Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Liam Fox, 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 Fox has not been granted any Urgent Questions
This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd November 2011 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to require proposals to be drawn up for the use of alternative dispute resolution processes to determine the compensation payable to landowners in certain cases where land is acquired for the purposes of electricity transmission.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 24th May 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about meeting the needs of persons with Down syndrome; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. Make provision about the implementation of international trade agreements; to make provision establishing the Trade Remedies Authority and conferring functions on it; and to make provision about the collection and disclosure of information relating to trade.
Autism (early identification) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Duncan Baker (Con)
Register of Derelict Buildings Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Nick Fletcher (Con)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 1 September is attached.
The number of dismissals in the Civil Service for each of the last 10 years are shown in the table below. The number of dismissals for the year ending 31 March 2023 are scheduled for release on 26 July 2023 as part of the National Statistics bulletin Civil Service Statistics 2023. The number of staff leaving, by leaving cause, is published as one of the standard tables and all of the dismissal data presented in the answer is already in the public domain.
Table 1: Number of dismissals in the Civil Service, 2012/13 to 2021/22
Year ending | Number |
31 March 2013 | 2,390 |
31 March 2014 | 2,340 |
31 March 2015 | 2,460 |
31 March 2016 | 2,570 |
31 March 2017 | 2,590 |
31 March 2018 | 2,220 |
31 March 2019 | 2,360 |
31 March 2020 | 2,570 |
31 March 2021 | 1,880 |
31 March 2022 | 1,950 |
Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, Cabinet Office
Figures rounded to nearest 10
Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, line manages the permanent secretaries of the Devolved Administrations, including Leslie Evans as Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government.
In January 2020, the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Minister for Patient Safety met campaigners representing the people infected and affected, and campaigners raised a number of issues about the support that would assist them outside of the Inquiry process. Ministers have committed to looking at these issues carefully, including to consider a request to look at a framework for compensation before the Inquiry reports, and to report back on where progress can be made. The Paymaster General is the lead Minister for the Inquiry and is taking forward these actions.
The automotive sector relies on rare earths for magnets in electric vehicle motors, and other critical minerals – like lithium, graphite and cobalt – for batteries.
Of the 18 critical minerals defined in the UK criticality assessment, China is the largest producer for 12 of them as refined products. China produced 76% of rare earth elements between 2016 and 2020.[1]
We are working closely with international partners in the G7, International Energy Agency and Mineral Security Partnership to strengthen and diversify our critical mineral supply chains and improve environmental and social governance – including engaging with China to achieve our objectives.
[1] British Geological Survey, World Mineral Statistics Database 2022
The Government will retain the current scope of the Pubs Code in England and Wales, which excludes pub-owning companies with fewer than 500 tied pubs, provided that these companies continue to engage in the voluntary rent dispute and complaints procedures and the level of complaints remains low. The Government will keep the threshold under review.
Bristol is introducing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) to bring the roads in the city into compliance with NO2 limits in the shortest possible time.
Bristol has proposed that the zone boundary should include the Portway and Brunel Bridge routes, and has carried out modelling to understand the traffic and air quality data to show the impact of removing these routes from the CAZ. This modelling indicated that removing these roads from within the zone boundary would delay the date by which roads in Bristol are compliant with legal limits for NO2. The Government is currently considering this information as part of our review of Bristol’s Full Business Case.
No such discussions have taken place.
Redcliffe Bay Petroleum Storage Depot is jointly regulated by the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 2015 as an Upper Tier establishment. The Environment Agency has had discussions at an operational level with the site operator about containment in the event of an emergency. Based on the information obtained at the last inspection, the Environment Agency was satisfied with the containment and associated procedures at the site.
The industry is making considerable efforts to keep as much of the railway running for passengers and freight. However, strikes have a hugely negative impact, and come at a significant cost to our economy, affecting a wide range of businesses and sectors.
My Department is taking part in regular roundtables and discussions with those industries most disrupted by industrial action, so we understand the concerns of businesses and passenger groups
Airport planning applications should be judged by the relevant planning authority, taking careful account of all relevant considerations, including environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.
In July 2021, we published the Jet Zero Consultation which outlines our vision for the aviation sector to reach net zero by 2050. The consultation focuses on the rapid development of technologies in a way that maintains the benefits of air travel whilst maximising the opportunities that decarbonisation can bring to the UK. We continue to carefully consider the consultation responses in the development of the final Jet Zero Strategy which is to be published later this year and will set out the framework for reducing aviation emissions from the sector.
