Became Member: 11th September 2014
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These initiatives were driven by Lord Fox, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Fox has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Fox has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
As of the end of August, 125 awards have been made in accordance with the Act. Their details are published on the arbitrators’ websites.
Arbitrators continue to work with parties to resolve the remaining cases.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engaged with the arbitral bodies and with stakeholders to keep oversight of uptake of the scheme and to determine if initial stakeholder concerns about cost and capacity had any substance. We reminded parties in August of the closing deadlines for the submission of cases.
The deadline for the submission of cases recently passed on 23 September 2022 and arbitrators are in the process of considering the cases submitted and will be publishing the outcomes as required by the Act. The assessment of the impact of the Act is ongoing and will be published in due course.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engaged with the arbitral bodies and with stakeholders to keep oversight of uptake of the scheme and to determine if initial stakeholder concerns about cost and capacity had any substance. We reminded parties in August of the closing deadlines for the submission of cases.
The deadline for the submission of cases recently passed on 23 September 2022 and arbitrators are in the process of considering the cases submitted and will be publishing the outcomes as required by the Act. The assessment of the impact of the Act is ongoing and will be published in due course.
Confidential information disclosed as part of the arbitration proceedings should be used only for the purposes of the proceedings and the making of the arbitration award. However, there are exceptions to the general principles of confidentiality applying to arbitration, including where disclosure to a third party is reasonably necessary to protect legitimate interests, which could include disclosure reasonably necessary to establish or protect a party’s legal rights.
Confidential information disclosed as part of the arbitration proceedings should be used only for the purposes of the proceedings and the making of the arbitration award. However, there are exceptions to the general principles of confidentiality applying to arbitration, including where disclosure to a third party is reasonably necessary to protect legitimate interests, which could include disclosure reasonably necessary to establish or protect a party’s legal rights.
The National Security and Investment Act 2021 commenced on 4 January 2022 and represents the biggest shake-up of the UK’s investment screening regime in 20 years, while keeping the country firmly open for business.
The Act requires the Government to publish an annual report setting out information about the numbers and types of trigger events that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. The first annual report will be published later in 2022, after the conclusion of the financial year.
We have ensured that we have the people, the technology and the processes we need so that the Investment Security Unit is as effective and efficient as possible.
The National Security and Investment Act 2021 commenced on 4 January 2022 and represents the biggest shake-up of the UK’s investment screening regime in 20 years, while keeping the country firmly open for business.
The Act requires the Government to publish an annual report setting out information about the numbers and types of trigger events that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. The first annual report will be published later in 2022, after the conclusion of the financial year.
We have ensured that we have the people, the technology and the processes we need so that the Investment Security Unit is as effective and efficient as possible.
Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is an independent non-Ministerial department. In the normal course of an investigation, the CMA may reach out to relevant stakeholders, including other regulators or relevant government departments to assist in its understanding of the market. The CMA is currently considering whether to refer Veolia’s acquisition of a minority shareholding in Suez and Veolia’s proposed public takeover bid for the remaining share capital of Suez for an in-depth review. The CMA will publish updates on its review of this transaction on its website.
Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is an independent non-Ministerial department. In the normal course of an investigation, the CMA may reach out to relevant stakeholders, including other regulators or relevant government departments to assist in its understanding of the market. The CMA is currently considering whether to refer Veolia’s acquisition of a minority shareholding in Suez and Veolia’s proposed public takeover bid for the remaining share capital of Suez for an in-depth review. The CMA will publish updates on its review of this transaction on its website.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the independent non-Ministerial department responsible for investigating competition issues in the UK. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers to investigate and act if it finds that companies are behaving anti-competitively in a market.
Under Article 20 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), consumers have the right to obtain and reuse their personal data, including smart metering consumption data that they have provided to the energy supplier. Energy consumers’ rights under the GDPR are not affected by switching energy supplier.
