Luke Evans Portrait

Luke Evans

Conservative - Bosworth

First elected: 12th December 2019


Luke Evans is not a member of any APPGs
3 Former APPG memberships
East Midlands, Health, Video Games and Esports
Electricity and Gas Transmission (Compensation) Bill
23rd Jan 2023 - 25th Jan 2023
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill
30th Nov 2022 - 7th Dec 2022
Health and Social Care Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 29th Nov 2022
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform Bill)
2nd Nov 2022 - 29th Nov 2022
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill
1st Nov 2022 - 2nd Nov 2022
Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill
3rd Nov 2021 - 18th Nov 2021


Oral Question
Tuesday 5th December 2023
11:30
Department of Health and Social Care
Topical Question No. 9
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Save to Calendar
Division Votes
Wednesday 29th November 2023
Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
voted No - in line with the party majority
One of 265 Conservative No votes vs 2 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 209 Noes - 275
Speeches
Wednesday 29th November 2023
COP28
Having spent a year in the Energy Department, it has been an absolute pleasure to see how civil servants, businesses, …
Written Answers
Tuesday 24th October 2023
Self-assessment: Standards
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with HMRC on improving customer service in …
Early Day Motions
None available
Bills
Wednesday 12th January 2022
Digitally Altered Body Images Bill 2021-22
A Bill to require advertisers, broadcasters and publishers to display a logo in cases where an image of a human …
MP Financial Interests
Saturday 11th January 2020
8. Miscellaneous
I am a self-employed GP. (Registered 09 January 2020)
Supported Legislation
Wednesday 7th June 2023
Road Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill 2022-23
A Bill to require a person riding a bicycle on the public highway to wear a safety helmet; and for …

Division Voting information

During the current Parliamentary Session, Luke Evans has voted in 847 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Luke Evans voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative No votes vs 224 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 369 Noes - 126
30 Mar 2022 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Luke Evans voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 72 Conservative Aye votes vs 175 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 215 Noes - 188
View All Luke Evans Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(36 debate interactions)
Steve Barclay (Conservative)
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(16 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(15 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(113 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(40 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Luke Evans's debates

Bosworth Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

We want the Government to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and replace it with legislation that focuses on early intervention to prevent dog bites and tackle dog-related issues regardless of breed or type, based solely on their behaviour.


I believe that the XL bully is a kind, beautiful natured breed that loves children and people in general, and are very loyal and loving pets.

Many missing microchipped pets are never reunited as it’s optional to scan & check microchip registration. It’s time veterinary professionals, authorities and rescues checked pet & keeper match on the original database at a pets 1st consultation or yearly checkup. It’s their only chance to get home

A healthy young dog with RBU was euthanised. The person who requested euthanasia was not the registered keeper.

12 kids in the UK are diagnosed with cancer daily. 1 in 5 will die within 5 years, often of the deadliest types like DIPG (brainstem cancer) - fatal on diagnosis & other cancers on relapse. Yet there has been little, or no, funding for research into these cancers and little, or no, progress.


Latest EDMs signed by Luke Evans

Luke Evans has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Luke Evans, 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.


Luke Evans has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Luke Evans has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

2 Bills introduced by Luke Evans


A Bill to require advertisers, broadcasters and publishers to display a logo in cases where an image of a human body or body part has been digitally altered in its proportions; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 12th January 2022
(Read Debate)

A Bill to require advertisers, broadcasters and publishers to display a logo in cases where an image of a human body or body part has been digitally altered in its proportions; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 15th September 2020
(Read Debate)

462 Written Questions in the current parliament

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she had made of the implications for her Department's policies on football governance of Manchester City FC being charged by the Premier League of being in breach of multiple financial rules.

The Government notes the Premier League’s recent action against Manchester City, but it does not affect the reforms that are needed in football.

We made clear in our response to the Fan Led Review that we are committed to introducing an independent regulator that will improve corporate governance, and provide greater financial oversight across the leagues. The football governance white paper will be published shortly.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Oct 2020
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps he is taking to support churches across Leicestershire to conduct Christmas services in 2020.

The Church of England’s seasonal campaign ‘Comfort and Joy’ will provide online, booklet and social media resources for all parishes and worshippers to use and enjoy this Advent and Christmas. More information is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/preparing-advent-christmas-2020-comfort-and-joy

Following the Government announcement of a second lockdown, churches have been required to close again for public worship, though I am hopeful this will lift at the end of lockdown on 2nd December and that public worship can resume, with the necessary social distancing rules in place, during Advent and Christmas. The Church of England remains in dialogue with the Government about this as part of the Government’s Places of Worship Task Force. I commend the work of clergy and volunteers across the country during this very challenging time.

Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
12th May 2022
To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to help support police officers in (a) Leicestershire and (b) nationally with the delivery of the additional obligations for disclosure at the pre-charge stage under the 6th edition of the Director’s Guidance on Charging.

The current version of the Director’s Guidance on Charging (DG6) is the sixth version and reflects significant changes in the way that cases are investigated, charged, and prosecuted since the last edition was published in 2013. Those changes include those revisions made by Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure 2020, and the revised Codes of Practice 2020 issued under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996​ (CPIA).

The first annual review of the operation of the disclosure guidelines has just been completed and will be published imminently. That review involved close collaboration with policing, the CPS and others in the criminal justice system and has led to some important amendments to the guidelines which should aid front line policing, particularly in relation to the development of an annex on redaction. The new approach of the Guidelines gives clear guidance on only providing relevant information to the CPS, for example by cutting footage from BWV or only including relevant message chains not an entire phone image. In this way there is less to redact, thereby helping the burden felt by front line policing. Further, the new, dedicated, annex on redaction sets out in detail and with examples how to apply the relevance, necessity and proportionality requirements. It also gives investigators direction on how to consider where redaction would be disproportionate due to time, resourcing and by taking counter measures such as enhanced security on document they provide to the CPS.

The section on accessing Third Party Material (TPM) has also been amended to include requirements that clear, pre-existing and recorded reasons must be present for any TPM request. Not only must requests be necessary and proportionate, but the Guidelines breakdown the relevant considerations for weighing necessity and proportionality to direct investigators and prosecutors to consider each issue in detail. For example: officers are directed to ringfence information to preserve it but not access it until necessary, and to examine alternative methods for accessing the same information without intruding into complainant or witness privacy wherever possible. There is also now a clear requirement to give ongoing, comprehensible and detailed information to those people whose information is accessed during investigations, which will help alleviate victims’ concerns about disproportionate and excessive requests.

The requirements in DG6 will be updated to reflect the upcoming changes made to the Attorney General’s guidelines and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the College of Policing and the CPS are working together through a National Disclosure Improvement Plan (NDIP) Working Group to implement the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure. That group includes a representative from Leicestershire police. The NDIP group is accountable to the Joint Operational Improvement Board (JOIB), a national Board chaired by senior leaders from the CPS, National Police Chiefs' Council and College of Policing, created to drive up standards in the criminal justice system and improve joint working in areas including disclosure. The Board’s work is mirrored locally by Joint Operational Improvement Meetings at police force and local CPS Area level.

Alex Chalk
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the CPS has adequate enforcement powers to tackle fraudulent activity linked to the covid-19 outbreak.

CPS prosecutors are continuing to ensure that justice is delivered during the Covid-19 outbreak. The CPS and National Police Chief Counsel have pushing joint charging protocol for responding to the current situation, under this protocol all Covid related offence, including Covid related fraud will be prioritised for an immediate charging decision. This decision will be made by the CPS applying Code for Crown Prosecutors to determine whether there is enough evidence to charge and if it is in the public interest to bring a case to court.

The CPS have already authorised charges following reports that a man had been selling fake treatment kits. The CPS continues to work alongside government and law enforcement to provide a multi-agency response to combat this criminal activity and protect the public.

13th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with Cabinet colleagues on (i) accessible and (ii) affordable offline access to nationally-provided public services.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline. Government departments are required by the Government's Service Standard to provide support via alternative channels for all their online services. Every service on GOV.UK must fulfil a requirement that is confirmed through service assessments.

The Service Standard requires government teams to make sure that services are accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills and/or confidence to use the internet.

Point 3 of the Service Standard requires Departments to provide a joined-up service that meets users’ needs across all channels, including online, phone, paper and face to face. Point 5 of the Service Standard requires Departments to make sure everyone can use the service.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a comparative assessment of the criteria for a National Defence Medal used by [a] Australia, [b] New Zealand and [c] Canada; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing such a medal for those who serve in the UK armed forces.

Medals in the UK honours system are not given for Service alone. There are, therefore, no current plans to introduce a National Defence Medal.

This should not be seen as a reflection of the value placed on the service given.



Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
11th Mar 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to engage with (a) children and (b) young people to help inform departmental policy making.

The Cabinet Office is committed to engaging all relevant stakeholders when developing policy, including children and young people. The department’s policy profession disseminates guidance and training to departmental policy makers.

One such example would be guidance issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on ensuring that the impact of policy on families is taken into account.

Another example would be when the Cabinet Office established a dedicated youth engagement team to amplify the voices and experiences of young climate leaders to generate the sense of urgency needed for the world to act for COP26. The team worked closely with youth NGOs and individuals both in the UK and across the world to deliver an inclusive conference in Glasgow last November.

24th Jan 2022
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the views of veterans in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth are taken into account in the (a) execution of the Veterans Action Plan and (b) work of the Veterans Commissioner for England.

Understanding our veteran community is one of the three key areas of action set out in the 2022-2024 Veterans Strategy Action Plan.

The plan contains a range of commitments aiming to improve our insights on veterans’ needs and experiences to inform how we deliver the Strategy for our Veterans. As well as commitments including continued engagement with Local Authorities and analysis of data collected during the 2021 Census in England and Wales, I will introduce a Veterans Survey. The Survey will provide an opportunity for veterans, including those in Leicestershire and Bosworth, to give us their views and inform policy delivery and development. The Independent Veterans Advisor will continue to draw on his extensive network, across the entirety of the UK, to shape delivery of the Strategy.

Leo Docherty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
3rd Nov 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing national preparedness for potential stresses on just-in-time supply chains.

There are arrangements in place across Government to understand the risks to supply chains and to ensure proportionate contingency plans are in place to mitigate those risks. There are currently many complex global issues affecting many countries - not just the UK. However, the Government does recognise the impact of supply chain issues on UK businesses and households.

On 8 October 2021, the Prime Minister appointed Sir Dave Lewis as the UK Government's supply chain adviser to provide advice on both immediate improvements and any necessary long term changes.

2nd Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to reduce covid-19 misinformation and suspected scam-related phone calls to the general public.

Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. The Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March 2020 to look for trends on social media platforms so that we can work with them and other partners to respond to misleading content rapidly.

The Rapid Response Unit in the Cabinet Office has also tackled a range of harmful narratives online. Up to 70 incidents a week have been identified and resolved - from false public health advice to criminal fraudsters running phishing scams. When alerted to Covid-19 vaccination fraud or scams in particular, the unit works alongside partners across the government and beyond, including NHS England to address and resolve the issues quickly.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage the use of British companies as part of public sector procurement for construction projects.

The £292bn of annual public sector procurement spend has a key role to play in the economic recovery of the UK.

The UK’s exit from the EU offers a huge opportunity to reform public procurement so that it better meets this country’s needs. Simpler, less bureaucratic processes for businesses and better commercial outcomes for our public bodies. We will publish our reform proposals in due course.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
1st Jun 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in negotiations with the EU on the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements after the transition period.

The UK and EU have agreed to consider addressing future arrangements on social security coordination and healthcare, in the light of future movement of persons. These arrangements will be without prejudice to the rights protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. The Government will continue to update Parliament on the progress of our negotiations with the EU.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
19th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2023 to Question 165420 on Broadband: Leicestershire, what recent progress her Department has made on delivering fast and reliable broadband in (a) Bosworth constituency and (b) Leicestershire.

We continue to make good progress in delivering fast, reliable broadband across the UK. Over 69% of premises in Bosworth can now access a gigabit-capable broadband connection. This is up from 67% in March 2023. Gigabit-capable coverage across Leicestershire has risen from 70% to over 72% in the same period.

On 23 March 2023 Building Digital UK (BDUK) launched a procurement, as part of Project Gigabit, inviting broadband suppliers to bid for a contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to premises in Leicestershire, including in Bosworth, that are currently not in broadband suppliers' commercial plans.

Leicestershire County Council is also continuing to deliver a GigaHubs project, funded by BDUK, which is due to be completed in March 2024. This project includes the delivery of gigabit-capable broadband to 12 public sector sites in Bosworth that are not due to be covered commercially. To date, a connection has already been delivered to two of these sites; Barlestone CE Primary and Desford Library.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
2nd May 2023
To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to ensure wider public awareness of broadband social tariffs.

Ofcom’s latest Affordability Report (April 2023) showed 47% of eligible households were aware of social tariffs, up from 16% in January 2022. While we recognise the progress, more is needed to ensure households know about the support available.

In November, the Government - as part of Help for Households - launched a UK-wide multichannel campaign to publicise social tariffs among eligible households. The campaign partnered with a range of stakeholders - including other government departments, job centres, libraries, local authorities, consumer groups and internet service providers - to maximise the reach of our messaging.

The Government has also provided information directly to libraries, the regional school networks across the UK and via jobcentre work coaches to enable them to provide information directly to those on Universal Credit. In March, the Minister for Digital Infrastructure wrote to all members of the House of Commons to ask them to raise awareness in their constituencies.

We continue to work closely with providers and have called on the industry to do more to promote social tariffs to their eligible customers.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
14th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on delivering fast and reliable broadband in (a) Bosworth constituency and (b) Leicestershire.

In January 2019, only 0.2% of premises in the Bosworth constituency had access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband (speeds over over 1,000Mbps). That figure has leapt to over 67% today. During the same period, gigabit-capable coverage across Leicestershire has risen from 1.7% to over 70% today.

We are committed to increasing this coverage further through Project Gigabit, the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. As part of this, we have begun launching procurements that give subsidies to broadband suppliers to build gigabit-capable infrastructure to premises that will not be reached by suppliers’ commercial plans alone.

Up to 2,900 premises in the Bosworth constituency are likely to be included in our Leicestershire and Warwickshire procurement, which is expected to launch in the coming weeks.

The Bosworth constituency has also made good use of our Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband. More than 50 premises in the constituency have claimed and received payment for a voucher through the scheme, with a value of almost £85,000.

Alongside this, Leicestershire County Council is delivering a GigaHubs project, funded by Building Digital UK, which includes 12 sites in the Bosworth constituency. The sites will act as hubs bringing gigabit-capable broadband into the heart of hard-to-reach communities for the first time, making it more commercially attractive for suppliers to deliver gigabit connectivity to the surrounding communities.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
6th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on delivering fast and reliable broadband throughout the UK.

Over 74% of premises across the UK can now access gigabit-capable broadband, up from just 6% in 2019.

Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver fast, reliable broadband across the UK. More than £1 billion of public subsidy has been made available to broadband suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to rural and hard to reach parts of the country. To date, we have awarded six contracts in locations from Cornwall to Cumbria, and we have launched a further 15 procurements, which combined will deliver fast, reliable broadband to up to 748,000 premises that would have otherwise missed out.

Support is also available for homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. The voucher scheme provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses in rural areas towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband via local community broadband projects. To date, almost 84,000 vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the audit reform bill will help support small businesses resolve late payment issues.

The Government already has a range of measures in place to help small businesses resolve late payment issues. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 gives businesses a right to statutory interest and debt recovery costs if not paid on time. The office of the Small Business Commissioner addresses complaints by small business suppliers about payment related issues with larger businesses. The Commissioner also provides general advice and information to assist small business in their supply relationships with larger business, including advice or information that will help them to resolve and avoid disputes.

20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to help ensure that the Post Office Community Network is able to handle increased demands for over the counter banking services.

Over the past ten years, the Government has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network. Government is providing a further £335 million for the Post Office over the next three years. We are confident that with this funding, Post Office can continue to meet the core requirements for the network and ensure post office services will remain available to communities across the country.

Post Office is a commercial business that operates independently of Government. How post offices are responding to increased demand for banking services is a matter for Post Office Ltd.

6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) potential impact of the standing charges on consumers and (b) the adequacy of efforts by energy companies to ensure standing charges are kept to a minimum cost.

Standing charges are capped under the price cap and ensure millions of households pay a fair price for their energy.

The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply. If the standing charge was removed, these costs would be added to the unit price of energy. Otherwise, suppliers would not be able to recover the legitimate costs of serving customers. The setting of the standing charge is a commercial matter for individual suppliers.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he is has made in discussions with representatives of online platforms on counterfeit goods on those platforms.

The Government takes the issue of IP infringement seriously, including the sale of counterfeit goods, and is working with industry and law enforcement agencies on several initiatives to tackle this issue.

Officials at the Intellectual Property Office meet regularly with representatives from online platforms to discuss the availability of counterfeits on their services and to help co-ordinate law enforcement action against sellers. The filtering and takedown processes provided by online platforms are continually evolving, and discussions with government play a part in that development.

The recently published IP Counter Infringement Strategy sets out the Government’s approach to this issue.

23rd Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of (a) the Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Ofcom in improving customer service standards in their respective industrial sectors.

Neither of the two regulators referred to are the responsibility of my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

21st Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy price competitiveness in the domestic heating oil market.

The Government believes it is essential that consumers of domestic fuels get a fair deal. There is an open market for the supply of heating oil in the UK as we believe this provides the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices. Changes in the price of heating oil are mainly driven by those in the underlying price of crude oil. The Department publishes regular price data at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/oil-and-petroleum-products-monthly-statistics.

The supply of domestic bulk domestic heating oil is also subject to UK competition law and consumer protection through a regulatory scheme under the Competition and Markets Authority.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
31st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department is providing to private rented tenants wishing to encourage their landlords to apply for Government home energy efficiency schemes to improve the energy efficiency of rented properties.

The Government committed in the Clean Growth Strategy to look at a trajectory to improve as many privately rented homes as possible to Energy Performance Band C by 2030, where practical, cost-effective, and affordable.

The £500m Sustainable Warmth Competition, which brings together two fuel poverty schemes; Local Authority Delivery and the Home Upgrade Grant, will deliver energy efficiency upgrades by March 2023 to eligible households living on and off the gas grid. BEIS is working with local authorities across England to promote energy efficient measures to all residents. BEIS encourages interested private tenants to discuss the benefits of the schemes and their eligibility with their landlord before contacting their local authority.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
29th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the competitiveness of the fuel industry in (a) urban and (b) rural areas to ensure consumers benefit from lower prices.

The retail fuels market is subject to UK competition law under the Competition and Markets Authority. A competitive market ensures that road fuel prices stay as low as possible. The Government and its regulatory bodies periodically conduct in-depth reviews to explore issues such as differences in local and regional price. This framework delivers below the European average for pre-tax prices for both petrol and diesel in the UK.

The Government is therefore confident that, for the UK road fuels sector, competitive markets ensure that consumers get a fair deal and that road fuel prices stay as low as possible.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
23rd Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that recent decreases in the cost of oil are reflected in prices offered to consumers.

Petrol and diesel prices are mainly driven by the price of crude oil (priced in US$) and exchange rates.  But are also influenced by a range of factors, which can create small price differences in the short term. This includes balance of demand and refinery capacity, levels of oil stocks, changes to the costs of biofuels and distribution, and retail margins.

BEIS publishes weekly national average pump prices: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/oil-and-petroleum-products-weekly-statistics. BEIS analysis shows that both rises and falls in crude oil prices are passed through to consumers over the course of 6-7 weeks and found no evidence to suggest that, for given changes in crude oil prices, retail prices rise faster than they fall; and fuel prices will be driven by crude prices over the previous few weeks.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
7th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) careers in hospitality and (b) career development pathways in the hospitality sector.

In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. The Government has committed to explore options for vocational training offers that support career paths in the sector, and to work with the sector to raise the profile of skills and careers in hospitality.

The Department for Education has also added hospitality and catering qualifications to the Free Courses for Jobs, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Additionally, we increased employer-led apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, extending the £3,000 incentive payment for every apprentice a business hired up until 31 January 2022, and improving the apprenticeship system for employers. 7 February marks the start of the National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2022, celebrating the positive impact apprenticeships bring to employers, individuals, and the economy.

7th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to work with industry representatives to tackle labour shortages in the hospitality sector.

In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy, including working with the sector to address labour and skills shortages.

To help address the immediate challenges of labour shortages in the hospitality sector, the Department for Work and Pensions has been working hard to fill ongoing vacancies by using work coaches to help find local talent and Plans for Jobs programmes, such as Kickstart and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes.

27th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the he has made of the adequacy of steps taken by energy providers to promote and ensure take up of support schemes for vulnerable individuals struggling with rising energy costs.

The Government meets regularly with Ofgem, energy suppliers and consumer groups to help support vulnerable consumers save energy and reduce their bills.

The Warm Home Discount scheme currently provides over 2 million low-income and vulnerable households with a £140 rebate off their winter energy bill. The scheme will be extended to 2026, and from 2022 it will be worth £475 million a year (in 2020 prices) and reach nearly 3 million households. The Energy Company Obligation Scheme has delivered around 3.3 million measures in around 2.3 million homes since 2013. As per the Sustainable Warmth Strategy, the Government has committed to a four-year, £4 billion successor scheme to accelerate efforts in helping homes meet fuel poverty targets.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with Ofgem to review the energy price cap and its components to reflect increases in domestic energy prices.

Decisions on the level of the price cap are for Ofgem. Ofgem’s consultation on proposed changes to the price cap closed on 17 December 2021. Ofgem intends to have a decision published by the beginning of February 2022.

The Government is in regular contact with Ofgem and industry to discuss the impact of unprecedented global gas prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure consumers are protected.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the criteria which determine the level of the energy price cap set by Ofgem.

Decisions on the level of the price cap are for Ofgem. Ofgem’s consultation on proposed changes to the price cap closed on 17 December 2021. Ofgem intends to have a decision published by the beginning of February 2022.

The Government is in regular contact with Ofgem and industry to discuss the impact of unprecedented global gas prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure consumers are protected.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in completing the review of Local Economic Partnerships.

Following the announcement of the review of Local Enterprise Partnerships at Spring Budget, we have engaged with local partners, business organisations, higher and further education representatives, senior officials from local authorities across England and chief executives from Mayoral Combined Authorities. I am grateful to them for their time and constructive engagement over the course of the review.

Since initiating the review, we have also committed to publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper, which will set out Government’s vision for empowering local leaders and institutions, including LEPs, and will be published in 2022.

26th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of proposals for the supply of energy from renewable or low carbon energy supply systems in new developments in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire.

In the future, the Government expects to see a mix of low carbon technologies used for heating and it is unlikely that there will be a one-size-fits all solution. Low carbon heat networks, equipped with large heat pumps or recovering surplus heat from natural or industrial sources, can provide heating and hot water for new buildings at very low carbon emissions. There will also be a role, where appropriate, for other low-carbon technologies and renewable electricity generation such as solar photovoltaics. The Building Regulations will continue to set a performance-based standard rather than mandating or banning the use of any technologies.

From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% fewer CO2 emissions than those built to current standards. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
18th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress the Government has made on considering responses to the Government's consultation on the potential of marine energy projects, which concluded on 30 September 2020.

The Government is analysing the evidence received and will respond in due course.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the skills training and reskilling of workers to play an active role in the UK's green economy.

BEIS and DfE jointly convened the independent Green Jobs Taskforce formed of business, unions and skills providers, to advise on how we can develop plans for new, long-term, good quality green jobs, and support industries and their employees as they transition to net zero. The Taskforce has assessed how the UK jobs market and the skills sector will need to adapt to support net zero, developing ideas and solutions for how the UK can deliver the green jobs of the future.

In addition to the anticipated report from the Taskforce (published today), we have the programmes in place now – including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, Traineeships, T Levels, and the forthcoming National Skills Fund - to help us grow future talent pipelines and deliver the skilled individuals we will need. The Lifetime Skills Guarantee announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister will help people train and retrain at any stage of their lives and so develop the skills most valued by employers.

The Government will consider the Taskforce’s rich evidence base and comprehensive recommendations ahead of setting out, later in the year, our Net Zero Strategy and future skills policy.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
24th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) is planning to have with Ministerial colleagues in the (i) Department for Education and (ii) Department for Work and Pensions to support people with skills and training for employment in the green economy in (A) Leicestershire and (B) the UK.

The Climate Action Strategy Committee, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Climate Action Implementation Committee provide two important ministerial forums for discussion on climate, including skills and training for the green economy.

We are determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition by creating new business opportunities and, by one estimate, supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. For example, the policies set out in the Ten Point Plan, support 90,000 green collar jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030.

In order to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan, my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills and I convened the Green Jobs Taskforce, to help us develop plans for new long-term good quality, green jobs by 2030 and advise what support is needed for people in transitioning industries. The Taskforce is currently preparing its report and independent recommendations for the Government, industry and the skills sector, which will feed into the development of our Net Zero Strategy to be published later in the year.

In Leicester and the surrounding area, Leicester and Leicestershire’s Growth Hub (Biz Gateway) is working to support businesses to become greener through workshops, including sustainable packaging, renewable energy and behavioural change. For instance, green recovery is one of four key priorities running through the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Skills Report.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on tackling the availability of counterfeit electrical goods on online platforms.

The Government takes the issue of IP infringement seriously, including counterfeit electrical goods. The Intellectual Property Office works closely with law enforcement and government partners such as Trading Standards and Border Force to prevent counterfeit electrical goods from being sold in the UK. Industry initiatives such as the Real Deal have also reduced the availability of counterfeit electrical goods at local markets and online marketplaces.

The Police IP Crime Unit, launched in September 2013, has had a significant impact having investigated intellectual property crime worth more than £100 million and suspended over 30,000 internet domains. Ongoing enforcement initiatives include Operation Beorma tacking counterfeits and organised crime groups, and work by National Trading Standards and the Intellectual Property Office to deal with the risks posed by sellers who use self-storage units to distribute counterfeit items.

BEIS officials have also met online retailers to discuss the availability of counterfeits on their platforms and to help co-ordinate law enforcement action against sellers.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
23rd Mar 2021
What steps his Department is taking to help facilitate the smooth opening of high street businesses under Step Two of the Government's roadmap for the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

We have established a weekly ‘Reopening Retail Working Group’ to bring together businesses, Local Authorities, PHE, the police and relevant Departments to discuss the operational challenges of reopening and to agree practical steps that can be taken to support this.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to develop a road map to support the wedding sector to open up in a safe and controlled manner following the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

On 22 February, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister published the Government’s COVID-19 Response-Spring 2021. The roadmap is a step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England gradually, starting with education. Across the four steps, the roadmap sets out the sequencing and indicative timing for easing restrictions, including those on the wedding sector.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in holding discussions with the wedding sector to respond to its needs during the covid-19 lockdown.

I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs in the sector.

14th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring British manufacturers to clearly market the origin of their product on their items to assist buyers to consider buying British brands.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products. Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.

12th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps with his Cabinet colleagues to develop a road map to support the trading of the hospitality and tourism sectors in 2021.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has worked closely with the hospitality and tourism sectors to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses. In 2021 we will continue to provide a package of support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund. We keep all support under review.

In the Global Travel Taskforce Review, the Government committed to producing a Tourism Recovery Plan. This is being led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

12th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a Hospitality and Tourism Recovery Fund to help support the recovery of those sectors after the covid-19 outbreak.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has worked closely with the hospitality and tourism sector to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.

Hospitality and tourism businesses have been able to benefit from Government support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund.

On 5 January, when the new National Lockdown began, the Chancellor announced a one-off top up grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring.  A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses.

The Government has announced that it intends to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan, and we will bring forward further details in due course.

12th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 outbreak and national lockdowns on the length of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending that scheme until December 2022.

Green Homes Grant installers may continue to carry out installations in people’s homes during the national lockdown provided they follow the government guidance for working safely in other people’s homes.[1]

We understand that some customers may not feel comfortable having an installer visit their home during a period of national lockdown. To reduce risk, installers can provide a quote remotely using a video call or detailed photographs, rather than physically attending a customer’s home.

In November, the scheme was extended from March 2021 to March 2022 to give customers longer to complete home improvements under the grant. We do not currently have plans to extend the scheme beyond this date but keep the scheme under continual review.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes#national-lockdown

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
12th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the level of take up of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth.

The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme launched for applications on 30 September and as announced on 18 November, will run until 31 March 2022. As of 13 January, the number of grant applications within (a) and (b) are as follows:

(a) Leicestershire County - 1,641

(b) Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council - 94

The value presented in (a) Leicestershire County is inclusive of (b) Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
8th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support retail workers encourage public compliance of covid-19 restrictions in retail premises.

