Lord Cashman

The Government held a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in 2018, which we responded to in 2020. We carefully considered the responses to the consultation and concluded that the balance struck in the legislation is correct. There are proper checks and balances in the system for people who want to change their legal sex and we have no intention of changing the current legislative requirements.

We are progressing in our commitment, announced at the same time in 2020, to make the gender recognition process more straightforward and accessible. That is why we have already reduced the fee to £5 and are digitising the application process to make it more accessible and easier to navigate. As the Minister for Equalities recently announced, we will also be removing, via a remedial order, the term ‘disorder’ from the definition of gender dysphoria in the 2004 Act.

The commitment to jointly mobilise $100bn of climate finance a year promised to developing countries in 2009, and again in 2015, is critically important to helping developing countries transition to cleaner economies and protecting those worst affected by the impacts of climate change. The UK Presidency has been pushing developed countries to meet existing commitments and come forward with ambitious post-2020 climate finance pledges, to achieve and surpass the $100bn a year goal. The COP President Designate has also asked Germany and Canada to lead on the development of a Delivery Plan which sets out how donor countries will meet the goal. This plan will be published in advance of COP.

Behavioural science has been fully embedded in Covid-19 communications since the start of the pandemic. The evidence-based principles from this field have been applied across all key campaigns, such as ‘Hands Face Space’ and ‘Stay Home, Protect NHS, Save Lives’. Behavioural science support during the pandemic has been provided by internal government teams and academic experts, including those who are members of SPI-B.

Hand hygiene, social distancing and mask-wearing remain a core pillar of the on-going campaign. However, the communication response to the pandemic must be flexible and reflect restrictions aimed at the immediate threat level. This is now at the highest level, and national ‘Stay Home’ communication addresses the most pressing behavioural challenge. Life-long hygiene habits are important and are being factored into future plans, however, message discipline is imperative so we must prioritise the urgent and immediate ‘Stay Home’ behaviours.

Our safer workplaces guidance is clear. Outside of clinical settings like a hospital, the number of roles for which Public Health England advises use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is small. In cases where additional PPE is required, and an employers’ risk assessment reflects this, employers must provide PPE free of charge to employees.

Pricing is a commercial decision for businesses. We know, however, it is essential that businesses that experience disruption as a result of coronavirus are supported. That is why Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses. The first stage was a £160 billion support package, which included £49 billion of extra funding for the country’s vital public services including the NHS, paying the wages of nearly 12 million people and supporting over a million businesses through grants, loans and rates cuts.

We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education (RE) compulsory for primary school-age pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-age pupils and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools, from September 2020.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that inspectors will consider the provision for RE and RSE and Health Education, as part of a wider judgment of pupils’ personal development.

To support schools in their preparations, the department is investing in a central support package to help all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. This includes developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will cover all of the teaching and consultation requirements in the statutory guidance and will be available in the summer term, with additional content added in the following months.

The department has been working to assess the impact of COVID-19 on a school’s ability to discharge their duty relating to the implementation of these subjects. The department will provide an update in due course. Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for RE (primary) and RSE (secondary), which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The statutory guidance sets out effective practice on parental engagement and we have published further advice for primary schools on engaging parents positively in the development of their RE policy, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy. In addition we have published leaflets for schools to provide to parents, which summarise the key changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-sex-and-health-education-guides-for-schools.

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We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education (RE) compulsory for primary school-age pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-age pupils and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools, from September 2020.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that inspectors will consider the provision for RE and RSE and Health Education, as part of a wider judgment of pupils’ personal development.

To support schools in their preparations, the department is investing in a central support package to help all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. This includes developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will cover all of the teaching and consultation requirements in the statutory guidance and will be available in the summer term, with additional content added in the following months.

The department has been working to assess the impact of COVID-19 on a school’s ability to discharge their duty relating to the implementation of these subjects. The department will provide an update in due course. Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for RE (primary) and RSE (secondary), which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The statutory guidance sets out effective practice on parental engagement and we have published further advice for primary schools on engaging parents positively in the development of their RE policy, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy. In addition we have published leaflets for schools to provide to parents, which summarise the key changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-sex-and-health-education-guides-for-schools.

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We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education (RE) compulsory for primary school-age pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-age pupils and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools, from September 2020.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that inspectors will consider the provision for RE and RSE and Health Education, as part of a wider judgment of pupils’ personal development.

To support schools in their preparations, the department is investing in a central support package to help all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. This includes developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will cover all of the teaching and consultation requirements in the statutory guidance and will be available in the summer term, with additional content added in the following months.