In order to ensure that energy consumers have control over their energy consumption data, the Government established the smart metering Data Access and Privacy Framework, which is implemented through energy licences and codes and complements wider data protection legislation. Energy suppliers are required to make available to domestic consumers with meters in smart mode, upon request, up to 24 months of data relating to consumption in each day, week, month and year. The data must be made available free of charge and in a readily understandable format.
The Information Commissioner's Office is responsible for upholding information rights, while the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets is responsible for regulating energy suppliers’ compliance with licence obligations.
Under Article 20 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), consumers have the right to obtain and reuse their personal data, including smart metering consumption data that they have provided to the energy supplier. Energy consumers’ rights under the GDPR are not affected by switching energy supplier.
In order to ensure that energy consumers have control over their energy consumption data, the Government established the smart metering Data Access and Privacy Framework, which is implemented through energy licences and codes and complements wider data protection legislation. Energy suppliers are required to make available to domestic consumers with meters in smart mode, upon request, up to 24 months of data relating to consumption in each day, week, month and year. The data must be made available free of charge and in a readily understandable format.
The Information Commissioner's Office is responsible for upholding information rights, while the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets is responsible for regulating energy suppliers’ compliance with licence obligations.
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to the hon. Member for Feltham and Heston by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation) on 17th June 2020 to Question 57218.
Except in respect of a residential development facility, a Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facility must at all times during its life, rank on at least a pari passu basis with the most senior obligations (including secured and/or super-senior obligations, if any) of the Borrower. This includes from all collateral taken by any lender from the borrower unless the borrower is a financing vehicle, whereby this will include any collateral from any member of its Group.
There are certain carveouts from this requirement including:
We would expect a lender to follow its normal credit policy when assessing additional security generally. Personal guarantees of any form cannot be used in respect of any Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilities up to £250,000. For facilities of £250,000 and over, claims on personal guarantees applied to the scheme facility cannot exceed 20% of losses on the scheme facility after all other recoveries have been applied.
Sir Adrian and Professor Reid’s report ‘Changes and Choices’ makes overarching recommendations which highlight the importance of stabilising and building on the UK capability, it presents opportunities for the future funding landscape of UK research and innovation globally, and it also provides options should the UK decide not to associate to Horizon Europe.
The Government is carefully considering the recommendations including how this might inform future policy and plans to publish a response in due course.
As with all policy areas, the UK will control our own data protection laws and regulations in line with our interests, after the end of the transition period.
We want our data protection law to remain fit for purpose, and to support the future objectives of the UK. The UK will continue to operate a high-quality regime that promotes high data protection standards, growth and innovation, and underpins the trustworthy use of data as the UK economy becomes increasingly digital and data-enabled.
The government recognises the importance of studying part-time and the benefits that it can bring to individuals, employers and the wider economy, including the opportunities it can provide to develop new skills, which will be especially important in the recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.
In recent years, we have made a number of changes to support part-time and mature learners. Students who started a part-time degree level course from 1 August 2018 onwards are able to access full-time equivalent maintenance loans. We have removed the “equivalent or lower qualification” restrictions, for all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) part-time degree courses. Students on these courses who already hold a degree can now access support through student loans. We have also made funding available through the teaching grant to providers to recognise the additional costs of part-time study.
Evidence shows that shorter, accelerated degree courses appeal to those who want to retrain and to enter the workplace more quickly than a traditional course would permit. Graduating one year sooner means that accelerated degree students have one less year of tuition fees and save on the living costs of the final year of standard degree study. If a student is required to attend their course for more than 30 weeks and 3 days in an academic year (which is very common for accelerated degree courses), they can apply for a means-tested Long Courses Loan in addition to the standard loan for living costs.
The Independent Panel led by Philip Augar, set up to provide input into the Review of Post 18 Education and Funding, considered different ways to support learners who want to study higher education more flexibly. The government is considering the Independent Panel’s report carefully but has not yet taken decisions with regards to the recommendations put forward. The government will conclude the review alongside the next Spending Review.
