £280 billion for individuals, businesses and organisations. This includes billions in loans, grants, and business rates relief. We have also published Safer Workplaces guidance for a number of sectors, supporting businesses and employees to operate in a Covid-secure way. Businesses can also access tailored advice through the Business Support Helpline, the Business Support website or through local Growth Hubs in England.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme are all delegated schemes introduced by BEIS and overseen in conjunction with the British Business Bank.
As of 24 January 2021:
- 1,471,001 loans have been approved under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, with a total value of £44.74 billion.
- 87,529 loans have been approved under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, with a total value of £20.84 billion.
- 696 loans have been approved under the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, with a total value of £5.14 billion.
Between March and September last year, over £11.68 billion was paid out to over a million business premises under the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF), the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF) and the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF). Grant funding has also been made available via Local Authorities to help businesses forced to close due to national and localised restrictions, and for businesses severely impacted by restrictions even if not required to close. This includes the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment (CBLP), the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), and the different Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes.
We understand from our engagement with installers that many companies have taken on additional staff to deliver work under the scheme, which may include apprentices. There will be an independent evaluation of the processes and effectiveness of the scheme, including a comprehensive analysis of scheme outcomes and evidence collected from scheme applicants and other stakeholders.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 9th February, there were 927 installers registered and able to undertake work on the Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 8th February, 71,953 applications have been received for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, with 22,165 vouchers having been approved and issued to customers.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course. These will be developed over releases to reflect more scheme information.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 08 February, 71,953 applications have been received for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, with 22,165 vouchers having been issued to customers.
Official statistics will be published in due course.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC) is expected to disperse funding to successful projects until March 2024. The most recent competition phase of the IDC, the Phase 2 Deployment Strand, closed in October 2020 with bids currently undergoing assessment. Successful projects are expected to start to receive funding from March 2021.
Decarbonising industrial clusters represent an opportunity to drive clean growth while cutting emissions. Clusters are important providers of jobs and form a crucial part of implementing my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
Around half of industrial emissions are concentrated in six clusters across the UK. That is why we launched the Industrial Clusters Mission, through which we have engaged with several industrial clusters, including the Black Country Industrial Cluster in the West Midlands. The £170 million Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge will help industrial clusters to develop their decarbonisation plans and support the rollout out of new technologies.
The Government has announced nearly £500m of support through the Automotive Transformation Fund to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This is part of the up to £1 billion that this Government previously committed to these efforts. The application process is managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre on behalf of BEIS and funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, dependent on a full assessment of the relative value for money of any request received.
There are a range of factors that will influence the location of any UK Gigafactory investment, and the final location decision will be a commercial matter. There are several locations across the UK including in the West Midlands that may meet the requirements of investors, and the Government is working closely with local government and business to help inform their selection process.
The Government has announced nearly £500m of support through the Automotive Transformation Fund to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This is part of the up to £1 billion that this Government previously committed to these efforts. The application process is managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre on behalf of BEIS and funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, dependent on a full assessment of the relative value for money of any request received.
There are a range of factors that will influence the location of any UK Gigafactory investment, and the final location decision will be a commercial matter. There are several locations across the UK including in the West Midlands that may meet the requirements of investors, and the Government is working closely with local government and business to help inform their selection process.
The Government has announced nearly £500m of support through the Automotive Transformation Fund to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This is part of the up to £1 billion that this Government previously committed to these efforts. The application process is managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre on behalf of BEIS and funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, dependent on a full assessment of the relative value for money of any request received.
There are a range of factors that will influence the location of any UK Gigafactory investment, and the final location decision will be a commercial matter. There are several locations across the UK including in the West Midlands that may meet the requirements of investors, and the Government is working closely with local government and business to help inform their selection process.
The Government has announced nearly £500m of support through the Automotive Transformation Fund to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This is part of the up to £1 billion that this Government previously committed to these efforts. The application process is managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre on behalf of BEIS and funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, dependent on a full assessment of the relative value for money of any request received.
There are a range of factors that will influence the location of any UK Gigafactory investment, and the final location decision will be a commercial matter. There are several locations across the UK including in the West Midlands that may meet the requirements of investors, and the Government is working closely with local government and business to help inform their selection process.
The Government has announced nearly £500m of support through the Automotive Transformation Fund to drive the electrification of the UK automotive sector. This is part of the up to £1 billion that this Government previously committed to these efforts. The application process is managed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre on behalf of BEIS and funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, dependent on a full assessment of the relative value for money of any request received.
There are a range of factors that will influence the location of any UK Gigafactory investment, and the final location decision will be a commercial matter. There are several locations across the UK including in the West Midlands that may meet the requirements of investors, and the Government is working closely with local government and business to help inform their selection process.
There are currently 115 lenders accredited to provide loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. Accredited lenders include a range of alternative finance providers alongside more traditional banks.
Under the terms of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), interest rates do not change once agreed between the lender and borrower at the beginning of the term.
Lenders undergo periodic audits to check that scheme eligibility rules and processes are being followed. If it is determined that a lender is not passing on the economic benefits of the CBILS Guarantee to borrowers, the lender will be obligated to take such action as is required by the British Business Bank to rectify this.
We are committed to tackling consumer rip-offs and bad business practices, including profiteering. Although the vast majority of businesses are acting responsibly during the national effort to tackle Covid-19, a small minority are seeking to exploit the situation. The Competition and Markets Authority are seeing the number of complaints against firms engaging in profiteering decreasing.
We are working with the CMA and other consumer and retail organisations to monitor the extent of profiteering and will update the law if it is proportionate to do so. The CMA has approached over 250 traders and trade associations to challenge price rises for essential products.
The Government is committed to tackling consumer rip-offs and bad business practices, including profiteering.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), business, trade and consumer organisations on Thursday 9 April to reinforce this message. The Ministerial team has ongoing engagement with stakeholders on consumer issues arising from the Covid-19 outbreak.
It will be for the UK Managing Authorities to decide how best to use these flexibilities for each Programme under the European Structural and Investment Funds. They are considering this and are determining the levels of funding available for projects to address the economic and health impacts of Covid19. A clearer view of this will emerge in due course.
The European Social Fund (ESF) Managing Authority recognises the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how this may significantly impact on an organisation’s ability to deliver against agreed targets. Officials are working with project leaders to understand this impact and will discuss this with them on a case by case basis.
The European Structural and Investment Funds Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response was announced via Action Note 047/20 on 26 March 2020, with a Question and Answer document published on gov.uk. The detail within these announcements highlights how the Managing Authority has the ability to consider requests from existing projects to refocus their funding provision to respond directly to local challenges caused by COVID-19.
The Government fully recognises the potential impact of the current situation on young people and is considering the gains which could be achieved from increasing the scope of existing projects aimed at supporting young people who may be at risk of becoming not in employment, education or training.
The publication of the Integrated Review in March 2021 affirmed the UK’s increased focus and long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
DCMS does not capture spend by region. However, the department’s International Directorate has established a bespoke team to lead our Indo-Pacific and China Strategy and Engagement. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for the past year and has resulted in increased collaboration with key regional partners.
As set out in the Integrated Review, we will continue to pursue a positive trade and investment relationship with China, whilst ensuring our national security and values are protected. We have published guidance which provides UK firms with clear, up-to-date information and specialist support to help negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial questions they may encounter in China or when working with Chinese businesses.
As an open economy, we welcome foreign trade and investment, including from China, where it supports UK growth and jobs. However, the government will not accept investments that compromise our national security, and all investment must meet stringent legal and regulatory requirements to protect the UK’s national interest. Where we identify concerns, the government will not hesitate to use its powers to protect national security on a case-by-case basis. The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, which fully commenced on 4 January 2022, gives the government powers to scrutinise and potentially intervene in acquisitions of control over entities and assets in or linked to the UK that may pose national security risks.
In addition, on 19 May, legislation came into force extending the scope of export control powers as they apply to exports of otherwise non-controlled goods and technology intended for a “military end-use” in a destination subject to arms embargo. This fulfilled the commitment made by the International Trade Secretary in her Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2021. These changes allow us to better address threats to national security, international peace and security, and human rights arising from the use of non-listed items by the military, police or security forces, or entities acting on their behalf, in an embargoed destination. We also added China to the list of “embargoed destinations” to which military end-use controls can be applied.
Last year we introduced the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, which gives new national security powers for the government to impose controls on public communications providers' use of designated vendors' goods, services and facilities in UK public telecoms networks. The Government has held a consultation on proposals to use the new national security powers in the case of Huawei.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The programmes provided within the Answer of 7 March 2022 that are managed by DCMS from which some funds are provided to local government and local spending bodies are set out below. Profiles are liable to change during the Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates processes.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “Urban Connected Communities Project”
Trials new 5G services and applications to individuals and businesses. This project has now finished.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “5G Create” scheme
Aims to explore and develop new use-cases and 5G technical capabilities. The total funding provided for the 5GTT programme is £6m in 2022-23 only.
Building Digital UK Superfast
Aims to ensure that delivery of superfast broadband can reach a number of under-served local areas. The total funding provided for this programme is £7m in 2022-23, £5m in 2023-24 and £7m in 2024-25.
Cultural Investment Fund
Invests in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries to benefit communities across the country. The total funding provided for this programme is up to £150m over 2022-23 - 2024-25.
Life Chances Fund
Provides top-up funding contributions to Social Impact Bond projects through outcomes-based contracts. These contracts involve social investors and are locally commissioned. The total fund is £70m and will be paid as outcomes are achieved over the Spending Review period.
Local Digital Skills Partnerships Catalyst Fund
Brings government together with national and local businesses and charities to address the digital skills gap in a collaborative way. The total fund over the lifespan of Local Digital Skills Partnerships programme (Catalyst Fund) is £1.3m.
Local Full Fibre Networks
Aims to stimulate investment, create UK digital leadership, and drive productivity and growth in UK digital products and services. This programme is now finished and no funding is provided in this Spending Review period.
Rural Connected Communities competition
Funds 5G research and development projects. The total funding provided for the 5GTT programme is £6m in 2022-23 only.
UK City of Culture
The UK City of Culture competition is a key part of DCMS’s broader offer to level up opportunity across the UK. It invites places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years. Funding of £1.615m in 2022-23 and £1m in 2023-24 will be provided to the Coventry City of Culture Trust (the organising body for the current titleholder).
Youth Investment Fund
Aims to create, expand and improve local youth facilities and their services, in order to drive positive outcomes for young people. The £368m investment over 22/23 - 24/25 will be targeted at those localities with most need in accordance with levelling up principles. Local authorities will be able to bid into this fund as will civil society youth service providers.
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
DCMS does not devolve any funds for administration to local government and other local spending bodies (taking local spending bodies to denote local government structures); however there are programmes managed by DCMS from which some funds are provided to local government and local spending bodies. These include the below:
|
Trials new 5G services and applications to individuals and businesses. |
|
Aims to explore and develop new use-cases and 5G technical capabilities. |
|
Aims to ensure that delivery of superfast broadband can reach a number of under-served local areas. |
|
Invests in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries to benefit communities across the country. |
|
Provides top up contributions to outcomes-based contracts involving social investment, referred to as Social Impact Bonds. |
|
Brings government together with national and local businesses and charities to address the digital skills gap in a collaborative way. |
|
Aims to stimulate investment, create UK digital leadership, and drive productivity and growth in UK digital products and services. |
|
Funds 5G research and development projects. |
|
Invites places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years. |
|
Aims to create, expand and improve local youth facilities and their services, in order to drive positive outcomes for young people. |
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
HM Government’s core funding for the UK Youth Parliament in 21/22 remains at the same level as the previous two years. Additional funding has been made available in 21/22 to continue enabling UK-wide participation in this programme.
While over £500m from the Culture Recovery Fund has been allocated, some capital elements are still being allocated, and many applications are still being processed.