The department has been working to assess the impact of COVID-19 on a school’s ability to discharge their duty relating to the implementation of these subjects. The department will provide an update in due course. Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for RE (primary) and RSE (secondary), which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The statutory guidance sets out effective practice on parental engagement and we have published further advice for primary schools on engaging parents positively in the development of their RE policy, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy. In addition we have published leaflets for schools to provide to parents, which summarise the key changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-sex-and-health-education-guides-for-schools.

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We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education (RE) compulsory for primary school-age pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-age pupils and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools, from September 2020.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that inspectors will consider the provision for RE and RSE and Health Education, as part of a wider judgment of pupils’ personal development.

To support schools in their preparations, the department is investing in a central support package to help all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. This includes developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will cover all of the teaching and consultation requirements in the statutory guidance and will be available in the summer term, with additional content added in the following months.

The department has been working to assess the impact of COVID-19 on a school’s ability to discharge their duty relating to the implementation of these subjects. The department will provide an update in due course. Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for RE (primary) and RSE (secondary), which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The statutory guidance sets out effective practice on parental engagement and we have published further advice for primary schools on engaging parents positively in the development of their RE policy, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy. In addition we have published leaflets for schools to provide to parents, which summarise the key changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-sex-and-health-education-guides-for-schools.

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We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. That is why we are making Relationships Education (RE) compulsory for primary school-age pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school-age pupils and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools, from September 2020.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that inspectors will consider the provision for RE and RSE and Health Education, as part of a wider judgment of pupils’ personal development.

To support schools in their preparations, the department is investing in a central support package to help all schools to increase the confidence and quality of their teaching practice. This includes developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case studies and support to access resources. This will cover all of the teaching and consultation requirements in the statutory guidance and will be available in the summer term, with additional content added in the following months.

The department has been working to assess the impact of COVID-19 on a school’s ability to discharge their duty relating to the implementation of these subjects. The department will provide an update in due course. Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for RE (primary) and RSE (secondary), which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The statutory guidance sets out effective practice on parental engagement and we have published further advice for primary schools on engaging parents positively in the development of their RE policy, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy. In addition we have published leaflets for schools to provide to parents, which summarise the key changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-sex-and-health-education-guides-for-schools.

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The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a Trust Port. Trust Ports are independent organisations that are both strategically and financially independent of Government. They are accountable to stakeholders including port users, local communities and Government and are led by an independent board.

The Secretary of State for Transport is required under the PLA’s enabling legislation to appoint the Chair of the PLA and one to three Non-Executive Directors. The appointees’ duty is to pursue the interests of the port. The Department for Transport (DfT) has no powers to direct the Board members.

All harbour authorities in the UK, regardless of their ownership model, act independently of central government and have their own legal responsibilities established through local Acts of Parliament. In relation to the PLA under the PLA Act 1968, there are certain rights of appeal to the Secretary of State, for example in relation to the setting of statutory charges and licensing decisions.

The DfT is responsible for overseeing the legislative framework for ports and harbours and the governance of ports. We expect all ports to adhere to the Ports Good Governance Guidance, published in 2018.

PLA is the only Trust Port that is obliged under their statutory legislation to submit their annual report and accounts on a yearly basis to Parliament. The accounts are laid as an Act Paper in both the House of Commons and House of Lords and can be found in the Parliamentary Library. They are also published on the PLA’s website and the 2022 report can be found here: https://www.pla.co.uk/Media-Centre/Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2022

No specific assessment has been made.

The Government will continue to monitor the impact of implementing non pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and consider any further actions required.

NHS Blood and Transplant are working collaboratively with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups on the criteria for blood donation, through the FAIR (For Assessment of Individualised Risk) steering group. The FAIR group is using an evidence-based approach to explore if a more individualised blood donation risk assessment can be safely and practically introduced, while ensuring the safe supply of blood and blood products to patients.

The work of FAIR was slightly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the group has now submitted their report to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) that advises United Kingdom ministers and health departments from the devolved administrations. The guidance provided by SaBTO is now being considered by Ministers and we will publish the conclusions in due course.

Work by Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office officials is now underway on how to implement the change, and further details will be announced shortly.

We note that the Parliament of Uganda passed the Sexual Offences Bill on 3 May. We are very concerned about the retention of dated language in Clause 11(i) which continues to criminalise homosexuality. We recognise the impact this has on the LGBT+ community.

We make regular representations to the Government of Uganda on this issue through our High Commission in Kampala. We also work through international organisations, including the UN, Council of Europe, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth, to address discriminatory laws and end discrimination against LGBT+ people.