The government recognises the importance of studying part-time and the benefits that it can bring to individuals, employers and the wider economy, including the opportunities it can provide to develop new skills, which will be especially important in the recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.
In recent years, we have made a number of changes to support part-time and mature learners. Students who started a part-time degree level course from 1 August 2018 onwards are able to access full-time equivalent maintenance loans. We have removed the “equivalent or lower qualification” restrictions, for all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) part-time degree courses. Students on these courses who already hold a degree can now access support through student loans. We have also made funding available through the teaching grant to providers to recognise the additional costs of part-time study.
Evidence shows that shorter, accelerated degree courses appeal to those who want to retrain and to enter the workplace more quickly than a traditional course would permit. Graduating one year sooner means that accelerated degree students have one less year of tuition fees and save on the living costs of the final year of standard degree study. If a student is required to attend their course for more than 30 weeks and 3 days in an academic year (which is very common for accelerated degree courses), they can apply for a means-tested Long Courses Loan in addition to the standard loan for living costs.
The Independent Panel led by Philip Augar, set up to provide input into the Review of Post 18 Education and Funding, considered different ways to support learners who want to study higher education more flexibly. The government is considering the Independent Panel’s report carefully but has not yet taken decisions with regards to the recommendations put forward. The government will conclude the review alongside the next Spending Review.
The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms to raise apprenticeship quality and supports employers to make long-term, sustainable investments in the skills that they need to grow.
The levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding, which increased to £459 million in 2019-20. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how funds raised from the levy should be used.
The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the Department for Education’s annual apprenticeships budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only, and is set irrespective of actual of levy receipts. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. In the 2019-20 year, over £2.5 billion is available for investment in apprenticeships in England. This is double what was spent in 2010.
The apprenticeship budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and/or providers, including for apprentices who are 16 to 18, 19 to 24 and have previously been in care, or who need additional support to achieve the English and maths requirements.
The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding, which increased to £459 million in 2019-20. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how their allocations should be used.
The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the Department for Education’s annual apprenticeships budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only and is set irrespective of actual levy receipts. This budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and providers.
In 2018-19, we spent £1.7 billion of the £2.3 billion ring-fenced budget. The underspend of £489 million against this budget is set out on page 71 of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s annual report and accounts, published in July 2019 and attached. In 2019-20, our total budget allocation is £2.5 billion. Final end-of-year outturns will be published in the 2019-20 annual report and accounts.
Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand-led and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many apprenticeships they offer and when they offer the apprenticeships. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them but they are able to do so if they wish.
In 2018-19, levy paying employers spent, on average, around 30% of the funds available to them in their apprenticeship service accounts. In the same period, spending on apprenticeship training and assessment in non-levy paying employers was £0.5 billion.
The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding, which increased to £459 million in 2019-20. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how their allocations should be used.
The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the Department for Education’s annual apprenticeships budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only and is set irrespective of actual levy receipts. This budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training. It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and providers.
In 2018-19, we spent £1.7 billion of the £2.3 billion ring-fenced budget. The underspend of £489 million against this budget is set out on page 71 of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s annual report and accounts, published in July 2019 and attached. In 2019-20, our total budget allocation is £2.5 billion. Final end-of-year outturns will be published in the 2019-20 annual report and accounts.
Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand-led and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many apprenticeships they offer and when they offer the apprenticeships. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them but they are able to do so if they wish.
In 2018-19, levy paying employers spent, on average, around 30% of the funds available to them in their apprenticeship service accounts. In the same period, spending on apprenticeship training and assessment in non-levy paying employers was £0.5 billion.
UK regulators are well prepared to take on new responsibilities under UK REACH. We have already provided extra resources to both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) to prepare for UK REACH and we will continue to scale up their resources over the next two years. We have previously estimated the cost of operating UK REACH at £13 million a year at full operation. That figure includes the operation and maintenance of the Comply with UK REACH IT system and staff resourcing in Defra, HSE and the EA. We are keeping this estimate of resource requirements under regular review as planning for the end of the Transition Period continues.