The Safer Workplaces guidance includes robust health and safety measures to ensure businesses are supported or, where required, challenged. Alongside legal requirements covered in the guides, they outline the enforcement powers held by the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking with Ofgem to help consumers save money on their energy bills.

In October we extended the Energy Price Cap until at least the end of 2021, which means that 15 million households across the UK will continue to be protected from overcharging on their energy bills. Since its introduction in January 2019, the Cap has saved customers around £1 billion a year.

We have also introduced energy efficiency measures to further reduce bills and tackle fuel poverty. The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme, which opened in September 2020, provides low income homeowners in England up to £10,000 each to install energy efficiency and low-carbon heating measures in their homes. An additional £640m per year is available through the Energy Company Obligation scheme to help fuel poor and low-income households stay warm while reducing their energy bills.

In addition, the Warm Home Discount provides over 2 million low-income and vulnerable households with a £140 rebate off their winter energy bill.

30th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage consumers to support local businesses during the Christmas 2020 trading period.

The Government is committed to supporting local businesses during this crucial trading period. BEIS and MHCLG have been working closely with retailers and Local Authorities for a safe and successful reopening of non-essential retail on 2 December.

In order to further support retailers, planning rules limiting opening hours will be eased to allow shops to be open for longer Monday to Saturday from 2 December, giving consumers greater flexibility to choose when they shop. These measures will run through the January sales.

We have modified the closing time for hospitality to last orders at 10pm and closing time at 11pm. This allows customers to depart gradually and provides greater flexibility.

The excellent Small Business Saturday UK event took place on the 5 December and was a great way to celebrate small and micro businesses across the UK, raise awareness of the importance of SME’s to our local communities and help them get back on their feet.

My ministerial colleagues across Government and I were delighted to be able to take part on the day itself to champion our small businesses and draw attention to the brilliant campaign.

25th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the ability of the electricity network to support the mass charging of electric vehicles.

The Government is investing more than £1.3bn to support new EV charging infrastructure, including £950m on future proofing electricity network capacity along the Strategic Road Network.

Electricity network operators at both the distribution and transmission levels are responsible for assessing the need for new investment to support electric vehicle charging as part of their business plans, which are then approved by Ofgem, the independent regulator. My officials regularly meet with network operators across Great Britain to discuss the impacts of the electric vehicle transition, including how the increasing demand will be managed.

Electric vehicles also present an opportunity for consumers to contribute to the efficient management of electricity supply and demand and share the benefits of doing so through smart technologies.

The necessary investment in infrastructure and the adoption of smart charging will ensure that the electricity network is able to support the mass charging of electric vehicles.

5th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential role of hydrogen hybrid boilers in replacing natural gas boilers from 2025.

The Department has been considering the potential contributions of different technologies to decarbonise heat, including the deployment of heat pumps and the potential use of hydrogen on the grid.

In order to support this, prototype ‘hydrogen-ready boilers’ are being developed under the £25m BEIS Hy4Heat programme. This programme is seeking to investigate if it is technically possible and safe to replace methane with hydrogen in appliances for residential and commercial buildings and evaluate the likely costs and performance.

The Government is also supporting the uptake of heat pumps and hybrid heat pumps through the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme. We are continuing to develop our position on the potential role of hybrid heating systems in meeting net zero by 2050 and they have been included in our large scale ‘Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project’. The project aims to gather further evidence on how these systems operate in practice, which will provide more in-depth understanding of hybrids’ role in decarbonising heating going forwards.

We will be setting out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings in our Heat and Buildings Strategy which we plan to publish in due course.

14th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the increase in the level of covid-19 cases, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) supermarkets and (b) other retail stores to consider re-introducing measures to support vulnerable shoppers such as dedicated shopping hours.

The Government remains engaged with key stakeholders in public health, the retail industry, and trade unions to ensure the sector can continue to operate safely. Guidance issued to employers and employees is helping them take all the necessary precautions to limit the spread of the virus in working environments including shops.

The Government welcomes efforts by supermarkets and other retail stores to ensure vulnerable groups and older people can shop safely but this is a decision for each business.

28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what work has been undertaken by the Jet Zero Council on producing the first zero carbon transatlantic passenger jet.

The Jet Zero Council met on 28 July, creating a partnership between industry and the Government to drive high ambition in the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.

The Council has been set up to develop bold, new thinking on ways to develop UK capability to tackle zero emission commercial flight.

This includes considering how to develop and industrialise clean aviation and aerospace technologies, establish UK production facilities for sustainable aviation fuels, and develop a coordinated approach to the policy and regulatory framework needed to deliver net zero aviation.

The Department, alongside the Department for Transport, will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders on delivering our Jet Zero ambitions.

28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to involve precision engineering companies in (a) Bosworth and (b) the UK in the post-covid-19 recovery of the UK’s aeronautical industry.

We regularly discuss post-Covid-19 recovery with aerospace companies across the UK, including through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.

The UK’s aerospace and aviation sectors are benefiting from over £8.5 billion from the Government’s Covid-19 business support measures, including the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility, support for research and development, supply chain performance improvement programmes, and export finance.

14th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of UK businesses to increase their production of hydrogen supply.

Ministers and officials are engaging extensively with UK hydrogen stakeholders to inform development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK, including business models to support investment in low carbon hydrogen production.

Engagement has covered interests from production to end use, including the UK’s industrial clusters with representatives from carbon capture and storage enabled hydrogen projects and potential users of hydrogen; and electrolytic hydrogen producers such as Ryse and ITM Power.

We are formalising our engagement with such stakeholders through the establishment of a Hydrogen Advisory Council, which met for the first time this week. This will enable Government to work in partnership with Industry to drive commercial demonstration and deployment of low carbon hydrogen in the 2020s.

The UK is well placed to be a world leader in both the leading low carbon hydrogen production routes - electrolysis and carbon capture and storage enabled methane reformation. We are home to the world’s largest offshore wind market, have depleted oil and gas reservoirs off our coastline that could potentially store more than 78 billion tonnes of CO2 and significant underground salt beds which could provide tens of gigawatts of cost effective hydrogen storage.

The UK has world leading companies in both these production routes who are already developing major scale production projects, and a world leading innovation base that will contribute to development of the next generation of hydrogen production technologies.

18th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential for Enterprise Zones as part of his plans for covid-19 recovery planning.

Enterprise Zones (EZs) are designated areas that create local economic growth by supporting businesses to grow.

Currently, the Government has no plans to extend or create new EZs. However, the Government remains committed to creating up to ten new innovative Freeports across the UK, to level up the country and make sure businesses and communities benefit from the opportunities of leaving the EU. The consultation concludes on the 13th July, after which the Government will make further announcements.

8th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that local enterprise partnerships play a key role in regional economic recovery after the covid-19 outbreak.

The Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government chairs an Economic Recovery Working Group, bringing together representatives of local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, and Combined Authorities. This Group works with local regions to understand the full scale of the challenges they face in the short to medium-term.

We are not starting recovery planning from a blank page. Through the Local Industrial Strategies programme, Local Enterprise Partnerships have done excellent work to develop an evidence base and to scope long-term priorities for their areas. In the short-term, we encourage partners to prioritise those issues their existing strategies –have not considered. This will include how to restart the economy whilst maintaining social distancing in line with Government guidance.

8th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking with businesses to ensure the safety of people with (a) diabetes and (b) other underlying medical conditions who are returning to work as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

It is critical that employers offer safe workplaces. The Government has published guidance to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These guides cover a range of working environments and are available at www.gov.uk/workingsafely.

Nothing in this guidance affects employers’ existing responsibilities under employment and equalities legislation. Employers therefore need to bear in mind the particular needs of different groups or individuals, and make sure that the steps they take to address the risk of COVID-19 do not unjustifiably impact on some groups compared with others.

The safer workplaces guidance provides information to employers on how best to meet these responsibilities in the context of COVID-19.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that shops are supported to implement social distancing measures in advance of opening as covid-19 lockdown measures are eased.

As you are aware, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed on 25 May that retail shops (including shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, books and electronics) will begin to reopen more widely from 15 June, subject to progress against the five tests and only where the business is able to follow the safer working guidance.

The Government has updated the guidance on working safely in shops and branches to allow venues to prepare. The updated guidance takes into account the best practice demonstrated by the many retailers which have been allowed to remain open and have applied social distancing measures in store.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy chaired a taskforce meeting involving businesses, business representative organisations and unions. In addition, a questionnaire was issued to approximately 60 businesses covering the retail outlets captured by the updated guidance.

The guidance on safer working has been welcomed and many sectors appreciate the joint work between government, business and trade unions.

21st May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the hospitality industry to ensure the safe resumption of their trade in line with relevant social distancing measures.

As per the announcement and publication of the Government’s roadmap, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy leads on the Pubs and Restaurants Taskforce. Its engagement group was convened on May 22nd.

Venues like restaurants and pubs are naturally crowded by design and require more contact between people, which means it is more difficult to socially distance. It is the government’s ambition to reopen these types of businesses as part of Step 3 of the roadmap, subject to further scientific advice and the risk assessment at the time.

The BEIS taskforce is considering how these businesses can reopen safely in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions. We are working with the sector to develop guidance on safer ways for them to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so.

23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking ensure that redundancy procedures undertaken as a result of the covid-19 outbreak follow statutory guidance.

The Government is supporting businesses and their employees through a package of measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, during this period of unprecedented disruption to help firms keep people in employment, and reduce the need for redundancies. The Government is continually reviewing what further support can be offered to business and whether amended guidance is appropriate

The legislation relating to collective redundancies remains in force and employers are expected to comply with these requirements. If there are special circumstances which mean that it is not reasonably practicable for an employer to comply in full with some of the requirements, the employer should still take all such steps towards compliance with that requirement which it reasonably can. This is a matter for employers to consider based on their own situation.

Employees who feel their rights have been denied may complain to an employment tribunal, which may make a protective award of up to 90 days’ pay to each affected employee.

Businesses and employees can get advice on individual employment issues by visiting the Acas website. Acas has detailed best practice guidance online for employers on handling large-scale redundancies. Businesses can also ring the BEIS Business Support Line for further advice on support for business.

20th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that small travel companies can afford to process refund requests from customers that booked holidays under the Package Holiday Charter.

The Government recognises the extremely difficult circumstances small travel companies are currently facing, which is why on 17 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a wide range of support for businesses, in addition to the £30bn support announced in the budget. The Government is keeping package travel regulations under review and are collecting intelligence on how businesses are adapting to these challenges.

20th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking with supermarkets to ensure that supermarket workers that engage with shoppers are provided with (a) protective equipment and (b) other forms of support they may need to carry out their work during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government is clear that we will support people in work during the Covid-19 outbreak. We are regular engaging with industry stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium and supermarket CEOs, to ensure they are well prepared and that their operations remain in line with the latest health guidance.

The Government is collaborating with businesses across the manufacturing sector to ensure additional personal protective equipment (PPE) can be provided to frontline workers as quickly as possible to ensure their safety. While PPE supplies are currently being prioritised for health and social care workers, we are working to ensure additional requirements for PPE and consumables can continue to be sourced through normal distributors.

Food shops that remain open at this time will be expected to comply with social distancing requirements This approach is clinically led, based on the expert advice of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer.

3rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that sub-postmasters who are found to be innocent of accusations of theft due to the Post Office's Horizon IT system fault have related criminal records removed quickly.

Government is unable to comment on individual cases given that the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) is independent in their determination of applications. The CCRC is working hard to progress these cases at speed though and is treating the cases as a group to enable them to review the cases more efficiently. However, within the group of cases the CCRC will still need to assess each case individually, so that they can make a decision as to whether the case meets the statutory test to be referred to the appeal courts. Post Office Ltd has assured Government that it is fully cooperating with the CCRC. ?

More widely in respect of the Horizon case, the Post Office, under its new chief executive officer, has accepted that it got things wrong, apologised and said that it aims to re-establish a positive relationship with postmasters. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working actively with the Post Office on this matter and will hold it to account on its progress. We are also looking into what more needs to be done.

21st Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support local businesses in (a) Hinckley and (b) Bosworth.

Government provides businesses in Hinckley and Bosworth with support through Leicester and Leicestershire’s LEP Growth Hub.

We have made specific investments in Horiba MIRA to support the future automotive industry.

This has included £9.5m to establish the MIRA Technology Institute to develop state of the art training facilities to nurture automotive engineers of the future.

21st Jan 2020
What steps the Government is taking to support local businesses in Hinckley and Bosworth.

Government provides businesses in Hinckley and Bosworth with support through Leicester and Leicestershire’s LEP Growth Hub.

We have made specific investments in Horiba MIRA to support the future automotive industry.

This has included £9.5m to establish the MIRA Technology Institute to develop state of the art training facilities to nurture automotive engineers of the future.

20th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential economic merits of Local Enterprise Partnerships for (a) Hinckley, (b) Bosworth constituency and (c) the East Midlands.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) play an important role in providing a business voice to inform investment decisions and drive economic growth. The Leicester and Leicestershire LEP has supported Hinckley and Bosworth through a total of £13.1m of Local Growth Funds since 2014. This has included:

  • £9.5m for the MIRA Technology Institute – training 2,500 learners per annum in advanced manufacturing and automotive technologies for the future.

  • £3.6m for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund Rd 2 (Hinckley) - introducing 13 miles of new cycle paths and walking routes, thereby reducing journey times on the highway network.

There are 3 LEPs in the East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2); Leicester and Leicestershire; and Greater Lincolnshire. Through these LEPs, the Government has invested £539m in projects to create infrastructure, drive job creation, and accelerate skills development.

5th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper, Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published by her Department on 30 August 2023, whether she is taking steps to ensure that UK Anti-Doping considers the (a) legal and (b) health impacts of the use of (i) anabolic steroids and (ii) image and performance enhancing drugs as part of its work.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone taking part in sport is hugely important. This includes the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs and the significant impact of these substances on the physical and mental health of those who use them.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an arm’s length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is collaborating with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to embed clean sport content in CIMSPA’s professional standards for personal trainers and coaches.

The government’s call for evidence on sport integrity opened on 30 August 2023 alongside the publication of “Get Active”. It covers the handling of a range of sport integrity issues, including doping.

We will continue to support the work of UKAD and other partners to protect and promote clean sport and to look beyond the sporting community to shine a spotlight on the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper, Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published by her Department on 30 August 2023, whether she is taking steps to ensure that the call for evidence on sport integrity will include focus on the potential use of (a) anabolic steroids and (b) image and performance enhancing drugs.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone taking part in sport is hugely important. This includes the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs and the significant impact of these substances on the physical and mental health of those who use them.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an arm’s length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is collaborating with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to embed clean sport content in CIMSPA’s professional standards for personal trainers and coaches.

The government’s call for evidence on sport integrity opened on 30 August 2023 alongside the publication of “Get Active”. It covers the handling of a range of sport integrity issues, including doping.

We will continue to support the work of UKAD and other partners to protect and promote clean sport and to look beyond the sporting community to shine a spotlight on the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, what discussions she plans to have with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity on the inclusion of the (a) legal and (b) health impacts of the use of (i) anabolic steroids and (ii) image and performance enhancing drugs in the development of a (A) national registration scheme and (B) structured career pathway for coaches.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone taking part in sport is hugely important. This includes the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs and the significant impact of these substances on the physical and mental health of those who use them.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an arm’s length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is collaborating with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to embed clean sport content in CIMSPA’s professional standards for personal trainers and coaches.

The government’s call for evidence on sport integrity opened on 30 August 2023 alongside the publication of “Get Active”. It covers the handling of a range of sport integrity issues, including doping.

We will continue to support the work of UKAD and other partners to protect and promote clean sport and to look beyond the sporting community to shine a spotlight on the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that the use of (a) anabolic steroids and (b) image and performance enhancing drugs is included by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity in its work to self-regulate the workforce.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone taking part in sport is hugely important. This includes the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs and the significant impact of these substances on the physical and mental health of those who use them.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an arm’s length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is collaborating with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to embed clean sport content in CIMSPA’s professional standards for personal trainers and coaches.

The government’s call for evidence on sport integrity opened on 30 August 2023 alongside the publication of “Get Active”. It covers the handling of a range of sport integrity issues, including doping.

We will continue to support the work of UKAD and other partners to protect and promote clean sport and to look beyond the sporting community to shine a spotlight on the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure that rurality is considered when meeting the target for at least 75% of Sport England place investment being committed to areas with the lowest levels of physical activity and social outcomes.

We know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier - which is why in our new Sport Strategy - 'Get Active’ - we set out an ambitious strategy to boost our national health by getting 3.5 million extra active people by 2030. This includes bold targets to reach communities with the lowest levels of physical activity.

Building on their 12 local delivery pilot areas, Sport England is expanding their place-based work so that at least 75% of their investment is committed to areas with the lowest levels of physical activity and social outcomes.

Sport England are using a range of data sources to inform this approach including physical activity data from the Active Lives Surveys as well as wider social data including IMD, community need and health inequalities data. These datasets help to identify a range of diverse communities, including rural communities, across England that need support to become more active.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the financial stability of Premiership rugby clubs.

The Government recognises the recent challenges faced by Rugby Union. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government went above and beyond through the Sports Survival Package to provide unprecedented levels of financial support to sports clubs, including rugby union clubs, to ensure their survival.

The Government is clear that robust governance is essential to sustainable and successful sport. The respective National Governing Body is responsible for the governance of their sport. In the case of Rugby Union, the Government is working closely with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby League (PRL).

The Government shares the concerns of fans about where the game goes next, so has appointed two expert independent advisers to work with the RFU and PRL on their plans to secure the future of professional rugby union. They will report their recommendations to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport later in the summer.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Telephone Preference Service and (b) the powers of the Information Commissioner's Office to make directors liable for the fines imposed on their companies, in the context of helping to tackle nuisance calls.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) continues to provide an important free service for people and businesses who wish to opt out of receiving unsolicited live sales and marketing calls. Anyone who wishes to add their landline or mobile number to the TPS database can do so by visiting tpsonline.org.uk. Once a number has been registered, direct marketing organisations are legally required under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) to refrain from calling it.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) enforces the law and has powers to fine persons that break it. In 2021/22, the ICO issued over £2.8 million in fines issued to companies responsible for nuisance calls, texts and emails.

The ICO are currently considering responses to their consultation on new regulatory guidance on the use of their enforcement powers under PECR. This includes consideration of the circumstances where it would be appropriate to fine organisations or individual directors; and the factors the ICO would take into account when setting the level of a monetary penalty. The draft guidance can be viewed on the ICO’s website.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofcom in improving customer service standards in the mobile and broadband sector.

Ofcom has industry rules in place which are designed to protect consumers - specifically around complaints processes and customer access to alternative dispute resolution procedures. In June 2019, major broadband and mobile providers signed up to Ofcom’s voluntary Fairness Commitments which sought to encourage signatory providers to embed fairness across their businesses. In May 2021, Ofcom reviewed progress against the Fairness Commitments and identified customer service levels as an area of concern, as such this is likely to be a focus for future work on the Commitments.

In May 2022, Ofcom published its customer service tracking report for mobile, broadband and landline, which is based on customers’ experiences in 2021, amid the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ofcom found that overall customer satisfaction levels were high - with 91% of mobile customers and 83% of broadband customers satisfied with their service overall. However, service levels did not return to 2019 levels across the industry. Ofcom will continue to engage with providers and challenge them to prioritise service improvements to beyond pre-pandemic levels.

8th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the willingness of mobile and broadband providers to minimise the impact of recent cost increases on consumers.

We appreciate that price rises are never welcome, and we understand the recent increases announced by some operators may be particularly unwelcome given the wider pressures on the cost of living.

We are engaging with mobile and broadband providers to explore ways that they can provide support to households who may be facing challenges paying their bills.

The recent price increases announced by some providers are contained within the terms and conditions that consumers agreed to when taking out their service. We encourage customers to first check whether they are in contract or whether they might be able to leave without penalty. Figures released by Ofcom in November 2021, show that 35% of consumers in 2020 were out of contract, and the average out of contract broadband customer could save more than £61 a year by switching.

Consumers who are bound by their contract may benefit from speaking with their provider and discussing the options that may be available to support them.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
8th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the impact on consumers of recent and planned above inflation prices rises in mobile and broadband contracts.

We appreciate that price rises are never welcome, and we understand the recent increases announced by some operators may be particularly unwelcome given the wider pressures on the cost of living.

We are engaging with mobile and broadband providers to explore ways that they can provide support to households who may be facing challenges paying their bills.

The recent price increases announced by some providers are contained within the terms and conditions that consumers agreed to when taking out their service. We encourage customers to first check whether they are in contract or whether they might be able to leave without penalty. Figures released by Ofcom in November 2021, show that 35% of consumers in 2020 were out of contract, and the average out of contract broadband customer could save more than £61 a year by switching.

Consumers who are bound by their contract may benefit from speaking with their provider and discussing the options that may be available to support them.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
8th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the level of public awareness of social tariffs.

There are a range of social tariff products currently available to over 5 million households in receipt of Universal Credit support, and other means tested benefits. These offers are available to eligible households in over 99% of the country.

In July 2021, Ofcom reported take-up of social tariffs to be between approximately 1-2% of eligible households, so we are aware that more can be done to increase consumer awareness and encourage take-up of these offers.

We welcome increased promotion and consumer signposting of the social tariff products by providers such as BT, Virgin Media O2 and Hyperoptic.

DCMS is also working closely with colleagues across the government, including the Department for Work & Pensions and the Department for Education, to raise consumer awareness of social tariffs through local stakeholder channels to ensure that the individuals who may be eligible for social tariffs are made aware of the support available to them.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
20th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the communications sectors’ work with low-income families in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire to ensure the affordability of broadband for low-income families.

The Department continues to work alongside Ofcom to monitor the affordability of telecoms services.

Fixed-broadband social tariff products are currently available to over 5 million low-income households in receipt of Universal Credit support and other means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, Income Support and Job-Seekers Allowance. These tariffs are available in 99% of the UK. We encourage anyone with financial concerns to speak with their provider about the support that may be available to them.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
18th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support (a) high streets and (b) local businesses in their celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Her Majesty's Government is delighted to be supporting the celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and there are many ways that we are helping high streets and local businesses to join in and benefit from this national moment.

The Government has written to Local Authorities in England, highlighting the many opportunities for their communities to get involved in the celebrations. The Home Office are currently consulting on extending the licensing hours over the bank holiday weekend. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) set out a cross-Whitehall vision through the High Streets Strategy and government’s commitment to support celebrations and involvement of communities.

Those local authorities who have signed up to take part in the Government’s Welcome Back Fund may choose to use their allocation to undertake preparations for the Platinum Jubilee, before the Fund ends on 31 March 2022.

The Platinum Jubilee Emblem is available, free of charge, to all communities and businesses.

The Government’s dedicated Platinum Jubilee website contains information on sources of funding, including £22m of Lottery funding. The website also contains an online map onto which event organisers can add their events and Jubilee celebrations.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
13th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with OFCOM on the (a) affordability of current broadband contract prices and (b) the ease of switching between broadband providers.

DCMS continues to work alongside Ofcom to encourage Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to go further to support low-income families.

Following our discussions with the telecoms sector, affordable social tariffs are now available from BT, Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, Community Fibre and KCOM for £15 per month to those on Universal Credit as well as other means-tested benefits. These ISPs operate in 99% of the UK. We continue to have on-going discussions with Ofcom who have a statutory duty to monitor affordability in the telecommunications sector. We also continue to encourage all operators to introduce affordable tariffs.

DCMS also continues to work with Ofcom on the issue of switching. Ofcom introduced new rules in September 2021 which are designed to make broadband switching easier. Under these rules, consumers only need to contact their new ISP, who will lead the switching process, regardless of the underlying network provider or connection type. These rules will go into effect in April 2023.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
17th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has been made in requiring gigabit capable broadband for new build homes in time for Spring 2022.

Following the consultation response which set out our policy proposals last year, we have worked with industry stakeholders and other government departments to develop legislative proposals that will ensure that new homes are future-proofed with gigabit-ready infrastructure and built with gigabit-capable connections.

We will shortly be publishing a statutory technical consultation on our legislative proposals and seek to lay the implementing regulations in Parliament as soon as possible.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
15th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on responding to the consultation on further legislative changes to the Electronic Communications Code.

Since the consultation on the Electronic Communications Code closed on 24 March 2021, officials have been analysing the responses received. The government’s response will be published once this process is completed.

Julia Lopez
Minister on Leave (Minister of State)
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that volunteer capacity is available to support councils when needed.

Local authorities work closely with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector and other organisations, including the public sector and the NHS, to recruit and coordinate volunteers at a local level. The Government aims to empower these local partnerships and ensure national efforts to encourage volunteering complement locally-led responses.

Where there is urgent need for intervention from the Government, we work closely with the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP). The VCSEP is a collection of voluntary and community sector organisations, and is co-chaired by the British Red Cross and National Association for Voluntary and Community Action. The Partnership aims to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. They do this by coordinating and directly providing support to those in need, including mobilising volunteers if the need arises.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
24th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of internet search providers to tackle the presence of advertisements encouraging additional payments for tasks of minimal financial cost or no cost, including driving licence renewal and health cards.

My department continues to work closely across government to support the development of a coherent and robust approach to dealing with online fraud, including with the Home Office as the lead department responsible for setting out the government’s approach to tackling fraud. The Government is aware this type of advertising exists and depending on the final scope of the policy, this type of advertising may fall within the scope of the Online Advertising Programme. The programme is seeking to reduce harms through online advertising.

Following a call for evidence in 2020, DCMS will be launching the Online Advertising Programme later this year to examine how best to strengthen standards around the placement and content of online advertising to minimise these types of financial harm, and to ensure they can be effectively enforced, including through new legislation where required.

More information about the Online Advertising Programme can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-advertising-call-for-evidence/online-advertising-call-for-evidence

12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support the reopening of the events and exhibition sector in line with the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

My Department is taking a number of steps to support the reopening of the events and exhibition sector.

We seek to reopen business events and conferences in Step 3, subject to a capacity cap. Attendees at outdoor business events will be capped at 50% capacity, up to 4,000 people. Attendees at indoor business events will be capped at 50% capacity, up to 1,000 people.

Step 3 will take place no earlier than 17 May, and at least five weeks after Step 2, following a further review of the data and the four tests.

As part of our efforts to get such events back in full operation, we have launched the Events Research Programme to explore when and how large events can return with reduced social distancing requirements.

The Government’s Covid-19 Secure guidance for the visitor economy will be kept up to date over the coming months, in line with the reopening process for the sector.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support the participation of non-smartphone users without access to specific apps to take part in forthcoming covid-19 test events in the culture, media and sport sectors.

Attendees will take a LFD test at an assisted testing site the day before an Events Research Programme pilot event. A smartphone is not required to receive this test result, though some event organisers may require text confirmation of a negative LFD test result.

Ticketing arrangements are managed by individual event organisers, and will vary from event to event. Further details on the ticketing requirements will be made available by individual event organisers, and may include app-based tickets, print-at-home tickets, or text confirmations. Individual event organisers will confirm ticketing and test requirements with attendees ahead of each event. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, and the scientific community to help shape these plans.

12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to support county-based test events across the UK to monitor the rate of covid-19 transmission as covid-19 restrictions are eased to enable the events industry to reopen.

The Events Research Programme aims to examine the risk of transmission of Covid-19 from attendance at events and explore ways to enable people to attend a range of events safely. To achieve this, the programme will explore how a combination of testing and non-pharmaceutical interventions (actions that people can take to mitigate the spread of coronavirus) can inform decisions on safely lifting restrictions at events.

We have confirmed 8 events that will run as ERP pilots to inform the safe removal of social distancing from Step 4 of the Roadmap. The pilots will be run across a range of settings, venue types, and activity types so that findings could support the full reopening of similar settings across multiple sectors.

These pilots will be held in locations across England, including Liverpool, London, and Sheffield. All events will be subject to national and local approvals (including the Directors for Public Health and local authorities), and further events may be announced in due course.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had relevant stakeholders on developing the Tourism Recovery Plan; and what the timeframe is for publishing that plan.

The Global Travel Taskforce last year committed the Government to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan in support of the sector. We are continuing to hold discussions with stakeholders, including via the Tourism Industry Council, to assess how this plan can support the sector’s short and long term recovery from the pandemic.

The Government intends to set out proposals in the Spring, including plans for a marketing campaign to welcome visitors back to the UK as soon as it is safe to do so.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made with National Trading Standards on supplying call blocking devices to vulnerable people.

DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.

The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. Both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have responsibility to reduce the levels of nuisance calls, with the ICO being responsible for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of whether there has been an increase in the number of nuisance (a) calls, (b) text messages and (c) emails during the covid-19 outbreak.

DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.

The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. Both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have responsibility to reduce the levels of nuisance calls, with the ICO being responsible for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of introducing director liability for nuisance calls.

DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.

The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. Both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have responsibility to reduce the levels of nuisance calls, with the ICO being responsible for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many fines have been imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office since the introduction of director liability for nuisance calls.

DCMS have provided over £1 million in the last 3 years to the National Trading Standards for distribution of call blocking devices to vulnerable people. This funding helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society from unsolicited calls including those originating from overseas. The devices have proven to be very effective, blocking 99% of scam and nuisance calls to date.

The level of nuisance calls made to UK numbers is monitored by independent bodies. Both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have responsibility to reduce the levels of nuisance calls, with the ICO being responsible for enforcing the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Further information about the level of nuisance calls and enforcement action taken by the ICO is available on the ICO’s website at https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/nuisance-calls-and-messages/.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
8th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the (a) take up and (b) engagement of televised learning programmes provided to enable children’s learning to continue during the national lockdown.

The BBC is responsible for assessing the take up and engagement of audiences with its services, including those which provide televised learning programmes. However, in its most recent Annual Report, the BBC said that, over the first week of school closures (23-29 March 2020), there were 37.7m iPlayer requests for CBeebies and CBBC.

Education policy and the impact of the national lockdown on learning in England is the responsibility of the Department for Education.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Premier League, (b) EFL and (c) National League on a timeframe for assessing the merits of supporters returning to stadiums to watch football.

We are committed to getting spectators back into stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so.

We will continue to work closely with a whole range of sporting bodies, including the football authorities, to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
13th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the RFU (b) Premiership Rugby on a timeframe for assessing the merits of supporters returning to stadiums to watch football.

The Government recognises the impact that Covid-19 is having on the sporting sector and our multi-billion-pound package of business support has enabled many of our sports clubs to survive. But we know that the decision not to reopen stadia to spectators on 1 October will have economic consequences for sports and clubs across the country who relied on those fans for income, including professional rugby union teams.

I meet regularly with representatives from rugby union, and we will continue to engage directly with both the RFU and with Premiership Rugby as part of this process.

The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance. Work continues at pace to find solutions that will allow crowds safely back into stadia as soon as possible. The Government will continue to work closely with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this. Ministers and officials will continue to engage with the RFU and Premiership Rugby as part of this process.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
5th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions hew has had with (a) public health officials and (b) the Rugby Union authorities on the (a) timescale for and (b) safety of admission of spectators to sports stadia during the covid-19 outbreak.

DCMS Ministers and officials are in regular discussions with both public health officials and rugby union authorities across a range of matters, including the admission of spectators to sports stadia.

We recognise the news that stadia would not be reopening from 1 October was disappointing to many fans and sports, particularly after all the work on test events and preparations. However we have to take difficult decisions that give us the best chance of containing the virus this winter. The safety and security of spectators and players is of paramount importance.

The Government will also continue to work closely with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and a whole range of sports to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this.

Ministers and officials will continue to engage directly with both the Rugby Football Union and with Premiership Rugby as part of this process.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
24th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking through the Entertainment and Events Working Group to ensure that the arts and culture sector can safely reopen as soon as possible as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, and ensure appropriate support and guidance is provided.

To that end, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which include extensive membership from across the artistic and creative industries sectors. The Taskforce and Working Groups will be focusing on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input.

Further details on the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he is holding with national sports bodies to ensure that mass participation and competitive community sport can recommence following covid-19 lockdown measures.

It is vital that the sport and physical activity sector is supported to come through this difficult period and it has a crucial role in supporting the nation back into activity once the pandemic has abated and as lockdown measures start to ease.

Both I and the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage are holding regular discussions with a range of sport and physical activity organisations to ensure that the sector is in the best possible place to support a return to physical activity and competitive sport.

On 20 May, the Government established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce which will examine the most effective and creative ways to support the reopening of the recreation and leisure sectors, with membership drawn from those sectors. The Taskforce is being supported by working groups specifically focused on individual sectors, including sport and physical. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
2nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he is holding with theatres, cinemas and music venues to ensure that the arts and entertainment sectors can reopen while observing appropriate social distancing measures.

We are committed to working with the arts and entertainment sectors to reopen their doors as soon as it is safe to do so.

As part of the Government’s roadmap for recovery from Covid-19, DCMS has launched the Cultural Renewal taskforce which will develop plans for reopening across DCMS sectors. Its work is supported by the Entertainment and Events working group, which brings together representatives from key sector bodies and organisations in these sectors.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the tourism industry to ensure the safe resumption of tourism with relevant social distancing measures in summer 2020.

My officials and I continue to regularly discuss this matter in detail with representatives from across the tourism industry.

My Department has launched the Cultural Renewal Taskforce to help our sectors prepare to reopen when it is safe to do so. To inform this taskforce, we have set up a Visitor Economy Working Group to specifically focus on developing guidance for restarting tourism activity. We remain in regular contact with tourism stakeholders through both this group and the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the National Citizens Service continues to operate in 2020 during the covid-19 outbreak.

Given the uncertainty about how long social distancing restrictions will be in place, the 2020 NCS summer programme will not take place in its traditional format. Instead, the Department is working closely with the NCS Trust, the Government Arms’ Length Body commissioned to deliver the programme, to develop an alternative offer for this summer.

The details of the alternative summer programme are being developed at pace between DCMS and the NCS Trust. Any offer will be fully compliant with Government guidelines in response to COVID-19.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of whether the UK’s major broadband companies have effectively supported extra demand for broadband during the early weeks of the covid-19 outbreak.

The telecoms sector has undertaken a significant amount of work over recent years to prepare for a pandemic. DCMS is working closely with the main broadband providers to ensure the network remains stable and continues to have sufficient capacity for the increases in home-working and remote learning the country has seen as a part of its response to Covid-19.

20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to involve (a) gyms and (b) personal trainers in promoting health and fitness during the covid-19 outbreak.

Physical activity is crucial to the health and wellbeing of the nation. We have been working closely with our national sports council Sport England to continue to promote health and fitness during lockdown. Sport England have launched the Join the Movement campaign which provides tips, advice and guidance on how people can keep or get active in and around the home.

Join the Movement has involved the health and fitness industry, including partners like ukactive, in the development of the campaign. Its online hub offers free exercise content and advice from organisations such as the NHS. Workouts from fitness brands and influencers such as Les Mills on Demand, The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) and FiiT are also available via the hub, many of whom are offering extended free trials to help people get active at home.

As part of the campaign, Sport England are keen to hear from those who have more content to share and they have also urged those who share their ambitions and values to help spread the message of Join the Movement across the nation.

In addition, the 450 school games organisers, funded by government have been redeployed to help children and families to get active at home using online content.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) mass participation sporting events and (b) spectator sports can function effectively after the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the impact that covid-19 is having on the sporting sector. The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of measures to help businesses in this period, including £330 billion worth of government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.

The Government is keen to ensure mass participation sporting events and spectator sports can function effectively once the covid-19 outbreak has subsided. We are engaging regularly across the sector, including working with competition organisers, to understand how sports are planning to return and the circumstances in which they foresee it may be possible for events to go ahead. But we have been clear throughout that this can only happen when it is safe to do so and in line with the public health guidance of at the time.


Advice on sporting events has at all times been in accordance with the latest scientific and medical advice. The Government has been taking a clear, phased approach to tackling the virus, led by our medical experts and our absolute priority is to protect people's health. However the situation continues to evolve and we will update guidance as the medical advice changes.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequate supply of cabinet space for routing superfast broadband to individual properties.

I refer the Honourable Member for Bosworth to my answer to his question, reference number 28001, on Monday 23 March.

18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the financial stability of (a) gyms, (b) amateur sports clubs and (c) community sport event organisations and (d) other parts of the fitness industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented support package including: a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries; a deferral of the next quarter of VAT payments for firms, until the end of June, representing a £30bn injection into the economy; £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses; and a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will help eligible freelance workers receive up to £2,500 per month in grants for at least three months.

During the Coronavirus outbreak I have engaged regularly with the sport sector to understand how it can benefit from this support, and address any remaining issues.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to meet the demands placed on the national broadband infrastructure to support people using the internet whilst in self-isolation.

Overall, the telecoms sector is well prepared for the impacts of Covid-19 on national broadband infrastructure; its plans are extensive and there is currently sufficient network capacity to support the various needs of consumers during the pandemic.

The Government recognises how important good connectivity is across the United Kingdom, as an increasing number of people have to self isolate. With that in mind, I am pleased that we have worked with the industry to announce additional measures to protect and support consumers, including the vulnerable and those who may become vulnerable due to Covid-19 related circumstances. A joint statement from the Government, industry and Ofcom was published on 29 March 2020 highlighting these commitments.

This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-agrees-measures-with-telecoms-companies-to-support-vulnerable-consumers-through-covid-19

I remain in regular touch with Ofcom and the relevant companies and will continue to keep the situation under review.

11th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequate supply of cabinet space for routing superfast broadband to individual properties in Bosworth.

Openreach has a standard internal process whereby they monitor the capacity available within individual cabinets. Where cabinets are nearing maximum capacity they will deploy additional capacity. It is in Openreach’s commercial interest to do this as additional take-up of broadband services equates to additional revenue.

Building Digital UK (BDUK), the broadband delivery arm within DCMS, has standard arrangements within their Superfast contracts such that if take-up of these services exceeds a certain threshold - where a given postcode is more commercially viable than Openreach predicted - then a proportion of the public subsidy is returned to BDUK via what is termed “Take-up Clawback”.

4th Feb 2020
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department will take to use the legacy of Euro 2020 to improve grassroots football facilities in Bosworth constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring people across the country have access to football facilities, which is why we committed to investing £550m into grassroots football facilities over the next 10 years.

The government has also committed £1m to support The Football Association’s and Sport England’s programme to raise awareness and promote Euro 2020 across England. This includes improving football facilities around the country - known as the ‘National Promotion Programme’. The ‘National Promotion Programme’ will focus on both new and existing community football facilities, forming part of the existing National Football Facilities Strategy.

The Football Foundation, who provide Exchequer funding on behalf of Sport England as well as other investments funded by the FA and Premier League, have already invested £1,803,840 for football projects in the constituency of Bosworth. This includes £1,750,044 for facilities that have supported Hinckley United FC, the Richmond Park Sporting Hub, Market Bosworth Sports Club, and Greentowers FC Hinckley.

4th Feb 2020
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile phone connectivity in Bosworth constituency.

The Government announced in-principle support in October 2019 for the mobile network operators’ (MNOs) Shared Rural Network (SRN) proposal. The proposal would share investment costs between the MNOs and government and increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the United Kingdom to 95% by 2025. It will be underpinned by a legally binding coverage commitment from each operator.

The Government's in-principle support is subject to detailed negotiations. While this is not yet a done deal, the Prime Minister has made improvements to rural mobile coverage part of his first 100 days pledge. I will continue to work with the sector to make that happen.

The exact site deployment plans and timescales will be managed by the MNOs themselves in order for them to best deliver the agreed coverage outcomes. So until the operators’ final radio planning exercise is complete, neither the Government nor the operators will know the precise location or number of new or upgraded masts. However, the operators will be consulting with local communities as their roll out plans become clearer.

16th Jan 2020
What steps her Department is taking to improve broadband connections in Bosworth constituency.

The government has made good progress in Bosworth, with over 97% of premises able to access superfast speeds. This is up from 57% in 2010.

Only 1% of premises in the constituency of Bosworth have speeds below 15 Megabits per second. This is testament to the great work undertaken by the Superfast Leicestershire superfast broadband rollout programme, which has been boosted by just under £8 million of central government funding. In October 2018 the 600th Superfast Fibre cabinet in Leicestershire was unveiled in Market Bosworth.

2nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that data on the number of children with neuro-diversity is reflected in (a) national policy development, (b) local funding allocations and (c) operational guidance for local outreach services.

The department has multiple data collections related to pupils and students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) published on GOV.UK at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/. The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper consultation and subsequent Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, are underpinned by this data and wider evidence.

The Dedicated Schools Grant is intended to meet the educational costs of pupils in primary and secondary education, as well as the educational costs of special educational provision for children and young people with SEND in post-16 provision, including those aged over 19 and up to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care plan. This is set out here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2022-to-2023/high-needs-funding-2022-to-2023-operational-guidance.

The department committed in the SEND and AP Improvement Plan to publish local and national inclusion dashboards from autumn 2023, which will present performance data across education, health and care, covering the full system from ages 0-25.

We also committed to introducing new local SEND and AP partnerships, who will be expected to create evidence-based local inclusion plans, drawing on the new dashboards, to set out how the needs of children and young people in the local area will be met in line with new national SEND and AP standards.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
27th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) World Book Day and (b) initiatives that help ensure access to books for children regardless of (i) family circumstances, (ii) parents’ educational background and (iii) household income.

World Book Day is a memorable day for many children across the country. Knowing that strong literacy skills are hugely important, both as a pupil and later in life, the curriculum places a greater focus on reading and requires pupils to study a range of books, poems, and plays to encourage the development of a life long love of literature.

The Department’s reading framework, published in 2021, provides guidance to schools on the teaching of early reading. It supports teachers to ensure phonics is taught in a wider context and focuses on the contribution of talk and stories as well as phonics.

Young people may access books through their school or local library, free of charge. Individual schools decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided.

28th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support online courses that can lead to recognised qualifications.

A range of online provision leading to qualifications is available to learners.

The adult education budget (AEB) fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support them to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning. Providers decide upon the mode of delivery for AEB-funded courses to best meet learners’ needs. This can include online delivery.

The free courses for jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high-value level 3 qualifications for free. This offer includes qualifications available to study online. Learners can contact their local college or provider for further information about online delivery.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion. Many Skills Bootcamps are delivered online.

The department launched the Skills Toolkit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an online platform providing free digital and numeracy courses to help individuals build the skills that are most sought after by employers, and it can help individuals progress in work and boost their job prospects.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
28th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Skills Fund on progress towards upskilling the adult workforce; and what steps his Department is taking to use the Skills Fund to help support more adults to achieve higher level qualifications in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth constituency.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion. Skills Bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.

In December 2021, the department published outcome data on the Skills Bootcamps trailblazers, training delivered across six areas of the country between September 2020 and 31 March 2021 (Wave 1). Over 2000 learners completed Skills Bootcamps training, with 54% of adults completing training going on to secure a new job or apprenticeship or for those that are self-employed, access to new opportunities. In addition to these recorded outcomes, published research for Wave 1 of Skills Bootcamps suggests that three quarters of learners felt the training met or was meeting their needs, and 79% were satisfied with their course overall.

The department is on track to deliver 16,000 Skills Bootcamps training places in the 2021/22 financial year as planned and will continue to significantly expand Skills Bootcamps over the next 3 years, following the announcement at the 2021 Autumn Budget Spending Review of up to £550 million of funding across the 2022 to 2025 financial years. The evaluation of 2021/22 delivery, which will provide detail on learner starts, completions and outcomes will be available next year, with the evaluation of 2022/23 delivery available at a later date.

Skills Bootcamps are currently available across the country, offering training in digital, technical, including engineering and manufacturing, construction, logistics (HGV driving), and green skills, including heat pump engineer and electric vehicle charging point installation.

In Leicester, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership are delivering some digital Skills Bootcamps through De Montfort University, working with Leicester employers who have vacancies in Leicester City Council, Test Q and NHS Leicester. More information about this can be accessed at: https://d2n2lep.org/people-skills/skills-bootcamps/.

The Free Courses for Jobs offer, which was launched in England in April 2021, gives eligible adults the chance to access high-value level 3 qualification for free. Eligible learners in Leicestershire and Bosworth, aged 19 and over, can take advantage of the offer. Adults without a full level 3 qualification are eligible. From April 2022 the offer has also been available to unemployed adults or those earning under the National Living Wage annually, regardless of their prior qualification level. Over 400 qualifications are included, in areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, alongside many others that have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs.

A recent evaluation of Free Courses for Jobs shows that it has increased uptake of these key qualifications, meaning more adults are making the most of this opportunity to boost their skills free of charge. 9 in 10 people surveyed say they believe their Free Courses for Jobs-funded qualification will help them progress in their careers. The data points to over 20,000 people having enrolled on the courses between the offer’s launch in April 2021 and May 2022.

Adults can also be supported to access qualifications not included in the Free Courses for Jobs offer, for example through Advanced Learner Loans. Advanced Learner Loans are income-contingent loans that provide extensive coverage of regulated qualifications at level 3 to level 6, helping to meet the up-front tuition fees.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is taking steps to support the (a) training of builders and insulators and (b) new recruits to that sector to support the insulation of homes.

The government is investing £3.8 billion more in further education (FE) and skills over the Parliament to ensure people have access to skills to build a fulfilling career in jobs the economy needs. The department’s Skills for Jobs white paper sets out our plan to invest in opportunities for new entrants to the labour market, as well as upskilling opportunities for adults. These interventions are key to the country’s transition to a net zero economy and our ambition to build roads, homes, and broadband faster.

Apprenticeships are at the forefront of this change. There are 97 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment occupational route, which have been developed by employer trailblazer groups to ensure apprentices gain skills key to the sector. These include a range of standards relevant to insulation and retrofit, such as Industrial Thermal Insulation Technician at level 3, Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) at level 4, and Low Carbon Heating Technician at level 3.

In additional to apprenticeships, the department is taking steps to strengthen vocational options for young people with the introduction of T Levels. These are two-year, technical qualifications designed with businesses and employers, and are equivalent in size to 3 A levels. The first T Levels in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction were launched in 2020, with the first cohort having received their results this summer.

As we are strengthening progression pathways for career starters, the department is also investing in re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to make sure adults, at any age, can upskill to reach their potential, transforming lives and delivering on the National Skills Fund commitment. As part of this investment, we have introduced the Free Courses for Jobs scheme, which enables learners without a level 3 qualification, or learners with any qualification level but earning below the National Living Wage, to gain a qualification for free. 72 qualifications in building and construction are currently on offer under this scheme. In addition, learners who want to upskill in their role, are looking for work, or are changing career can take part in Skills Bootcamps in construction and green skills.

The department is promoting and increasing awareness of our skills provision to learners and employers through the Skills for Life campaign, which targets employers, young people, and adults. Our campaign toolkits provide more information and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/skills-campaign-toolkits. Moreover, the department supports cross-government discussions on wider workforce challenges in the sector, for example through the Green Jobs Delivery Group. More information on this is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-jobs-delivery-steps-up-a-gear.

11th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage more girls to consider studying for STEM subjects at (a) school, (b) FE college and (c) higher education.

Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, can pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupation is a key priority for this government.

To ensure a strong pipeline of qualified students into higher education (HE) and careers in STEM areas, the department has committed substantial spending on mathematics, digital and technical education including funding the Stimulating Physics Network. This network provides tailored support to schools to increase rates of progression to physics A level, including an inclusion project’ which is designed to increase the uptake of A level physics from students in underrepresented groups, including girls.

The department has funded a £84 million programme to improve computing teaching and participation at GCSE and A level, particularly amongst girls.

The department is funding research programmes to investigate ways to tackle gender balance in STEM subjects, including the ‘Improving Gender Balance’ national research trial for physics, and the ‘Gender Balance in Computing’ programme, led by the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

The department has also introduced T Levels as a high-quality technical alternative to A levels. The current T Levels in Science and Digital, as well as the upcoming T Levels in Engineering and Manufacturing, will provide opportunities for all students to study STEM-related subjects. To challenge stereotypes which may hold young people back, including gender stereotypes, the department are using T Level ambassadors to showcase a wide range of voices from those already studying T levels, including girls taking STEM-related T Levels.

The department is implementing several initiatives to increase the numbers of students pursuing STEM at higher levels. Institutes of Technology are unique employer-led institutions providing higher technical education and training in key STEM sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing, and engineering. These provide local people with the skills to pursue rewarding jobs and local business with the skilled workforce they need. They play a key role in widening local participation in technical education and training from disadvantages and under-represented groups (for example, women and ethnic minorities in STEM), which will help to increase the long-term pipeline of STEM skills.

In HE, the proportion of female full-time undergraduate entrants studying STEM courses has increased from 33.6% in 2011 to 42.2% in 2021.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
3rd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress he has made on launching skills boot camps to train new heavy goods vehicle drivers.

To help address the shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers across the country, the government is investing up to £17 million to deliver new Skills Bootcamps to help up to 5,000 adults train in HGV drivers.

The department launched an invitation to tender on 8 October, inviting applications to deliver Skills Bootcamps for individuals who are new to HGV driving, for those that have left the industry and wish to return, and existing HGV drivers who need additional qualifications to work in high priority areas like driving fuel tankers. The tender closed on 22 October. The department is currently reviewing and evaluating the bids received, with providers awarded funding set to start delivery later this year.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
9th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made with the QAA, professional bodies and the Office for Students on ensuring that (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate students studying during the pandemic leave university with valuable qualifications that reflect their achievements and give them parity in future job markets.

I have met with key professional bodies and providers to discuss how we can ensure students can graduate with professional status and move into their chosen fields and will continue to do so.

Higher education (HE) providers are responsible for the administration of their own exams and assessments and will build on the experience of last year’s arrangements.

We expect providers to ensure that continuing and prospective students receive the clear, accurate and timely information needed to make informed decisions. This includes making students aware of any potential for changes to arrangements for the administration of exams and/or assessment at the earliest opportunity. Providers will make their own judgements based on the latest national and local public health guidance, taking account of the need to minimise risk to staff and students.

The Office for Students (OfS), the HE regulator in England, has produced information and guidance setting out expectations about provider approaches to teaching and assessment of both undergraduates and postgraduates during this time, further details are available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-on-quality-and-standards-during-coronavirus-pandemic/. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has also published resources for providers on practical ways in which students can complete their studies whilst ensuring quality and standards are upheld – further details can be found here: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/news-events/support-and-guidance-covid-19.

The government will continue to work closely with the QAA, professional bodies and the OfS to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow them to progress.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
18th Jan 2021
What steps he is taking to support university students during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

We understand that this is a very difficult and uncertain time for students, and we are working with universities, higher education (HE) institutions, mission groups, unions and professional Sector Bodies to make sure that all reasonable efforts are being made to enable all students to continue their studies and provide the support required for them to do so. Our expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and the Office for Students (OfS) will continue to actively monitor universities to ensure that quality of provision is maintained and accessible for all.

Students undertaking courses that would normally require attendance on-site will qualify for loans for living costs in the 2020/21 academic year, even if universities are providing course lectures and/or tutorials online only due to COVID-19, provided students continue to engage with their HE provider.

Students who suspend their studies for a variety of reasons, including shielding, can apply to Student Finance England for their living costs support to be continued while they are absent from their course. Students who suspend their studies due to illness automatically receive living costs support for the first 60 days of their illness.

Students who have applied for a loan for living costs for 2020/21 and have been awarded a lower amount than the maximum and believe their household income for the current tax year (2020-21) will drop by at least 15% compared to the household income they provided when they were initially assessed, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.

In these exceptional circumstances, we recognise that some students may face financial hardship or experience mental health issues. We have asked universities to prioritise mental health support and ensure that students required to self-isolate receive the support they need. I have also set up a sub-group of the HE taskforce to ensure there is appropriate focus on this important matter. To support with this further, we have worked closely with the OfS to help clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. Providers are able to use OfS Student Premium funding worth around £256 million for this academic year towards student hardship funds. We are also currently making available up to £20 million of additional hardship funding to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. In addition, the £3 million OfS funded mental health and well-being platform, Student Space, has been extended for the whole of the 2020/21 academic year to provide extra support during these unprecedented times. The platform is designed to work alongside existing services.

I continue to emphasise to Vice Chancellors at every opportunity that student welfare should remain a priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust sector guidance and support where necessary.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
7th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support schools in Bosworth constituency to build new (a) classrooms and (b) other education facilities.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. We provide funding for all the places that are needed, based on local authorities’ own data. Local authorities can use this funding to provide places in new schools, or through expansions of existing schools, and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools.

The Department does not collect information at parliamentary constituency level, only at local authority and at sub-local authority planning area level. Bosworth is within the local authority of Leicestershire. Leicestershire has been allocated £139.2 million to provide new school places from 2011-2022, and there are now 5,819 more places than there were in 2010. The next set of basic need allocations, for places needed in September 2023, will be determined as part of the Spending Review.

In addition, we have allocated £9.5 billion in condition funding since 2015 to maintain and improve the school estate, including an extra £560 million this financial year. This funding is provided through an annual school condition allocation to responsible bodies, such as local authorities, large academy trusts and voluntary aided bodies. Smaller academy trusts, sixth form colleges and other voluntary aided schools are able to bid into the Condition Improvement Fund each year.

Capital allocations are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding. For the financial year 2020-21, Leicestershire local authority was allocated £3.4 million to invest in its maintained schools, including schools in Bosworth. Large academy trusts and voluntary aided bodies receive their own allocations, but as they typically cross local authority boundaries we cannot provide a figure for Leicestershire. Ten projects in Bosworth were successful in the Condition Improvement Fund this year. All schools are also allocated Devolved Formula Capital to spend on projects which meet their own priorities.

On top of capital allocations to the school system, the Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing school buildings in the worst condition in England, covering over 500 schools. In June, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced a new, transformative 10-year school rebuilding programme, which will replace poor condition and ageing buildings with modern, energy efficient facilities. Further details will be set out following the Spending Review.

8th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he is making in supporting universities to manage the increased number of places available to students for the 2020-21 academic year.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bosworth, to the answer I gave on 9 September 2020 to 84361.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the ability of universities to manage the increased number of places available to students for the 2020-21 academic year.

I have written directly to all Vice Chancellors and have set up a Higher Education Taskforce so that the government can work with the sector to build capacity, harness expert views and tackle challenges. Together, we have agreed that all students who achieved the required grades will be offered a place at their first-choice university, wherever possible.

We have taken a number to steps to support this commitment. We have announced that, subject to parliamentary approval, we will completely remove temporary student number controls to help ensure there are no additional barriers to students being able to progress to higher education.

We have announced that we will lift caps on domestic medicine and dentistry courses in the next academic year. We will support providers to offer places to as many students who have met the grades for their current offer as they have capacity for, and where there are clinical placements available, through additional grant funding to support the costs of this provision.

We will also provide additional teaching grant funding to increase capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and other high-cost subjects, which are vital to the country’s social needs and economy. The Office for Students (OfS) will consult the sector on the details of how the allocations are made.

Providers will also be eligible to bid for a share of up to £10 million in funding to support capital expenditure. This funding will be used to support the infrastructure required to accommodate additional students recruited as a result of the changes to policy on A level grades.

The fund will be administered by the OfS, and providers will be eligible to bid for projects that support expansion in 2020-21.

We will continue to monitor the situation and to consider the effects that deferrals will have on future years. Funding decisions for future years will be taken at the Spending Review.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support lifelong learning and skills development for adult workers needing to re-skill after the covid-19 outbreak.

The government has made a significant £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) funding commitment to the National Skills Fund. This is a substantial investment that provides a great opportunity to help workers and employers to have the skills they need to flourish and fulfil their potential.

We are continuing to develop detailed proposals for the fund at pace, including considering how it could link to wider government COVID-19 recovery work. We will continue to review how the National Skills Fund can best meet the needs of individuals and employers.

The National Skills Fund is just one part of a wider programme to reform the post-16 skills system that will ensure businesses and individuals are able to meet the challenges of the new economy.

Alongside the National Skills Fund, the department has been working to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. We have announced measures across a range of targeted work-based training offers to support people to build the skills they need to get into work. This includes:

  • £17 million to triple the number of sector-based work academy programme placements;
  • A new payment of £1,500 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over; and
  • £32 million to help 269,000 more people receive advice from the National Careers Service.

We also launched The Skills Toolkit in April, a new online platform, giving access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses to help people build up their skills, progress in work and boost job prospects. We will shortly be announcing the expansion of this offer.

The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education to aid the post-COVID recovery.


Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
15th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy that all children will return to school at the start of the 2020-21 academic year.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

We are working to bring all children and young people back into education in September and engaging with stakeholders to achieve this.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

11th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential to the use civic buildings as venues for educational capacity during the covid-19 outbreak.

As part of national social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, we have had to limit the numbers of children and young people attending schools to ensure that pupils and staff attending could do so safely. Scientific advice indicates that a phased return that limits the number of children in education settings and how much they mix with each other will help to control the rate of transmission.