However, across heritage and arts recovery grant awards made to date (11 Nov), the regional breakdown is as follows:
Region | No. of awards | Total Awarded |
North East | 103 | £22,454,843 |
North West | 327 | £62,663,311 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 224 | £43,099,069 |
East Midlands | 187 | £29,701,256 |
West Midlands | 220 | £45,502,109 |
East of England | 206 | £34,531,071 |
London | 752 | £155,917,286 |
South East | 345 | £62,615,121 |
South West | 296 | £50,529,933 |
Out of England* | 4 | £254,850 |
Grand Total | 2664 | £507,268,849 |
*based on applicant postcode
The Government, along with Birmingham City Council and its partners, are investing £778 million to deliver the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.This investment is driving significant legacy opportunities including job creation, community and sports facilities and a timely boost to businesses. An additional £24 million investment from the government and the West Midlands Combined Authority to create a Trade, Tourism, and Investment Programme will ensure the city, region and the UK can take advantage of the economic opportunities hosting the Games provides. Many other partners and organisations are actively involved in and contributing to the work of the legacy programme, including Sport England, Spirit of 2012 and the Commonwealth Sports Foundation.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since 2017, Sport England’s Birmingham and Solihull Local Delivery Pilot has been delivered through The Active Wellbeing Society, the region’s Active Partnership, supporting over 600,000 older people, women, young families, BAME communities and children to enjoy the health, wellbeing, social and other benefits of being active.
Sport England is awarding £10,713,328 of National Lottery investment in the ‘Active Communities’ programme to promote being active across the region until 2024. Initiatives promoted by this programme include:
Developing a network of community activity champions;
A Birmingham Wellbeing panel and ‘The Crowd’ online platform launching this autumn;
Social prescribing schemes with healthcare professionals that use local community sports facilities;
Community activities including Active Streets, Active Parks, the Big Run and Walk Project and Big Bikes Birmingham;
Schools-based programmes to increase participation in sport and activity ;
The Share Shacks programme, offering places where people can borrow equipment that helps communities to play sport and be active, supported by additional bike repair services and community cafes; and
Tactical Urbanism schemes, including ‘pop-up parks’, redeveloping disused land for community use and supporting low-traffic neighbourhoods.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The £778m investment in the Birmingham 2022 Games is a clear statement of Government’s commitment to ensure the Games deliver deep and lasting benefits, both for the West Midlands and for the whole of the UK. Working with our Games partners, the Government is committed to publishing a legacy plan in early 2021.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has confirmed to the Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games that it should ensure that its staff and contractors are paid the national living wage, in line with the government’s policy. The Organising Committee also asks suppliers to demonstrate how they support its Social Values Charter as part of the procurement process. The Social Values Charter is on the Organising Committee’s website at https://www.birmingham2022.com/news/blog/delivering-social-value/.
The department’s annual report and accounts sets out the amount the department has spent in a given financial year. Section six (policy funding) of the latest report and accounts, covering the 2020/2021 financial year, details the department’s capital and revenue grants, this includes funding that goes to local authorities to distribute. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021.
The largest elements of revenue funding the department pays directly to local authorities are through the dedicated schools grant (DSG). The published allocations show how much funding local authorities will receive for each of the four blocks of the DSG: the schools block, the central school services block, the high needs block, and the early years block. The latest publicly available allocations are for the 2022/23 financial year and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2022-to-2023.
A large proportion of schools’ capital funding is delivered through annual allocations to local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs). This includes basic need funding to local authorities to meet their duty to ensure there are enough places for children in their areas and annual allocations to local authorities and MATs to maintain the condition of estates. The latest allocations for the 2021/22 financial year are available online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2021-to-2022-financial-year.
The 2021 Spending Review agreed funding for the department for the next three years, with funding rising to over £86 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. As is common practice, when publishing allocations for individual grants these will show the recipients of funding.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Primary school pupils in Birmingham local authority are attracting £4,844 on average via the National Funding Formula (NFF) in financial year 2021-22. Secondary school pupils in Birmingham local authority are attracting £6,379 on average via the NFF in 2021-22. Primary and secondary schools also receive additional funding through other grants, such as the pupil premium.
Based on the most recent published allocations for academic year 2020/21, the average total 16-19 programme funding per student at school sixth forms in Birmingham local authority is £5,049[1].
[1] The calculation only includes institutions that have students receiving total programme funding. Some institutions receive only high needs funding and their students are not included in the calculation. Data source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-allocation-data-2020-to-2021-academic-year.
The Department is continuing to fund nurseries and schools as normal and provide 16-19 funding allocations to further education (FE) colleges as usual throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.
A) Policies
Schools
This has been a challenging time for teachers and school leaders, and the Government has supported them since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. We have regularly published and updated guidance to ensure that it reflects the most up-to-date medical and scientific information to make sure that teachers, parents, and young people are as well informed as possible in the current rapidly changing circumstances. The latest guidance for schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
On 3 February 2021, the Government confirmed the appointment of Sir Kevan Collins as the education recovery commissioner. He will advise on the approach for education recovery, with a particular focus on helping students catch up on education lost because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Department will be working in collaboration with the education sector to develop short, medium, and long-term plans to make sure children and young people have the chance to make up their education over the course of this Parliament, further details will be made available in due course.
Vulnerable Children
During the period of national lockdown announced on 4 January 2021, primary, secondary, alternative provision, special schools, and FE colleges have remained open to vulnerable children and young people. We expected schools to offer a place to all vulnerable children. Those who are vulnerable include those who have a social worker, those with an education health and care plan or those who have been deemed to be otherwise vulnerable by local authorities or education providers.
Where vulnerable children and young people cannot attend education provision (including post-16), we have asked local authorities, schools, and colleges to ensure they have systems in place to keep in touch with them.
Throughout all restrictions to date, children’s social care services and early help services have continued to support vulnerable children and young people and their families. We will continue to ensure this is the case during this period of national restrictions.
Temporary secondary legislation was laid in April 2020 to support the delivery of services and allow local authorities to focus on child protection issues. As the COVID-19 outbreak continued and following public consultation, a small number of flexibilities from those regulations remained in place from 25 September 2020. These regulations are due to expire on 31 March 2021. A public consultation seeking views on extending the flexibilities for a further six months ran until 28 February 2021.
B) Grant and Funding Programmes
Early Years
We are funding nurseries as usual and all children are able to attend their nurseries in all parts of England. Where nurseries do see a drop in income from either parent-paid fees or income from the Department for Education, they are able to use the furlough scheme.
We will fund local authorities in the 2021 spring term based on their January 2021 census. If attendance rises after the census is taken, we will top-up councils to up to 85% of their January 2020 census level, where a local authority can provide evidence for increased attendance during the spring term. This will give local authorities additional financial confidence to pay providers for increasing attendance later in the spring term.
We have provided £5.3 million to existing early years voluntary and community sector (VCS) partners on the home learning environment and EYSEND to support disadvantaged early children’s development and well-being and early years providers to help children catch up and transition back into early education in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We have invested £9 million on improving the language skills of reception age children who need it most this academic year. Working with the Education Endowment Foundation, we are providing training and resources for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), free of charge, to schools that would particularly benefit.
In January 2021, we announced £18 million to support language development in the early years next academic year – £8 million to offer the NELI to many more schools and £10 million for a pre-reception early language catch up programme.
Schools and Catch up
The Government is providing a comprehensive package of support, including the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme, enabling councils to support those families in need.
The Government announced a significant expansion of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme with funding of up to £220 million, reaching all local authority areas from Easter 2021.
Last year Edenred reported that over £380 million worth of voucher codes had been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of 19 August 2020.
Edenred also reported that over 20,350 schools placed orders for the scheme.
During the period of school opening restrictions, schools have continued to provide meal options for all pupils who are in school. Meals should be available free of charge to all infant pupils and pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals who are in school. Schools are also continuing to provide free school meal support to pupils who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals and who are learning at home.
We have been providing £3.50 top-up funding per eligible pupil per week for schools providing lunch parcels and £15 per eligible child per week for vouchers. Extra costs incurred will be claimed retrospectively by schools and all valid claims will be paid in full.
In June 2020 we announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time and £350m for the National Tutoring Programme.
In January 2021 we also committed to a further programme of catch up which will involve £300 million of new money to early years, schools and providers of 16-19 further education for high-quality tutoring.
The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.
As of Monday 1 March, over 1.2 million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, trusts, local authorities, and further education colleges.
The Government has set out further measures to support education recovery in the written ministerial statement of Wednesday 24 February, which includes a new one-off £302 million Recovery Premium for state primary and secondary schools, building on the Pupil Premium, to further support pupils who need it most.
Further Education
16-19
Part of the skills recovery package included the high value courses for school and college leavers one year offer for 18- and 19-year-olds. This is to encourage and support delivery of selected Level 2 and 3 qualifications in specific subjects and sectors that enable a more productive economy and support young people to remain engaged with education, employment and training. This is a one-off intervention in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and supports 18- to 19-year-olds leaving school or college to find work in high-demand sectors like engineering, construction, and social care. We will provide £100 million to create more places on Level 2 and 3 courses for the 2020-21 academic year.
We are supporting the largest ever expansion of traineeships, providing an additional 30,000 places in the 2020-21 academic year, to ensure that more young people have access to high-quality training. To encourage this, we have introduced £1,000 incentive payments for employers who offer traineeship work placement opportunities between 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2021. As part of the Plan for Jobs, an additional £111 million has been made available for traineeships in the 2020-21 financial year.
The 16 to 19 tuition fund was set up to provide one-off funding, for the 2020-21 academic year only. We are providing £37 million to support the 16-19 tuition fund for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year as part of the wider COVID-19 catch up package. This is ring fenced funding for schools, colleges and all other 16-19 providers to help mitigate the disruption to learning arising from COVID-19.
19+
We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) £1.34 billion in 2020-21.
In response to COVID-19, we have introduced a change to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) AEB Funding Rules for the 2020-21 academic year, to enable providers to use their learner support funds to purchase IT devices for students (aged 19+) and to help them meet students’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training.
Last year, due to COVID-19, we lowered the AEB reconciliation threshold for grant funded providers to 68%, based on provider’s average delivery during the 2019-20 academic year. In view of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the transfer to remote education and the reduced attendance on-site with effect from 5 January, we are currently reviewing the end of year reconciliation position for 2020-21. Any changes to the published arrangements will be communicated in the ESFA’s Weekly Update (published on gov.uk) in due course.
We welcome my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement of an additional £17 million in the 2020-21 financial year to support an increase in the number of sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) placements. In England, the pre-employment training element of SWAPs is generally funded by the Department for Education through the AEB, which in several regions is managed by the relevant mayoral combined authority (MCA).
In devolved areas, it is for MCAs (or the Greater London Authority) to determine funding arrangements for adult education for their residents.
Higher Education
We recognised that the COVID-19 outbreak would make this a challenging year for higher education (HE). This is why, alongside access to the business support schemes, we brought forward £2 billion+ worth of tuition fee payments, provided £280 million grant funding for research and established a loan scheme to cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020-21 up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity support research.
The Department has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that universities are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020-21, towards hardship support. We are also making available an additional £50 million of hardship funding this financial year. In total we have made £70 million of funding available for student hardship including the £20 million made available to universities in December. Alongside this we have worked with the OfS to provide student space, which has been funded by up to £3 million by the OfS to support student mental health.
Apprenticeships
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, we introduced policy flexibilities to support apprentices and employers to continue with, and complete, their programmes and we encouraged providers and assessment organisations to deliver training and assessments flexibly, including remotely, to enable this. Our guidance provides further detail: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.