We have put in place measures to enable industry to comply with UK REACH through a phased transitional period. Defra's estimates of the costs to industry broadly align with those identified by industry, and we continue to explore a range of further steps to minimise the burdens on businesses.
As part of that process we have been undertaking a focused evidence-gathering exercise to better understand costs and practical options to reduce burdens on industry. This involves a number of key stakeholders including businesses of different sizes across the supply chain, trade associations and NGOs. We are now considering how to respond to the conclusions of this work.
UK regulators are well prepared to take on new responsibilities under UK REACH. We have already provided extra resources to both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) to prepare for UK REACH and we will continue to scale up their resources over the next two years. We have previously estimated the cost of operating UK REACH at £13 million a year at full operation. That figure includes the operation and maintenance of the Comply with UK REACH IT system and staff resourcing in Defra, HSE and the EA. We are keeping this estimate of resource requirements under regular review as planning for the end of the Transition Period continues.
We have put in place measures to enable industry to comply with UK REACH through a phased transitional period. Defra's estimates of the costs to industry broadly align with those identified by industry, and we continue to explore a range of further steps to minimise the burdens on businesses.
As part of that process we have been undertaking a focused evidence-gathering exercise to better understand costs and practical options to reduce burdens on industry. This involves a number of key stakeholders including businesses of different sizes across the supply chain, trade associations and NGOs. We are now considering how to respond to the conclusions of this work.
UK regulators are well prepared to take on new responsibilities under UK REACH. We have already provided extra resources to both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) to prepare for UK REACH and we will continue to scale up their resources over the next two years. We have previously estimated the cost of operating UK REACH at £13 million a year at full operation. That figure includes the operation and maintenance of the Comply with UK REACH IT system and staff resourcing in Defra, HSE and the EA. We are keeping this estimate of resource requirements under regular review as planning for the end of the Transition Period continues.
We have put in place measures to enable industry to comply with UK REACH through a phased transitional period. Defra's estimates of the costs to industry broadly align with those identified by industry, and we continue to explore a range of further steps to minimise the burdens on businesses.
As part of that process we have been undertaking a focused evidence-gathering exercise to better understand costs and practical options to reduce burdens on industry. This involves a number of key stakeholders including businesses of different sizes across the supply chain, trade associations and NGOs. We are now considering how to respond to the conclusions of this work.
The Government has ongoing engagement with the UK’s L-category industry and rider group representatives, particularly in support of its transition to zero emissions.
The Government welcomed the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and Zemo Partnership’s joint action plan when published in February 2022 and has been supporting its delivery where appropriate.
In support of actions 2 and 3 the Government made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects to develop and grow the zero emission motorcycle component and system supply chain in the UK.
In response to action 6, the Department is engaged with the MCIA’s recent licensing review proposals for all battery electric L-Category vehicles. The Department continues to work with the recently established “Powered Light Vehicle Community” to address action 9.
The Government has ongoing engagement with the UK’s L-category industry and rider group representatives, particularly in support of its transition to zero emissions.
The Government welcomed the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and Zemo Partnership’s joint action plan when published in February 2022 and has been supporting its delivery where appropriate.
In support of actions 2 and 3 the Government made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects to develop and grow the zero emission motorcycle component and system supply chain in the UK.
In response to action 6, the Department is engaged with the MCIA’s recent licensing review proposals for all battery electric L-Category vehicles. The Department continues to work with the recently established “Powered Light Vehicle Community” to address action 9.
The Government has ongoing engagement with the UK’s L-category industry and rider group representatives, particularly in support of its transition to zero emissions.
The Government welcomed the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and Zemo Partnership’s joint action plan when published in February 2022 and has been supporting its delivery where appropriate.