Additionally, to reduce social contact, the Government has required by law certain businesses and venues to close to members of the public – with some legal exceptions. Details of these requirements are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

Therefore, it is not possible at this time for schools to use these venues.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers. We are working to bring all children and young people back into education from September.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that vulnerable children are engaging in learning and skills development during the covid-19 outbreak.

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Vulnerable children are encouraged to attend educational provision where it is appropriate for them do so. We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions.

Since 23 March, in line with the scientific advice, nurseries, schools and colleges have remained open to children of critical workers and vulnerable children. From week commencing 1 June 2020, primary schools have been welcoming back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and Year 6. From 15 June, we are asking secondary schools to offer some face-to-face support to year 10 and year 12 students, and sixth form colleges and further education colleges to do the same for 16 to 19 students who are due to take key exams in 2021. For all providers, this is alongside provision they are already offering to vulnerable children and children of critical workers of all ages.

The Department is committed to ensuring that any children, including vulnerable pupils, who cannot yet return to school continue to learn at home. It is up to each school to determine how to deliver education to its pupils and we recognise that many schools have already shared resources for children who are at home. Our latest guidance on remote education during COVID-19 outbreak is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

The Government has also committed over £100 million to boost remote education. This includes providing devices and internet access for vulnerable children who need it most, ensuring every school that wants it has access to free, expert technical support to get set up on Google for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education, and offering peer support from schools and colleges leading the way with the use of education technology. Provision of internet access, and technical support, will continue to be available to schools during the phased return of children and young people. Devices will be owned by schools and organisations and will benefit children’s education long after schools have opened to all pupils.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department is able to respond to concerns raised by the teaching sector and teachers on the safe reopening of schools as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Department for Education continues to engage closely and constructively with unions, serving school leaders and other school stakeholder organisations to respond to sector concerns and support schools as they open for more pupils.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking with education and skills providers to develop materials for year 11 pupils due to take GCSE examinations in summer 2020 to prepare those pupils for their post-16 education and training after the covid-19 outbreak.

From Friday 20 March, all educational settings were closed to everyone except the children of critical workers and vulnerable children. Therefore, exams for summer 2020 have been cancelled. Year 11 and year 13 students who were due to sit A level, AS level or GCSE exams this summer will receive a calculated grade in August, and separate guidance from Ofqual on awarding GCSE, AS and A levels was published in April.

The guidance makes clear that there is no requirement for schools and colleges to set additional mock exams or remote education tasks for the purposes of determining a calculated grade, and no student should be disadvantaged if they are unable to complete any work set after schools and colleges were closed.

In relation to vocational or technical qualifications (VTQs), our priority is to ensure that students can move on as planned to the next stage of their lives, including starting university, college or sixth form courses, apprenticeships in the autumn, getting a job or progressing in work. Ofqual published a consultation on its proposed measures for the assessment and awarding of VTQs on 24 April and this closed 8 May. A response will be published shortly.

In terms of support and materials for the next stage of their education, we have taken action to make sure students that can still access high quality careers information, advice and guidance.

In particular, the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) continues to support schools and colleges to provide young people and their parents with careers education and guidance, working with the network of local partners and providers across the country. The CEC is collating and disseminating existing ideas and resources that can be used by schools, colleges and students while pupils are working remotely. In the longer term, they are considering ways they can continue to deliver the CEC mission of (virtually) connecting schools, colleges, young people, employers and training providers.

The National Careers Service (NCS) is also continuing to provide careers information, advice and guidance to young people, their parents and adults through its helpline, website and web chat facility. The NCS is also supporting the delivery of the online Skills Toolkit. This is a new online platform which aims to give people easy access to free, high quality digital and numeracy courses to help them improve their skills, progress in work and raise their job prospects.

We are also investigating with colleges and other further education (FE) providers what further practical support might be offered to those students leaving FE, particularly regarding careers advice and employment.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking with education and skills providers to develop materials for year 13 pupils due to take examinations in summer 2020 to prepare those students for (a) university education, (b) vocational based training and (c) entry to the employment market.

From Friday 20 March, all educational settings were closed to everyone except the children of critical workers and vulnerable children. Therefore, exams for summer 2020 have been cancelled. Year 11 and year 13 students who were due to sit A level, AS level or GCSE exams this summer will receive a calculated grade in August, and separate guidance from Ofqual on awarding GCSE, AS and A levels was published in April.

The guidance makes clear that there is no requirement for schools and colleges to set additional mock exams or remote education tasks for the purposes of determining a calculated grade, and no student should be disadvantaged if they are unable to complete any work set after schools and colleges were closed.

In relation to vocational or technical qualifications (VTQs), our priority is to ensure that students can move on as planned to the next stage of their lives, including starting university, college or sixth form courses, apprenticeships in the autumn, getting a job or progressing in work. Ofqual published a consultation on its proposed measures for the assessment and awarding of VTQs on 24 April and this closed 8 May. A response will be published shortly.

In terms of support and materials for the next stage of their education, we have taken action to make sure students that can still access high quality careers information, advice and guidance.

In particular, the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) continues to support schools and colleges to provide young people and their parents with careers education and guidance, working with the network of local partners and providers across the country. The CEC is collating and disseminating existing ideas and resources that can be used by schools, colleges and students while pupils are working remotely. In the longer term, they are considering ways they can continue to deliver the CEC mission of (virtually) connecting schools, colleges, young people, employers and training providers.

The National Careers Service (NCS) is also continuing to provide careers information, advice and guidance to young people, their parents and adults through its helpline, website and web chat facility. The NCS is also supporting the delivery of the online Skills Toolkit. This is a new online platform which aims to give people easy access to free, high quality digital and numeracy courses to help them improve their skills, progress in work and raise their job prospects.

We are also investigating with colleges and other further education (FE) providers what further practical support might be offered to those students leaving FE, particularly regarding careers advice and employment.

24th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the sustainability schools remaining open in the event of an increase in self-isolation rates of teachers during the covid-19 outbreak.

If some schools are experiencing high demand for places or severe staff shortages, local authorities will coordinate support from other schools in the area. Schools are expected to be flexible and work together where required.

If a school is unable to open, local authorities should try to coordinate provision for pupils in other schools in their area. If this is not possible, local authorities should consider working with neighbouring local authorities while keeping in mind the impact on children. Regional school commissioners can support conversations between local authorities where necessary.

24th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support childcare providers in supporting the families of key workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

The government has asked providers to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – those who are vulnerable and those whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home. Providers should try to be as flexible as possible for critical workers who work shifts or atypical hours.

We urge all childcare providers to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents, given the great uncertainty they will be facing too. That is one of the reasons why we announced on 17 March that we will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the early years entitlements for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds and that funding would not be clawed back from local authorities during closures, or where children are withdrawn, because of COVID-19.

The government has already introduced a range of measures to support businesses and workers during this period. Further details of support available for early years providers can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#funding.

23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with universities on ensuring that students remain enrolled at their institution in the event (a) that they lose their part-time employment and (b) of another change in their financial situation as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The government is working closely with the sector on a wide range of issues, and student wellbeing is at the heart of those discussions. It will be for universities to deal with individual students’ situations.

Universities know how best to provide support and maintain hardship funds, which can be deployed where necessary, which is especially important for students who are estranged from their families, disabled or have health vulnerabilities.

Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current, 2019/20, academic year. If they are employed or self-employed, they may also be able to benefit from the wider measures of support announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

If agreed with their employer, their employer might be able to keep them on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for them to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on furlough’.

They could get paid 80% of their wages, up to a monthly cap of £2,500. More information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees.

Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that arrangements for Summer 2020 GCSE and A Level examinations are communicated to parents, pupils and schools.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced to the House on 18 March, the Government has taken the difficult decision to cancel all examinations due to take place in schools and colleges in England this summer, as part of the fight to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Department’s priority is to ensure that students can move on as planned to the next stage of their lives, including starting university, college or sixth form courses, jobs or apprenticeships, in the autumn. For GCSE, AS and A-level students, we will ensure they are awarded a grade which reflects their work. Our intention is that a calculated grade will be awarded this summer based on the best available evidence, including any non-examination assessment that students have already completed. Ofqual, the qualifications regulator is working urgently with examination boards to set out proposals for how this process will work and more information will be provided as soon as possible.

The Department recognises that some students may nevertheless feel disappointed that they have not been able to sit their examinations. If they do not believe the correct process has been followed in their case, they will be able to appeal on that basis. In addition, if they do not feel their calculated grade reflects their performance, they will have the opportunity to sit an examination, as soon as is reasonably possible after the beginning of the new academic year. Students will also have the option to sit their examinations in summer 2021.

This information was published on GOV.UK and was communicated directly to all schools and colleges, and further information will be communicated via the same channels as it becomes available. We expect schools and colleges to ensure that all students and parents are aware of all relevant information.

2nd Mar 2020
What progress his Department is making on improving school facilities.

We have allocated over £7.4 billion since 2015 to maintain and improve the school estate. On top of this, the Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition at over 500 schools.

We are looking carefully at capital funding for education in preparation for the next Spending Review.

16th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2023 to Question 192201 on Dogs: Smuggling, what actions points her Department has recorded in the context of her Department's discussion with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) third-party stakeholders on policy formation to tackle puppy smuggling.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

The Department continues to engage with third party stakeholders on the issue of tackling puppy smuggling to gather views on this subject as part of routine engagement.

The Government is committed to delivering its manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling when parliamentary time allows.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (ii) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling pet theft.

In response to concerns about the apparent increase in pet theft since the start of the pandemic the Government set up the Pet Theft Taskforce in May 2021. The Taskforce was a cross-government initiative including Defra, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. The Taskforce published their findings in September 2021 with input from animal welfare groups and experts in relevant fields. We are in the process of taking forward the Task Force’s recommendations together with relevant Departments.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (b) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.

Defra officials have regular discussions with other Government Departments, including Border Force, and third-party stakeholders such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on encouraging young people to consider employment in (a) farming and (b) other rural occupations.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues.

Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.

The Government is contributing towards the establishment of a new professional body for the farming industry; The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). TIAH is aimed at removing the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming businesses, enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional and attractive career choice. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector.

We are currently piloting different approaches to building entrepreneurial capacity in those who wish to start their own land-based business or scale-up their existing business venture, including how to pitch effectively for land and finance, which are crucial for their success.

The Government is also reforming post-16 technical education to provide clearer routes into skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of the new Technical Level programmes (T-levels) which include pathways in agriculture, environmental and animal health and care. Alongside apprenticeships this provides more opportunities and pathways for young people looking for careers in agriculture and horticulture.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of progress by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a UN plastics treaty.

The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution on ending plastic pollution agreed at the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.

A series of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings is now underway to negotiate the content of the treaty, with good progress being made. The second of five planned INC meetings will take place 29 May – 2 June in Paris, with the aim of concluding negotiations by the end of 2024. Whilst the timeline to agree this global Treaty is short, this reflects the urgency needed to tackle plastic pollution, alongside the strong global political will for an agreement.

The UK supports a combination of international obligations and national measures across the whole plastic lifecycle to ensure that the Treaty can adequately address the transboundary nature of plastic pollution. As one of the founding members of the high ambition coalition of countries calling for an end to plastic pollution by 2040, the UK will do all we can to press for the agreement of a high ambition Treaty by the end of 2024.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of animal welfare standards in (a) animal sanctuaries and (b) rehoming organisations; and if she will conduct a public consultation to assess the introduction of regulations for rehoming activities for (i) animal sanctuaries and (ii) rehoming organisations in 2023.

We meet regularly with stakeholders and welfare groups including the Canine and Fe-line Sector Group and the National Equine Welfare Council to monitor trends in the sector.


The Action Plan for Animal Welfare includes commitments to pursuing the licensing of animal sanctuaries, rescue and rehoming centres including for cats, dogs and horses. Defra has been engaging with relevant organisations to understand their views and the possible impacts of regulating the sector. Any proposals to bring forward licensing regulations will be subject to a consultation.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to raise public awareness of the Countryside Code.

The Countryside Code was refreshed and relaunched in 2021 and a long term campaign to promote the messages of the code began. Over the last two years Natural England has worked with a variety of stakeholders and partners to promote the Code. A major focus of the campaign has been engaging with new audiences through the use of social media and other innovative communication techniques. Over the last year we have used social media influencers to engage with new audiences and built dedicated webpages (www.countrysidecode.org) which has allowed us to share campaign assets with the public. For 2023/24 we will continue to build on our partnership work including taking the Countryside Code to face to face events and we are in the process of setting up an exciting project that will provide branding and resources for our younger audience.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what are the current recycling rates in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Bosworth constituency; and if she will make a comparative assessment of recycling rates in Leicestershire and other counties.

The UK harmonised recycling rate for local authority collected ‘waste from households’ was 44.4% in 2020. In 2020-21, the 'household' recycling rate for Leicestershire County Council was 43.3%, and for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council was 44.8%. However please note that as they are measured differently, the harmonised measure and local recycling rates are not directly comparable.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Food is GREAT campaign on levels of British dairy exports.

The UK Government's food and drink promotional activity overseas is led by the GREAT campaign team in Defra and delivered in partnership with the Department for International Trade (DIT). It is active in Japan, China, the USA and UAE.

While there has been a downturn in global exports due to the pandemic, the GREAT Food and Drink campaign has continued to support DIT export objectives through collaborative development of promotional initiatives that convert to export wins.

In the last year the GREAT Food and Drink campaign supported export wins of over £75 million, including dairy exports wins of £25million; a return on investment of 50:1.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with representatives of supermarkets on encouraging customers to (i) understand the red traffic label in terms of product assurance and (ii) buy British when choosing dairy products.

Defra regularly engages with retailers and hosts a monthly Retailer Forum. This allows Government to maintain a full picture of the issues affecting the supply chain, discuss retailers' role in delivering Government objectives, introduce emerging policies and address sectoral concerns such as labour supply.

This Government is delivering on its Manifesto commitment for people at home and abroad to be lining up to buy British. British dairy has a great reputation for quality, built on high animal welfare standards, strong environmental protection, traceability and sustainability. These are strong selling points for consumers both at home and abroad. We welcome efforts from all parts of the food chain to promote and source local, British products and it is encouraging that many supermarkets are already taking steps to do so. We are engaging with retailers to identify opportunities to further strengthen their offer on locally sourced food.

The Government is committed to optimising food information so that consumers can make informed choices. Origin information is provided voluntarily for the majority of dairy products, and the Government is exploring ways in which we can strengthen existing origin regulations and provide clearer information to consumers. Industry assurance schemes such as Red Tractor can also help to build consumer confidence in producers who can comply with specific health, welfare or environmental standards. Other voluntary schemes, such as the front of pack traffic light scheme also play an important role in communicating information to shoppers in a way that is easy to understand.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) innovation and (b) domestic processing capacity in the UK dairy industry in order that that industry is able to maximise opportunities presented by emerging markets.

The Government is committed to encouraging a thriving, innovative, and globally competitive dairy industry where farms can be profitable and environmentally sustainable without subsidy. We will always champion our dairy sectors, supporting them to produce, sell, and export more of our great British food.

The Government is supporting investment in productivity-boosting equipment, technology and infrastructure. The Farming Investment Fund, which opened in November 2021, provides grants to farmers, including dairy farmers, that will help their businesses to prosper.

Innovation in agriculture also ensures that British dairy farmers remain globally competitive. Through our £270 million Farming Innovation Programme, dairy farmers in England can apply for funding to develop new, innovative methods and technologies. Amongst others, we are funding projects to develop autonomous livestock monitoring systems and new ways to process slurry to convert it into fertiliser.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare published in May 2021, what his Department's timescale is for conducting and concluding a public consultation on the use of cages in the farming of hens and pigs.

The Government are committed to phasing out confinement systems and supporting the industry to do so, not least to underpin UK food security. However, as reiterated by the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food at the ‘End the Cage Age’ debate held in June, we do need to work carefully and sensitively with the pig and poultry sectors as any transition must be done with, rather than against, these industries.

This is an extremely challenging time for Britain’s farmers, with enormously increased input costs — of food, fuel and fertiliser — affecting almost all production systems to a greater or lesser extent, and of course for the general public who are faced with significant challenges around the cost of living.

So, any decisions by Government on this issue, including timing of consultations, must be carefully considered in light of these wider, and clearly highly important, priorities. We have a course of action in play and will progress with our plans to transition away from use of cages in farming systems as soon as the time is right.

30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant local stakeholders to tackle fly tipping near motorways in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire.

We commissioned WRAP to deliver a pilot fly-tipping intervention grant to help local authorities trial new approaches to tackle fly-tipping at hotspots. This includes a project trialling the use of AI enabled CCTV in conjunction with automatic number plate recognition to tackle fly-tipping at motorway laybys. If successful, this intervention could be replicated by others.

We understand that enforcement plays a key role in tackling fly-tipping. In a new trial, National Highways will be collecting evidence of littering and fly-tipping across the Strategic Road Network and will be working with relevant local authorities to support prosecution.

National Highways also supports local authorities in Leicestershire, as with other counties, to reduce the cost of removing waste on the trunk roads they are responsible for by providing opportunities for them to share their upcoming traffic management and road closures.

30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group on disseminating good practice on the prevention of fly tipping.

We work closely with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, whose members contribute on a voluntary basis, to promote and share best practice. The group has published various guides on tackling the issue, along with a range of case studies, and we use our influence to disseminate these as widely as possible. We are currently working with the group to produce a best practice fly-tipping toolkit and have recently published the first part on their website:

www.tacklingflytipping.com/Documents/NFTPG-Files/FlyTipping-Toolkit-Cases.pdf.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to raise public awareness of the importance of waste collection by operatives following relevant regulations and guidance.

The Environment Act 2021 amends the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to introduce new requirements around waste collection in England. Our 2019 and 2021 'Consistency in Household and Business Recycling' consultations looked into the detail of these requirements.

We intend to publish statutory guidance to help local authorities, and other waste collectors, comply with the separate collection requirements and may also include best practice around collection. We will consult with the sector on the content of the guidance in 2022, following the outcome of our 2021 consultation on consistency in recycling.

The Environment Agency is the regulator of this system.

For business waste collections the onus is on company owners to check that the waste collection companies they are using are registered with the Environment Agency and have appropriate permits. If they are found to be using a company that is not registered, they could face criminal charges.

Alongside the statutory guidance, we will lay regulations which will include materials in scope of collection, timings for introduction and any exemptions to collection. Further details on this will be outlined in our Government response, which will be published in due course.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) stakeholder and (b) public awareness of the polluter pays principle in the disposal of commercial waste.

No assessment has been made. Every business that produces or deals with waste has a duty of care to make sure that their waste is dealt with properly and does not end up being treated or disposed of illegally. Legitimate waste sites play a critical role in managing commercial waste to achieve high levels of resource efficiency, and are responsible for operating within regulated limits to protect the environment and human health. Where pollution occurs, the regulator will take steps to ensure that those responsible are held to account, be they a waste producer or a site operator or owner.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the practice of people collecting waste from householders for a charge and subsequently fly-tipping the material.

There are shortcomings in the current registration system for carriers, brokers and dealers of waste, which is why we are currently consulting on its reform. We are also consulting on the introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking so we can know better where our waste ends up. Together, these measures will help to ensure that waste is dealt with appropriately and will reduce opportunities for waste crime.

Householders in England and Wales already have a duty to ensure they only transfer their household waste to an ‘authorised person’. Those who fail in this duty may be subject to prosecution or a fixed penalty notice.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure reliable and consistent statistical reporting of fly tipping incidents.

Defra publishes statistics on fly-tipping incidents as reported by local authorities in England. The intention is to capture all fly tipping incidents on public land.

All local authorities have been issued with detailed guidance on how to report fly-tipping and training is also offered. The guidance sets out what should be recorded on the database. Recently, the guidance has been amended to reinforce to local authorities that incidents from all sources should be reported. In addition, data verification and quality assurance are carried out by Defra.

Defra collects information on the basis of reporting in order to improve transparency in the reported data. Further information can be found in the methodology section of the Statistical Notice.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) fixed penalty notices and (b) court penalties at deterring fly tipping.

Whilst we have not conducted formal assessment on the effectiveness of fixed penalty notices and court penalties at deterring fly tipping, we commissioned a research project in 2021 considering the drivers, deterrents and impacts of fly-tipping. This research project, which considered the role of enforcement and sanctions among other things, is due to be completed in the spring and will inform policy making.

We will continue to monitor the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of the current enforcement regime.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support effective coordinated action between relevant agencies on tackling fly tipping.

Defra continues to chair the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) which is made up a wide range of interested bodies including the National Police Chiefs Council, enforcement agencies, organisations representing private landowners and local authorities to explore ways to tackle fly-tipping and share best practice. We are currently working with the NFTPG to produce a fly-tipping toolkit. We intend to publish the first part of this toolkit, a guide on how councils and others can present robust prosecutions, shortly. Future elements of the toolkit will cover how local authorities can set up effective fly-tipping partnerships, the use of new technology to report fly-tipping and the sharing of intelligence between relevant stakeholders.

In addition, the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) was launched in 2020. The JUWC is a taskforce dedicated to tackling serious and organised criminality in the waste sector, including the most serious incidents of large-scale illegal dumping. The Unit brings together agencies across the UK including: the Environment Agency; Natural Resources Wales; the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; the Northern Ireland EA; the Police; HMRC; the British Transport Police; and the National Crime Agency.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on (a) implementing the Resource and Waste Strategy and (b) developing a fly-tipping toolkit.

(a) We publish annual monitoring and evaluation reports on our objectives set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which are available online via GOV.uk.[1]

(b) We have worked with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to develop the first part of the fly-tipping toolkit, a guide to help local authorities and others present robust cases to court as a means of securing tougher sentences. We intend to publish this shortly.

[1] Resources and waste strategy for England: monitoring and evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of the severity of the deterrent for flytipping.

We expect local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land, prosecute fly-tippers when there is sufficient evidence and recover investigation, enforcement and clearance costs where possible.

Investigations have consistently been the most common action taken against fly-tipping incidents over time, accounting for 69% of all actions in 2020/21, with 316,000 investigations in total. This is an increase of 7% from 2019/20, where 296,000 investigations were carried out.

In 2016 we legislated to introduce a fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping of up to £400.

In addition, vehicles of those suspected of committing a waste crime, including fly-tipping, can be searched and seized.

For more serious offences, prosecution allows for both an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. While sentencing is a matter for courts, we have worked with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to develop a guide to help local authorities and others present robust cases to court as a means of securing tougher sentences. We intend to publish this shortly.

I was pleased to see that Aylesbury Crown Court recently sentenced a serial fly-tipper who dumped rubbish in multiple local authorities to 21 months in prison and ordered his van seized.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the ability of local authorities to (a) investigate all incidents of fly-tipping in a timely manner and (b) prosecute fly-tippers in the event that they have sufficient evidence of that offence.

We expect local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land, prosecute fly-tippers when there is sufficient evidence and recover investigation, enforcement and clearance costs where possible.

Investigations have consistently been the most common action taken against fly-tipping incidents over time, accounting for 69% of all actions in 2020/21, with 316,000 investigations in total. This is an increase of 7% from 2019/20, where 296,000 investigations were carried out.

In 2016 we legislated to introduce a fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping of up to £400.

In addition, vehicles of those suspected of committing a waste crime, including fly-tipping, can be searched and seized.

For more serious offences, prosecution allows for both an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. While sentencing is a matter for courts, we have worked with the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to develop a guide to help local authorities and others present robust cases to court as a means of securing tougher sentences. We intend to publish this shortly.

I was pleased to see that Aylesbury Crown Court recently sentenced a serial fly-tipper who dumped rubbish in multiple local authorities to 21 months in prison and ordered his van seized.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
29th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) current and (b) emerging health and wellbeing challenges experienced by farming communities.

We have built strong partnerships with Farm Welfare charities & support groups to exchange information and aid understanding of the current issues and challenges around health and wellbeing. We recently collaborated with the RABI on their Big Farming Survey, the results of which were launched at an event on 14 October. The findings from that survey align with our wider understanding drawn from our evolving evidence base where we know that a complex mix of factors influence mental health and wellbeing in the farming community. The RABI report highlights both stress drivers and opportunities and all these points are similarly represented in our existing evidence. Personal wellbeing is linked to business reliance, as well as regulations and changes in policies and within our Future Farming and Countryside Programme we are committed to supporting business opportunities as well as deliver new schemes in a way that can strengthen wellbeing.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
21st Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on developing proposals for the reform of the waste, carrier, broker and dealer regime.

Reforms to the waste brokers and dealers licensing, alongside our electronic waste tracking reforms, offer the opportunity to take a huge step forward in the fight against fly-tipping and waste crime. We expect to consult on them shortly.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
21st Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department is making on developing a fly-tipping toolkit to support local authorities and other parties to tackle fly-tipping.

The development of the fly-tipping toolkit was delayed as a result of the department switching focus to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. It remains an important piece of work and we expect to complete the first element on ‘presenting robust cases to court’ early next year, following the conclusion of additional research we commissioned in this area.

We are taking further steps to clamp down on waste crime such as taking powers to introduce electronic waste tracking; consulting on reforms to the waste carrier, broker, and dealer regime; and strengthening powers to detect and prosecute waste criminals through the Environment Bill.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support innovation and the use of new technology by farmers.

The Government is investing to unlock innovation and translate our world leading research into practical farmer-led solutions that improve the productivity, sustainability and resilience of agriculture and move towards net zero emission farming systems.

Our £90 million investment in the ‘Transforming Food Production’ (TFP) challenge, launched in 2018, is supporting ground-breaking research and development so farmers will be able to harness the latest technology to produce high quality food, increase their productivity and move towards net zero emission farming systems by 2040. This will put the UK at the forefront of advanced sustainable agriculture and food production while reducing emissions, pollution, waste and soil erosion.

We have also recently launched a £14.5 million Defra-funded collaborative agricultural Research & Development competition ‘Farming Innovation Pathways’ targeting existing and new farm focused innovation, which will also be delivered through the TFP initiative.

In Autumn we are building on this momentum and launching a new R&D funding package for England as part of the proposed measures to stimulate innovation and boost sustainable productivity in agriculture and horticulture as we move away from the CAP system of farming subsidy payments. The Farming Innovation Programme will de-risk industry investment in innovation and pull-through R&D to deliver farmer-led solutions to common challenges and opportunities. Our ambitious proposals for future investment in R&D for England will enable more farmers and agri-food businesses to become involved in R&D, maximising the impact of investment and improving the take up of innovation on farms.

Later this year we will also be opening the new Farming Investment Fund which will provide grants to farmers, foresters and growers (including contractors to these sectors) so that they can invest in the equipment, technology and infrastructure that will help their businesses to prosper, while improving their productivity and enhancing the environment. These grants will help producers to focus on more efficient production methods that will reduce resource costs, improve yields, and give them a better return.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage local public sector bodies to procure locally produced food.

We have a manifesto commitment to encourage the public sector to buy British. To help meet this commitment, we will be consulting on proposals to strengthen the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services early in 2022. The consultation will seek views on ways to promote greater take-up of local produce and make public procurement more accessible to SMEs.

We are also working across Government to identify and trial innovative approaches to public food procurement. This includes a pilot in the South West, in collaboration with Crown Commercial Services, aimed at simplifying the route into the public sector for local and sustainable SME businesses. If successful, the trial could be rolled out nationally, extending opportunities to food producers from all regions and nations of the UK.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to maintain UK (a) food security and (b) self-sufficiency in key food products.

Food supply is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are joint Lead Government Departments (LGDs), Defra leading on supply and the FSA on food safety. As such we work closely with the Cabinet Office and other LGDs ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust supply chains domestically, and from a diverse range of other stable countries. We produce 60% of our entire food supply need, and that increases to 74% for indigenous food that we can grow or rear here in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have been steady over the past 20 years. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

Defra and the FSA have well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.

The Government has a duty to report triennially on food security in Section 19 of the Agriculture Act 2020. The reports will cover a range of current issues relevant to food security including the resilience of the food supply chain. The first such report is due to be published before 25th December 2021.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that UK food security is incorporated into the Government’s national emergency preparedness.

Food supply is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are joint Lead Government Departments (LGDs), Defra leading on supply and the FSA on food safety. As such we work closely with the Cabinet Office and other LGDs ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust supply chains domestically, and from a diverse range of other stable countries. We produce 60% of our entire food supply need, and that increases to 74% for indigenous food that we can grow or rear here in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have been steady over the past 20 years. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

Defra and the FSA have well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.