Reopening the railway line from Bristol to Portishead is being led and funded by the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council as Phase 1B of MetroWest. The Department for Transport has committed to make a capped funding contribution of £31.9m towards the scheme. My Department expects to receive the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation regarding the scheme’s Development Consent Order shortly and on which the Secretary of State will need to give his decision.
The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care, cutting unnecessary burdens on general practitioners (GPs) through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24.
In response to feedback from the profession to make incentive schemes more streamlined and focused, the Department has launched a public consultation on incentive schemes in general practice.
The expanded primary care teams funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme add extra clinical capacity, helping to reduce the burden on GPs.
The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care, cutting unnecessary burdens on general practitioners (GPs) through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24.
In response to feedback from the profession to make incentive schemes more streamlined and focused, the Department has launched a public consultation on incentive schemes in general practice.
The expanded primary care teams funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme add extra clinical capacity, helping to reduce the burden on GPs.
The following table shows the headcount number of managers in the National Health Service with total earnings of over the requested amounts in the 12 months to the end of March 2023, the latest period available. These are total earnings, which include non-basic-pay elements such as overtime, geographic allowances, or on-call payments, though these will not make a significant part of managers earnings.
Range | Headcount |
£80,000 - £129,999 | 8678 |
£130,000 - £199,999 | 1248 |
£200,000 - £249,999 | 149 |
£250,000 and over | 58 |
Source: NHS England Digital Earnings Statistics
Notes:
The table below shows the number full-time equivalent GPs were active in 2020, 2015, 2005, 2000 and 1995.
Year | All GPs (full time equivalent) |
September 1995 | 29,248 |
September 2000 | 26,114 |
September 2005 | 31,901 |
September 2015 | 34,392 |
September 2020 | 35,393 |
Notes
The table below shows the number of full-time general practice staff who were male and female in September 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Data is not broken down by gender for all practice staff for 2000 and 1995.
Year | Female (all practice staff) | Male (all practice staff) |
September 2005 | 12,192 | 19,710 |
September 2010 | 15,361 | 19,881 |
September 2015 | 91,902 | 20,414 |
September 2020 | 108,682 | 23,081 |
Notes
Integrated care boards (ICBs) will take on the commissioning functions of clinical commissioning groups and some of NHS England’s commissioning functions. While there are no specific requirements to assess local continence needs, ICBs will be responsible for providing a comprehensive health service for the local population based on its needs.
No assessment has yet been made of levels of adherence to the Excellence in Continence Care guidance. However, NHS England is planning an assessment of adherence to Excellence in Continence Care, which is anticipated to start later in 2022.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) will take on the commissioning functions of clinical commissioning groups and some of NHS England’s commissioning functions. While there are no specific requirements to assess local continence needs, ICBs will be responsible for providing a comprehensive health service for the local population based on its needs.
No assessment has yet been made of levels of adherence to the Excellence in Continence Care guidance. However, NHS England is planning an assessment of adherence to Excellence in Continence Care, which is anticipated to start later in 2022.
This information is not held in the format requested. However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes data on COVID-19 cases presenting to emergency care within 28 days of a positive specimen resulting in an overnight inpatient admission, by vaccination status. This data is published for the most recent four week period in the weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Surveillance report which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports
The analysis is based on data from a sentinel network of acute National Health Service trusts contributing enhanced data cases data from the UKHSA, linked to vaccination status and presentation to emergency care and inpatient admissions from the NHS.
This information is not available in the format requested. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes data on COVID-19 cases presenting to emergency care within 28 days of a positive specimen resulting in an overnight inpatient admission by vaccination status, for the most recent four week period. This is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports
The analysis is based on data from a sentinel network of acute National Health Service trusts contributing enhanced data cases data from the UKHSA linked to vaccination status and presentation to emergency care and inpatient admissions from the NHS.
The collection and publication of data on delayed transfers of care (DToC) was paused in March 2020 to release capacity across the National Health Service to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. Therefore data on DTOCs in each of the last six months is not available.
Monthly data on the number of DTOCs in England is not held in the format requested. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s data collection is based on the average number of people delayed per day. This is calculated by dividing the number of delayed days during the month by the number of calendar days in the month. This measure was previously known as DToC beds. The following table shows the average number of delayed discharges in England in the NHS and social care until January 2020.