To help employers offer new apprenticeships, as part of the Government's Plan for Jobs, they are able to claim £2,000 for every apprentice they hire as a new employee under the age of 25, and £1,500 for new apprentices aged 25 and over between 1 August 2020 and 31 March 2021. Incentive payments are funded from the overall annual, apprenticeship budget. In the 2020-21 financial year, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is almost £2.5 billion, double what was spent in the 2010-11 financial year.
Vulnerable Children
The Government has provided £4.6 billion of funding to support councils through the COVID-19 outbreak, this is part of an unprecedented level of additional financial support in recent times. The Government has also allocated funding to children’s voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. This funding aims to ensure charities can continue to provide services that safeguard vulnerable children and protect them from harm.
The Government has provided £40.8 million this year for the Family Fund to help over 80,000 low-income families who have children with disabilities or serious illnesses. This includes £13.5 million specifically in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The figures below relate to the 7 constituent authorities[1] of the West Midlands Combined Authority Area (WMCA).
The table below shows the number and proportion of pupils who were in state-funded schools and special schools at age 15 in the WMCA who progressed to higher education (HE) by age 19 in the 2018/19 academic year by free school meal status.
Progression to HE by age 19 by the 2018/19 academic year by free school meal status
Pupils attending state-funded schools in WMCA at age 15
Free school meal status | HE students | All pupils | HE progression rate |
All other pupils | 11,828 | 24,990 | 47.3% |
Free school meals[2] | 2,176 | 6,968 | 31.2% |
All | 14,004 | 31,958 | 43.8% |
Source: Matched data from the Department for Education's National Pupil Database, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and the Education and Skills Funding Agency's Individual Learning Record.
The table below shows the number and proportion of pupils who were in state-funded schools and special schools at age 15 in the WMCA who progressed to HE by age 19 in the 2018/19 academic year by ethnic group.
Progression to HE by age 19 by the 2018/19 academic year by ethnic group
Pupils attending state-funded schools in WMCA at age 15
Ethnic group | HE students | All pupils | HE progression rate |
White | 6,613 | 18,730 | 35.3% |
White – British | 6,183 | 17,661 | 35.0% |
White – Irish | 86 | 174 | 49.4% |
Traveller of Irish Heritage | 0 | 5 | 0.0% |
Gypsy / Roma | 4 | 71 | 5.6% |
Any Other White Background | 340 | 819 | 41.5% |
Mixed | 810 | 2,015 | 40.2% |
White and Black Caribbean | 332 | 968 | 34.3% |
White and Black African | 46 | 105 | 43.8% |
White and Asian | 190 | 412 | 46.1% |
Any Other Mixed Background | 242 | 530 | 45.7% |
Asian | 4,714 | 7,687 | 61.3% |
Indian | 1,605 | 2,209 | 72.7% |
Pakistani | 2,193 | 4,053 | 54.1% |
Bangladeshi | 606 | 929 | 65.2% |
Any Other Asian Background | 310 | 496 | 62.5% |
Black | 1,295 | 2,446 | 52.9% |
Black Caribbean | 442 | 1,025 | 43.1% |
Black – African | 734 | 1,178 | 62.3% |
Any Other Black Background | 119 | 243 | 49.0% |
Chinese | 65 | 83 | 78.3% |
Any Other Ethnic Group | 363 | 639 | 56.8% |
Unknown | 144 | 358 | 40.2% |
All | 14,004 | 31,958 | 43.8% |
Source: Matched data from the Department for Education's National Pupil Database, HESA Student Record and the Education and Skills Funding Agency's Individual Learning Record.
[1] The constituent authorities are: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton
[2] Eligible for and claiming free school meals
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The continuing provision of free school meals to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government.
The government does not hold any direct contracts with school catering companies. School catering contracts are agreed locally, and are held at school, academy trust, or local authority level. We have guidance in place allowing schools to decide the best approach for supporting free school meal pupils who are at home. This can be through lunch parcels, local vouchers or the national voucher scheme which re-opened on Monday 18 January 2021.
The images circulating of poor-quality food parcels are unacceptable. On 13 January 2021, both my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I met with Chartwells and other leading school food suppliers and caterers to insist on urgent action to make sure lunch parcels meet the standards we expect. We are grateful to those firms who are working hard with schools to provide nutritious, balanced lunches for children.
If a parent is concerned about the standards of their lunch parcel, they should speak directly with their school. If a parent cannot resolve their concern through their school, they can contact the department. The department will contact suppliers where concerns are escalated, to ensure they are working to a high standard. We will also alert the school to confirm appropriate contract management arrangements are in place, so that immediate improvements are made.
3 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Liam Byrne's Defra questions)The programmes listed below are devolved to local authorities using grant funding:
Air Quality Grant Scheme to Local Authorities
Bathing Water Signage
Clean Bus Technology Fund
GAP Clean Air Hub
IFCA Grant - Hampshire Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Support
NO2 Plan Clean Air Fund
NO2 Plan Implementation Fund And Feasibility Studies Funding
Part 1 of Commons Act 2006
Support for Third Wave Local Authority Targeted Feasibility Studies
Supporting local authority Feasibility Studies for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide
Waste Infrastructure PFI Grant
Expenditure and other details of each programme are published centrally by the Cabinet Office under the Government grants information system.
The 2018/19 publication is shown here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-grants-register-2018-to-2019
The 2019/20 publication is shown here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/government-grants-statistics-2019-to-2020
Data for 2020/21 is not yet complete and is expected to be published in September 2022.
Attorney General
The Environment Agency (EA) has been working hard to improve flood defences at Bromford and Castle Vale, which will see more than 1,500 homes better protected from the risk of flooding. The scheme is expected to be completed by winter 2022/23.
The EA hopes the embankment area which is of particular concern to residents and Birmingham City Council will open in winter 2021/22. This is pending Section 278 approval from Birmingham City Council required before the EA can complete flood embankment works.
The EA has committed more funding to complete the scheme and deal with the various challenges the project has faced. The contractor’s senior management has also provided commitments to improve delivery confidence. They are both fully committed to completing this scheme at the earliest opportunity.
While work has been happening, some areas have had to close for the safety of the workforce and community, such as the play area in Bromford. The EA ensured the Multi Use Games Area and Skatepark adjacent to the under 12’s play area re-opened at the start of the summer holidays and has provided safety barriers to enable the community to run pop-up play sessions for younger children towards the end of the holidays. Birmingham City Council is responsible for progressing and re-opening the play area and I cannot comment on its timescales.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since March the Government’s priority has been to save lives and protect jobs, businesses, and livelihoods. To support workers and businesses across all sectors the Government has provided an unprecedented package of support worth more than £280 billion.
My Department has introduced a number of support packages to avoid the loss of productive capacity, prevent disproportionate harm to the economy or society and to protect vulnerable groups against the effects of Covid-19. These are as follows:
- Clinical Extremely Vulnerable individuals – in March 2020, Defra put in place £212m of packages to support individuals defined as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. This included food boxes delivered to those that were shielding and the set-up of the National Shielding helpline.
- Food for economically vulnerable individuals – In April 2020, Defra secured funding, via a DCMS managed scheme for the voluntary and charity sectors, to support the distribution of grants worth £16m to front line charities who were best placed to respond to the immediate needs of economically vulnerable people. The majority of this funding was provided to FareShare. In November 2020, building on the support given to the most vulnerable during the initial months of the pandemic, the Government announced a winter support package of interventions to support the economically vulnerable. The winter package included a further £16m of funding for Defra to support food charities with the purchasing and distribution of food to the vulnerable over a 16-week period starting from the beginning of December. This funding stream is being managed by the food redistributor FareShare.
- The Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant – a further scheme to support people struggling to afford food and other essential supplies was announced on 10 June 2020. The £63m package of support was distributed to Local Authorities to make discretionary one-off emergency payments to people in their communities in need.
- Emergency surplus food grant – In April 2020, through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Defra launched a series of grant opportunities to support the redistribution of surplus food to those most in need. Defra made £3.25m available for this Covid-19 emergency grant. The primary focus of the fund is to enable not-for-profit organisations both large and small to overcome barriers to the distribution of surplus food that would otherwise be wasted in the wake of Covid-19.
- Zoo Animals Fund – In May 2020 the Government launched the Zoo Support Fund. This initial £14 million envelope for zoos was increased to up to £100 million (with final expenditure subject to zoos’ submitting successful applications) in August 2020 when the Zoo Support Fund was replaced by the Zoo Animals Fund. These funds have been created for the purpose of providing for zoos which, due to a coronavirus-related drop in income, are experiencing severe financial difficulties and need support in caring for their animals. These funds were introduced to ensure the welfare of zoo animals, including when zoos are closing, downsizing or rehoming their collections.
- Fisheries Response Fund (FRF) – The FRF provided up to £9 million in funding for catching and aquaculture businesses with payments to individual businesses capped at £10k. The FRF covered fixed costs for the period April to June 2020. A further £1 million was also made available for projects to encourage domestic selling through the Domestic Seafood Supply scheme.
- Seafood Response Fund (SRF) – The SRF was announced on 21 February to support catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses across the UK which continue to be impacted by Covid-19. The scheme will be similar to the FRF, providing grants to eligible businesses to assist them in covering their fixed costs for the period January-March 2021. Further details are expected shortly, with the scheme opening to applications in early March.
- Dairy Response Fund (DRF) – The DRF was a fund to provide support to eligible dairy farmers in England who have been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. Eligible farmers were entitled to up to £10,000 each to cover 70% of their losses incurred across April and May as a result of a drop in price. The fund opened on 18 June 2020 and closed on 11 September 2020. The DRF paid 132 farmers a total of £1,017,250.
- Changes to the Textile Grant Fund – Defra also worked with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to alter the requirements of the Textile Grant Fund so that the grant could be used for capital costs to reconfigure a business to comply with Covid-19 safety measures, where this forms an integral part of an innovative proposal/project; and to streamline the application process so that these funds could be allocated more quickly.
- Arms length bodies – A number of Defra arms-length bodies including RGB Kew and the Forestry Commission have been seriously impacted by the pandemic, in particular through a significant reduction in revenue generating activity. We have worked closely with HMT to address this and provided additional budget cover of £19m to provide some protection and a viable operating model going into 21/22.
- Green Recovery Challenge Fund – This fund enabled environmental charities and their partners to kick-start a range of nature projects that had been adversely affected by the pandemic. Funding was made available quickly in order to create and retain jobs in the nature sector. £40m was allocated to the fund in 20/21.
- European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) – £800k was also made available in England through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19. This included £300k for improvements to health and safety on board fishing vessels and £500k for ports or harbour infrastructure projects which reduce the impact of Covid-19. This funding has now been committed and is no longer open to new applications.
In addition, Defra has worked with delivery bodies and partners to introduce a number of regulatory easements to ensure regulatory obligations remain proportionate in these challenging circumstances, including in the areas of veterinary medicines, environmental regulations and marketing standards inspections. Specific interventions were also made with key Departments to ease regulations to support food supply, including competition law exclusions and driver hours flexibilities.
Attorney General
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is forecasting to have the following Full Time Equivalent (FTE) numbers on 31 March 2023, these figures are the FTE caps in place because of last year’s business planning and the Spending Review (SR) settlement for the regions requested. The caps are applied to the entire region.
DIT has commenced its annual business planning round which will set resource plans for 2023-24 and provide indicative plans for 2024-25 and 2025-26 only, therefore we are unable to provide five year forecasts and breakdowns.
| FTE 23/24 |
Asia Pacific | 235 |
S Asia | 119 |
China Hong Kong | 188 |
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
A) Yes, there has been an increase to the departmental expenditure limit spending in the Indo-Pacific region since 16 March 2021.
B) The Department for International Trade has not incurred any annually managed expenditure spending in the Indo-Pacific region since 16 March 2021.
The publication of the Integrated Review in March 2021 affirmed the UK’s increased focus and long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the Hon. Lady for York Central on 28 January 2022, UIN:108570.