The Government has a duty to report triennially on food security in Section 19 of the Agriculture Act 2020. The reports will cover a range of current issues relevant to food security including the resilience of the food supply chain. The first such report is due to be published before 25th December 2021.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to involve (a) Leicestershire and (b) other food and drink producing counties in the development of a marketing strategy for British food exports.

The Government has a manifesto commitment that ‘we want people, both at home and abroad, to be lining up to buy British’.

We are working with the sector to raise domestic and international awareness of the UK’s growing reputation for high-quality food and drink produced to high standards of food safety, animal welfare and sustainability. This will provide a catalyst for growth for all regions of the UK and increase global recognition of the UK as an innovative food nation.

Defra works in tandem with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Cabinet Office to deliver the food and drink pillar of the GREAT campaign, which helps businesses to succeed in overseas markets by building global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink. The campaign showcases exemplar food and drink products from all parts of the UK, including quality local and protected food and drink from our regions. For example, in recent activity we have highlighted traditional Melton Mowbray pork pies, Red Leicester cheese and craft gin from Leicestershire.

The GREAT food and drink campaign is focused on priority markets, including the USA, China, Japan and the UAE. Activity is being planned across all priority markets for the coming year, where we will work with UK businesses and UK overseas posts to promote the best of UK food and drink on the international stage.

In addition, the Government is appointing more dedicated ‘agri-food attachés’ to act as representatives on the ground to unlock key markets across the world. This will build on the excellent teams already working in our Embassies around the world.

We are also establishing a Food and Drink Exports Council to work collaboratively to expand our food and drink exports strategy. In tandem, we are strengthening our technical expertise as well as our farmers and producers’ understanding of export markets to ensure that food and drink exporters are able to benefit from market opportunities.

We are providing food and drink companies with advice and tools to build export capability. DIT recently launched its Open Doors campaign with a focus on the food and drink sector. This provides companies with access to online tutorials, webinars, mentoring and specialist advice to help them capitalise on export opportunities across the world.

Taken together, this range of initiatives will support food and drink businesses from across the UK to access growing opportunities to export.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department is making on the preparations for an update to the Marine strategy part three.

Defra and the Devolved Administrations have carried out a comprehensive review of existing and new measures that will contribute to the achievement and maintenance of Good Environment Status. This review has been synthesised into a proposed update to the UK Marine Strategy Part Three, and we intend to launch a consultation for the Part Three Programme of Measures during September. The consultation period will last 12 weeks and will allow stakeholders the opportunity to review our proposals and shape the development of the Programme of Measures. We will carefully consider stakeholder feedback to guide the final iteration of the updated UK Marine Strategy Part Three.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timeframe is for the call for evidence in respect of the development of the Chemicals Strategy.

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan commits to a new Chemicals Strategy to tackle chemicals of national concern. Following the end of the Transition Period and our departure from the EU, the Government is developing an ambitious Chemicals Framework which will set out our immediate priorities, alongside any actions we will need to take to achieve safer and more environmentally sustainable management of chemicals for present and future generations. We are continuing to gather evidence and engage with stakeholders as an important part of developing our Framework, including reviewing the timeframe for a Call for Evidence with the aim of publishing the Framework in 2022.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the Petfished campaign to the general public.

Petfished was launched in March 2020 ahead of Lucy's Law coming into force. The campaign aims to encourage prospective owners to stop and question 'who's the person behind the pet?', and to research the seller before visiting the animal.

The campaign has been delivered in three phases. This included a launch in March 2020 followed by subsequent pushes around the traditional peak seasons for sales (summer and pre-Christmas). Alongside the media launch in March 2020 the campaign was promoted at Crufts where our campaign video "Hero" was played in the arena. In July 2020 the campaign was promoted by an open letter signed by pet-loving celebrities and charity and veterinary organisations, as well as in interviews given by the Chief Veterinary Officer with BBC Breakfast and Sky News to discuss campaign messaging. In November 2020 the Petfished campaign was promoted in the media through the '12 Days of Petfished' video which outlined the risks posed by deceitful sellers.

Defra has promoted Petfished through its social media channels, supported by key stakeholders including the charity and veterinary sectors. The campaign has also been supported by a number of commercial partners who have provided support through pro-bono activities such as social media support, blogs, email marketing and website advertising space. Petfished messages have been promoted on popular search engines and social media sites. All the communications led back to our Petfished website where prospective buyers can obtain further advice and resources.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
21st Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Petfished campaign.

Initial indications are that the Petfished campaign has successfully raised awareness of how to source a new pet in the right way. Overall our campaign has secured 106 pieces of coverage in the media, and content posted on social media by Defra and supportive stakeholders has received over 215,000 engagements. Campaign activity has led to over 270,000 visits to our campaign site.

Our latest YouGov polling of prospective pet owners reveals that Petfished has contributed to the doubling of awareness of low-welfare pet sellers and has generated an increase in confidence recognising the signs of a deceitful seller when looking to buy or adopt a cat, dog, puppy or kitten.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a follow-up independent study of the research undertaken in 2013 on the effect of sky lanterns and helium balloons on the health and welfare of livestock.

Defra’s study of 2013 Sky lanterns and helium balloons: an assessment of impacts on livestock and the environment suggested that, while anecdotal reports and media coverage could imply that there is widespread concern from farming groups and others over the impacts of sky lanterns and balloons on the health and welfare of livestock, the evidence presented indicated that the number of cases reported each year of animals affected through ingestion of sky lantern and balloon debris is very small in the context of the wider livestock population. While it is recognised that there may be a significant level of under-reporting, on the basis of the evidence presented, we have concluded that the overall impact is very limited. No further assessment has been done on this.

General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (SI 1803) make it an offence to place a product on the market that is not safe. In addition, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has published a Code of Practice for sky lanterns, which aims to provide guidance for manufacturers, importers, and retailers.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
15th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on (a) implementing non-regulatory measures to minimise the risks associated with and (b) increasing the safety standards of sky lanterns and helium balloons.

Defra’s study of 2013 Sky lanterns and helium balloons: an assessment of impacts on livestock and the environment suggested that, while anecdotal reports and media coverage could imply that there is widespread concern from farming groups and others over the impacts of sky lanterns and balloons on the health and welfare of livestock, the evidence presented indicated that the number of cases reported each year of animals affected through ingestion of sky lantern and balloon debris is very small in the context of the wider livestock population. While it is recognised that there may be a significant level of under-reporting, on the basis of the evidence presented, we have concluded that the overall impact is very limited. No further assessment has been done on this.

General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (SI 1803) make it an offence to place a product on the market that is not safe. In addition, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has published a Code of Practice for sky lanterns, which aims to provide guidance for manufacturers, importers, and retailers.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
1st Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to develop a Chemicals Strategy.

Work on the Chemicals strategy is underway. It will build on a robust statutory regime and our international obligations and set out direction of travel on important policies. The next key milestone is the Call for Evidence in 2021. It will help inform the development of a draft Strategy for consultation.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the farming community to tackle difficulties arising from the bad harvest in 2020.

Defra has established the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) which is meeting on a trial basis during the transition period and will go ‘live’ on 01/01/21. It monitors UK agricultural markets, which includes barley and other grains, including price, supply, trade and recent developments, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements. We engage regularly with arable stakeholders to understand and respond to concerns and issues raised by the farming community.

An extremely wet winter followed by a dry spring, have provided us with difficult harvest conditions this year. In March this year, the Government announced new measures to help farmers recover from recent flooding. The Government has supported farmers through relaxing crop diversification requirements, known as the "three crop rule", as farmers in flooded areas had suggested they would have difficulty complying with the rule this year.

We are actively supporting farmers in their planting decisions as the transition period ends and we head into 2021. The landmark Agriculture Act, which has just received Royal Assent, allows the Government to simplify the Basic Payment Scheme and cut red tape faced by farmers. With effect from the 2021 scheme year, farmers will no longer have to comply with the so-called greening requirements.

The Government has granted approximately 1,700 farmers and land managers financial support to build resilience in their business models ahead of the changes through the agricultural transition period between 2021-27.The projects cover a range of business and wellbeing support approaches and measures across different sectors and regions to improve the resilience and mental health of farmers. Defra will closely monitor and evaluate these projects to support decisions on how to provide stronger support throughout the beginning of the transition period.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
12th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has has made of the robustness of flood defences in Bosworth following the 2019 floods; and what steps he is taking to prevent further flooding in advance of autumn and winter 2020-21 in Bosworth.

The Environment Agency (EA) is not aware of any fluvial (river) flood event that impacted Bosworth in 2019. There is a flood storage area in the district of Bosworth that requires routine low key maintenance.

Looking ahead to autumn and winter 2020-21, the Environment Agency is continuing to deliver its annual routine maintenance programme to ensure any blockages or debris that may cause an increase in flood risk are managed and Leicestershire is ready should flooding occur.

Across England, the Environment Agency works with Councils and other partners to prepare for, manage, and recover from flood incidents. The Environment Agency shares information, forecasts and advice with partners via daily telephone conferences and email communications during flood events – with all partners working together collectively under the banner of a Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to respond.

The Environment Agency provides a Flood Warning Service, to help residents prepare for potential flooding. Residents can visit www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings or call 0345 988 1188 to sign up to get Flood Alerts and Warnings by phone, email and/or text message. This is a free service. Alternatively they can contact Flood Resilience Engagement Advisors Floodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk

Operationally, the Environment Agency is the lead authority for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea, as well as being a coastal erosion risk management authority. County Councils act as a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and have the 'lead' role in managing flood risk from surface water including from most highways and roads, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. Furthermore, the local water company may be able to provide information on local flood risk associated with the sewage network.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid 19 outbreak on recycling rates in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire.

Kerbside residual and recycling collections are a high priority for the Government. There has not yet been a formal assessment made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on recycling rates in the UK or in Leicestershire. Publication of local authority waste data for England by Defra is on an annual basis and figures covering the period April 2020 to March 2021 are due to be published in November 2021.

However, a survey of local authorities by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Transport and Planning indicates that most local authorities were able to maintain recycling collections to a near normal level. Both recycling and residual waste from households were reported by many authorities to be significantly higher than normal, but the effect of COVID-19 on recycling rates at this time is unknown.

www.adeptnet.org.uk/covid-19-waste-survey-results

At the start of lockdown in March, Defra officials worked with local authorities to help them continue their waste collections, including collections of recycling. We published guidance to help local authorities prioritise waste collection services and to keep their household waste and recycling centres open while observing social distancing guidance.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the practice of puppy smuggling in the UK.

Defra takes the issue of puppy smuggling and other illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to puppies and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk. We have legislation in place to ensure those guilty of offences are duly punished.

Defra is in regular contact with the companion animal welfare sector to discuss matters including dog breeding and sales activity. There has been a high level of demand for pets as more people have been staying at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. We recognise that there are risks of people unknowingly buying puppies which have been bred in poor welfare conditions whether at home or abroad.

Defra’s “Petfished” campaign was launched in March 2020 to support the third party sales ban by raising the public’s awareness of the consequences of buying from a low-welfare seller and challenging the assumption that it is easy to spot bad practice. The campaign also signposts to resources available to help them make a good decision.

By its very nature, robust data and evidence on the extent of illegal criminal puppy smuggling is not readily available. However, many countries applied restrictions to the movement of individuals in response to COVID-19, and these restrictions may also have impacted on the number of journeys to the UK involving illegal puppy smuggling.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with animal welfare charities on the effect of lifestyle changes in response to the covid-19 outbreak on trends in the level of unwanted pets.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Defra’s animal welfare team has been in regular contact with the sector to understand the impacts and what is needed from government. I am grateful for the work done by animal welfare charities to promote advice for pet owners and look after animals during this difficult time.

The Association of Dogs & Cats Homes and the National Equine Welfare Council undertook surveys in May 2020 of their members and wider rescue and rehoming organisations to establish the extent of the impact of Covid-19 on the sector. The surveys were carried out when many restrictions were still in place, many of which have now been lifted. In relation to unwanted pets, findings showed that:

  • 30% of equine organisations reported that more horses were being abandoned compared to 5% reporting less.
  • 15% of rescues reported that more cats are being abandoned. Only 15% of rescue organisations reported an increase in dogs being abandoned with 22% reporting fewer dogs being abandoned than normal. 20% of members reported taking in less strays. Only 22% reported that more people wish to hand over their dogs.
  • 68% of rescues reported more people wish to foster equines, dogs or cats and 58% wish to rehome an equine, dog or cat.

We shall continue to engage with the sector to keep monitoring trends in the level of unwanted pets.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
30th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the general public to respect the natural environment and avoid littering as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Defra has released a range of digital content over social media that explains what individuals can do to protect others and the environment. This includes advice on how to enjoy outdoor spaces responsibly, such as by taking rubbish home when there are no bins available, and how to dispose of personal protective equipment appropriately. This digital content is available at:

www.linkedin.com/posts/defra_coronavirus-stayalert-activity-6672424604566376449-R-Iy;

twitter.com/DefraGovUK/status/1272770631780700162; and

twitter.com/DefraGovUK/status/1276046970621173760.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent an increase in the level of animal cruelty during the covid-19 outbreak.

I am very aware of the issues currently facing organisations who are on the frontline as regards tackling animal cruelty. My department is in regular contact with the main bodies representing the animal welfare sector, including the RSPCA, Canine and Feline Sector Group, the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and the equine welfare charities to understand their position and offer advice.

The Government has supported the sector providing guidance which enables it to continue to operate within the current restrictions, available here: www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Guidance%20for%20Pet%20Rescues.pdf.

We have also encouraged the sector to consider all the various financial support already announced by the Chancellor, and issued guidance for the charity sector which provides further information, available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector.

Social enterprises such as community interest companies can benefit from all of the measures set out by the Chancellor to benefit small businesses. We are also exploring options for and giving advice to the sector on the possibility of assistance from the additional specific fund recently announced by the Chancellor to support charities. We have also exempted veterinary practices from having to close so that they continue to treat animals in need of veterinary attention and to help provide for their good welfare.

Powers are available under existing legislation to tackle anyone who commits cruelty on an animal. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities and police have powers to investigate complaints about poor welfare or animal cruelty. In addition, the RSPCA can also investigate such complaints. Animal charities carry out valuable work to ensure that the health and welfare needs of sick, abandoned and stray animals in their care continue to be met.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that animal charities are able to continue working with animals during the covid-19 outbreak.

I am very aware of the issues currently facing organisations in this sector with falls in income and pressure on staff. My department is in regular contact with the main bodies representing the sector, including the Canine and Feline Sector Group, the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and the equine welfare charities to understand their position and offer advice.

The Government has supported the sector providing guidance which enables it to continue to operate within the current restrictions, available here: www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Guidance%20for%20Pet%20Rescues.pdf.

We have also encouraged the sector to consider all the various financial support already announced by the Chancellor, and issued guidance for the charity sector which provides further information, available here:

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector.

Social enterprises such as community interest companies (CICs) and charitable zoos can benefit from the measures set out by the Chancellor to benefit small businesses. We are also exploring options for and giving advice to the sector on the possibility of assistance from the additional specific fund recently announced by the Chancellor to support charities. We have already announced, for zoos in severe financial distress, a Zoos Support Fund for licensed zoos in England. Zoos policy is devolved. Funding is being provided to the Devolved Administrations in line with the Barnett formula. Where a zoo is in severe financial distress and has fully explored and exhausted all other reasonable avenues to generate income and reduce costs, including the existing COVID-19 business support schemes, then they should approach Defra as quickly as possible. Defra has already written to all licensed zoos in England to make them aware of the COVID-19 support schemes available as well as the new Zoo Support Fund.

We have also exempted veterinary practices from having to close so that they continue to treat animals in need of veterinary attention and to help provide for their good welfare.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent an increase in fly-tipping in rural areas during the covid-19 outbreak.

Fly-tipping is illegal, unacceptable wherever it occurs, and the Government is committed to tackling this crime.

We are aware of reports of an increase in fly-tipping, although this is not consistent across the country. Local authorities are maintaining the vast majority of household waste collections, with 99% of councils responding to a weekly survey by ADEPT reporting residual and recycling collections as operational. We have published guidance to help local authorities prioritise waste services. This recommends that the clearance of fly-tipped material should be given a high priority.

The Government is working with local authorities to explore ways in which household waste recycling centres that have been closed might be re-opened, whilst observing social distancing and other requirements. We will be publishing guidance for local authorities on the re-opening of household waste recycling centres shortly.

Through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, chaired by Defra, we have disseminated messaging promoting the secure storage of waste, use of registered waste carriers and reiterating that waste must not be fly-tipped.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to stabilise the price of milk during the covid-19 outbreak.

Defra is working closely with the dairy industry to manage the impact of Covid-19. Demand for milk and some dairy products has increased in supermarkets and the vast majority of Britain’s dairy farmers continue to supply their contracts at the usual price. However, between 5 and 10 per cent of total milk production goes to the service trade, and these farmers have been impacted by the significantly reduced demand.

In order to support affected farmers, we have eased some elements of competition law to make it easier for processors to come together to maximise production and processing and storage efficiency until shops, restaurants and pubs are able to open again. This SI will be laid shortly and will apply retrospectively from the 1 April 2020. We have asked the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Dairy UK to work with farmers and processors to help industry take advantage of these easements.

Public intervention for skimmed milk powder and butter also continues to be available. Industry can sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. This provides a floor price for dairy products.

Furthermore, the dairy industry can access various Government backed loan schemes. The Covid-19 Business Interruption Loans scheme is available to farmers, milk buyers and milk processors. In addition, the new Bounce Back Loan scheme, which will apply to businesses operating in agriculture, will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans. The government will provide lenders of this latter scheme with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to provide them with the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.

We will continue to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain to support the sector throughout this challenging period.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
20th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of the supermarket industry on introducing mobile supermarkets to enable key workers to shop for food at (a) hospitals, (b) schools, (c) police stations and (d) other places of work.

The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Our retailers already have highly resilient supply chains and they are working around the clock to ensure people have the food and products they need. Industry is adapting quickly to these changes in demands, and food supply into and across the UK is resilient.

The Government has not had discussions with industry on introducing mobile supermarkets to enable key workers to shop for food. We welcome efforts by supermarkets to ensure that key workers can continue to get the food and groceries they need and will continue to work with industry to discuss any additional support Government can provide.

To help industry respond to this unprecedented demand we have introduced other measures to keep food supply flowing. We have issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and we have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours. We are also temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law to ensure retailers are able to collaborate effectively in the national interest.

Representatives of our leading supermarkets have asked customers to shop considerately and we echo their call.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to classify keepers of animals in zoos and conservation centres as key workers so that they can continue to care for animals in the event that their site is closed during the covid-19 outbreak.

We value the very important work undertaken by zoos in ensuring that the health and welfare needs of the diverse range of animals they care for are well met. Zoos support much appreciated conservation and educational activities which are highly valued by society.

The Government has published guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others which clarifies that zoos are not on the list of businesses and venues that have been ordered to close. This guidance also confirms that people may travel for work purposes where they cannot work from home. Those caring for zoo animals are unable to do so from home.

The Government has published guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision which indicates which workers may secure places in schools and nurseries to enable them to continue to work. This includes those essential to the running of charities and workers delivering key frontline services.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of relaxing restrictions on the transportation of pets for British nationals repatriating to the UK as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Defra is monitoring the situation and at the current time we do not consider there to be a need to relax restrictions on the transportation of pets for British nationals repatriating to the UK as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We will continue to monitor this closely and will consider specific cases where individuals are not able to fulfil the requirements. Protecting biosecurity and the health of the UK pet population remains a high priority.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
11th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he is making to ensure that the UK will maintain food standards in trade policy after the transition period.

Defra has worked closely with the Food Standards Agency and Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the regulatory regime for food safety remains robust now the UK has left the European Union, in order to protect public health and retain the confidence of consumers and international trading partners. We will continue to ensure that without exception all imports of food meet the stringent food safety standards required of our domestic producers and we will not compromise on this in trade negotiations. Our Food Standards Agency’s independent advice will ensure this will remain the case.

We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will carry over EU law into UK law. Now that we have left the EU the UK will take its own sovereign decisions on standards and regulations in line with the principles of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and other relevant internationally recognised guidance. The Government remains committed to promoting robust food standards nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests and ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
11th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the development of the legal recognition of animal sentience.

I refer my Hon. Friend to the reply given to the Hon. Member for City of Chester, Christian Matheson, on 20 January 2020, PQ 3774.

Any necessary changes required to domestic law will be made in a rigorous and comprehensive way after the transition period.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
24th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of dredging rivers on flood prevention.

The Environment Agency (EA) prioritises those activities which achieve the greatest benefit in terms of better protecting people and property from flooding. Dredging and clearing channels are important parts of the EA’s maintenance regime, when it improves the channel’s ability to carry increased river flows and manage flood risk.

In 2010, the EA carried out a comprehensive series of trials to review and update understanding of the benefits and effectiveness of dredging as one method for maintaining channel conveyance. The trials showed that dredging can reduce flood risk, but its effectiveness and value for money varies significantly depending on the location. Since then, further studies have been carried out, validating the results of this trial, including the Thames bathymetry review, which reached a similar conclusion. In many cases, rivers naturally return to their pre-dredged state very quickly, and therefore any flood risk benefits are so short lived that the work cannot be economically justified. The implications for downstream communities also need to be considered.

The Somerset Rivers Authority and internal drainage boards have trialled alternative methods for dredging. These included small-scale trials of both cutter suction and water injection dredging, and a full-scale 5km trial using water injection dredging on the River Parrett. The trials demonstrated some potential to reduce costs of dredging in tidal rivers.

In 2014, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management produced an independent report entitled ‘Floods and dredging, A reality check’. This explored the effectiveness of dredging and is available at:

https://www.ciwem.org/assets/pdf/Policy/Reports/Floods-and-Dredging-a-reality-check.pdf

The EA uses the results of such trials and studies to decide where and how dredging will be effective, on a case-by-case basis.

Typically over each of the past three years the EA has spent between £45 million and £55 million a year on channel maintenance of which between £5 million and £11 million is for dredging. Channel maintenance includes a range of activities to maintain conveyance such as dredging, weed cutting and removing blockages.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle fly tipping in Bosworth constituency.

Fly-tipping is an unacceptable blight on local communities, wherever it occurs, and a crime that the Government is committed to tackling. In recent years we have bolstered local authorities’ powers to tackle fly-tipping.

Local authorities, such as Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, have a range of powers available to tackle fly-tipping. This includes the power to take those accused of fly-tipping to court. If a fly-tipper is convicted in a Magistrates’ Court, the offence is punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment. If they are convicted in a Crown Court, the offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to five years’ imprisonment.

We have cracked down on offenders by working with the Sentencing Council to strengthen the guidance for environmental offences. We will keep this guidance under review as we deliver on our manifesto commitment to secure tougher penalties. We will continue to work with magistrates and the Judicial Office to ensure magistrates are effectively trained in the use of the guidance and are aware of the prevalence of waste crime and the significance of its impact on local communities. This will help to ensure that fly-tippers receive appropriate sentences for the offence they have committed.

Local authorities have powers to search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, and the power to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £400 for fly-tipping offences and for those who breach their duty of care by passing their waste to a fly-tipper. In August 2019 we published publicity materials aimed at helping householders better understand their responsibilities under the waste duty of care. The materials have been provided to the Local Government Association to circulate to local authorities and published on the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group’s website.

Powers to tackle fly-tipping are also being enhanced through the newly introduced Environment Bill, in particular through amendments to the powers to search for and seize evidence, as well as amendments to the powers of entry in the Environment Act 1995, to make it easier for enforcing authorities to use them. In addition to the measures in the Environment Bill, Defra is developing proposals to fundamentally reform the waste carrier, broker, dealer regime and introduce electronic waste tracking which will ensure those transporting waste can be better regulated, and that we are able to track waste through the system at all points.

Defra is also developing a fly-tipping toolkit, which will be a web-based tool to help local authorities and others work in partnership to tackle fly-tipping. It will cover the use of new technology to report fly-tipping, the presentation of cases to court, the sharing of intelligence within and between partnerships and will promote the duty of care to individuals and businesses.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the farming of puppies.

In October 2018, The Animal Welfare (licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into force which updated and improved the laws on the breeding and selling of dogs in England.

The new regulations require dog breeders and sellers to adhere to strict statutory minimum welfare standards linked to the welfare needs set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This includes prohibiting the sale of puppies below the age of 8 weeks; preventing licensed breeders from selling dogs not bred by them and preventing breeders from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health that this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies. In addition, licensed breeders must show puppies to purchasers in the presence of the mother and licensed pet sellers must complete the sale of a dog in the presence of the purchaser on the licensed premises. This prevents online sales of puppies.

Any licensed breeder advertising puppies for sale must include their licence number in the advert to improve traceability. In addition, from 6 April 2020, the regulations will prohibit the commercial third party sale of puppies and kittens to directly tackle low welfare, high volume breeding, known as puppy farms. In advance of this ban coming into force, the Government will launch a public awareness campaign on the responsible sourcing of puppies and kittens.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
4th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

The Government’s 25-year bovine TB eradication strategy published in 2014 aims to secure officially bovine TB free status for England by 2038 and is the basis of all we are doing to combat the disease.

The cornerstone of our strategy is a policy of regular testing and removal of infected cattle from herds. We have also incrementally introduced tougher controls on cattle movements from herds at risk of infection and more sensitive tests. We have introduced measures to encourage greater risk management and more information for the keepers of cattle. We have also deployed wildlife controls in areas where infection in badgers is linked to cattle breakdowns, and we have deployed new biosecurity measures to try to break the cycle of infection between cattle and badgers.

In 2018, the Secretary of State commissioned Professor Sir Charles Godfray and a team of experts to conduct an independent review of the strategy and provide advice on how to take it to the next phase (‘the Godfray Review’). Sir Charles submitted his report to Ministers in October 2018. The Government’s formal response will be published in due course.

28th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) pets are protected from violence and (b) people who perpetrate violence against domestic animals are prosecuted.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for its welfare needs. Under the Act, anyone can take forward a prosecution if they consider that they have the necessary evidence. Around 800 people are successfully prosecuted each year for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

The maximum penalty for causing unnecessary suffering or failing to provide for an animal’s welfare needs is six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. However, the Government has committed to introducing tougher penalties for animal cruelty. This will increase the maximum custodial penalty for causing unnecessary suffering to five years’ imprisonment which will make it among the highest maximum penalties for such an offence in the world. This will be taken forward when Parliamentary time allows.

23rd Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in their (a) assessment and (b) future prevention of flooding issues in Bosworth constituency.

The Government is investing £2.6 billion to better protect the country from flooding between 2015 and 2021. This will deliver over 1,000 flood defence schemes, which will better protect 300,000 homes by 2021.

Of the £2.6 billion Defra funding, approximately £650 million will be allocated to local authorities for their defence improvement projects.

Local authorities have access to a range of information provided by the Environment Agency on flood risk from all sources. The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government provides funding to local government to carry out functions including managing flood risk and coastal erosion, through the local government finance settlement.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
24th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what Official Development Assistance is being provided by the Government to (a) Idlib and (b) Syria.

The UK has committed over £3.1 billion since 2012 in response to the Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Since 2012, across Syria and the region, we have provided over 28 million food rations, over 18 million medical consultations, and over 12 million vaccines. Our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians, supporting refugees to remain in countries in the region, and enabling their host communities to accommodate them.

We do not calculate our spend by region, as our funding is allocated to partners operating from multiple crossing points. However, in financial year 2019/20, DFID has allocated £118 million to projects implemented by organisations delivering cross-border aid, primarily into North West Syria, including into Idlib. This has helped to provide hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with food, clean water, shelter and healthcare, including mental health support.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders in the East Midlands, including Bosworth, to help ensure that the region can make use of potential opportunities through the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

Dedicated officials in the East Midlands regularly discuss the opportunities free trade agreements (FTAs) present with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Business Representative Organisations, and local Chambers of Commerce.

We also consult stakeholders through ‘town hall’ style briefings, roundtables, webinars and bilateral & group engagements. For example, we held an update for stakeholders on the UK-Australia FTA in December 2021, and a further update on the UK–New Zealand FTA in February 2022.

Throughout negotiations, the department consulted various stakeholder groups and will continue to do so to ensure that citizens and businesses across the East Midlands take advantage of our first two from-scratch FTAs.

20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of engagement between her Department and companies in (a) Bosworth and (b) Leicestershire on securing potential opportunities through the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

We remain committed to listening to a wide range of voices to ensure our trade policy delivers for the whole of the UK, including businesses in the East Midlands.

To deliver this we have established an extensive stakeholder engagement framework consisting of various mechanisms to allow business and civil society stakeholders the opportunity to feed into our trade policy.