Date | Average number of delayed discharges |
January 2016 | 5,144 |
June 2016 | 5,771 |
January 2017 | 6,371 |
June 2017 | 5,929 |
January 2018 | 4,883 |
June 2018 | 4,503 |
January 2019 | 4,368 |
June 2019 | 4,502 |
January 2020 | 5,183 |
Since 9 December 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement have published weekly data on daily discharge figures across England. This is the first published data on hospital discharges since the DToC collection was paused in March 2020 and is available at the following link:
The collection and publication of data on delayed transfers of care (DToC) was paused in March 2020 to release capacity across the National Health Service to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. Therefore data on DTOCs in each of the last six months is not available.
Monthly data on the number of DTOCs in England is not held in the format requested. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s data collection is based on the average number of people delayed per day. This is calculated by dividing the number of delayed days during the month by the number of calendar days in the month. This measure was previously known as DToC beds. The following table shows the average number of delayed discharges in England in the NHS and social care until January 2020.
Date | Average number of delayed discharges |
January 2016 | 5,144 |
June 2016 | 5,771 |
January 2017 | 6,371 |
June 2017 | 5,929 |
January 2018 | 4,883 |
June 2018 | 4,503 |
January 2019 | 4,368 |
June 2019 | 4,502 |
January 2020 | 5,183 |
Since 9 December 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement have published weekly data on daily discharge figures across England. This is the first published data on hospital discharges since the DToC collection was paused in March 2020 and is available at the following link:
This information is not available in the format requested.
The UK Health Security Agency publishes data on new COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions over the past four weeks by vaccination status, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports
The following table shows managers with total earnings of over £80,000 in the 12 months to the end of June 2021, headcount. These figures represent payments made using the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) to National Health Service staff employed and directly paid by NHS organisations in the Hospital and Community Health Sector (HCHS). These are total earnings, which include non-basic-pay elements such as overtime, geographic allowances, or on-call payments.
Range | Headcount |
£80,000 - £129,999 | 7,018 |
£130,000 - £199,999 | 1,071 |
£200,000 - £249,999 | 114 |
£250,000 and over | 36 |
Source – NHS Digital Earnings Statistics
Notes:
The monthly data publication, last published on 8 July, showing COVID-19 related hospitalisations by age is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-hospital-activity/
Public Health England monitors the number of people who have been admitted to hospital who have received one or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination and will publish this data in due course.
This information is published in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts, the 2021-22 report can be found on gov.uk. I refer the Honourable Member to pages 17(9) and 149(141) of the report https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1095304/FCDO_Annual_Report_2021_2022_Accessible_290722.pdf
This information is published in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts, the 2021-22 report can be found on gov.uk. I refer the Honourable Member to pages 17(9) and 149(141) of the report https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1095304/FCDO_Annual_Report_2021_2022_Accessible_290722.pdf
Businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.
The information requested is therefore not available.
As the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have noted, it is not possible to precisely isolate the impact of strike action on GDP from other factors across the wider economy.
The Government remains committed to minimising the disruption caused by strike action and encouraging the resolution of industrial disputes as quickly as reasonably possible.
The Government will listen to all unions who are willing to discuss what is fair and reasonable – recognising the vital role public sector workers play but also the wider economic pressures facing the UK. As a condition for talks, we expect unions to call off any planned strike action.
For example, following intensive talks between the Government and Agenda for Change unions, the Government have put forward a fair and generous pay offer which Agenda for Change unions are now balloting their members on, with most unions recommending that their members vote to accept.
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.
The government launched the Future Regulatory Framework (FRF) Review to ensure that the UK maintains a coherent, agile and internationally-respected approach to financial services regulation following the UK’s exit from the European Union. Consultations were published in October 2020 and November 2021, which both received over 100 responses.
The Financial Services and Markets Bill delivers the outcomes of the FRF Review, and repeals hundreds of pieces of retained EU law relating to financial services, which will give the regulators significant new rulemaking responsibilities.
The government has been clear that more responsibility for the regulators should be balanced with clear accountability, appropriate democratic input, and transparent oversight.
As a result, the Bill includes a package of measures to increase the accountability of the regulators to Parliament and HM Treasury, and enhance their engagement with stakeholders including consumer groups.
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.
Section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021 required the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consult on whether it should make rules giving regulated financial service providers a duty of care over their customers. The Act also set out that the consultation must include “whether the FCA should make other provision in general rules about the level of care that must be provided to consumers by authorised persons, either instead of or in addition to a duty of care”. The Act further set out that the consultation must be carried out by the end of 2021, and any new rules introduced, if considered appropriate, before 1 August 2022.