While the Department for International Trade (DIT) work with delivery partners to provide support to the English regions in the forms of grants, the funding for such grants are not devolved, except for the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine Key Account Management (KAM) programmes. The amounts allocated for the 21/22 financial year are £1m and £0.5m respectively.
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Through Project DEFEND, my Department has led cross-Whitehall efforts on securing critical supply chains, working alongside industry to ensure diversification of supply for the most critical of goods that are imported into the United Kingdom.
This has led to great successes, such as sourcing almost 31 billion items of PPE internationally, which were then procured by the Department of Health and Social Care and have been crucial to the country’s Covid-19 response.
Our network of International Trade Advisors has stepped up and supported business with advice throughout the pandemic too. Through Britain’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance, we have guaranteed bank loans, improving access to working capital and helping businesses to cope with temporary disruption to payments or in their supply chain.
The Government has set itself a mission that, by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution, with a simplified, long-term funding settlement. At Spring Budget, the Government announced the trailblazer devolution deals with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA), which included a commitment to introduce single funding settlements at the next Spending Review for these MCAs. At Autumn Statement, the Government published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMCA and WMCA, setting out how the single settlements will work. The Government also announced an ambitious new ‘level 4’ of the devolution framework, including a single transport funding settlement for eligible institutions, and a ‘consolidated’ pot at the next multi-year SR covering two DLUHC investment themes – local growth and place, and housing and regeneration. Following successful delivery of the ‘consolidated’ pot, and learning from the trailblazers, Level 4 institutions will then become eligible to receive a single settlement from the subsequent multi-year Spending Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Schedule 17 planning application for the Washwood Heath Depot has recently received consent from Birmingham City Council, which confirms the land required for the Depot. The design and extent of the environmental mitigation measures to the south of the depot are well underway, with a planning application likely to be submitted later this year. Once the extent of these measures are confirmed, the commercial development proposals can be matured.
The forecast timeline for the commercial development depends upon a number of factors as described above and may be subject to change. The land will be released once the depot site has been completed.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
When parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is independent of the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first focus of this new system will be e-scooters, which we are looking to legalise for private and rental use through secondary legislation. This will require setting robust technical requirements and clear expectations on users. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters, and we will consult before any new arrangements come into force.
From the start of 2020 to end June 2022, there have been a total of 17 fatalities in collisions involving e-scooters reported to the Department by police. Of these, 16 deaths were e-scooter users themselves. The STATS19 collection covers only collisions on the public highway.
When parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is independent of the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first focus of this new system will be e-scooters, which we are looking to legalise for private and rental use through secondary legislation. This will require setting robust technical requirements and clear expectations on users. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters, and we will consult before any new arrangements come into force.
From the start of 2020 to end June 2022, there have been a total of 17 fatalities in collisions involving e-scooters reported to the Department by police. Of these, 16 deaths were e-scooter users themselves. The STATS19 collection covers only collisions on the public highway.
This funding will be published as part of the Supplementary Estimates later this year. The initial funding agreed has been incorporated with the Main Estimate Memorandum, which has been published at the estimate level. This can be found via the following link: Main Estimate 21-22 Memorandum (parliament.uk). The figures by individual scheme level will also be published in due course.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Birmingham to London currently benefits from up to five trains per hour across three operators, and Avanti West Coast provides the most frequent services of these operators.
As the year progresses, Avanti will look into additional services to satisfy passenger demand in collaboration with other operators on this route, recognising the need to balance taxpayers’ expense and passenger capacity.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
My department has introduced vital measures to ensure the continued safe operation of key modes of public transport throughout the pandemic. Details of the measures and costs associated have been published in the NAO’s online tracker of the Government's interventions on Covid-19. This is available online at https://www.nao.org.uk/covid-19/cost-tracker/
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Transport for the West Midlands (part of the West Midlands Combined Authority) has recently confirmed that the East Birmingham to Solihull tram extension scheme is in development, and it is for them to develop a business case.
As announced at Budget and confirmed in the Spending Review, the government is investing £4.2 billion in the transport networks of eight city regions across England from 22/23, including West Midlands Combined Authority area.
The Camp Hill Line in Birmingham is strongly advocated by Mayor Andy Street, as part of his economic plan for the region. The government is supportive of these plans and is willing to provide a contribution to the development of the three new stations mentioned in the question. The full business case has been received by the Department and officials are working through the funding and timetabling of the proposed scheme. The balance of the funding will be raised and approved locally, and is a matter for West Midlands Combined Authority.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department plans to publish the Integrated Rail Plan for North and Midlands by the end of the year following the publication of the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the award of Notice-to-Proceed and the start of main works construction on Phase One, my Department is continuing to work hard to identify opportunities for HS2 to meet the ambition of the Government’s ‘Project Speed’ agenda and being forward its delivery.
To support this aim I held a constructive meeting with the four Joint Ventures responsible for delivering the Main Works Civils on Phase One to gather ideas and feedback from the industry on how to accelerate works across High Speed 2.
As recommended by the Oakervee Review, my Department is also undertaking a study to consider the efficiency of Euston station.
The Oakervee review also concluded, following experience on Phase One, that having smaller Bills/phases may be better for allowing the easier scrutiny of proposals in Parliament and therefore faster construction of the project. I intend to present legislation for the route into Manchester for deposit in Parliament by early 2022.
The department is to develop an integrated plan for rail investment to make sure we are bringing benefits to the North and Midlands as quickly and efficiently as we possibly can.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I have previously written to the Mayor of the West Midlands confirming that the government is willing to support a contribution to the development of the three new stations mentioned in the question. This is subject to West Midlands Rail Executive providing a robust, value for money business case and agreeing a reliable timetable for operating the services with Network Rail. This work is currently underway, and an update from WMRE is expected this summer. The proposal will then need to be considered by myself and my colleagues at HM Treasury.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
DWP has the following spending programmes which it devolves for administration to local government in England and to other local spending bodies.
We have provided 2021/22 values for each programme.
Please note that we have not included any ESF-funded spend in this list
Programme name | Value 2021-22 (£m) |
Reducing Parental Conflict (Workforce Development Grant) | 3.8 |
Reducing Parental Conflict (CPA) | 0.6 |
Household Support Fund Grant | 421.0 |
Covid Winter Grant Scheme | 59.0 |
Covid Local Support Grant | 198.0 |
Housing Benefit Admin Subsidy | 164.1 |
Housing Benefit New Burdens | 18.6 |
HB Fraud and error initiatives - VEP and HBAA | 22.2 |
Discretionary Housing Payments | 131.8 |
Work and Health Programme | 16.7 |
Work and Health Programme JETS | 40.5 |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I refer the honourable member to PQ 145013.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Throughout this pandemic, this Government has delivered an unprecedented package of support to protect jobs and businesses and, for those in most need, injected billions into the welfare system.
As of 5 January, England entered nationwide restrictions to manage a new variant of Coronavirus. With these restrictions, businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure facing forced closure in England are eligible for a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to help them through to spring. This is on top of the existing Local Restriction Support Grant (Closed) which will continue to offer businesses support of up to £3,000 for each month they’re closed.
Local authorities are being provided with a top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) worth £500 million, bringing the total value of ARG to over £1.6 billion. This grant ensures local authorities can support, on a discretionary basis, businesses not eligible for other grants but still affected by restrictions. Business grant policy remains a fully devolved area, with the Devolved Administrations receiving their share of this funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way.
Businesses across the UK can continue to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which as of mid-December had supported 9.9 million jobs at the cost of over £45 billion, and its extension until the end of April 2021 will give many businesses and workers much-needed security. The Government has also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until the end of April 2021, with a boosted package of support providing the self-employed with grants covering 80% of average trading profits. So far SEISS has seen 2.7 million self-employed workers make claims under the scheme totalling £13.7 billion.
Businesses needing access to liquidity can also apply for guaranteed loans through various loan schemes, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, until the end of March 2021. Over 1.4 million small and medium sized companies have received government-backed loans, worth over £68 billion.
This support comes on top of billions of pounds’ worth of business rates reliefs, tax deferrals, and other labour market schemes.
To support those on low incomes through the outbreak, DWP introduced a package of temporary welfare measures. Taken together, these measures provide over £7bn of additional support through the welfare system for people affected by COVID-19. These include the £20 Universal Credit uplift, increasing the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants, and suspending the Minimum Income Floor for self-employed UC claimants.
DWP also introduced a number of programmes and policy changes to offer support to individuals and organisations. Funding was received to support Covid-19 measures of £1.2bn which include £870 million for Restarting the Job Market and £170m for the Winter Support Grant Scheme).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such assessment has been made.
We are working with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve value for money and quality in the supported housing sector through our joint oversight regime. An important step in this programme was the launch of Local Authority pilots in Birmingham and four other areas, to test innovative ways of ensuring good quality and value for money in supported housing, including exempt accommodation.
The chancellor announced at Spending Review £2.9bn for three years of referrals to Restart. Restart will provide intensive, tailored employment support to help over 1 million people back towards sustained employment.
There will be no job subsidies paid as part of the Restart programme. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are aware that the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has teamed up with Adecco Working Ventures to act as a Gateway organisation for the Kickstart Scheme, we look forward to receiving their bid.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
A table is attached showing the budgets for grant schemes issued to local government in England by the Department in the form of grants under the Local Government Act 2003 for the financial years 2023/24, 2022/23 and 2021/22. This includes schemes managed by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows spending on programmes issued to local government in England by the Department in 2020/21 in the form of grants under the Local Government Act 2003.
Local authority funding by scheme | 2020/21 actual expenditure £ ’000s |
Infection Control | 1,146,000 |
Workforce Capacity Fund | 120,000 |
Out of Hours Hospital Care Model for People experiencing Homelessness | 2,549 |
West Midlands Engine | 2,300 |
Learning Disabilities and Autism Community Discharge | 20,000 |
PrEP - HIV drug treatment | 11,222 |
LASSL - local reform and community voices grant, social care in prisons grant and war pensions schemes disregard grant | 57,360 |
Contain Outbreak Management Fund | 1,717,092 |
Test and Trace Business Support to Local authorities | 3,000 |
Test and Trace Isolation Support Payments | 144,743 |
Local Authority Practical Support (for those self-isolating) | 12,900 |
Project Eagle - surge testing support | 3,094 |
Rapid Testing | 149,119 |
Community Testing | 126,615 |
Expenditure data for 2021/22 is not yet available. Spending plans for 2022/23 and beyond are currently being finalised.
This information refers to core Departmental expenditure and does not include spending devolved to local authorities by Departmental arm’s length bodies or spending devolved to local National Health Service bodies via NHS England. The Local Authority Public Health Grant is recorded separately as in 2020/21, this was paid to upper-tier local authorities by the former Public Health England (PHE). The value of the Grant paid to local authorities by PHE in 2020/21 was £3.279 billion. With effect from 1 October 2021, the Department has assumed responsibility for this Grant.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are no plans to do so. Whilst it is encouraged that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) do liaise with local leaders and hon. Members, CCGs are autonomous organisations. As such, there is no formal guidance on the level of interaction CCGs should have with hon. Members and this should be discussed at a local level.
Individual National Health Service employers deliver their own recruitment policies to meet their local need. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to work closely with the trusts to ensure that they have appropriate support in place to address the issues identified and that they make sufficient progress.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 2020 Spending Review, HM Treasury announced that for 2020-21 agreed funding includes; £52 billion for frontline health services to tackle the pandemic including £22 billion for the Test and Trace programme; over £15 billion for the procurement of personal protective equipment; and £2.7 billion to support the development and procurement of vaccines. This also included £3 billion for a package of additional capacity initiatives to support the National Health Service through the winter, including keeping the Nightingale hospitals capacity available, accessing increased capacity from independent sector providers and supporting increased safe discharge of patients from NHS hospitals.