We continually look at our structures and speak to our stakeholders, including businesses in the East Midlands, to ensure our consultation approach remains fit for purpose, informs our negotiating position, and helps to deliver trade deals that benefit the whole country.

6th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Government's Open Doors campaign to increasing British food and drink exports.

The Open Doors campaign formed a key part of our work to help UK agriculture food and drink businesses seize new export opportunities. The programme of educational masterclass and mentoring programmes engaged over 100 food producers. The campaign highlighted the help available to companies from government and the wider industry network.

We continue to support agriculture food and drink exports through Department for International Trade (DIT) services such as the Export Support Service, the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, our International Trade Advisers across England and DIT teams in all parts of the UK.

18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to (a) profile and (b) promote the UK hospitality sector as part of Government initiatives to encourage international trade such as the GREAT campaign.

The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign provides global brand recognition to support the promotion of the UK’s strengths around the world. Earlier this month, through the GREAT campaign, the Department for International Trade supported the hospitality, and wider UK food and drink sector, at the Gulfood trade show in Dubai as well as at Dubai Expo. Additionally, the national tourism agency VisitBritain recently launched its new £10 million international GREAT Britain marketing campaign ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ to drive inbound tourism, with the aim of further supporting the hospitality industry.

Mike Freer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to increase (a) international and (b) domestic consumer awareness of non-food and drink products made in Britain.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is responsible for promotion of UK products in international markets. Some of the measures this department is taking to boost exports of non-food and drink products made in the UK are: trade promotion campaigns in key markets; UK presence at tradeshows; leveraging DIT’s teams in 110 countries; providing finance and insurance from UK Export Finance; global promotion via the GREAT campaign; export hubs in all Nations; and working in partnership with UK companies and trade associations.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress she is making to secure a free trade agreement with Canada.

The UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA) was signed on 9 December 2020 and completed Constitutional Reform and Governance (CRaG) in Parliament on 3 February 2021. Once ratified in Canada, the TCA will lock in preferential trade in goods and services worth £23 billion in 2019. We also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canada on 21 December 2020 ensuring continued preferential goods trade pending full ratification. The TCA sets out a clear path to begin negotiating a new, more ambitious trade deal, which will be tailored to the British economy and interests. The Department is currently preparing for these talks with a view to beginning negotiations later in the year.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
7th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had on a future trade deal with her (a) Australian, (b) Canadian and (c) New Zealand counterparts.

Strengthening and enhancing our bilateral trading relationships with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, are key priorities for the Government’s trade negotiations programme.

The Department for International Trade is committed to negotiating and securing ambitious free trade deals with Australia and New Zealand as soon as possible, harnessing the opportunity to negotiate a high-quality agreement with like-minded, liberal trading nations. Officials have just closed the second round of negotiations with Australia, with the third expected to take place in November, and they will open the second round of negotiations with New Zealand on 19th October.

Similarly, both the United Kingdom and Canada agree on the importance of protecting and strengthening our trading relationship, now that we have left the European Union. Our shared goal with the Government of Canada is a seamless transition of our trading relationship beyond 1st January 2020, so that British and Canadian businesses and consumers can continue to benefit. Officials have been in regular contact to discuss this since trade talks recommenced in August, with technical discussions taking place on a rolling basis.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
17th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of using digital platforms to progress trade negotiations during the covid-19 pandemic.

This Government aims to agree Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries accounting for 80% of current UK trade within the next three years.

We have used digital platforms to launch our negotiation programme with the priority countries of the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These negotiations are now proceeding at pace on a remote basis mirroring the long-established structures for engagement on trade.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
16th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to (a) implement the Future of Transport Rural Strategy and (b) consult on reforming grant funding for bus operators.

The Department for Transport published its ‘Future of Transport: supporting rural transport innovation’ guidance in early October, and will now work to implement its pledges, such as working closer with local leadership to help deploy and scale innovative new technologies in rural communities. As part of this guide, the Department is making up to £3 million of funding available for rural innovation. This will help explore innovative solutions to long-standing issues, such as loneliness and isolation, poor access to services and economically challenging business cases for rural transport services.

The Government committed to reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) in the National Bus Strategy and intends to publish a consultation later this year. The consultation will seek views from bus operators and local authorities on several measures to modernise and future-proof the BSOG. We intend to include proposals for distance-based payments that may help rural operators and simplify the administration of the grant.

Our support for buses includes community transport too. We have just announced that the Government will continue to provide increased financial support to these community transport operators to help protect these key services by uplifting their bus service operator grant claims by 60%. This significant support will be available to operators for claims from 1 July 2023 to the end of March 2025.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
19th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of understanding among road users of the changes to the Highway Code introduced in January 2022.

The January 2022 changes to The Highway Code to help improve road safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding have been communicated via:

  • A factual awareness-raising campaign in February and March 2022, alerting road users to the changes as they came into effect. Further information can be found here: www.think.gov.uk/campaign/highway-code-changes/ .
  • A behaviour change campaign which has run in summer 2022 and 2023, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Further information can be found here: www.think.gov.uk/campaign/travel-like-you-know-them/.

The campaign has been supported by significant media spend, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising.

- The percentage of road users reporting to know either a little or a lot about the Highway Code changes increased from 36% in January 2022 to 58% in August 2022, with 83% of road users having heard of the changes by August 2022.

- The percentage of people who agreed that motor vehicles do have priority on the roads fell from 68% in January 2022 to 61% in August 2022.

- 78% of road users correctly identified the need for a 1.5m gap when passing cyclists in January 2022, rising to 84% in August 2022. Understanding that cyclists may ride two abreast also increased from 30% to 46%. The percentage of drivers reporting that they always leave a 1.5 metre gap when passing cyclists rose from 50% in January 2022 to 58% in August 2022.

- Recognition among the target audience of at least one of the campaign assets was 57% at Phase 1 and 53% at Phase 2. Of the respondents that recognised the 30 second hero assets from Phase 2, nearly nine in ten (84%) said they had done something as a result.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
19th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to support active travel in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth during the (i) covid-19 pandemic and (ii) subsequent years to 2023.

In 2020, as part of the Emergency Active Travel Fund and Active Travel Fund 2, Leicestershire County Council was awarded £1,235,164 in capital and revenue funding to take forward their active travel schemes.

In January 2023, the Government awarded Leicestershire County Council £191,787 of Capability Funding for 2022-23 to carry out community engagement activities, develop infrastructure plans and designs, undertake public consultation, and collect evidence. This builds on the £168,500 that Leicestershire was awarded in Capability Funding in 2021-22.

ATE has assigned all authorities in England, excluding London, a Regional Manager and is committed to working closely with local authorities to help support active travel programmes and capability across England.

14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the A5 between Hinckley and Tamworth is considered for future improvements as part of the Third Road Investment Strategy.

On 9 March 2023, the Secretary of State for Transport made a statement to Parliament. This set out that schemes originally being considered as part of the pipeline of schemes for potential inclusion in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) between 2025 and 2030 will continue to be developed to an appropriate stage, but for consideration for inclusion during RIS4 (beyond 2030). This includes the A5 Hinckley to Tamworth scheme.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to identify congested sections of the A5 between Hinckley and Tamworth that can be improved through the Third Road Investment Strategy.

To help identify the current pressures and future needs of the strategic road network, National Highways is developing its route strategies for the third road period. The Hinckley to Tamworth section of the A5 has been considered principally within the South Midlands route strategy. National Highways has developed a number of objectives for the route and identified a series of potential areas for further investigation. The interim findings will be published shortly alongside the Department’s consultation on RIS3.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Civil Aviation Authority's letter of 9 June 2002 to airlines and airports on standards of provision for disabled and less mobile passengers, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of progress by (a) airlines and (b) airports on improving the accessibility of air travel.

Aviation accessibility is a priority for Government, and the Department are working alongside the CAA to ensure that disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility have the assistance they require to travel with ease.

Following the letter on 9 June 2022, the CAA published additional guidance to airports on providing assistance services. Due to the disruption seen during the summer, the CAA published an interim report on the performance of airports against its accessibility framework in December 2022. The report showed improvement or maintenance of good service across a number of the airports assessed, but also highlighted airports requiring further improvement. The CAA will continue to monitor and work with these airports on plans to implement improvements and publish its usual annual report later this year. The CAA will soon publish a consultation on development of an airline accessibility framework, similar to the existing airport framework.

13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Civil Aviation Authority has made in ensuring that air travel is accessible for all passengers.

Aviation accessibility is a priority for Government, and the Department are working alongside the CAA to ensure that disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility have the assistance they require to travel with ease.

Following the letter on 9 June 2022, the CAA published additional guidance to airports on providing assistance services. Due to the disruption seen during the summer, the CAA published an interim report on the performance of airports against its accessibility framework in December 2022. The report showed improvement or maintenance of good service across a number of the airports assessed, but also highlighted airports requiring further improvement. The CAA will continue to monitor and work with these airports on plans to implement improvements and publish its usual annual report later this year. The CAA will soon publish a consultation on development of an airline accessibility framework, similar to the existing airport framework.

20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s commitment to improve transport infrastructure in the East Midlands, if he will take steps to ensure that improvements to the A5 in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth constituency are included in those works.

Government is committed to level up transport infrastructure across the country, including the East Midlands. Whilst I cannot commit to including improvements to the A5 in Leicestershire and Bosworth at this stage, I can reassure my honourable friend that options for the A5 Hinckley to Tamworth scheme continue to be developed by National Highways as part of the pipeline of schemes being developed for the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). Decisions on the overall balance of the Investment Plan for RIS3, and schemes included within it will not be confirmed until the final RIS is published in 2024.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 in ensuring that disabled people are able to access (a) taxis and (b) other private hire vehicles.

The duties introduced by the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 only came into force in June 2022, and it is too early to assess their impact.

We will monitor the effectiveness of the 2022 Act through engagement with stakeholders and the regular reviewing of relevant statistics.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, what recent progress his Department has made on helping to ensure equal access for people with disabilities on public transport.

Good progress has been made on the Inclusive Transport Strategy (ITS), and the majority of commitments have now been completed.

In the last year, the Department has delivered a number of commitments from the ITS, including:

  • consulting on best practice guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and proposing updated guidance on disability awareness training;
  • working with the aviation sector, consumer and disability groups to develop and publish the Aviation Passenger Charter, providing a single point of information for consumers on their rights and responsibilities;
  • delivering a further round of our “It’s Everyone’s Journey” campaign, aiming to raise public awareness of the needs of disabled passengers when travelling.

We are committed to delivering the remaining ITS commitments. In January 2022, the Department published a baseline evaluation report, which provides a detailed picture of disabled people’s experience using the transport network as we work towards full implementation of the ITS. This will be used as a baseline for future evaluation, including the annual scorecard of disabled people’s experiences using the transport network. The next scorecard is due to be published this spring, and a final evaluation report will be published in 2024.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
19th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, What steps he is taking to ensure that the provisions of the National Bus Strategy benefit (a) Bosworth constituency and (b) other rural areas.

The National Bus Strategy emphasises the importance of addressing the needs of those in rural as well as urban areas, and the Government remains committed to ensuring that those in rural areas have decent transport services.

The Department has awarded Leicestershire County Council a total of £732,881 to help it develop and deliver measures to improve bus services across the county through its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and Enhanced Partnership with bus operators.

All Local Transport Authorities have also been asked, as part of the development of their BSIPs, to consider the potential role of demand-responsive transport (DRT) in improving access to bus services in rural areas. The Department is also funding 17 DRT pilot projects through the Rural Mobility Fund, worth £20 million, which will improve our understanding of the viability of this type of bookable service in rural and suburban settings. As part of this, Leicestershire County Council was awarded £1.3 million in 2021 to trial its FoxConnect DRT service.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
24th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing Government support for the Pass Wide and Slow campaign on the safety of horse riders, horses and motorists.

The Highway Code was updated on 29 January 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds. We support the aims of the Pass Wide and Slow campaign to improve road safety for horse riders through the communication of safe passing distances and speed. We would like to thank all of our campaign partners who have helped us to raise awareness of the changes and improve road safety for all road users.

The changes to The Highway Code, including safe passing of horse riders, were communicated via the THINK! campaign in two phases: an awareness raising campaign in February and March 2022 and a behaviour change campaign in July and August 2022, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
16th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of constructing the Midlands Rail Hub for people in (a) Bosworth constituency and (b) Leicestershire.

The Department for Transport received the Outline Business Case (OBC) for Midlands Rail Hub on 14th November. We will now assess the contribution of the scheme to our objectives – including the benefits for the people of Bosworth and Leicestershire – alongside value for taxpayer money, and affordability.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of staff shortages in airlines and airports on the provision of special assistance for passengers with registered disabilities.

I have met weekly with the aviation sector over the summer and have taken every opportunity to remind them of their responsibility to support passengers who require special assistance and have sought assurances throughout the summer of their plans to increase recruitment in this area.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the aviation regulator, wrote to airlines and airports on 9 June, to ensure industry is reaching standards expected for providing disabled and less mobile passengers with the assistance they require. In addition, the CAA published additional guidance to airports on providing assistance services. The CAA also continues to monitor airport performance on delivering special assistance, against legal obligations and publishes its findings annually.

We published the Aviation Passenger Charter in July, to provide consumers with the information they need on their rights and responsibilities for each stage of their journey, from booking to if things go wrong. This included specific information for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility on accessibility and special assistance. We developed this alongside industry, consumer and disability groups.

Accessibility in aviation remains a key government priority, and we will continue to work closely with the CAA to ensure that air travel is accessible for all passengers.

17th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the success of the Think! campaign to encourage the safety of road users.

In 2012, THINK! won a prestigious IPA Effectiveness award for its work in demonstrating how 30 years of drink drive communications saved nearly 2,000 lives. This analysis highlights the impact and effectiveness of communications in changing behaviour. The award paper is here: THINK! IPA Award paper

Campaign performance and impact is continually assessed with each burst of activity supported by pre and post campaign research. Campaign effectiveness is measured across each behaviour through monitoring attitudinal measures including risk, acceptability and normalcy. Campaign metrics including reach and engagement as well as awareness and outcome measures, including claimed action taken as a result of the campaign, are also monitored and reported.

Following its launch in 2017, the THINK! Mates Matter strategy led to a ten percentage point increase in the number of young men agreeing that it is unacceptable to let a friend drive after drinking (56% to 66%). This increase followed the first burst of activity and is the biggest shift in young men’s attitudes towards drink driving in more than a decade.

The THINK! brand is recognised by more than three quarters (77%) of the general public, and the vast majority (87%) continue to view the brand positively. 73% of males 17-30 recognise the brand (88% positive).

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
11th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with relevant stakeholders in Leicestershire on helping to ensure that proposed changes to The Highway Code are successfully implemented in Bosworth constituency.

When carrying out the review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, the Department for Transport worked closely with an expert stakeholder group from the outset representing different users of the road.

We agree that for the changes to have the desired impact it will be important that these are supported by effective communications. We will communicate the changes in two phases, the first being an awareness raising campaign alerting road users to the changes as they come into effect. A broader behaviour change campaign is then planned later in the year, to align with seasonal increases in active travel, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance. We are also developing a toolkit for stakeholders to use to promote the changes in their area.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the hierarchy of road users as outlined in the Highway Code is understood by road users.

The hierarchy of road users is one of a number of proposed changes to The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse rider. The plan is to communicate the changes in two phases:

- A factual awareness raising campaign in early February, alerting road users to the changes as they come into effect.

- A broader behaviour change campaign later in the year, to align with seasonal increases in active travel, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance.

We are working with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure we develop communications that are fit for purpose and meet the needs of all road users.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage cyclists to use (a) high visibility clothing in the dark, (b) cycle helmets, (c) bicycle bells and (d) other safety precautions when out on the road.

Rule 59 of The Highway Code already says that cyclists should wear a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened. It also recommends they should wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing to help other road users see them in daylight and poor light, as well as reflective clothing and/or accessories in the dark. Rule 66 says that cyclists should use their bell when necessary to signal to other road users that they are nearby.

Changes to The Highway Code are due to come into effect later this month which will clarify and strengthen this advice. The proposed changes are summarised at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-highway-code-to-improve-road-safety-for-cyclists-pedestrians-and-horse-riders.

The Department has established a working group of key organisations to ensure that these changes are disseminated as widely as possible and understood by all road users. Our well-established THINK! campaign will ensure that as many road users as possible are aware when the changes come into effect, and will also highlight the importance of cyclists following the strengthened advice.

26th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that rural and remote areas, including farms and on-street locations, will be included in plans to extend electric car charge point installation to homes and workplaces.

The Government is investing over £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major A roads to dash any anxiety around long journeys, and supporting the installation of chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car.

The Government’s forthcoming Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of EVs. We will set out our next steps to address barriers to private investment, and level up charge point provision across all areas of the country, including rural and remote areas.

The Government already provides support for chargepoint installations at homes and workplaces across the UK. In 2022, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme will be reformed to provide additional help for people living in rented and leasehold accommodation and the Workplace Charging Scheme will be opened to small accommodation business and the charity sector. This will help to accelerate electric vehicle uptake in rural areas and support the UK tourist industry.

To future proof homes, the Government has announced that it will require new homes and buildings undergoing major renovation with associated parking to have a charge point installed.

For those without access to off-street parking, the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, which is available to all UK local authorities will help to provide public chargepoints for their residents. This year, £20 million is available under the scheme to ensure more local authorities and residents can benefit.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the £1 billion of Government support for the electrification of vehicles and their supply chains includes (a) rural SMEs and (b) farms.

In November 2020, the Prime Minister announced a 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, making clear our ambition to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030. To achieve these ambitions to accelerate the UK’s transition to zero emission vehicles, it is vital that we develop our capacity to manufacture key components for these vehicles, including batteries. The Automotive Transformation Fund has been set up to support the creation of a localised, internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain right here in the UK.

As part of the Net Zero Strategy, a further £350m of funding was announced for the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF). This is additional to the £500m of funding previously announced. The ATF supports R&D and capital investments across strategically important parts of the electric vehicle supply chain. The fund is open to applications from large, medium and small companies, provided they can demonstrate how their proposed project meets the ATF’s key objective of supporting the key elements of the electrification of the automotive sector. These technologies developed with HMG support, will be of benefit in the production of a range of types of vehicles including off-road vehicles as well as passenger cars and vans.

Government regularly engages with manufacturers, including supply chain businesses and automotive trade associations on opportunities to support the growth and competitiveness of the sector in the UK

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on negotiations with (a) his Spanish counterpart and (b) his counterparts in other EU states that do not have reciprocity arrangements to allow blue badge holders to use their UK issued blue badge while travelling.

The Government remains committed to confirming the status of UK issued Blue Badges for visiting motorists, and continues to engage in discussions with a number of countries, including Spain. We cannot comment in detail on these discussions at this stage. The list of countries who have confirmed their position is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-using-it-in-the-eu/using-a-blue-badge-in-the-european-union

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what initial assessment he has made on the progress of the e-scooter trials taking place across the UK.

We are running e-scooter trials in 32 areas to assess their safety and wider impacts.

E-scooter trials will run until 31 March 2022. This is an extension to the original deadline of 30 November 2021. It takes into account the slower start to trials as a result of the pandemic and will allow us more time to gather evidence as restrictions ease.

We have put in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme and data continues to be collected from the e-scooter trials. An interim report summarizing findings from the data collected so far will be published in autumn 2021, with a final report due in spring 2022.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the ability of the DVLA to improve the six week turnaround time for (a) HGV and (b) car driving licences.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and social distancing measures coupled with industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union and the current increased demand for DVLA services has led to delays for customers.

The DVLA is currently prioritising applications for HGV driving licences as these cannot currently be made online.

The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times for paper applications and has introduced additional online services and recruited additional staff. The DVLA is exploring the possibility of securing extra office space to house more staff. This will be surge capacity accommodation and resource to help reduce backlogs while providing future resilience and business continuity.

Paper driving licence applications are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed.

The DVLA has a number of channels of communication in order for applicants to seek updates on their driving licence applications. As well as the contact centre, email and webchat services are available. The DVLA also uses a Notify service for customers applying for an HGV driving licence which sends an email confirming receipt of their application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support the DVLA to be contactable by applicants seeking updates on (a) HGV and (b) car driving licence applications.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and social distancing measures coupled with industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union and the current increased demand for DVLA services has led to delays for customers.

The DVLA is currently prioritising applications for HGV driving licences as these cannot currently be made online.

The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times for paper applications and has introduced additional online services and recruited additional staff. The DVLA is exploring the possibility of securing extra office space to house more staff. This will be surge capacity accommodation and resource to help reduce backlogs while providing future resilience and business continuity.

Paper driving licence applications are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed.

The DVLA has a number of channels of communication in order for applicants to seek updates on their driving licence applications. As well as the contact centre, email and webchat services are available. The DVLA also uses a Notify service for customers applying for an HGV driving licence which sends an email confirming receipt of their application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the work of the DVLA to improve paperwork turnaround times during summer 2021 for (a) HGV and (b) car driving licences.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and social distancing measures coupled with industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union and the current increased demand for DVLA services has led to delays for customers.

The DVLA is currently prioritising applications for HGV driving licences as these cannot currently be made online.

The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times for paper applications and has introduced additional online services and recruited additional staff. The DVLA is exploring the possibility of securing extra office space to house more staff. This will be surge capacity accommodation and resource to help reduce backlogs while providing future resilience and business continuity.

Paper driving licence applications are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed.

The DVLA has a number of channels of communication in order for applicants to seek updates on their driving licence applications. As well as the contact centre, email and webchat services are available. The DVLA also uses a Notify service for customers applying for an HGV driving licence which sends an email confirming receipt of their application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) encourage passenger growth and (b) support passenger capacity on the (i) Birmingham to Leicester and (ii) Birmingham to Derby via Tamworth railway routes.

The rail industry has launched the “Get back on track” advertising campaign to attract passengers back to the railway. CrossCountry also has its own advertising campaign. Passenger demand is increasing across the network which is to be welcomed.

In May 2021, all contractual train services were reinstated on the CrossCountry Class 170 routes including between Birmingham and Leicester and Nottingham. Investment by the DfT has provided six additional carriages for these routes. As a result there are more services on the Birmingham - Leicester – Stansted and the Nottingham – Cardiff routes, which are now formed of three rather than two carriages.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
19th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with motorway service station operators to ensure adequate and workable electric car charging provision at their sites.

By 2023, the Government expects to see six high-powered chargers at every motorway service area in England, installed by the private sector. The Government has regular engagement with motorway service area operators to ensure that this charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. This includes a quarterly questionnaire to monitor progress against this target, and ad hoc bilateral engagement to discuss plans to help support early adoption of electric vehicles and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journeys. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Rachel Maclean held a roundtable on 20th July 2021 with motorway service area operators from across England to discuss their participation of Ofgem’s Green Recovery Scheme, under which funding is released to allow distribution network operators to upgrade network capacity in order to facilitate electric vehicle charging.

19th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to expand electric car charging provision across the (a) A road and (b) motorway network in (i) Leicestershire and (ii) the UK.

In May 2020, the Government published an ambitious vision for rapid charging infrastructure along strategic roads in England over the next decade. This vision includes targets for the number of high-powered (150kW+) chargepoints that will be located across motorways and major A roads to meet the future demand from electric vehicles (EVs). In the short term, the Government expects to see six high-powered chargers at every motorway service area in England by 2023, installed by the private sector. The Government regularly engages with motorway service area operators to monitor progress against this charging provision. In the longer term, to ensure the private sector can continue to expand the charging network at pace in the 2020s, the Government will invest £950 million through the Rapid Charging Fund to future-proof grid capacity along England’s motorways and major A roads to prepare for 100% uptake of zero emission cars and vans ahead of need. Since the management of motorways and major roads is a devolved matter, equivalent funding for the Devolved Administrations will be made available through the Barnett Formula. We also recently consulted on improving the consumer experience at public chargepoints. This includes opening public chargepoint data; improving the reliability of the network; streamlining the payment methods offered to drivers; and increasing pricing transparency. We will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy to set out the vision and action plan for charging infrastructure rollout needed to achieve the 2030/35 phase out successfully. This will set expected roles for different stakeholders and how government will intervene to address the gaps between the current market status and our vision.

5th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the development of high quality rest stops for the benefit of HGV drivers.

On the 24 July 2018, the Government issued a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework that now indicates that the need for sufficient overnight lorry parking should be considered in planning policies and decisions. My Department continues to work with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to enhance this further with Local Authorities and to highlight the criteria and consideration for HGV lorry parking applications.

I recognise that there are long standing issues around driver welfare, including adequate safe and secure HGV parking with acceptable facilities for drivers. We are committed to progressing work to support the strategic and long-term development of lorry parking provisions and are looking at both established and new approaches to increase the provision for improved overnight lorry parking in England. We are also keen to explore with the industry innovative alternative approaches to provide more parking capacity and better facilities to improve HGV driver welfare

5th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports that 10,000 drivers hold a valid licence despite accruing 12 penalty points; and what assessment he has made of trends in the level of penalty points accrued by drivers in each of the last five years.

Only a court can disqualify an individual from driving under the “totting up” provisions where a driver has accrued 12 or more penalty points. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s role is to maintain a record of the endorsement information received from the courts on the individual’s driver record.

If the DVLA receives a notification from a court for a driver with 12 or more penalty points who has not been disqualified, the DVLA will alert the court to this. This enables the court to consider whether to re-open the case and disqualify the driver where appropriate. The DVLA cannot overturn a court’s decision not to disqualify a driver where more than 12 penalty points have been accrued.

24th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to monitor the (a) effectiveness of and (b) adherence to the Passenger Covid 19 Charter.

The Passenger COVID-19 charter provides a central point of information and guidance to help consumers understand their rights, responsibilities and reasonable expectations, when booking and travelling internationally whilst COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. We are monitoring through existing frameworks.

22nd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of (a) the safety of the distance between refuges on smart motorways (b) the potential need to review those distances as a result of safety issues and risk assessments.

The Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan, published in March 2020, committed to a new standard for spacing of places to stop in an emergency. For future All Lane Running (ALR) Motorway schemes, places to stop in an emergency will be ¾ of a mile apart where feasible, with a maximum spacing of 1 mile apart. Highways England published the new design standard – GD 301 – in October 2020.

The Stocktake Action Plan also made a commitment to consider a national programme of retrofitting on ALR motorways where places to stop in an emergency are more than one mile apart, drawing on evidence from the programme to deliver additional areas on the M25. That review will be completed by April 2022.

14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Global Travel Taskforce has made on the safe normalisation of post-Covid international travel policy.

The Government’s priority is to protect public health. That is why we introduced the Traffic Light System on 17 May as a cautious approach to reopening international travel.

The government will review the travel measures in place through the Global Travel Taskforce at a series of checkpoints, no later than 28 June, 31 July and 1 October, taking into account the latest domestic and international data.

14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the DVLA is making in tackling backlogs in (a) HGV and (b) car driving licences.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services have been available and unaffected throughout the pandemic and are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. However, many people still choose or have to apply for their driving licence using a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person.

The DVLA has had a reduced number of operational staff on site to allow for social distancing, in line with Welsh Government requirements. The DVLA has leased an additional building to accommodate more operational staff and has extended the opening hours of its contact centre.

The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as driving licences are issued and new applications received. The DVLA is currently processing paper applications for both HGV and car driving licences within around six weeks of receipt. However, drivers with a medical condition may experience further delays because the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information or test results from medical professionals before a licence can be issued, to ensure drivers can meet the required medical standards.

14th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to learn lessons from the recent blockage of the Suez Canal in the context of strategic planning for the UK’s future maritime trade.

The Department has been working closely with maritime operators throughout the pandemic, and in particular major shipping lines and ports regarding the unprecedented global surge in container freight that was experienced at the end of 2020 and early 2021. The lessons learned from that meant that there was a swift response across Government Departments to assess impacts on supply chains following the Suez incident. The Department will continue to engage with shipping lines and container ports. It is clear that whilst some disruption is hard to avoid, industry has established operational plans and flexibility to enable them to respond to crisis and maintain continuity of trade, as evidenced by the re-routing of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope

12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to assess proposals for Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges; and what criteria is used to ensure that those projects meet stated objectives.

Under the Planning Act 2008, prospective developers of Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) must submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate. If the Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, accepts the application they must carry out an examination of the proposed SRFI and produce a report and recommendation. The Secretary of State must then make a decision on the proposal.

Both the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State use the framework of the National Networks – National Policy Statement (NN-NPS) as the primary basis for making decisions on DCO applications for SRFIs, including taking into account the potential benefits and adverse impacts of the scheme.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to ensure that projects, such as Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges approved as National Significant Infrastructure Projects meet project projections after operations commence.

Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) proposals should meet market requirements and the National Networks – National Policy Statement (NN-NPS) states that they should be located near the business markets they will serve. The NN-NPS states that at a minimum SRFIs should be capable of handling four trains per day.

The Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State use the policy framework of the NN-NPS as the primary basis for making decisions on Development Consent Order (DCO) applications for SRFIs, including considering the potential benefits and adverse impacts of the scheme. Currently, it is for the private sector operators of SRFIs to ensure market conditions remain favourable to ensure SRFI operation is sustained and viable once operational.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the (a) Union Connectivity Review and (b) needs of the A5 as a major trunk road from Bosworth; and what the timeframe is for publishing that review.

The Union Connectivity Review is an independent review led by Sir Peter Hendy. The Interim Report will be published shortly with final recommendations expected in summer 2021.

The focus of the Review is on improving connectivity between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and Sir Peter will be prioritising transport links that help to achieve that objective. The Review published a Call for Evidence in November 2020 to which several stakeholders with an interest in the A5 have responded.

These will be part of Sir Peter’s deliberations and will inform the development of his final recommendations. Highways England’s work to update its Route Strategies, starting this year, will also consider the needs of the trunked A5 and inform future road investment decisions.

27th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on trialling noise emission cameras on public highways; and what steps he is taking to enable local authorities to engage in trial schemes.

The Department’s initial trials of a prototype acoustic camera have concluded. The Government anticipates the results will be published in the spring following a re-phasing of the work due to pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Options for future work are still under consideration and so the Government cannot commit to trials with any local authorities at this point. Nonetheless, if future research involves road trials, then we would welcome involvement of local authorities to help ensure that any new system is robust.

3rd Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria he uses to determine the site of rail freight interchanges.

The Government’s support for Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) is set out in the National Networks National Policy Statement which provides a clear framework for SRFI developers, local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate. The Secretary of State for Transport uses the framework as a primary basis for making decisions on development consent applications for SRFIs.

The National Policy Statement does not, however, specify where SRFIs should be located. Instead, it provides a framework for private sector developers to bring forward proposals through the planning system if they are deemed to be operationally and commercially viable.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to improve infrastructure for the charging of vehicles away from drivers’ homes in (a) Bosworth constituency and (b) the UK.

While the Government believes the majority of electric vehicle (EV) charging will take place at home, we understand that many consumers want to see sufficient charging infrastructure in place across destinations, workplaces and the Strategic Road Network, before they will make the leap to purchasing an EV.

The roll out of rapid charging is an opportunity to remove range anxiety for electric vehicle drivers across the roads network. To ensure the private sector can continue to expand the charging network at pace in the 2020s, the Government will invest £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network to prepare for 100% uptake of zero emission cars and vans ahead of need. In May, we published an ambitious vision for rapid charging infrastructure along strategic roads in England over the next decade. This vision sets out the number of rapid chargepoints that will be located across motorways and major A roads to meet the future demand for electric vehicles.

Through our Workplace Charging Scheme, businesses, charities and the wider public sector can get grants of up to £350 per socket for installing up to 40 charging sockets for their employees and fleets. Over?11,000 installations have been?funded?using the scheme, including 21 in the Bosworth constituency, as of 1 October 2020. Local authorities across the country are able to take advantage of the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which assists them with the cost of installing chargepoints on residential streets.

To increase confidence in the charging network and reduce range anxiety the Government is working with industry to make?chargepoint?data available, helping drivers easily locate and access available?chargepoints. Government will consult on using its powers under the Automated Electric Vehicles Act to mandate minimum standards, such as requiring contactless payment for rapid chargepoints, to improve the consumer experience of charging.

18th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the A5 Watling Street railway bridge near Hinckley does not become the most bashed bridge in Britain in 2020-21 as it reportedly was in 2019-20.

Network Rail revealed the most-struck bridges in the country (including Hinckley bridge) to remind drivers and operators of their obligations to prevent costly and dangerous bridge strikes. It has worked with industry bodies - including Highways England and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) - and hauliers as part of a Bridge Strike Prevention Group to help companies and their employees to avoid striking bridges, resulting in an 11% decrease in incidents in the last financial year (April 1 2019 - March 31 2020).

Highways England has undertaken many studies in the past and has installed extra signage on the approach to, and on the bridge, in an effort to raise drivers’ awareness of the risks. Highways England are currently in discussions with a developer about the possibility of lowering the carriageway in the vicinity of the low bridge, as part of the developer’s scheme proposal.

A new campaign ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ will feature on petrol pumps at motorway service stations across Britain along with posters, reminding drivers to check their routes before setting off and the Senior Traffic Commissioner, Richard Turfitt, issued a letter last month to all goods vehicle and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence holders, warning that regulatory action, which could result in the loss of their operator’s licence, could follow should they fail to take appropriate measures to prevent bridge strikes.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Global Travel Taskforce is taking to ensure that a robust testing regime is in place as soon as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The Global Travel Taskforce has been considering a range of testing options and non-testing measures to ensure passenger safety and give travellers confidence once current restrictions ease. The Taskforce has also undertaken extensive consultation with the transport industry, international partners, tourism sector, business leaders and the private testing sector and will submit its recommendations to the Prime Minister in November.

12th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to fund public transport in (a) Bosworth and (b) Leicestershire.

Last year Leicestershire County Council received £534,721 from the £43m Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) grant to subsidise socially necessary bus services. In addition, Leicestershire has this year been provided with additional allocation of £556,627 as part of ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package. Bus operators running services in the area have also benefitted from the Government’s Covid Bus Services Support Grant.

The new operator of East Midlands Railway, Abellio, is bringing a package of more than £600 million investment in improvements to rail services across their area. Leicestershire will also benefit from the Midland Main Line upgrade, which will increase rail capacity and shorten journey times into London as well as and the introduction of new Bi-Mode Trains on the Midland Main Line.

Like all government departments, DfT is engaging with HM Treasury’s Comprehensive Spending Review process to agree a financial settlement which will enable the department to deliver on the Government’s priorities over the coming years.

8th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to support the development of disability friendly pavements and crossings.

As set out in the Inclusive Transport Strategy, the Department wants to see well maintained pavements, appropriately placed dropped kerbs and navigable and legible routes in our public realm.

Local authorities are responsible for the design of their streets and public realm. It is for them to ensure their streets, including pavements and crossings, are designed to be inclusive and meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

To help deliver this, we are updating Inclusive Mobility, the key piece of design guidance covering the pedestrian environment as a whole. This will also include advice covering the much greater knowledge and understanding now available of the needs of those with hidden disabilities, including autism, dementia and mental health conditions.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
24th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the funding announced by the Government on 9 May 2020 for cycling and walking is planned to be allocated to Bosworth constituency.

On the 29th May, indicative allocations to local authorities from the Emergency Active Travel Fund were published on gov.uk. Leicestershire County Council has been allocated £335,164 from tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund and indicatively allocated £1,451,000 from tranche 2. The Department will invite bids from authorities for tranche 2 of the fund shortly. Before receiving any funding, authorities must submit satisfactory plans to the Department, and the amount each authority receives will depend on it satisfying the Department that it has ambitious plans in place to reallocate road space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2nd Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure that (a) driving theory tests and (b) driving practical tests are able to recommence for prospective drivers.

As the health and safety of staff and customers is key, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has produced detailed standard operating procedures and is working closely with the Department for Transport to prepare for a safe return to testing.

At present, the DVSA’s testing services are under review and it will announce details of resumption in due course.

1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of regional transport providers on ensuring that support is provided to passengers with sight loss as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Our guidance is clear that regional transport providers and national operators have the same obligations to support visually impaired passengers as they did before the Covid-19 pandemic. As a Department we are working closely with stakeholders, to understand the experiences of disabled passengers and identify the correct support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased.

All local transport and highway authorities across England are ensuring the needs of disabled transport users are included as part of their Restart plans.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
1st Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the DVSA on ensuring that driving (a) theory and (b) practical tests resume after the covid-19 outbreak.

As the health and safety of staff and customers is key, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is currently working closely with the Department for Transport to prepare for a safe return to testing.

At present, its testing services are under review and it will announce details of resumption in due course.

20th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to involve UK manufacturing and construction companies in the construction of HS2.

On 15 April 2020 the Government provided the construction sector with certainty by confirming ‘Notice to Proceed’ for the first phase of High Speed 2. This marks formal approval for main construction works to begin on the route between London and Birmingham.

An estimated 400,000 supply chain contract opportunities for UK businesses will be created during phase one of HS2, supporting thousands of jobs on site and many more around the country. It is estimated that around 95% of those contract opportunities will be won by UK based businesses and around two thirds of those will be small and medium sized businesses.

To support UK suppliers since 2013, HS2 Ltd has undertaken an unprecedented level of supplier engagement. This has been achieved through publishing a contract opportunities table on its website, targeted ‘meet the contractor’ events as well as regular engagement with UK businesses, industry and supply chain groups including Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Chambers of Commerce and Trade Associations. To date, this approach has ensured that over 98% of contracts on the HS2 programme have been awarded to UK based organisations, over 70% of which are Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). HS2 Ltd has mandated the use of the subcontracts opportunity portal CompeteFor in its Tier1 contracts to ensure visibility of subcontract opportunities arising from the HS2 programme.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to to promote (a) cycling, (b) walking and (c) other sustainable transport for journeys to and from school as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Department for Transport is making £225 million available to local authorities this financial year for urgent measures to make it easier for people to walk and cycle for all short journeys, including to school. The Department for Education has produced guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings. This guidance sets out that schools should ‘ensure parents and young people are aware of recommendations on transport to and from education or childcare settings’ and encourage parents and children and young people ‘to walk or cycle to their education setting where possible’.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
13th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to introduce penalties for (a) cyclists and (b) horse riders found to have caused road accidents as a result of using their mobile phone while (i) cycling and (ii) riding.

The Government has no current plans to introduce new penalties for cyclists and horse riders using mobile phones while riding. All road users are required to comply with road traffic law in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users. For those who do not adopt a responsible attitude, there are already laws in place that can make them liable for prosecution. The Official Highway Code explains the law and gives advice for cyclists and horse riders on how to safely use our roads.

13th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to work with road user groups to ensure that the sustainable transport strategy adopted by communities includes the increase in walking and cycling experienced during the covid-19 outbreak and is balanced with car use.

On the 9th May the Government announced a £2bn package of funding for cycling and walking over the next five years. This includes £250m to be spent this financial year on measures to enable increased cycling and walking. Local authorities will be responsible for ensuring that they have considered the impact of these measures on other road users.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that social distancing measures can be introduced at airports and by airlines to ensure the safety of (a) air crews, (b) passengers and (c) visitors to UK airports.

Officials are continuing to engage with the aviation sector to ensure they are supported in implementing new operational practices. This includes facilitating a weekly phone call with Public Health England to enable the aviation industry to raise operational questions directly wherever necessary.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's requirement that aircraft be disinfected after every flight also applies to London Heathrow Airport; this will further mitigate health risks to staff and passengers.

Public Health England has developed specific guidance for flight crews on keeping themselves and their passengers safe, including guidance on safe principles of working and on the use of personal protective equipment.

A General Aircraft Declaration (GAD) process will now be required for all flights coming to the UK requiring crew to identify symptomatic passengers before arrival, with a similar process being implemented for maritime and international rail.

5th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that social distancing measures can be effectively introduced for regional public transport during the covid-19 outbreak.

On the 12 May, the Government published guidance for passengers and transport operators to help them keep themselves and their staff safe, including how social distancing rules should be interpreted to do this. This guidance will be kept up-to-date as restrictions on travel change.

5th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) monitor increases in (i) walking and (ii) cycling during the covid 19 outbreak and (b) develop a post-covid-19 sustainable transport strategy.

The Government recognises that walking and cycling have great potential as a means of enabling people to move around safely while maintaining social distancing, thus helping to relieve pressures on public transport as well as delivering other health benefits. We are already continually gathering evidence in order to monitor changes in cycling and walking levels.

The Government continues to keep its sustainable transport response under review. We recognise that reallocating road space to give pedestrians and cyclists more room can be a good way of enabling more people to use these modes safely. We support the steps many local authorities are taking to deliver this, but decisions on where and how to do it are a matter for local authorities who are responsible for managing their roads, and who already have the necessary powers. The Transport Secretary announced on 9 May a £250 million emergency active travel fund, to create new bike lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions in England.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
30th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rail to refuge initiative.

The ‘Rail to Refuge’ initiative is a scheme that complements our wider safeguarding activity to protect vulnerable children and adults at risk.

Since the start of the lock down on 23 March 2020, 40 bookings for travel have been made using the system. This has resulted in more than 50 adults and children in a vulnerable position being helped. Critically these are individuals who would not have been able to travel to a place of safety without the assistance of the scheme.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency can schedule driving tests for critical workers using existing appointment systems during the covid-19 outbreak.

From 21 March 2020, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suspended most practical driver testing for up to three months to support the Government’s efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus.

As a matter of priority, the DVSA is supporting the NHS and key workers by making practical driving tests available for those whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or who work in critical sectors such as health and social care.

Critical workers can apply for an emergency driving test by emailing: critical.worker.driving.test@dvsa.gov.uk

20th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with representatives of airlines on ensuring that the costs of tickets for repatriation flights are comparable with the price of tickets originally paid by passengers.

The Department is working to support the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who are leading the efforts to ensure that British tourists can return home from across the Globe.

The Government is working closely with the aviation sector, and we welcome continued efforts by airlines to ensure that passengers can return to the UK.

Whilst ticket pricing remains a commercial matter for the airlines, we are monitoring the situation closely.

19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he will take to ensure the DVSA reinstates driving tests for those who seek to become key workers needing a driving licence during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has suspended most driver testing for up to three months to support government’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. The DVSA will continue, as a major priority, to make tests available for those whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response or who work in critical sectors.

18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of postponing routine HGV medicals during the covid-19 outbreak.

The department is considering the issues around the renewal of driving entitlement for HGV drivers and will take into account the developing situation and the need to balance the risks to road safety.

18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of granting an automatic six month extension for HGV licences to ensure continuity of goods transportation around the UK during the covid-19 outbreak.

The department is considering the issues around the renewal of driving entitlement for HGV drivers and will take into account the developing situation and the need to balance the risks to road safety.

9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequate provision of transport options for (a) Bosworth and (b) other constituents to watch the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

A key part of delivering a successful Commonwealth Games is about making sure transport works effectively, both for those living and working around Games locations and for those involved in or who wish to watch the Games. Local Games transport partners, such as the West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, are working together leading on transport preparations and planning for the Birmingham Games.

Government is supporting the preparations by bringing forward the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill. The Bill includes a small number of temporary measures which are essential to the successful operation of the Games, including on transport. The measures set a statutory basis for a Games Transport Plan - to minimise the risk of relying on voluntary arrangements to coordinate Games transport planning- and provide bespoke traffic regulatory powers, allowing short term changes of road use - where needed - to ensure minimal disruption to those travelling to and from the Games.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
28th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support agencies to simplify the rail ticketing system.

The Government has supported industry initiatives for reform in both simplifying fares and improving the ticket buying process. To improve the ticket buying process, we supported the Rail Delivery Group’s mobile barcode ticketing programme and made an additional £80m available to operators so that smart tickets are accepted at stations across almost all the network. We are now working with the industry to maximise the benefits of this investment.

In addition, we welcome the Rail Delivery Group’s contribution to the Williams Rail Review through its publication of the Easier Fares Consultation. The Williams Review is the first root and branch review of the rail industry in a generation and will set out ambitious proposals early this year. On 2 January a trial of simpler, single-leg fares was launched on some London North Eastern Railway routes, and we announced our intention to establish a new ‘fares trials fund’ to explore the benefits and costs of a clearer, more flexible and fairer fares system.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
28th Jan 2020
A5
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) Highways England and (b) local authorities on the (i) safety of the A5 and (ii) adequacy of that road to support economic growth in Bosworth constituency.

Officials meet regularly with Highways England and local authorities to discuss conditions on the road network. They are well appraised of the work of the A5 partnership, of which the local authorities of Bosworth are committed members, as well as the advocacy of Midlands Connect for this corridor’s potential.

10th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Household Support Fund.

The Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion.

In England, £421 million is being provided to extend the existing Household Support Fund from 01 October to 31 March. Guidance and individual local authority indicative allocations for this further extension to the Household Support Fund will be published soon. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the (a) introduction and (b) initial operation of the Restart Scheme for jobseekers in (i) the UK and (ii) Leicestershire.

The Restart Scheme is still in its initial stage. It is aimed at supporting people who have been on Universal Credit in the Intensive Work Search Regime for 12-18 months into sustained employment. Referrals to Restart began in July 2021 and participants can spend up to 12 months on the scheme.

At this stage, it is too early to give an assessment of the effectiveness of the introduction and initial operation. However, a comprehensive, multi-strand evaluation will be undertaken to provide a robust analysis of Restart delivery and impact.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Kickstart scheme in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth.

We are pleased to say that, as of the 8th September, over 69,000 young people have started Kickstart jobs. Over 188,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for through the Kickstart Scheme with over 281,000 jobs approved for funding by the Scheme.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 8th September and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

We are currently not able to publish a breakdown below the regional and national level although expect to be able to do so in due course, this is because the information is contained across multiple systems and the work to gather and quality assure it would be a disproportionate cost.

From 18/08/2021 to 08/09/2021, over 4,800 jobs were made available each week, and over 2,800 started each week.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Total Jobs Started

East Midlands

11,900

4,170

East of England

14,900

4,870

London

38,400

15,170

North East

7,500

3,170

North West

24,000

8,830

Scotland

13,800

6,140

South East

21,700

7,460

South West

14,000

4,660

Wales

10,600

3,390

West Midlands

16,900

6,150

Yorkshire and The Humber

14,600

5,250

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. Jobs Made Available include 1,000 non-grant funded vacancies and Total Starts include around 900 starts to non-grant funded jobs

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Total Jobs Started

Administration

46,900

17,420

Animal Care

1,000

540

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,300

520

Business & Finance

6,700

2,540

Computing Technology & Digital

13,100

6,110

Construction & Trades

5,800

2,200

Creative & Media

14,500

6,980

Delivery & Storage

5,500

1,970

Emergency & Uniform Services

400

160

Engineering & Maintenance

6,200

2,110

Environment & Land

3,500

1,450

Government Services

700

130

Healthcare

5,200

1,530

Home Services

1,400

360

Hospitality & Food

21,100

5,360

Law & Legal

400

210

Managerial

1,100

340

Manufacturing

4,600

1,890

Retail & Sales

29,200

11,370

Science & Research

700

330

Social Care

4,700

1,120

Sports & Leisure

4,300

1,690

Teaching & Education

8,900

2,570

Transport

500

150

Travel & Tourism

600

210

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. Jobs Made Available include 1,000 non-grant funded vacancies and Total Starts include around 900 starts to non-grant funded jobs

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
12th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to consult (a) people with disabilities and (b) representative groups on any developments of her Department's strategic objectives following the covid-19 outbreak.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23rd March 2021 to question number 169969.

16th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to consult (a) people with disabilities and (b) representative groups on her Department's strategic objectives following the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department for Work and Pensions places a strong emphasis on engaging with stakeholders to inform health and disability policy. Before the Covid-19 outbreak we hosted a series of workshops across the country where local disability organisations and disabled people shared their experiences of DWP services and priorities for future changes. We have continued this engagement since Covid-19 with a series of virtual events with charities and disabled people, where we heard from people about the impact of the pandemic on their lives. The forthcoming Health and Disability Green Paper will reflect themes coming out of those conversations and ask for views on how best to address them. We will continue this engagement with further events with disabled people and their representatives in the run up to the publication of the Green Paper, during the consultation period, and beyond.

To support the development of the National Strategy for Disabled People and future work, the Government has already engaged widely with a diverse range of stakeholders, including the Disability Charities Consortium, the Regional Stakeholder Networks, individual disabled people and others.

20th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help ensure adequate staff resources in (a) her Department's and (b) Jobcentre Plus's teams covering Bosworth constituency.

The department is continually impacting and assessing the service being offered to customers and we continue to keep staff numbers under review as part of our response to the impact of Covid-19 on the labour market. Work Coach recruitment campaigns have been launched across the country, including Bosworth constituency, as the department doubles the number of Work Coaches from 13,500 to 27,000.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of initiatives to progress the awareness and take up of pension credit.

The precise updated data on the effectiveness of the spring 2020 campaign is not yet able to be provided.

The purpose of the campaign was to raise Pension Credit awareness and test impact.

There was a 20% increase in telephone calls to the Pension Credit claim line (during the course of the campaign the weekly average was 2,493 phone calls compared to a weekly average in 2019 of 2,079 phone calls).

There was also significant engagement with social media and a spike of activity on viewing the Pension Credit website pages with more than 5,000 sessions on the launch day, 10 February (compared to 1,000 on 3 February).

However, it should be stressed that other factors may affect these numbers, including the BBC TV licensing decision and the effect of the Pandemic.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people into jobs or training opportunities aligned to the development of the Green Economy.

Across Government we are developing policies to support people to pivot to high demand, growth sectors, including low-carbon and climate resilient jobs. There are already over 460,000 people working in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country and by 2030 the UK could support up to 2 million green jobs.

DWP’s Jobcentre Plus network supports thousands of jobseekers each year to move into the labour market, including jobs in the Green Economy. The Government’s pledge to double the number of Work Coaches to 27,000 by March 2021 will ensure that jobseekers continue to have access this expert and tailored support. As announced on 8th July, we are continuing to support jobseekers by increasing participation in our sector-based work academy programmes (SWAP). We will continue to establish bespoke opportunities, including those within the Green Economy, working with employers and training providers to support jobseekers to fill job vacancies and pivot into new careers.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
8th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the efficient roll out of the Kickstart scheme in Bosworth constituency.

We are pleased to confirm that the department is now processing many applications from across the UK, this is currently a clerical process, so reliable management information, particularly on geographical areas, is not yet available.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking to steps to support (a) Citizens Advice and (b) other third sector advice organisations on managing covid-19-related queries during the outbreak of that disease.

As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on monitoring the initial effectiveness of the Neuroscience Transformation Programme in the fields of (a) improving specialised adult neuroscience science and (b) a new model of integrated care for neurology services.

To improve specialised adult neuroscience, the NHS England Neurosciences Service Transformation Programme (NSTP) has worked with a range of stakeholders to identify what ‘good’ looks like. This includes common principles regarding access to appropriate timely services.

The NSTP provides integrated care systems (ICSs) with the tools, information, and resources to support the transformation of integrated services at a local level. Outcomes include the Adult Neurology Integrated Care Board dashboard and the Neurosurgery Networks, which have led on the five Neurosurgery Recovery High Impact Changes. This work will support ICSs as they take on joint responsibility for commissioning specialised neurology and specialised neurosurgery services from April 2024.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of take-up of HRT prepayment certificates in (a) England and (b) Leicestershire.

Between the launch of the service on 1 April 2023 and the end of 13 June 2023, there were 250,971 applications for a Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate across England. It is estimated that 5,237 applications were received from patients in the Leicestershire area.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
12th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) NHS England and (ii) other bodies on raising public awareness of HRT prepayment certificates.

The Department has engaged extensively with stakeholders when developing and implementing the hormone replacement therapy prescription prepayment certificate (HRT PPC) which was introduced on 1 April this year.

We have worked with print and broadcast media to promote the HRT PCC, updated relevant NHS England and NHS Business Services Authority web pages, and used social media to amplify our key messages.

We have also engaged with various key stakeholder groups including those representing clinicians and patients as well as a number of menopause charities. We shared key resources with stakeholders encouraging them to amplify across their channels and engage their wider networks to further maximise reach, helping to raise awareness of the HRT PPC and ensure patients can benefit.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
16th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national carers passport scheme.

The Department has no plans to assess the potential merits of introducing a national carers passport scheme. In partnership with Carers UK and Carers Trust, the Department funded a project in 2017/18 to provide resources and guidance to support the development of local Carer Passport schemes. The resources and guidance were launched in 2018 and remain active.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the early identification of people with familial hypercholesterolaemia in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the UK.

NHS England are collaborating with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s Integrated Care Board to implement an agreed model of a nurse-led, assessment and genetic testing service to increase the early identification of people with familial hypercholesterolaemia in Leicestershire. Once established, clinics will be held in primary care venues across Leicestershire with an allocated familial hypercholesterolaemia Specialist Nurse.

NHS England is reviewing the decision of the National Screening Committee on screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia and is considering how best to address the committee’s outstanding concerns. This work will be supported by an ongoing child parent screening pilot which is being implemented through the Academic Health Sciences Networks.

The Department has been supporting local areas with the recovery of the NHS Health Check programme, which includes an assessment of cholesterol. We are progressing a programme of modernisation which includes the development of a digital NHS Health Check that will include home cholesterol testing and enable more people to benefit.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams in (a) Leicestershire (b) Bosworth and (c) the rest of the UK.

The Department has held no discussions with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams specifically in Leicestershire, Bosworth and the rest of the UK.

On 17 May 2023, the Government launched a call for evidence to inform the Major Conditions Strategy on how best to prevent, diagnose and manage six groups of major conditions, including diabetes.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Our plan for patients, published on 22 September 2022, what progress his Department has made on increasing patient access to NHS dentistry services.

In November 2022, many of the dental system reforms announced in July 2022 and reiterated in ‘Our plan for patients’ came into force. These included splitting Band 2 payments to ensure dentists were more fairly remunerated for more complex dental treatment and allowing dentists to deliver up to 110% of their contracted dental activity to further improve access.

NHS England also reissued guidance on using dental care practitioners to the full extent of their professional skills and reiterated the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence that adults with good oral health do not need to see a dentist more often than every two years and a child every one year. There is also now a contractual requirement for all practices to keep their availability and whether or not they are accepting new National Health Service patients up to date on the NHS website which will help patients in accessing care. However, we know we need to do more and that is why we are working on additional reforms which we plan to announce shortly.

19th Apr 2023
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on encouraging schools to appoint mental health leads.

There are 399 operational Mental Health Support Teams now in place, supporting over 3 million children and young people. That means we have already achieved our 35% coverage target, 8 months ahead of schedule.

I am planning to deliver an additional 101 teams by spring 2024 taking us to 500. The NIHR – who undertook a review of the programme – found that 77% of children and young people surveyed saw positive improvements in their mental health and wellbeing. We have also set an ambition for all state schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead by 2025-26 in 10 state-funded secondary schools in England now have a dedicated mental health lead.

I am thankful to the support of the Department for Education in supporting this rollout.

Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
16th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with NHS England on ensuring the (i) adequacy and (ii) consistency of treatment pathways for children living with (A) PANS and (B) PANDAS; and what steps he is taking to ensure that children living with (1) PANS and (2) PANDAS and their parents receive adequate (x) information and (y) support to take informed decisions on care pathway options.

No such discussions with NHS England have taken place or are planned at present. Should the evidence base develop further, clinical policy may be updated by relevant organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NHS England would then consider the development of care pathways for those living with PANS and PANDAS. In the meantime, integrated care systems are responsible for planning care for their populations.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
27th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on determining the allocated capital to the eight hospitals in cohort three of the New Hospitals Programme; and when an announcement on the outcome of that determination will be made.

The New Hospital Programme was allocated £3.7 billion for the first four years of the programme in 2020. With any multi-year investment, further funding will be set out at future Spending Reviews. Individual funding allocations for schemes are only confirmed once the respective Full Business Cases have been reviewed and agreed, including by HM Treasury.

We are working closely with all schemes in the programme, including the cohort three schemes on progressing their new hospital aligned with the national programme approach. The national approach will enable cost and time savings and transform the way we deliver healthcare infrastructure for the National Health Service through standardised and repeatable hospital designs and modern methods of construction to ensure value for money.

7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a national strategy on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia.

The Department and NHS England have not made an assessment on the potential merits of introducing a national strategy on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

In April 2020, following a review of the evidence, the UK National Screening Committee concluded a national screening programme for FH was not recommended.

The NHS Long Term Plan has committed to expanding access to genetic testing for FH, with the ambition to improve diagnosis to at least 25% by March 2024 through the NHS Genomics Programme. The NHS Health Check, England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, aims to prevent CVD among healthy adults aged 40-74 years old through earlier awareness and management of six of the top risk factors for CVD, with cholesterol among the assessed risk factors.

7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to genetic testing for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire.