In support of actions 2 and 3 the Government made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects to develop and grow the zero emission motorcycle component and system supply chain in the UK.
In response to action 6, the Department is engaged with the MCIA’s recent licensing review proposals for all battery electric L-Category vehicles. The Department continues to work with the recently established “Powered Light Vehicle Community” to address action 9.
The Government has ongoing engagement with the UK’s L-category industry and rider group representatives, particularly in support of its transition to zero emissions.
The Government welcomed the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and Zemo Partnership’s joint action plan when published in February 2022 and has been supporting its delivery where appropriate.
In support of actions 2 and 3 the Government made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects to develop and grow the zero emission motorcycle component and system supply chain in the UK.
In response to action 6, the Department is engaged with the MCIA’s recent licensing review proposals for all battery electric L-Category vehicles. The Department continues to work with the recently established “Powered Light Vehicle Community” to address action 9.
The Spending Review settlement provides £5 billion over the Spending Review period for health-related research and development (R&D). This includes the largest funding received by health R&D, with an increase of £605 million on 2020-21 funding by 2024-25 which means the investment will rise to £2 billion by the end of the Spending Review period.
The National Institute for Health Research budget will be finalised as part of a detailed financial planning process. The distribution of capital across health R&D areas will be confirmed before funding is made available in April 2022.
The Spending Review settlement provides £5 billion over the Spending Review period for health-related research and development (R&D). This includes the largest funding received by health R&D, with an increase of £605 million on 2020-21 funding by 2024-25 which means the investment will rise to £2 billion by the end of the Spending Review period.
The National Institute for Health Research budget will be finalised as part of a detailed financial planning process. The distribution of capital across health R&D areas will be confirmed before funding is made available in April 2022.
Public Health England (PHE) digital products complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment. This assessment is reviewed by their Data Protection Officers prior to launch to ensure the processing complies with the requirements of data protection law. ?
PHE stores information such as weight, age, sex and ethnic group in the Weight Loss App but PHE does not store any personally identifiable information.
On Monday 27 July, PHE launched an adult health campaign, ‘Better Health’, encouraging adults to kick start their health by losing weight, eating better and getting active.
The campaign directs people to a variety of free tools and apps including the 12-week NHS Weight Loss Plan, Couch to 5k, Active10 and Easy Meals. These tools were reviewed ahead of the campaign launch and approved by PHE Data Protection Officers.
We are working closely with employers, Health Education England and other delivery partners to make sure that the National Health Service is supported to recruit apprentices, thus utilising their levy contributions, in a range of occupations. This is to ensure the NHS has a workforce that is reflective of the population it serves.
The apprenticeship levy is paid by NHS employers with a pay bill over £3 million. It is for each NHS employer to determine how to spend the funds available to them for apprenticeships. The Department for Education hold the official data on employer level spending. Individual NHS employers hold their own data on their levy spend. We do not collect this data centrally.
HMRC will continue to engage with port authorities at key border locations to understand the constraints in different sites, and to discuss how to ensure ports are operationally ready for the end of the transition period.
HMRC will also continue to keep their plans for additional infrastructure under review, depending on what is needed as part of the future trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
As part of the Home Office’s project to measure the impact of forensic science on the CJS, we have worked with academia to develop an approach to assess the impact of forensic science from crime scene to court, but we have not made an assessment of the effect that the level of the spend on forensic services has on the outcome of legal cases.
The measurement of forensic services for operational performance purposes is undertaken by the NPCC rather than the Home Office.
We have not issued instructions to the Police Chief Constables regarding systematic data gathering to measure forensic services. The NPCC is responsible for measurement of forensic services for operational performance purposes.
The Home Office is working with police forces to collect preliminary data on timeliness to return adult rape victim mobile phones by early next year and with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to agree appropriate long-term data collection.
The review is independent of the Government, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council will control publication, but we understand that they aim to complete it by June 2021.