Additionally, we have implemented a temporary NHS finance regime for the first half of the year that ensured every penny spent in NHS systems was fully reimbursed and provided approximately £2.7 billion extra funding to cover the second half of this financial year, to support NHS organisations to manage ongoing COVID-19 pressures and resume routine activity. We have provided up to £1.46 billion for infection control and other grants, funding predominantly given to local authorities to help cover the costs of implementing measures to reduce transmission. This was first introduced in May 2020 and was then extended to March 2021.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS England publishes weekly data for vaccinations in England by constituency, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
Since the establishment of the sustainability and transformation partnership there has been much greater collaboration between organisations in the Black Country and West Birmingham.
There is an ambition to work much more closely together to reduce the variance in services, standardise clinical practices and take the best part of each other’s improvement programmes which will ultimately improve outcomes for local people.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust have therefore indicated that they are looking to progress a strategic collaboration arrangement, which is due to be discussed in upcoming public board meetings.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A total of 1,093 of 15,841 covid-19 cases not initially reported to Public Health England between 25 September and 2 October 2020 related to individuals from the West Midlands metropolitan area.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The process for formulating the R number is a complex one. The Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), which convenes once a week, builds a consensus on the value of R based on expert scientific advice from multiple academic groups. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies then reviews this and provides advice to the Government on the latest R figure. More information on how R is calculated can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-publishes-latest-r-number
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
185,000 gowns and coveralls were transported from Turkey to the United Kingdom by the Royal Air Force on 22 April.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK are continuing to pursue all lawful routes to make Russian assets available to support Ukraine's reconstruction. As part of this, it is important that Ministers are able to obtain full and frank legal advice in confidence to properly test a range of policy options. On this basis, we do not intend to publish any legal advice Ministers may receive on the seizure of Russian central bank assets.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is not seeking admission to the US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) but continues to work closely with key partners, including the EU and US, on our shared trade and technology priorities, advancing UK interests and exploring further areas for cooperation where mutually beneficial.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has imposed asset freezes on six Chinese nationals in the last five years.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted global health and immunisation. The UK Government is committed to supporting efforts to get routine immunisation back on track and has invested £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance from 2021-2025 to support their mission to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases over this period. The UK has supported Gavi since its inception in 2000, during which time Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children in 78 lower-income countries, saving over 17 million lives. Alongside our Gavi investment, we are working with countries to build stronger primary health care systems as a core part of restoring immunisation services.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We respect Pakistan's democratic process and do not interfere in its domestic political affairs. The timing of elections is a matter for the Government of Pakistan, to be resolved through democratic and constitutional means.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
· The UK does not donate Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), but has led in lending SDRs to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Trusts that support vulnerable countries. The UK scores Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in line with international rules set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
· The DAC conducted a review of the ODA scoring of SDR loans in 2022, which concluded that SDR loans to the IMF should no longer be scored as ODA, noting that countries that previously scored ODA on SDR loans, did so in accordance with interpretation of the DAC guidance at the time. His Majesty's Government is adopting the new DAC approach in our reporting from 2022.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government regularly hosts events to bring together stakeholders from across the country and around the world. The wine cellar is used by all government departments and is maintained to deliver events at a lower cost. The overall value of wines used was outlined in the Bi-Annual Report on the GH Wine Cellar, placed in the Library of the House.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-hospitality-wine-cellar-bi-annual-statement-2018-to-2020/government-hospitality-wine-cellar-bi-annual-report-2018-to-2020
The value of wine stocks in financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 will be published in the next Bi-Annual Report on the Government Hospitality Wine Cellar 2020-2022, to be published in early 2023.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the Government's Places for Growth programme (PfG), the FCDO plans to support an additional 500 roles based in Abercrombie House, our joint HQ in East Kilbride. These roles will cover the full range of FCDO's work - corporate, development and diplomatic - at all grades.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, FCDO will be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the New Year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation. This process will help to identify what proportion of FCDO workforce budget is to be allocated to this programme.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023.
We have increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore.
In addition, a significant and increasing number of FCDO roles both at Headquarters and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, FCDO ODA allocations are being worked through and will be published in due course. FCDO will also be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the new year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation.
The actual FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend has been published in Annex A within the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022) and 2020-21 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021). ODA is measured on a calendar year basis. Provisional UK ODA figures are published annually in spring, with final figures in autumn. Final data for 2021 was published on 23 November 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023.
We have increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore.
In addition, a significant and increasing number of FCDO roles both at Headquarters and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, FCDO ODA allocations are being worked through and will be published in due course. FCDO will also be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the new year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation.
The actual FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend has been published in Annex A within the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022) and 2020-21 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021). ODA is measured on a calendar year basis. Provisional UK ODA figures are published annually in spring, with final figures in autumn. Final data for 2021 was published on 23 November 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023.
We have increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore.
In addition, a significant and increasing number of FCDO roles both at Headquarters and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, FCDO ODA allocations are being worked through and will be published in due course. FCDO will also be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the new year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation.
The actual FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend has been published in Annex A within the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022) and 2020-21 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021). ODA is measured on a calendar year basis. Provisional UK ODA figures are published annually in spring, with final figures in autumn. Final data for 2021 was published on 23 November 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023.
We have increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore.
In addition, a significant and increasing number of FCDO roles both at Headquarters and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, FCDO ODA allocations are being worked through and will be published in due course. FCDO will also be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the new year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation.
The actual FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend has been published in Annex A within the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022) and 2020-21 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021). ODA is measured on a calendar year basis. Provisional UK ODA figures are published annually in spring, with final figures in autumn. Final data for 2021 was published on 23 November 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu. The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023.
We have increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore.
In addition, a significant and increasing number of FCDO roles both at Headquarters and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
Following the Autumn Budget announced by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, FCDO ODA allocations are being worked through and will be published in due course. FCDO will also be launching detailed Business & Country Planning and Workforce Planning exercises in the new year. This will help to determine the FCDO's future workforce requirements from 2023-24 onwards, taking into account Ministerial priorities, and delivering our FCDO transformation.
The actual FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend has been published in Annex A within the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022) and 2020-21 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021). ODA is measured on a calendar year basis. Provisional UK ODA figures are published annually in spring, with final figures in autumn. Final data for 2021 was published on 23 November 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
His Majesty's Ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, speaks regularly at Ukrainian schools and universities about the work of the British Embassy in Kyiv and the UK's ongoing support to Ukraine. In her role as Ambassador, she was also invited to speak at Eton College on 16 November 2022 by the Eton College Politics Society. The event, which is the first invitation the Ambassador has received from a British school or university, included the participation of two local state schools.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Melinda Simmons was invited to speak at Eton College on 16 November 2022 by the Eton College Politics Society about the work of the British Embassy Kyiv in Ukraine. In her capacity as His Majesty's Ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons spoke for 15 minutes and took 45 minutes of questions.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) is the G7's commitment to help countries get the investment they need to grow secure, open, thriving economies. Collectively, G7 countries aim to mobilise $600 billion of honest, reliable finance for low and middle-income countries over five years, as announced at the recent Leaders' summit, and are committed to closer co-ordination and communication of initiatives, in close conjunction with the G7 Presidency. The UK's contribution to PGII will be our work through British Investment Partnerships(BIP), as set out in our recently published International Development Strategy. Led by the Foreign Secretary, BIP aims to mobilise up to £8 billion of UK backed financing a year by 2025, including from the private sector. The UK delivers BIP through a range of instruments and tools, including development finance, export finance, concessional finance, guarantees and expertise, and each of these mechanisms has its own pipeline of initiatives, either being implemented or under development.
The Foreign Secretary has not held any discussions seeking participation in the US-EU Trade and Technology Council. The UK continues to work closely with the US and EU to further our shared technology objectives.
The UK Sanctions List, published by the FCDO on GOV.UK, is the comprehensive list of persons or ships designated. Additionally, there are entities listed in Schedule 2 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, which are covered by sectoral financial measures.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine we have announced an unprecedented package of sanctions to cut off the funding for Putin's war machine. We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals and businesses since the invasion of Ukraine. Putin himself has acknowledged the "problems and difficulties" caused by sanctions. Our package of sanctions includes asset freezes on major banks, a prohibition on clearing for Sberbank, and the removal of selected banks from SWIFT.UK sanctions are strategically coordinated with allies to impose severe cost on Putin and his regime.
I [Minister Cleverly] replied to this correspondence on 23 January 2022.
Home Secretary
The UK Government has already put in place the largest package of sanctions in our history in response to Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. We have sanctioned Putin and Lavrov, Russia's defence industry and a growing list of oligarchs. As the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 28 February, we will impose further sanctions on oligarchs and Duma members and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has tripled the amount of people in its sanctions department to make that happen.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's sanctions department leads on the development of the UK's autonomous sanctions regimes, working closely with other departments across the FCDO as well as officials from other Government departments across Whitehall. Officials in sanctions department work together with officials across the FCDO and other government departments in the development of targets of individuals and companies for sanctions. In 2021 the UK designated 160 individuals and entities across 13 regimes. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is the authority for the implementation of financial sanctions in the UK.
This Department is unable to identify individual spending programmes which are devolved to local government or other local spending bodies.
At a meeting of the World Bank Group's Development Committee in April, I welcomed the early replenishment of the International Development Association. The UK has consistently advocated for other donors to give their support to an early twentieth replenishment of the International Development Association. We will continue to engage with partners in support of the replenishment ahead of the pledging session in December.
The government has set itself a mission that, by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution, with a simplified, long-term funding settlement.
Details of major funding programmes, including the Local Government Finance Settlement and those administered by local government or other local bodies, are available on gov.uk.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
HM Treasury and the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation have been at the front and centre of an unprecedented financial sanctions response. Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted attack on a sovereign nation brought war back to Europe.
The government has recognised this and strengthened OFSI’s powers to enforce financial sanctions as well as its resources. Information on OFSI staff numbers at end 2022 is available in the OFSI 2022 Annual review available here:
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury and OFSI have been at the front and centre of an unprecedented financial sanctions response. Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted attack on a sovereign nation brought war back to Europe.
The government has recognised this and strengthened OFSI’s powers to enforce financial sanctions as well as its resources. Information on OFSI staff numbers at end 2022 is available in the OFSI 2022 Annual review available here:
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government will be responding to the International Development Committee’s recent inquiry into debt-relief in low-income countries in due course, including their recommendation on consulting on the introduction of legislation to compel or incentivise participation of private creditors in the Common Framework. The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, have been clear that private creditors will be expected to participate in the Common Framework on terms at least as favourable as bilateral (i.e. country) creditors.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Details of the return of the UK’s subscribed capital to the European Investment Bank can be found in the European Union Finances Statement 2022.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK’s Short Selling Regulation (SSR), introduced in 2012, regulates the short selling of shares in companies that are admitted to trading in the UK (and UK sovereign debt), while safeguarding public companies and the financial system. The Government believes that short selling plays an important and beneficial role in the orderly and effective functioning of financial markets, by supporting liquidity and risk management and increasing market confidence. The SSR requires firms to report to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on short selling activity and provides the FCA with powers to apply penalties, and to restrict short selling in exceptional circumstances.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March to his Question 153706.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Details of reports of potential financial sanctions breaches considered in 2021-2022 are included in OFSI’s latest annual review which is available on GOV.UK. Updated figures will be provided in the next annual review.
Breaches of financial sanctions are a criminal offence and OFSI continues to assess every reported suspected breach of UK sanctions regulations. OFSI does not initiate criminal investigations into suspected breaches. Where criminal investigation is appropriate, referrals are made to relevant law enforcement partners.