The FCA published a final Policy Statement on 27 July 2022 on its new Consumer Duty following two consultations in May and December 2021. The FCA has publicly set out how it considers it has met the requirements under the Financial Services Act 2021, including the requirement to consult on the introduction of a duty of care for financial services firms, and why the Consumer Duty amounts to a duty of care.
As the FCA is an operationally independent regulator, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on the specific rules introduced by the FCA.
The FCA must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament and is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.
The Government has given the FCA a statutory objective to protect consumers. The FCA is required to set out how it has advanced its objectives, including the consumer protection objective, as part of public consultations on draft rules. It is also required to set out how it has advanced its consumer protection objective as part of its annual report which is laid before Parliament.
The Government launched a consultation “Raising standards in tax advice: protecting customers claiming tax repayments” on 22 June 2022, which proposes measures to prohibit the assignment of tax repayments. This consultation forms part of the Government’s agenda to raise standards in the market for tax advice. It will close on 14 September 2022, after which the Government will set out how it will proceed.
Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers). The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:
- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.
- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.
- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain will not be extended to EU residents and will be withdrawn for all passengers.
- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods will be removed across the UK.
The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government is also continuing to meet and discuss with stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.
The detailed rationale for these changes is included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation. A technical note has also been issued to stakeholders to expand on this document and to respond to issues raised by stakeholders.
HMRC estimate that VAT RES refunds cost about £0.5 billion in VAT in 2019 for about 1.2 million non-EU visitors. In 2019 the ONS estimate there were substantially more EU visitors (24.8 million) than non-EU passengers (16.0 million) to the UK. This implies an extension to EU residents would significantly increase the cost by up to an estimated £0.9 billion. This would result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU visitors which already happens without a refund mechanism in place, potentially taking the total cost up to about £1.4 billion per annum.
The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.
Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers). The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:
- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.
- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.
- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain will not be extended to EU residents and will be withdrawn for all passengers.
- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods will be removed across the UK.
The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government is also continuing to meet and discuss with stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.
The detailed rationale for these changes is included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation. A technical note has also been issued to stakeholders to expand on this document and to respond to issues raised by stakeholders.
HMRC estimate that VAT RES refunds cost about £0.5 billion in VAT in 2019 for about 1.2 million non-EU visitors. In 2019 the ONS estimate there were substantially more EU visitors (24.8 million) than non-EU passengers (16.0 million) to the UK. This implies an extension to EU residents would significantly increase the cost by up to an estimated £0.9 billion. This would result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU visitors which already happens without a refund mechanism in place, potentially taking the total cost up to about £1.4 billion per annum.
The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.
Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers). The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:
- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.
- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.
- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain will not be extended to EU residents and will be withdrawn for all passengers.
- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods will be removed across the UK.
The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government is also continuing to meet and discuss with stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.
The detailed rationale for these changes is included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation. A technical note has also been issued to stakeholders to expand on this document and to respond to issues raised by stakeholders.
HMRC estimate that VAT RES refunds cost about £0.5 billion in VAT in 2019 for about 1.2 million non-EU visitors. In 2019 the ONS estimate there were substantially more EU visitors (24.8 million) than non-EU passengers (16.0 million) to the UK. This implies an extension to EU residents would significantly increase the cost by up to an estimated £0.9 billion. This would result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU visitors which already happens without a refund mechanism in place, potentially taking the total cost up to about £1.4 billion per annum.
The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.
The UK has taken firm action following restrictions on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Home Office officials work closely with other departments including the FCDO and DLUHC in ensuring that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) status and other Hongkongers.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable.
The Home Office is driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK, including from threats of foreign interference, through the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
The UK has taken firm action following restrictions on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. The UK will continue to stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong, as we have demonstrated by introducing the bespoke immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders and their eligible family members. By the end of 2021 there were over 100,000 applications for the route.
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and DLUHC, as well as other government departments, to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) status and other Hongkongers.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. Anyone who is concerned for their safety should contact the police.
Furthermore, the Security Minister made a statement on the issue of transnational repression to the House on 1 November. I said this Government is committed to tackling this challenge wherever it originates and announced an internal review into transnational repression. This work is underway and the House will be updated on progress in due course.