The UK plays an active role across the world in support of LGBT+ rights. There needs to be an end to violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people. The Minister for Africa made this clear when he spoke at the launch of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives in December 2020. We will continue to challenge governments that criminalise homosexuality directly and at the highest political levels.

The Government has made it clear that all forms of abuse and hatred are unacceptable.

The UK has a robust legislative framework to respond to hate crimes, which target race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity. The Government published the hate crime action plan (Action Against Hate: The UK Government’s plan for tackling hate crime) in 2016 and refreshed this Plan in October 2018.

As part of the 2018 refresh and LGBT Action Plan the same year, the Government committed to a public awareness campaign to address the unacceptability of all hate crimes, and to a Law Commission review of the adequacy of current hate crime legislation. Also, the Home Office has funded multiple projects aimed at tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime including:

• Kick It Out, who produced resources to raise awareness of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse in football stadia;
• Barnardo’s, who worked with schools in East Ridings of Yorkshire to promote understanding of LGBT lives and prevent homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime;
• Galop, who produced and distributed a series of factsheets and research to understand tackle online homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse; and
• The Proud Trust who worked with the British Transport Police and rail companies to make public transport safer for LGBT people and encourage the reporting of hate crime.

The Government will continue to work with the police, stakeholders including Galop and Stonewall and others to understand the concerns of LGBTQ+ communities and what should be done to address those concerns.

The Government is committed to upholding the intent and purpose of the disregard scheme and to working closely with counterparts across government, particularly the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence, to explore the feasibility of bringing further offences within scope.

Work to identify what further offences might be added under the provisions enabling the Secretary of State to extend, by regulations, the list of offences currently eligible for a disregard under the provisions of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 must be completed before any proposed amendments can be brought forward. This work is ongoing and the Government remains fully committed to considering any appropriate proposals, in due course.

We recognise that LGBTQ+ homelessness is an issue, particularly among young people and that LGBTQ+ people who find themselves homeless may have a different experience of homelessness due to their protected characteristics. My Department has provided funds to both charities and local authorities which will enable to them to support their communities, including LGBTQ+ people, whether they have been homeless, are at risk of homelessness or are rough sleeping.

At the beginning of the pandemic, our priority was to bring vulnerable people inside so they could self-isolate and stop the virus spreading. We backed this with £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers, and a further £3.7 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19, including supporting homeless people. This may include people identifying as LGBTQ+.

This has had a huge impact– as nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 emergency. On 24 June we announced that we are providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support those placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 14 May my Department also announced £6 million of emergency funding to provide relief for frontline homelessness charitable organisations who are directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Following a successful bidding process, over 130 charities across England are set to benefit from the £6 million emergency fund. Successful bids included Stonewall Housing which provides housing advice and support for LGBTQ+ people whether they are homeless, at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping.

On 2 May, we announced the Rough Sleeping Taskforce, which has one overriding objective: to ensure that as many people as possible who have been brought in off the streets during this pandemic do not return to the streets. Supporting the taskforce are our Homelessness Advice and Support Team, which includes dedicated?youth?homelessness advisor roles that have a commitment to work with local authorities to proactively promote positive joint working across housing authorities and children’s services, offering training, advice and support to all local authorities.

We recognise that LGBTQ+ homelessness is an issue, particularly among young people and that LGBTQ+ people who find themselves homeless may have a different experience of homelessness due to their protected characteristics. My Department has provided funds to both charities and local authorities which will enable to them to support their communities, including LGBTQ+ people, whether they have been homeless, are at risk of homelessness or are rough sleeping.

At the beginning of the pandemic, our priority was to bring vulnerable people inside so they could self-isolate and stop the virus spreading. We backed this with £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers, and a further £3.7 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19, including supporting homeless people. This may include people identifying as LGBTQ+.

This has had a huge impact– as nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 emergency. On 24 June we announced that we are providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support those placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 14 May my Department also announced £6 million of emergency funding to provide relief for frontline homelessness charitable organisations who are directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Following a successful bidding process, over 130 charities across England are set to benefit from the £6 million emergency fund. Successful bids included Stonewall Housing which provides housing advice and support for LGBTQ+ people whether they are homeless, at risk of homelessness or rough sleeping.

On 2 May, we announced the Rough Sleeping Taskforce, which has one overriding objective: to ensure that as many people as possible who have been brought in off the streets during this pandemic do not return to the streets. Supporting the taskforce are our Homelessness Advice and Support Team, which includes dedicated?youth?homelessness advisor roles that have a commitment to work with local authorities to proactively promote positive joint working across housing authorities and children’s services, offering training, advice and support to all local authorities.