Companies and individuals looking to circumvent sanctions may have a specific interest in the number of law enforcement referrals arising from reports of suspected sanctions breaches. The disclosure of any information which could prejudice OFSI’s enforcement responsibilities would not be in the public interest and may aid crimes such as the circumvention of financial sanctions.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Details of reports of potential financial sanctions breaches considered in 2021-2022 are included in OFSI’s latest annual review which is available on GOV.UK. Updated figures will be provided in the next annual review.
Breaches of financial sanctions are a criminal offence and OFSI continues to assess every reported suspected breach of UK sanctions regulations. OFSI does not initiate criminal investigations into suspected breaches. Where criminal investigation is appropriate, referrals are made to relevant law enforcement partners.
Companies and individuals looking to circumvent sanctions may have a specific interest in the number of law enforcement referrals arising from reports of suspected sanctions breaches. The disclosure of any information which could prejudice OFSI’s enforcement responsibilities would not be in the public interest and may aid crimes such as the circumvention of financial sanctions.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is a leading global advocate of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) channelling, and has committed to an ambitious channelling envelope of 4bn from the SDRs received through the 2021 General Allocation, which took place under the UK’s G7 Presidency. Within this SDR 4bn, the government has already committed 3.5bn SDRs to IMF lending instruments, namely the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust. The UK’s pledge to re-channel 20% of new SDRs is in accordance with the principle of fair burden sharing across all countries with strong external positions and has been pivotal in mobilising further commitments.
The UK’s SDRs are held as part of the Government’s reserves in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA). Reserves in the EEA have clearly defined functions as set out in the EEA Act 1979, and the government considers the current size of the reserves appropriate to meeting these.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The United Kingdom is a member of several multilateral development banks (MDBs). Depending on the bank, the paid-in and callable capital obligations appear in the published Annual Reports and Accounts of either the Foreign, Common and Development Office or HM Treasury.
Treaty obligations between MDBs and member countries are usually denominated in US Dollars, so these Pound Sterling figures are approximations by necessity.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Callable capital is a unique instrument that many International Financial Institutions (IFIs) benefit from. HM Treasury and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office record callable capital as a remote contingent liability within their published annual reports and accounts. These remote contingent liabilities are subject to call only when required and to the extent necessary to meet the obligations of the IFIs on borrowings of funds or guarantees. The equity base of each IFI allows the institutions to meet their financial objectives by absorbing risk out of their own resources and protecting member countries from a possible call on callable capital. No call has ever been made on the IFIs’ callable capital stock to date.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HM Treasury does not comment on individual licensing cases. We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation - which is a fundamental one - with wider issues.
On the issue of who makes the decision to issue a licence, I refer the Rt Hon Gentleman to the statement I made during my answer to the Urgent Question, which can be found at the following link: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-01-25/debates/54EFDF55-C956-45FC-8500-C47444EAF09F/WagnerGroupSanctionsRegime
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) does not disclose data from specific licences it has granted under UK sanctions regimes. Information about numbers of licences granted can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review which is publicly available on OFSI’s website.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) does not disclose data from specific licences it has granted under UK sanctions regimes. Information about numbers of licences granted can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review which is publicly available on OFSI’s website.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) does not disclose data from specific licences it has granted under UK sanctions regimes. Information about numbers of licences granted can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review which is publicly available on OFSI’s website.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HMRC does not routinely produce estimates of capital gains split by customers’ residence status. To provide a reliable estimate would only be possible at disproportionate cost
Annual statistics on Capital Gains Tax including gains are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/capital-gains-tax-statistics The statistics in this publication are for all customers liable to UK Capital Gains Tax including chargeable gains realised by both UK residents and non-residents.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Details of the numbers of licences that the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued by financial year can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review documents, which are publicly available on OFSI’s website. Full details of the general licences issued by OFSI are also available on OFSI’s website.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are currently no plans to publish the delegation framework.
We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation - which is a fundamental one - with wider issues, including the aim and purpose of the sanctions. It is right therefore that Ministers are examining whether there are any changes that can be made to this policy.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are currently no plans to publish the delegation framework.
We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation - which is a fundamental one - with wider issues, including the aim and purpose of the sanctions. It is right therefore that Ministers are examining whether there are any changes that can be made to this policy.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HM Treasury does not comment on individual licensing cases.
HM Treasury’s Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) takes operational decisions relating to the implementation of financial sanctions in line with the relevant regulations. OFSI has not considered it appropriate for the Treasury to effectively decide on whether a case has sufficient merit to be permitted to proceed by deciding whether to license legal fees. Rather, OFSI's position has been that the merits should be decided by the appropriate court. OFSI assesses cases on a costs-basis only, ensuring that the fees requested are reasonable in accordance with the derogations available under the sanctions regimes.
We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation - which is a fundamental one - with wider issues, including the aim and purpose of the sanctions. It is right therefore that Ministers are examining whether there are any changes that can be made to this policy.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In Q2 this year, 13.6% of new advances were buy-to-let mortgages.
Whilst the Government wants to support those who aspire to be homeowners, we appreciate that this is not everyone’s aspiration and that there are many people for whom renting a home is either more practical or affordable. There therefore needs to be a thriving private rental sector to accommodate these people’s housing needs.
However, the Government is aware that the growth of the buy-to-let sector can impact other people’s ability to get on the property ladder. This is why higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax were introduced in 2016 for the purchases of additional residential properties. The Government has also restricted the amount of income tax relief that landlords can claim on property finance costs to the basic rate of tax.
The Government remains committed to helping as many first-time buyers as possible to get on the housing ladder, and operates a range of schemes that aim to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages, increase the availability of new housing, and stimulate economic growth. These include First Homes, Shared Ownership through the Affordable Homes Programme, and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. The Government also helps first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA and Help to Buy: ISA. Over 800,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through these Government-backed schemes, with the annual number of first-time buyers at a 20-year high in 2021.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Common Framework was agreed in November 2020 by the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, to help deliver a long-term, sustainable approach for supporting low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities. It considers debt treatments on a case-by-case basis and is driven by requests from eligible debtor countries. If countries are facing significant debt vulnerabilities, they can – if eligible – request a treatment under the Common Framework.
In its February 2022 communique, the G20 reiterated its commitment to step up efforts to implement the Common Framework in a timely, orderly and coordinated manner. Our priority is to work with our G20 partners to implement the Framework for those who have requested it and to support new countries who come forward.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is the competent authority for financial sanctions in the UK. The staff in post in OFSI was 37.8 FTE as at 31 March 2021. This information can be found in HM Treasury’s Outcome Delivery Plan 2021 to 2022, available at:
The number of staff has since increased and is now increasing again, in light of recent developments in Ukraine. Releasing further details of OFSI’s budget and headcount by function could prejudice its operational effectiveness.
Sanctions policy, and the making of designations, is an FCDO competence.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HM Treasury does not devolve any spending programmes directly to local government in England. The Treasury supports other government departments to deliver their programmes, in conjunction with local government partners.
The recent $650bn allocation of IMF SDRs has provided much needed liquidity for vulnerable countries, freeing up resources to pay for crucial needs such as vaccines and food imports. The UK, together with other G20 countries, have called on the IMF to work quickly with the membership to explore options for countries with strong external positions to voluntarily channel a portion of their allocated SDRs, to magnify the impact of the allocation and further support resilient and sustainable recoveries in vulnerable countries.
SDR channelling does not directly affect public sector current spending or public sector net debt.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
A general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) equivalent to about $650bn became effective in August. The Chancellor has committed to channelling up to SDR 4bn to support vulnerable countries, representing circa 20% of the UK’s allocation, starting with an additional loan of SDR 1bn to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust which provides zero interest loans to low-income countries.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
At their October meeting, G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors welcomed progress made by the IMF to provide options for members with strong external positions to channel a share of their allocated Special Drawing Rights (SDR), including considering viable options to voluntarily channel SDR to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
The Chancellor has committed to channelling up to SDR 4bn to support vulnerable countries, starting with an additional loan of SDR 1bn to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, which provides zero interest loans to low-income countries.
The IMF and MDB partners are developing further channelling options, and we will continue to consider these for UK support.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The additional financing programme of the Official Reserves, which ended in 2019-20, increased both the government’s liquid assets and its liabilities from gilt issuance equally at the point of issuance. Therefore, it had no net impact on public sector net debt.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government considers the current size of the reserves to be appropriate for meeting the objectives outlined in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Act 1979. Therefore, there has been no assessment made of the potential effect of a transfer of so-called excess reserves from the EEA to the National Loans Fund on public sector debt.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The reserves have a clearly defined function as set out in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Act 1979. The purpose of the reserves includes managing undue fluctuations in the exchange rate, providing foreign exchange services for government departments and to meet the UK’s financial commitment to the IMF. The reserves are available to be able to meet any potential calls as set out in the legislation and are held on a precautionary basis in the event of any unexpected shocks.
The government considers the current size of the reserves to be appropriate for meeting the above objectives.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The historic $650bn allocation of IMF SDRs has provided much needed liquidity for vulnerable countries, freeing up resources to pay for crucial needs such as vaccines and food imports. The UK, together with other G20 countries, have called on the IMF to work quickly with the membership to explore options for countries with strong external positions to voluntarily channel a portion of their allocated SDRs, to magnify the impact of the allocation and further support resilient and sustainable recoveries in vulnerable countries.
The OBR reported the fiscal impact of the SDR allocation in its October 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This noted that the SDR allocation results in an equal increase in both the UK's assets and liabilities and has no effect on wider balance sheet aggregates.
The channeling of SDRs through lending to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) does not directly affect public sector net debt.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The historic $650bn allocation of IMF SDRs has provided much needed liquidity for vulnerable countries, freeing up resources to pay for crucial needs such as vaccines and food imports. The UK, together with other G20 countries, have called on the IMF to work quickly with the membership to explore options for countries with strong external positions to voluntarily channel a portion of their allocated SDRs, to magnify the impact of the allocation and further support resilient and sustainable recoveries in vulnerable countries.
The OBR reported the fiscal impact of the SDR allocation in its October 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This noted that the SDR allocation results in an equal increase in both the UK's assets and liabilities and has no effect on wider balance sheet aggregates.
The channeling of SDRs through lending to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) does not directly affect public sector net debt.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There has been no assessment made of the effects of selling existing foreign currency reserves.
The reserves have a clearly defined function as set out in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Act 1979. The foreign exchange reserves are held on a precautionary basis in the event of any unexpected shocks and are also used to provide foreign currency services for government departments, and to carry out the UK’s obligations under its membership of the IMF.
The Chancellor set out new fiscal rules at Budget, and the OBR has confirmed we are on track to see debt falling by 2024-25, and to meet all our fiscal rules.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
There has been no assessment made of the effects of selling existing foreign currency reserves.
The reserves have a clearly defined function as set out in the Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Act 1979. The foreign exchange reserves are held on a precautionary basis in the event of any unexpected shocks and are also used to provide foreign currency services for government departments, and to carry out the UK’s obligations under its membership of the IMF.
The Chancellor set out new fiscal rules at Budget, and the OBR has confirmed we are on track to see debt falling by 2024-25, and to meet all our fiscal rules.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information is not held in the form requested and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost due to the complexities of the analysis required.
The Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Annual Report and Accounts contains information on the financial position of the Government’s foreign exchange holdings, including the income and asset position. Details of the interest rate on special drawing rights is published by the IMF on a weekly basis. Rates of return may therefore be estimated with reference to this published information.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-central-funds#exchange-equalisation-account
https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2016/08/01/14/51/Special-Drawing-Right-SDR
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Information is not held in the form requested and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost due to the complexities of the analysis required.