The UK has taken firm action following restrictions on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. The UK will continue to stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong, as we have demonstrated by introducing the bespoke immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders and their eligible family members. By the end of 2021 there were over 100,000 applications for the route.
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and DLUHC, as well as other government departments, to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) status and other Hongkongers.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. Anyone who is concerned for their safety should contact the police.
Furthermore, the Security Minister made a statement on the issue of transnational repression to the House on 1 November. I said this Government is committed to tackling this challenge wherever it originates and announced an internal review into transnational repression. This work is underway and the House will be updated on progress in due course.
The UK has taken firm action following restrictions on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Home Office officials work closely with other departments including the FCDO and DLUHC in ensuring that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) status and other Hongkongers.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable.
I made a statement on the issue of transnational repression to the House on 1 November. As I said to the House, reports of undeclared ‘police stations’ in the UK are of course very concerning and are taken extremely seriously. Any foreign country operating on UK soil must abide by UK law. This Government is committed to tackling this challenge wherever it originates. An internal review into transnational repression is underway and the House will be updated on progress in due course.
More broadly, I am driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK, including from threats of foreign interference, through the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
The British Army conducts recruiting activities in partnership with Capita under the Recruiting Partnership Programme, whereas the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force deliver recruitment in house. The below table therefore represents the average length of time for Army applicants only.
The table below shows the average time in days from application to starting training.
Mean time (Days) | |
Regular Officer | 524 |
Reserve Officer | 338 |
Regular Other Ranks | 203 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 169 |
Notes / Caveats
- Averages have been calculated using data from the recruiting year (RY) 2021/22 application cohort data.
- Data for RY 2022/23 is not yet available as it takes time for cohorts to mature to the point of intake.
- There are several variables that may impact the time it takes to progress through the recruitment pipeline, including but not limited to, timely individual participation in the recruitment process, medical/fitness issues, aptitude testing success and availability of training places.
- The recruitment process for Officers can take significantly longer given that candidates can go to university between application and arriving at RMAS.
The British Army conducts recruiting activities in partnership with Capita under the Recruiting Partnership Programme, whereas the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force deliver recruitment in house. The below table therefore represents the cost to the Army only.
The cost of processing application forms is not captured as a separate activity under the Army Recruiting Contract with Capita, but within the overall cost of recruiting. Recruiting costs are covered by a combination of the Service Management Charge and the Recruitment charge. The latter charge alters depending upon the volume of recruiting demand in a particular year, whereas the former is a fixed charge not dependant on demand volumes. Additionally, there are costs relating to medical assessment activities included.
The table below shows the costs over the last three financial years:
Financial Year | Cost | Comments |
2020-21 | £43.57 million | Figures include the Service Management Charge, Recruitment Charge and medical assessment costs |
2021-22 | £40.29 million | |
2022-23 | £42.65 million |
The requested information is currently undergoing a checking and verification process and publication is anticipated in the summer as an Official Statistic. The release of this data ahead of planned publication would be a breach of the Code of Practice for Statistics. When ready, the information will be published at the website of the collection of Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-index
The following information has been provided by the single Services.
Naval Service
The table below shows the average time taken (in days) between receipt of application and interview date between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Regular Other Ranks | 67 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 73 |
Notes:
British Army
The table below shows the total applications and Time of Flight Average from Application to Army Brief and Individual Candidate Discussion, by stream.
Stream | Average for last 12 months in Days |
Regular Officers | 119 |
Regular Other Ranks | 21 |
Reserve Officers | 78 |
Reserve Other Ranks | 39 |
Notes:
Royal Air Force (RAF)
The table below shows the average time (in days) between application and first interview for the RAF Regular and Reserve Forces in recruiting year 2022-23.
Stream | Average for last 12 months in Days |
Regular Aviator | 106 |
Regular Officer | 120 |
Reserve Aviator | 101 |
Reserve Officer | 144 |
Notes:
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has access to the records of all service personnel who have served in the UK armed forces. From 1972 onwards the information is held electronically by the MOD, either in the DPRR (data preservation repository reporting) or in the Joint Personnel Administration System. This equates to approximately 2.1 million records.
Prior to 1972 the MOD holds an index of all service personnel IDs (name and service number) to facilitate the recall of service records from the National Archive (all records from WW2 onwards), approximately 4.9m records.
Currently, Service charities approach the single Services or Defence Business Services for verification of an individual veteran’s service. However, more than £1 million in new money is being invested into a new digital verification service for veterans, which will enable them to verify their veteran status online quickly and easily.