The Exchange Equalisation Account (EEA) Annual Report and Accounts contains information on the financial position of the Government’s foreign exchange holdings, including the income and asset position. Details of the interest rate on special drawing rights is published by the IMF on a weekly basis. Rates of return may therefore be estimated with reference to this published information.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-central-funds#exchange-equalisation-account
https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2016/08/01/14/51/Special-Drawing-Right-SDR
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The IMF Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an international reserve asset designed to supplement the official reserves of IMF member countries. SDRs are allocated to members, including the UK, in proportion to their IMF quota shares. HMG therefore holds SDRs as part of the UK’s international reserves.
The UK has previously used its SDRs to lend to the IMF’s concessional financing facility, the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The UK also strongly supports work on a new SDR allocation to provide additional financing to low-income countries. As this year’s G7 Chair, the UK will continue to work closely with the IMF and international partners on options for the further voluntary channelling of SDRs.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK supports work on a new Special Drawing Rights (SDR) allocation to provide additional financing to low-income countries. On Friday 12 February the Chancellor chaired the first G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting and set out his priorities for the year including working to provide necessary support for the world’s most vulnerable countries, including through ensuring that the International Financial Institutions have the right tools to equip and enable vulnerable countries to respond to the pandemic. At the G20 Finance Ministers meeting on Friday 26 February the Chancellor also expressed his desire for work on a new IMF Special Drawing Rights allocation which gives additional financing to low income countries to help their response and recovery.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Since March the Government’s priority has been to save lives and protect jobs, businesses, and livelihoods. To support workers and businesses across all sectors the Government has provided an unprecedented package of support worth more than £280 billion.
As of 5 January, England entered nationwide restrictions to manage a new variant of Coronavirus. With these restrictions, businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure facing forced closure in England are eligible for a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to help them through to spring. This is on top of the existing Local Restriction Support Grant (Closed) which will continue to offer businesses support of up to £3,000 for each month they closed.
Local authorities are being provided with a top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) worth £500 million, bringing the total value of ARG to over £1.6 billion. This grant ensures local authorities can support, on a discretionary basis, businesses not eligible for other grants but still affected by restrictions. Business grant policy remains a fully devolved area, with the Devolved Administrations receiving their share of this funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way.
Businesses across the UK can continue to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which as of mid-December had supported 9.9 million jobs at the cost of over £45 billion, and its extension until the end of April 2021 will give many businesses and workers much-needed security. The Government has also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until the end of April 2021, with a boosted package of support providing the self-employed with grants covering 80% of average trading profits. So far SEISS has seen 2.7 million self-employed workers make claims under the scheme totaling £13.7 billion.
Businesses needing access to liquidity can also apply for guaranteed loans through various loan schemes, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, until the end of March 2021. Over 1.4 million small and medium sized companies have received government-backed loans, worth over £68 billion.
This support comes on top of billions of pounds’ worth of business rates reliefs, tax deferrals, and other labour market schemes.
President of the Board of Trade
HM Treasury agreed debt caps with several Mayoral Combined Authorities in 2018. These caps place a limit on long-term external debt in each financial year, and for the West Midlands this cap is:
£ | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
WMCA long-term external debt | 546,744,807 | 783,049,523 | 1,041,974,844 |
Figures published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government detail outstanding debt on a quarterly basis for each local authority and combined authority. This is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Separate data is not held for the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. The data for these schemes have been grouped together.
• East Midlands: local authorities distributed over £911 million from the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). They also allocated over £47 million to businesses from the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund (LADGF).
• East of England: local authorities distributed over £1.1 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £59 million from the LADGF
• London: local authorities distributed over £1.6 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £79 million from the LADGF
• North East: local authorities distributed over £512 million from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £25 million from the LADGF
• North West: local authorities distributed over £1.5 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £77 million from the LADGDF
• South East: local authorities distributed over £1.6 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £82 million from the LADGF
• South West: local authorities distributed over £1.3 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £73 million from the LADGF
• West Midlands: local authorities distributed over £1.1 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £56 million from the LADGF
• Yorkshire and the Humber: local authorities distributed over £1.2 billion from the SBGF and RHLGF. They also allocated over £60 million from the LADGF.
In June this year, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would accelerate over £5 billion of infrastructure projects. When taken together with the Plan for Jobs, this means that Government is accelerating £8.6 billion of capital spending.
This accelerated capital spending includes the £900m Getting Building Fund, from which West Midlands Combined Authority received an allocation of £66 million. The funding will support projects such as the University Station development, the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, and the Precision Health Technology Accelerator.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Infrastructure investment in the UK supports hundreds of thousands of jobs a year in the construction sector. Spending Review 2020 set out ambitious plans for capital investment across the UK to support jobs– from investment in the next generation of hospitals and upgrades to our roads and railways, to energy efficiency retrofits and tree planting.
HM Treasury worked closely with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) at SR20 to scrutinise the deliverability of schemes to ensure that investment can support jobs as quickly as possible. As set out in the National Infrastructure Strategy, HM Treasury strongly encourages all government departments and their agencies to progress approved and funded projects into procurement and contract without delay (subject to good project discipline). This is supported by the IPA publishing a comprehensive National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, providing certainty to the market about planned procurement. The next update to the pipeline will be in Spring 2021. The government is also urging local authorities to take steps to support construction jobs in their areas by progressing funded projects as soon as practicable.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Towns Fund delivers on our promise to level up the country and create more places across the UK where people want to live and can thrive. Eligible towns for the Towns Fund can all be found on the government's website (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/100-places-to-benefit-from-new-towns-fund; https://www.gov.uk/government/news/multi-million-fund-to-revitalise-country-s-high-streets; https://www.gov.uk/government/news/1-billion-future-high-streets-fund-expanded-to-50-more-areas), and allocations are ongoing. Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Darlington, Peterborough, Norwich, Torquay and Warrington are the first places to be offered a Town Deal and work will now begin with these areas to confirm final funding.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Levelling Up Fund will be open to all local areas and allocated competitively. To support levelling up opportunity across the country, we will prioritise bids to drive growth and regeneration in places in need, those facing particular local challenges, and areas that have received less Government investment in recent years.
We are making up to £600m available in 2021-22, and will publish a prospectus for the fund and launch the first round of competitions in the New Year.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Spending Review sets out the main strategic elements of the UKSPF in the Heads of Terms (Box 3.1). The government will then publish a UK-wide investment framework in 2020, provide further detail in a prospectus in the New Year, and confirm multi-year funding profiles for the UKSPF at the next Spending Review.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The government expects there will be around 1.3m public sector employees in direct scope of the temporary pause in pay uplifts. This is the sum of the workforces for which central government is responsible for setting pay.
Within this number, those earning less than £24,000 on a full-time equivalent basis will still receive a pay rise, of at least £250.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Departmental capital budgets have been fully allocated for financial year 2020-21 and were confirmed at Main Estimates. Any revisions to these budgets will be set out at the Supplementary Estimates. Departmental budgets for the next financial year (2021-22) will be set in the upcoming Spending Review. Alongside these one-year settlements, the SR will set some longer-term settlements for certain capital budgets to provide certainty and deliver on the government’s ambitious plans to unite and level up the country and drive our economic recovery. With the exception of these multi-year capital settlements, spending for future years beyond 2021-22 will be determined at the next Spending Review.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The SEISS continues to be one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world.
HMRC do not refuse applications for the scheme. People are either eligible to apply for SEISS and, based on the information held by HMRC given access to the service, or they are ineligible and not given access. Eligibility is based strictly on the criteria set by the Chancellor.
In addition, HMRC actively monitor claims for evidence of risk/fraudulent behaviour. Where HMRC sees this type of compliance risk, HMRC rejects the claim.
The Winter Economy Plan set out a package of targeted measures in response to the current economic context, which will enable businesses to protect jobs, and manage their finances in the face of reduced or uncertain demand. This includes the extension of the temporary VAT reduced rate for hospitality and tourism, extending the application window of the access to finance schemes, and further support for employees and the self-employed, through a Job Support Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Grant Extension.
The SEISS is one element of a comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. On 8 July, the Government also introduced the new Plan for Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and protecting jobs.
More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
Andy Street has written to the Chancellor four times since 23 March 2020.
President of the Board of Trade
Applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened on Monday 20 April. By close 3 May, HMRC had received 800,000 claims representing 6.3m furloughed employments and £8bn.
This is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they will be able to provide based on the data available. HMRC will make the timescales for publication and the types of data available in due course.
Officials are working at pace to deliver the measures for small businesses as announced by the Chancellor. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which will provide financing facilities for SMEs of up to £5 million, was launched Monday 23 March. The Business Secretary will write to all Local Authorities by the end of the week with information on the small business grant scheme, and to encourage them to prepare to deliver this quickly. Detailed guidance for Local Authorities will follow by 1st April, and Local Authorities will then write to all eligible businesses with information on how to claim this grant.
We will give small businesses in the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors a higher grant of £25,000 per business if they have a property that has a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000. Properties in those sectors with a rateable value of £15,000 or less will receive a £10,000 grant even if they are not eligible for small business rates relief. It will be administered in the same way as the small business grant scheme.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
We intend that the scheme will become operational in 2024. The work to deliver this, including establishing a Scheme Management Unit and supporting IT and developing relevant guidance is happening at pace. A public consultation on guidance for the scheme is currently live until 01 December on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/foreign-influence-registration-scheme-draft-guidance).
The Government expects to publicise the intended ‘go live’ date a number of months in advance to give those affected by the scheme time to prepare.
Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Breaches of UK sanctions are reportable to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), not via the SARs regime, unless there are associated suspicions around money laundering.
For reasons of operational security, we are not able to provide further details publicly.
Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The UK and our allies condemn the Russian Government’s unprovoked and premeditated invasion of Ukraine. We have considerable powers to sanction the Russian Government, which we have used with our allies to significant effect. The Government has implemented the strongest set of economic sanctions ever to degrade Russia’s war.
Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The National Crime Agency welcomes the announcement on the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell to focus on corrupt elites laundering their assets within the UK.
They have already surged additional officers to support existing efforts and will move at pace to enhance the unit further to drive forwards what are inevitably complex and lengthy operations.
Minister of State (Education)
The Home Office does not record the information sought to the level of granularity required.
Identifying individual spending programmes which are devolved to local government or other local spending bodies can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Details of the Home Office’s additional funding for domestic abuse support services during the Covid-19 pandemic is available on Gov.uk, where the Home Office has allocated £2m of funding to charities with a national or regional presence and for which the other domestic abuse-focused funding streams were not specifically designed. Please refer to the link below.
Funds launched in response to covid-19 outbreak include: the Covid-19 Vulnerable Children National Charities Strategic Relief Fund
and Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund.
The Home Office has also awarded other grants to provide support to individuals and organisations in response to the covid-19 outbreak. The details of these grants will be published by Cabinet Office in due course
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Following the commitments made in the Defence Command Paper in support of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt, the period since 16 March 2021 has seen an increase in both MOD personnel and MOD assets permanently deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
This increase in personnel supports the expansion of the UK’s Defence Network, including the establishment of a British Defence Staff for Oceania, in Canberra and Defence Advisor and Attaché posts in Fiji and the Philippines respectively.
Over the same period, the number of assets in the region has also increased. Following the conclusion of the Carrier Strike Group deployment, HMS Spey and Tamar were permanently stationed in the region at the end of 2021.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Following the commitments made in the Defence Command Paper in support of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt, the period since 16 March 2021 has seen an increase in both MOD personnel and MOD assets permanently deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
This increase in personnel supports the expansion of the UK’s Defence Network, including the establishment of a British Defence Staff for Oceania, in Canberra and Defence Advisor and Attaché posts in Fiji and the Philippines respectively.
Over the same period, the number of assets in the region has also increased. Following the conclusion of the Carrier Strike Group deployment, HMS Spey and Tamar were permanently stationed in the region at the end of 2021.
As of 8 December 22, there are a total of 1,297 Defence Personnel deployed in the Indo Pacific, not including the Global Network.
Country | Number of Personnel |
Pakistan | 10 |
Indonesia | ~5 |
Nepal | 140 |
Brunei | 840 |
BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory) | 35 |
Australia | 20 |
Japan | 85 |
Singapore | 5 |
New Zealand | 10 |
South Korea | 50 |
Maritime – 2x OPVs on Defence Engagement tasks | 105 |
Total | 1,297[1] |
There is no specific figure forecast to increase the total FTE in the next five-year period. Defence will ensure that increases in personnel are commensurate with our commitments to the region as set out in the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper.
[1] These figures have been rounded to the nearest 5, in order to reflect the adaptive nature of Defence activity, however, the total figure represents the number of UK Defence Personnel deployed on the 8 December excluding those personnel working in Defence sections or as part of the global network.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
This Department is unable to identify individual spending programmes which are devolved to local government or other local spending bodies.
10 Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Questions
(View all Liam Byrne's DLUHC questions)Further to the announcement made at the Autumn Statement, the Government has confirmed that trailblazer devolution deals in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will introduce a single department-style funding settlement at the next Spending Review.
Details of major funding programmes, including those administered by local government or other local bodies, are available on Gov.uk.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The table below sets out funding DLUHC core department devolved in 2021-22. Future years funding will be published in the usual way. The Local Government Finance Settlement can be found using this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2021-to-2022.
Programme Name | Value 2021-22 (£m) |
AFFORDABLE HOMES PROGRAMME | 215.0 |
BETTER CARE FUND PROGRAMME SUPPORT | 0.3 |
BICHESTER | 4.6 |
BRENT CROSS | 29.1 |
BROWNFIELD HOUSING FUND | 157.8 |
BROWNFIELD LAND RELEASE FUND | 64.4 |
BUILDING SAFETY REMEDIATION | 393.0 |
CHANGING FUTURES | 16.0 |
CHANGING PLACES | 0.3 |
COASTAL COMMUNITIES FUND | 0.1 |
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS | 22.5 |
COMMUNITY HOUSING FUND | 6.0 |
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP FUND - COF | 1.4 |
COVID-19 CLINICALLY & EXTREMELY VULNERABLE | 61.3 |
CUSTOM BUILD LAND DUTY | 0.1 |
DATA IMPROVEMENT SHARE OUTCOME FUND | 4.1 |
DIGITAL PLANNING REFORM | 1.9 |
DISABLED FACILITIES GRANTS (N) | 573.0 |
DOMESTIC ABUSE | 1.8 |
EAST BANK | 51.6 |
EBBSFLEET DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | 19.0 |
ENGLISH LANGUAGE | 5.2 |
ESTATE REGEN FUND | 14.2 |
FAITH, RACE AND HATE GRANT SCHEME | 0.4 |
FLOOD RECOVERY FRAMEWORK SCHEMES | 3.7 |
FREEPORTS | 3.7 |
FUTURE HIGH STREET FUND | 257.5 |
GETTING BUILDING FUND | 449.9 |
GRT EDUCATION PROGRAMME | 1.0 |
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL PROGRAMME | 1.0 |
HOME OF 2030 | 0.4 |
HOMELESSNESS | 378.8 |
HONG KONG BRITISH NATIONAL OVERSEAS (HKBNOS) WELCOME PROGRAMME | 6.5 |
HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (CORE) | 37.9 |
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES | 17.7 |
INTERFAITH NETWORK FOR THE UK | 0.3 |
LEP CORE FUNDING | 19.1 |
LESSONS FROM AUSCHWITZ UNIVERSITIES | 0.1 |
LEVELLING UP FUND | 103.2 |
LOCAL DIGITAL COLLABORATION | 12.4 |
LOCAL GROWTH INVESTMENT FUNDS | 347.5 |
LOCAL LAND CHARGES | 0.1 |
LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUMS (LRFS) | 8.1 |
MAYORAL CAPACITY FUND | 9.0 |
MIDLANDS ENGINE | 2.5 |
MODERN PLANNING SOFTWARE | 6.8 |
NCTT | 0.3 |
NEAR NEIGHBOURS | 1.0 |
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING | 7.9 |
NEW DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS | 2.1 |
NEW HOMES BONUS | 622.3 |
NORTHERN POWERHOUSE | 0.5 |
OXFORD-CAMBRIDGE ARC | 1.0 |
OXFORDSHIRE HOUSING | 40.0 |
PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE AND PLACE | 0.7 |
PFI HOUSING | 138.7 |
PLANNING ADVISORY SERVICE (PAS) | 0.7 |
PLANNING DELIVERY FUND | 5.3 |
PLANNING REFORM | 2.8 |
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL | 3.7 |
REGIONAL CONTROL CENTRES | 4.2 |
REMEMBERING SREBRENICA | 0.3 |
REOPENING HIGH STREETS SAFELY | 26.8 |
RIGHT TO BUY RECEIPTS | 12.3 |
ROUGH SLEEPING | 325.4 |
ROUGH SLEEPING COVID RESPONSE | 40.3 |
SCHOOLS LINKING | 0.2 |
SECRETARIAT FOR THE INDEPENDENT ANTISEMITISM ADVISER | 0.1 |
SHIELDING SUPPORT | 40.8 |
SSI STEELWORKS | 25.7 |
STDC - TEESWORKS WORKS | 11.1 |
STRENGTHENING FAITH INSTITUTIONS | 0.5 |
STRONGER TOWNS CAPACITY FUNDING | 162.4 |
SUPPORTED HOUSING OVERSIGHT PILOTS | 2.4 |
SUPPORTING FAMILIES | 163.7 |
TENANT FEES ACT 2019 | 0.8 |
THAMES ESTUARY | 1.5 |
TOWNS FUND | 0.5 |
TRANSPORT FOR EBBSFLEET | 1.7 |
UK COMMUNITY RENEWAL FUND | 122.5 |
VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR FUNDING FOR ROUGH SLEEPING AND HOMELESSNESS | 2.7 |
VOLUNTARY RIGHT TO BUY | 1.4 |
WAKING WATCH | 0.4 |
WESTERN GATEWAY CORE FUNDING | 1.0 |
WINDRUSH | 0.7 |
WOMENS AID | 0.3 |
YOUTH HOMELESSNESS | 0.6 |
President of the Board of Trade
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.
The Fund is jointly managed by HM Treasury, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Transport.
Throughout the pandemic, the Government’s priority has been to save lives and protect jobs, businesses, and livelihoods. To support workers and businesses across all sectors the Government has provided an unprecedented package of support worth more than £280 billion.
In light of current restrictions, businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure facing forced closure in England are eligible for a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to help them through to Spring. This is on top of the existing Local Restriction Support Grant (Closed) which will continue to offer businesses support of up to £3,000 for each month they closed.
Local authorities are being provided with a top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) worth £500 million, bringing the total value of ARG to over £1.6 billion. This grant ensures local authorities can support, on a discretionary basis, businesses not eligible for other grants but still affected by restrictions.
Businesses across the UK can continue to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which as of mid-December had supported 9.9 million jobs. The Government has also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until the end of April 2021, with a boosted package of support providing the self-employed with grants covering 80% of average trading profits. So far SEISS has seen 2.7 million self-employed workers make claims under the scheme totaling £13.7 billion.
Businesses needing access to liquidity can also apply for guaranteed loans through various loan schemes, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. Over 1.4 million small and medium sized companies have received Government-backed loans, worth over £68 billion.
This support comes on top of billions of pounds’ worth of business rates reliefs, tax deferrals, and other labour market schemes.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has introduced a number of programmes to support individuals and organisations through the COVID-19 outbreak – spending £5.8 billion in our response to the pandemic. These programmes include funding to support pressure on social care and other services in local government, funding for rough sleepers and the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, and for council tax relief (Hardship Fund).
Full details of my Department’s COVID-19 funding is available in the NAO COVID Tracker: https://nao-mesh.shinyapps.io/Covid_cost_tracker/.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have worked closely with local authorities to understand the pressures they are facing. Local authorities have completed monitoring returns to assess the impact the pandemic is having on their finances which shows that the estimated additional expenditure up to the end of October 2020 is £4 billion. Based on this, we have allocated £7.2 billion directly to local authorities, with £4.6 billion of this being unringfenced money for authorities to spend how they see fit.
Furthermore, at the Spending Review on 25 November, the Chancellor announced estimated funding of around £3 billion of additional support for Covid-19 pressures next year. The Chancellor also confirmed that Core Spending Power is forecast to rise by 4.5 per cent in cash terms in 2021-22 - a real terms increase. This package means local authorities will be able to access an estimated additional £2.2 billion to support Adult and Children’s Social Care and to maintain universal services.
On 27 October, we announced the first seven offers of Town Deals, worth almost £180 million in total, for Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Darlington, Norwich, Peterborough, Torquay and Warrington. These landmark deals will see millions invested in projects across the country including updating Blackpool’s famous Illuminations for a return to tourism, the modernisation of Torquay town centre and plans for low carbon-living in Peterborough.
In September, we announced accelerated funding for all 101 towns selected to work with Government to develop a Town Deal. This was to support capital projects that would help them address the immediate impacts of Covid-19. Each town received a grant of £500,000, £750,000 or £1 million, depending on population size. This funding is supporting a range of projects including new green spaces, pop-up business spaces and walking and cycling routes. Further details of the accelerated funding are also here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/80-million-boost-to-towns.
Further announcements will be made in due course.
The Secretary of State and other Ministers in the department have regular and productive discussions with the Mayor.
In March 2018, the Government agreed a housing package with the West Midlands Combined Authority, to deliver 215,000 homes in the West Midlands by 2030/31, and committed to back that ambition through a Land Fund of up to £100 million. Funding is transferred to the West Midlands Combined Authority when key milestones are met. In addition, West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated £6 million through the 2017 Devolution Deal to support immediate and long term housing delivery in the region.
The Government has also committed to supporting a successful legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 by providing £165 million of grant funding for infrastructure to unlock up to 5,100 homes in Birmingham.
The core funds devolved to the Metro Mayors and their combined authorities are listed in the attached table. Further details can be found in the Annual Reports of Devolution, laid before Parliament each year by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and in the devolution deal agreements.
The Deputy Prime Minister has met with the Leader of the House of Commons, in the course of his duties to discuss all Parliamentary Business for the Ministry of Justice. Business in the House will be announced in the usual way through Business Statements by the Leader of the House of Commons and the Bill of Rights is poised to return to the House for its Second Reading as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
MoJ provides the majority of its funding directly to services with a limited amount of funding going to bodies and local authorities for administration. Where we do make payments to local authorities for activities, such as grants to Youth Offending Teams, we do not consider these to be funding for programmes.
We do provide funding to bodies such as the Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales which cover a wide range of activities to support Victims Services such as Pre-Trial support and funding to Independent Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Advisors.
We are currently working through the departments financial budget allocations and therefore are not in a position to confirm plans for future spend.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
None. The Scotland Office does not devolve any spending to England.
The government has set itself a mission that, by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution, with a simplified, long-term funding settlement. At Spring Budget, the government announced the trailblazer devolution deals with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA), which included a commitment to introduce single funding settlements at the next Spending Review for these MCAs. At Autumn Statement, the government published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMCA and WMCA, setting out how the single settlements will work. The government also announced an ambitious new ‘level 4’ of the devolution framework, including a single transport funding settlement for eligible institutions, and a ‘consolidated’ pot at the next multi-year SR covering two DLUHC investment themes – local growth and place, and housing and regeneration. Following successful delivery of the ‘consolidated’ pot, and learning from the trailblazers, Level 4 institutions will then become eligible to receive a single settlement from the subsequent multi-year Spending Review. Details of major funding programmes, including those administered by local government or other local bodies, are available on gov.uk.
Secretary of State for Scotland