The NHS Genomic Medicine Service was launched in 2018 to provide consistent and genomically informed care and treatment for patients in the National Health Service in England. This is delivered via seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs), covering the entire geography of England, who operate as part of a national network to deliver the genomic testing as outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory. The East Genomic Laboratory Hub provides and coordinates a wide range of genomic tests for the Leicestershire area. Genomic testing for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia is currently offered through the Test Directory, the testing code for this clinical indication is labelled as R134.

NHS England has data collection and monitoring systems in place across all seven NHS GLHs to support service improvements and meet with each region on a quarterly basis to monitor performance.

24th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of GPs to the delivery of primary care.

We are hugely grateful to GPs and their teams for the role they play in delivery services to their communities. In November 2022, there were 31.3 million general practice appointments, excluding Covid-19 vaccinations, 14.4 million of which were delivered by general practitioners.

General practice teams include a range of other health professionals who are able to respond to the needs of their patients, and we are on track to recruit an additional 26,000 primary care staff.

16th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report entitled The impact of body image on mental and physical health, published on 2 Aug 2022, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of that report's recommendations on (a) commissioning a review and (b) awareness campaign on safe anabolic steroid use.

No assessment has been made. The recommendation in question is a matter for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The full Government response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report will be published in early 2023.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
9th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to expand the range of services available from community pharmacies in (a) England, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Bosworth constituency.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 (CPCF) five-year deal commits £2.592 billion each year to the sector. The deal sets out the vision for how community pharmacy will support the NHS Long Term Plan by being better integrated into the National Health Service, delivering more clinical services and becoming the first port of call for minor illness. A range of clinical services have been introduced under the deal including blood pressure checks and minor illness referrals from general practitioners and NHS 111 which can be delivered by all community pharmacies in England, Leicestershire and Bosworth.

In September 2022, we announced a £100 million investment into pharmacy for the remainder of the five-year deal. The agreement also includes new and expanded services in community pharmacy. We will enable community pharmacists across England to manage and initiate contraception and provide extra support for patients newly prescribed anti-depressants. Urgent and emergency care settings will be able to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or for an urgent medicine supply.

9th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the integration of community pharmacies into the NHS in (a) Bosworth constituency, (b) Leicestershire and (c) England.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 (CPCF) five-year deal commits £2.592 billion each year to the sector. The deal sets out the vision for how community pharmacy will support the NHS Long Term Plan by being better integrated into the National Health Service, delivering more clinical services and becoming the first port of call for minor illness. A range of clinical services have been introduced under the deal including blood pressure checks and minor illness referrals from general practitioners and NHS 111 which can be delivered by all community pharmacies in England, Leicestershire and Bosworth.

In September 2022, we announced a £100 million investment into pharmacy for the remainder of the five-year deal. The agreement also includes new and expanded services in community pharmacy. We will enable community pharmacists across England to manage and initiate contraception and provide extra support for patients newly prescribed anti-depressants. Urgent and emergency care settings will be able to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a minor illness consultation or for an urgent medicine supply.

20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a day case unit in Hinckley.

NHS England works with local systems to prioritise bids for future community diagnostic centre (CDC) sites and assesses business cases. The locations of further CDCs will be announced in due course, with completion dates dependent on the nature of each project. The Department and NHS England continue to develop plans to increase the number of CDCs to 160 by March 2025.

Local health system planners are responsible for determining local health infrastructure in collaboration with NHS England. From 2022/23 to 2024/25, £12 billion of operational capital will be provided to the National Health Service. NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board will consider how this funding is allocated in the local area, including any assessment of the merits of a day case unit at Hinckley.

Robert Jenrick
Minister of State (Home Office) (Immigration)
20th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a community diagnostics centre in Hinckley.

NHS England works with local systems to prioritise bids for future community diagnostic centre (CDC) sites and assesses business cases. The locations of further CDCs will be announced in due course, with completion dates dependent on the nature of each project. The Department and NHS England continue to develop plans to increase the number of CDCs to 160 by March 2025.

Local health system planners are responsible for determining local health infrastructure in collaboration with NHS England. From 2022/23 to 2024/25, £12 billion of operational capital will be provided to the National Health Service. NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board will consider how this funding is allocated in the local area, including any assessment of the merits of a day case unit at Hinckley.

Robert Jenrick
Minister of State (Home Office) (Immigration)
30th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of joint working between the (a) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, (c) NHS England and (d) NHS Improvement in the context of supporting access for patients to products licenced through Project Orbis.

We routinely work with system partners to assess the effectiveness of processes to support access to new medicines for National Health Service patients. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England ensure there is an integrated approach to enable access to new medicines, including those licensed through Project Orbis. NICE commits to publishing draft recommendations on new medicines approximately at the time of licensing, with final guidance within three months of licensing wherever possible. NHS England and NICE have also agreed principles to allow potential interim access ahead of NICE’s guidance where timely guidance is not possible, which has supported early access for a number of medicines licensed through Project Orbis.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
10th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that immunosuppressed individuals who test positive for covid-19 are able to urgently access monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England.

In all regions in England, including Leicestershire, eligible patients who test positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by a clinician from a COVID Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) to discuss treatment suitability. The clinician will be responsible for assessing the patient and deciding which treatment option is most appropriate for them and their existing condition/s.

If a CMDU clinician has not contacted the patient within 24 hours, they can seek further advice and information from their general practitioner (GP), hospital specialist or NHS 111 and arrange an urgent referral to a CMDU for assessment, where appropriate. Guidance has been provided to GPs, NHS 111 and hospital doctors to ensure information is available to support patients.

7th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) tackle potential market distortions in the sale of covid-19 lateral flow tests.

The Government is engaging with retailers to support the development of a strong private market for testing. Further information will be made available in due course. We will ensure that private lateral flow device (LFD) testing is appropriately regulated in line with comparable products. Manufacturers and retailers of devices will have autonomy to set pricing for sales of LFDs. It is in the interest of the manufacturers and retailers to set affordable prices so that a private market exists and flourishes.

21st Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the National Institute for Health Research’s Highlight Notice on Dementia on the take up of research proposals on that subject.

The Highlight Notice is still open for applications therefore no assessment has yet been made.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
31st Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) research into and (b) awareness of migraines and migraine prevention.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £40.3 million on neurological research in 2020/21, which includes research on migraines. While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funding for particular topics or conditions, the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including migraines.

Guidance is available to patients, health care professionals and commissioners on the diagnosis, prevention and management of migraines. This includes guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the RightCare Headache and Migraines Toolkit. The RightCare toolkit should be used by local clinical commissioning groups to ensure that patients are supported effectively. In addition, the National Neurosciences Advisory Group is currently revising its headache and facial pain optimal clinical pathway.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
27th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help NHS England improve waiting times for ADHD diagnosis.

Clinical commissioning groups and National Health Service trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline ‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management’. This guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children and the quality of care and support that people receive. The guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive ADHD treatment. We are working with local authority children’s social care, education services and charities to develop packages to support neurodivergent children throughout the diagnostic process, including children with ADHD and their families.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
26th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that a relevant proportion of the £8,904,000 allocated to the Midlands to support dentistry will be allocated to the (a) East Midlands, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Bosworth constituency.

NHS England is working with regional teams to commission additional activity from providers with capacity and ability to deliver dental services in the Midlands.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help roll out the Veteran Aware accreditation to healthcare providers in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth.

There are two accreditation schemes in operation - the Veterans Healthcare Covenant Alliance (VCHA) and the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Veteran Friendly Practice scheme.

The University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust are accredited under the VCHA scheme and will undergo re-accreditation during 2022. The VCHA are also working with East Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust on accreditation.

There are currently 15 general practitioner (GP) practices accredited in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) area. This represents 11.2% of the open GP practices in the STP area. Seven of these are in the NHS West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group area, serving the Bosworth area.

In May 2021 the Royal College of General Practitioners hosted an online training event for the East and Central region and provides new materials for practices. The Royal College is currently planning to deliver geographically targeted engagement to increase accreditations.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
4th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support efficient cancer diagnosis and referral services while the NHS tackles the omicron covid-19 variant and strategically prepares for the future.

Between March 2020 and October 2021, general practitioners referred over 3.8 million people with suspected cancer and over 487,000 patients started cancer treatment, with 95% of patients starting treatment within a month.

National Health Service systems have been asked to maintain rapid access, including tests and checks for patients with suspected cancer and screening services. Cancer pathways have been adapted with advice on streamlining cancer diagnostic pathways and protecting against COVID-19 infection. The use of independent sector capacity for cancer services is being maximised, where clinically appropriate. Patients are involved in decisions on their care, including where it may be rescheduled. Anyone with concerning symptoms is encouraged to come forward, in line with our ‘Help us, help you’ campaign.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
13th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister on 8 December 2021, Official Report, col 379, what discussions he has had with (a) MRHA and (b) JCVI on the 15 minute wait after receiving covid-19 vaccinations.

Following advice from the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Commission on Human Medicines, we have agreed to temporarily suspend the 15 minute wait following mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations. The suspension is designed to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination programme, including booster doses, in response to the Omicron variant. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is aware of this new advice and the nature of the temporary suspension that has been agreed. The temporary suspension is in operation in England from 16 December 2021, following necessary amendments to system guidance and protocols.

9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the progress of the pilot for recording overseas vaccinations in the NHS national database.

There is now one vaccination centre in every region in England offering this service and by early December, there will be three sites per region. Further expansion of the service is planned in due course.

3rd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the role of (a) Premier League football clubs and (b) Football League clubs in helping to improve public health in their communities.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has not undertaken an assessment of the role of premier league and football league clubs in helping to improve public health in their communities.

OHID are however aware of the community public health programmes undertaken by the Premier League and English Football League clubs, which are often commissioned or delivered with local authority public health teams and the National Health Service.

The clubs deliver interventions such as smoking cessation, health checks, physical activity, healthy eating promotion and weight management services. OHID’s Better Health campaign is partnering with the English Football League Trust who are delivering the Fit Fans health programme, which is a behaviour change weight management programme delivered through the coaching staff, in a number of clubs across the country.

18th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle digital exclusion among patients undertaking kidney function tests who do not have smart phones.

The Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award currently supports the deployment and evaluation of one digital technology that enables patients to test their kidney function via a smartphone app. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have stated that patients should continue to be offered a blended approach of face-to-face and remote appointments, with digital triage and testing where possible. Patients' input into the choice of consultation mode with their general practitioners should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary, such as the lack of a smartphone or the presence of COVID-19 symptoms.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
23rd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of undertaking a targeted public awareness campaign on reducing the risk of developing dementia.

No formal assessment has been made.

Since 2018, dementia risk reduction messaging has been incorporated in the NHS Health Check for all eligible adults in England aged 40 to 74 years old to increase dementia awareness and motivate people in midlife to make positive changes to reduce their risk.

To reduce the risk of dementia the Government recommends the following:

- eating a healthy diet as depicted in the Eatwell Guide;

- maintaining a healthy weight;

- exercising regularly;

- not drinking too much alcohol;

- stopping smoking; and

- keeping blood pressure at a healthy level.

We will be setting out our plans on dementia for England for future years in due course which will include a focus on risk reduction and prevention.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
22nd Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on ensuring that participants in (a) vaccine trials and (b) the Novavax trial are able to have their vaccination status accurately recorded in the NHS Covid Pass.

All clinical trial participants can now gain access to an NHS COVID Pass for domestic purposes.

As of 21 September, approximately two thirds of Novavax trial participants in England, access their vaccination information through the NHS COVID Pass for travel purposes. Work is ongoing to ensure that all clinical trial participants can access an NHS COVID Pass for travel in the near future.

20th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that volunteer capacity is available to support the NHS when needed.

NHS England will shortly be launching a programme to further increase volunteering capacity available to National Health Service hospital and ambulance trusts via roles designed to reduce pressure on NHS services, support wellbeing of staff and enhance patient experience.

We also continue to work closely with our partners in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector such as St John Ambulance Re:Act, the British Red Cross, Age UK and the Royal Voluntary Service. We continue to co-deliver the NHS Cadets programme, which aims to develop 10,000 new NHS Cadets within three years, we have a renewed focus on the Volunteer to Career pathway and we have partnered with #iwill and the Pears Foundation to identify new opportunities for young volunteers.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
8th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage people to take up careers in (a) the pharmaceutical sector and (b) high street pharmacies.

Reforms to pharmacist initial education and training will ensure that all new pharmacists entering the profession, regardless of where they choose to practice, will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to take on greater clinical roles including qualifying as prescribers. There are also a range of post-graduate programmes available to strengthen their skillset and progress within the profession.

Health Education England is also encouraging students to apply to study pharmacy at university and career information is available from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. There are also a range of funded apprenticeships schemes provided by pharmacy employers for a variety of roles in pharmacy teams.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients are signposted, when presenting, to the correct NHS service.

Under Primary Care Network (PCN) Direct Enhanced Services, PCNs are able to recruit new roles to expand their care team with 100% reimbursement through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). Care coordinators are one of several roles funded by the ARRS and their responsibilities include signposting patients to National Health Service and other appropriate services. In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s and Public Health England’s ‘Help us help you’ campaign encourages the public to access the NHS services they need.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
19th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to record data on the number of users of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs.

No recent assessment has been made.

Public Health England (PHE) records the numbers of people who are in drug treatment reporting a problem with image and performance enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids. These numbers are low and are included in the figures for ‘other’ drugs in PHE’s annual reports on alcohol and drug treatment.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
19th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the harms caused by Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs.

No recent assessment has been made.

Public Health England (PHE) records the numbers of people who are in drug treatment reporting a problem with image and performance enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids. These numbers are low and are included in the figures for ‘other’ drugs in PHE’s annual reports on alcohol and drug treatment.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has undertaken of the needs of members of the public without smartphone or internet access in the context of his future covid-19 related strategic planning as the UK completes its covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Invitations for the COVID-19 vaccine are currently being issued in a number of ways. The National Booking Service is primarily sending letters to people’s registered addresses. These letters give the option of booking by the free 119 phone line. This phone line includes BSL and text relay services. Follow up phone calls and letters are made to those who have been sent an initial letter but not responded. Local vaccination services are for the most part using text messages or phone calls as the first approach. Follow up ‘phone calls would also be made to those who have not responded to initial invitations. Others can make an appointment on behalf of individuals who are not able to make it themselves.

Community Champions also work with councils to identify barriers to accessing accurate information and to provide tailored support, such as phone calls for people who are digitally excluded. We are clear that no matter how citizens choose to interact with services, they should receive the same levels of access, consistent advice and the same outcomes of care.

8th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support community pharmacies in Leicestershire with the roll-out of covid-19 vaccinations.

Community pharmacies providing the COVID-19 vaccination, regardless of their location in England, will be eligible for support in the form of training, funding for the service including fee per vaccination, additional venue hire costs and pre-agreed one off set up costs and non-monetary support - for example, access to vaccines, consumables, personal protective equipment and other equipment to operate the site.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS leaders to bring down Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service waiting lists for autism diagnosis in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the UK.

In line with commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to test and implement the most effective ways to reduce waiting times for an autism diagnosis for children in England over the next three years. To support NHS leaders in England, NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned work to evaluate how different autism diagnostic pathways work for children and young people. This includes considering the workforce requirements to deliver effective diagnostic pathways and the appropriate pre and post-diagnostic support.

The Leicestershire Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service is working to reduce the length of time children and young people wait for an autism diagnosis through the introduction of additional capacity.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged by legislation on covid-19 restrictions.

From 2 December, a regionally differentiated approach was put in place where different tiers of COVID-19 restrictions apply in different parts of the country. We have taken several actions to support disabled people who may be impacted by these restrictions. A person caring for someone with a disability at home can now form a support bubble with another household, a ‘linked household’. Carers in all three tiers are allowed to arrange for another family member or friend to provide respite care so they can take a break. We have also recognised the need for support groups, including day services, which are vitally important to many disabled people, to continue and as such formally organised groups of up to 15 can continue to meet. For example, on 1 December we published accessible ‘easy read’ guidance regarding the local restriction tiers.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has provided to research into cauda equina syndrome in each of the last five years.

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cauda equina syndrome. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Information on individual projects funded by the NIHR is available at the following link:

https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/

The NIHR has not funded any research specifically into cauda equina syndrome in the last five years. However, the NIHR funded over £270,000 between 2015/16 and 2019/20 on a research project which investigated chronic neurogenic bladder dysfunction, which can result from cauda equina syndrome.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
10th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the long-term use of NHS covid-19 testing capacity when the outbreak is over.

On 18 August, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the establishment of a new organisation to provide a world-leading approach to public health protection and resilience. The National Institute for Health Protection brings together the health protection expertise of Public Health England (PHE), Joint Biosecurity Centre and National Health Service Test and Trace under unified leadership. It will start work immediately to boost the United Kingdom’s ability to deal with COVID-19 and meet health challenges of the coming winter.

Preventing ill-health and reducing health inequalities remains one of our top priorities. The Department has established a senior Stakeholder Advisory Group to help identify and consider the right future for PHE’s important wider work.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
12th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand laboratory capacity for covid-19 testing in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the rest of England.

We have rapidly built the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history from scratch since the pandemic began. Our laboratories are processing more than 1 million tests a week and we recently announced the addition of new Lighthouse laboratories in Charnwood, Newcastle and Bracknell. The latest and fifth addition – the Newport lab – is already live and is taking samples and operates alongside labs at Milton Keynes, Alderley Park, Glasgow and Cambridge.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the provision of healthcare by community pharmacies during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has put in place an unprecedented financial package during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing support to all businesses, including community pharmacies. We have also made £370 million in advance payments to alleviate cash flow pressures and have provided extra funding to cover the costs of Bank Holiday opening, a new medicine delivery service for shielded patients, and measures taken by community pharmacy to support social distancing. For June to September 2020, there has also been an increase of £15 million per month to reimbursement prices of the most commonly prescribed generic medicines.

Additional funding, for costs incurred during the peak of the pandemic, is being actively discussed with the sector. We will also carefully consider other representations on how we can further support community pharmacy so they can continue to deliver.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the NHS to tackle any backlog of dental treatment in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the UK.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have set out guidance that dentists should focus on care that is urgent, care to vulnerable groups and then overdue routine appointments.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned additional clinical sessions across the Midlands region, Leicestershire and Rutland. It will enable participating National HS dental practices to deliver more face-to-face care providing up to two sessions, of three and half hours, at the weekends from January to March this year.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities in (a) Leicester and (b) Leicestershire.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP) is reviewing the findings from Public Health England’s reports to better understand the drivers behind the disparities and the relationships between the different risk factors so we can build on the existing action we are taking across England to tackle health inequalities. This includes our childhood obesity plan, NHS Health Checks, our tobacco control plan and diabetes prevention programme.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits all major national programmes and every local area across England, including Leicestershire, to set out specific measurable goals and mechanisms by which they will contribute to narrowing health inequalities over the next five and 10 years.

Public Health England works with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support and assure the delivery of the health inequalities ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan and local systems, which incorporate local authorities.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the development of a robust and reliable antibody test for covid-19; and what the timetable is for that test to be rolled out to the general public.

We believe a national antibody testing programme may provide a critical role in the next phase of this pandemic. We are already offering antibody tests to National Health Service and care staff in England, with patients and social care residents eligible at their clinician’s request. We are also using antibody tests to support research studies.

In order to better understand the role that an antibody test could play in our response to the pandemic, we need to improve our understanding of how the immune system responds to the virus that causes COVID-19. We do not currently know how long an antibody response to the virus lasts, nor whether having antibodies means a person cannot transmit the virus to others. Our understanding of the virus will grow as new scientific evidence and studies emerge.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the suitability of work transferred from secondary to primary care during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) the level of compliance of those transfers with the terms of the NHS Standard Contract.

No services have transferred from secondary to primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of steps have been taken to ensure patients can be treated safely, and that sufficient capacity was available in hospitals to treat patients with COVID-19. No updates to the NHS Standard Contract were required to facilitate these changes, which included:

- All practices have adopted total triage model, allowing them to appropriately treat patients either face to face or remotely;

- COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Service arrangements were put in place to supplement existing 111 services, to ensure patients were assessed and referred to appropriate treatment in the community or in hospital as required, and;

- New discharge funding arrangements have been in place to ensure allow the safe and rapid discharge of those people who no longer need to be in a hospital bed. This funding has allowed patients to be quickly discharged either to their homes, for rehabilitation or short-term care, or for ongoing nursing care, often in a bedded setting.

Ongoing collaboration between secondary and primary care providers is essential to ensuring patients are treated appropriately, led by local systems.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
11th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse is of the (a) establishment of the NHS Test and Trace system and (b) recruitment of 25,000 NHS Test and Trace caseworkers.

The Government launched its new NHS Test and Trace service on 28 May 2020. This includes enhanced contact tracing which brings together testing, contact tracing and outbreak management into an end-to-end service.

We have recruited 25,000 contact tracing staff in England to support this service. These staff are a mix of call handlers and health professionals. Final agreed contract values of procuring the call handling service will be published in the individual Contract Award Notices in the Official Journal of the European; and we publish certain information on Contracts Finder about contracts awarded.

These staff are in addition to existing public health experts from Public Health England (PHE) and local government. PHE staff are not employed exclusively as ‘contact tracers’. Contact tracing is undertaken by local health protection teams and the field epidemiology service who are trained in contact tracing and undertake more complex contact tracing work but also carry out other roles.

8th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing covid- 19 free safe spaces within hospitals for the treatment of cancer patients.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 21 Cancer Alliances across England now have arrangements in place for cancer hubs. These are hospitals dedicated to cancer care away from hospitals dealing with COVID-19 to keep often vulnerable cancer patients safe.

A letter was issued to trusts on 29 April 2020 detailing the Second Phase of Response to COVID-19 setting out local systems and Cancer Alliances must continue to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer, and providers must protect and deliver cancer surgery and cancer treatment by ensuring that cancer surgery hubs are fully operational. Full use should be made of the available contracted independent sector hospital and diagnostic capacity locally and regionally.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
11th May 2020
To ask the right hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps is the Government taking to work with churches and dioceses to ensure the safe opening of churches for religious worship.

The Church of England is committed to the reopening of buildings in a phased way, in accordance with the rules, restrictions and timetable established by Government. On 5th May the House of Bishops issued guidance, which can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/house-bishops-backs-phased-approach-revising-access-church-buildings

We are working with Government and with representatives of the heritage planning sector to assess the need for building adaptations related to public safety in our cathedral and church buildings, and in particular temporary additions or changes that might need to be made to enable social distancing and proper hygiene. We are committed to enabling our churches and cathedrals to make such changes as might be needed to allow them to reopen safely.

Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) per unit cost of covid-19 home testing kits from dispatch to test result and (b) rate of return of those kits.

This is commercially sensitive information. As such, the Department is unable to release the information requested.

24th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) availability of access to emergency dental treatment based on clinical need and (b) quality of that treatment during the covid-19 outbreak.

To meet the Government social distancing measures and to contain the spread of Covid-19 all routine dentistry has currently been suspended.

We expect all NHS dental practices to provide urgent telephone advice and triage. Dentists are giving urgent advice remotely and, if needed, prescriptions for painkillers or antibiotics. All urgent face to face treatment that is clinically necessary is available for patients who are triaged by their dentist or NHS111 into one of the 550 urgent dental care centres set up by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

The urgent dental centres are expected to provide, where urgently needed, the full range of dental treatment normally available on the National Health Service and we expect this treatment to be of high quality standards.

NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that NHS dentistry outside urgent care centres will begin to restart from 8 June with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety.

A copy of the letter that was published can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdf

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 lockdown on the birth rate; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate provision to respond to a potential increase in the birth rate as a result of the covid-19 lockdown.

We do not yet know what impact the COVID-19 lockdown might have on the birth rate in England.

The National Health Service is making arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards, during and following this pandemic, when there will be extra pressures on healthcare services. We expect any changes to the configuration of maternity services to be temporary.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s ‘Clinical guide for the temporary reorganisation of intrapartum maternity care during the coronavirus pandemic’ states that recovery plans are essential and should bear in mind the regional modelling of how the virus is likely to spread.

20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the number of patients presenting with advanced cancer symptoms; and what steps his Department is taking to respond to a potential increase in the number of patients presenting with advanced cancer symptoms as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

It is too soon to say whether more patients are presenting with symptoms of advanced cancer. The National Health Service continues to monitor referral rates and emergency presentations.

Many areas in England have set up ‘cancer hubs’ to coordinate treatment and ensure it can continue safely while other hospitals focus on treating patients with COVID-19.

NHS England and NHS Improvement encourage anyone with worrying symptoms to continue to contact their general practitioner and have issued clear guidance to the NHS to maintain urgent referral and diagnostic services for suspected cancer.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mental health support he has put in place for people working in the care sector responding to increased numbers of people dying as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

This is clearly a very challenging time for our frontline workers. The Government wants everybody working in social care to feel like they have somewhere to turn, or someone to talk to, when they are finding things difficult.

‘Our Frontline’ has recently been launched, a collaboration between Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and Mind to provide information, emotional support and access to a crisis text service for those working on the frontline, including in social care.

Later this month we will also be introducing a website and app aimed at providing timely information for the social care workforce. It will include resources dedicated to help individuals and their teams manage in this new situation, understand what they might need to be doing differently to support each other, and pay attention to their mental and physical wellbeing.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
20th Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of syringe drivers required to ensure the maintenance of palliative care regimes during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department is aware of recent shortages of syringe drivers and has taken direct action to source additional equipment to alleviate the situation. New supply is now arriving in the United Kingdom from abroad with several thousand units now being checked and distributed in to the National Health Service. Further quantities are becoming available through the usual suppliers to the NHS to further increase the availability of these devices which will be distributed through a national allocation process.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
24th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients with mental health issues are regularly reviewed and supported during the covid-19 outbreak.

It is imperative that mental health services continue to offer access to mental health support, including for people who are already accessing. Mental health providers are part of their local emergency preparedness and response hubs. They are working closely with colleagues in social care, education, substance misuse, the police and the voluntary sector to ensure that vulnerable patients get the support they need.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are holding weekly information and update sessions with mental health service providers to support the implementation of local Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. These plans include meeting needs by managing fluctuations in demand.

19th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is providing to support working carers who may be without full time work during the Covid-19 outbreak and who are not entitled to carers allowance.

People who have caring responsibilities and are currently unable to work should speak to their employer who may be able to keep them on the payroll if the business is unable to operate or have no work for employees to do because of COVID-19. This is known as being ‘on furlough’ leave. Under this scheme, employees could get paid 80% of their wages up to a monthly cap of £2,500.

If an employee’s salary is reduced as a result of these changes, they may be eligible for support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit.

Those affected check if they could be covered by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

More guidance on what their rights are at work, what benefits they are entitled to and what further support is available can be found at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/coronavirus-what-it-means-for-you/

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/factsheets/Pages/coronavirus-advice-and-support/help-and-advice.aspx

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of testing for (a) NHS and (b) social care frontline staff for covid-19.

The Prime Minister has called on industry to work with the Government to urgently develop a new test to determine whether people have developed immunity. Rapid upscaling will help National Health Service and other critical public sector staff back to work as fast as possible.

With a focus on ensuring the highest priority cases are tested first, officials are working to rapidly increase the number of tests that can be conducted by Public Health England and the NHS in laboratories, with the expected surge in capacity ready within weeks.

11th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the five-year survival rates for (a) lung, (b) liver, (c) brain, (d) stomach, (e) pancreatic and (f) oesophageal cancer.

Although survival rates are at a record high and continue to improve, the Government know that there is more to do. Survival rates for all cancers will be improved by diagnosing cancers earlier and beginning treatment at an earlier stage. This is why in October 2018 the Government announced a package of measures that will be rolled out across the country with the aim of seeing three quarters of all cancers detected at an early stage by 2028. The plan will radically overhaul screening programmes, provide new investment in state of the art technology to transform the process of diagnosis, and boost research and innovation.

As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement will shortly be introducing a Faster Diagnostic Standard of 28 days for all cancer patients, including those with lung, liver, brain, stomach, pancreatic, and oesophageal cancer, which when taken together with the 62-day referral to treatment standard, will mean that all patients should expect to start their treatment within 34 days of diagnosis.

NHS England is rolling out Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) across the country to bring together the latest diagnostic equipment and expertise, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan commitment. This programme builds on the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Centre (MDC) model piloted through the Accelerate, Coordinate and Evaluate (ACE) programme, which focussed on diagnosing cancers where patients often present with non-specific symptoms and may go to their GP many times before being sent for appropriate tests. As of March 2020, 17 RDCs are currently live.

NHS England is extending lung health checks, targeting clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with the lowest survival rates. In Greater Manchester introducing low dose CT health checks saw an almost five fold reduction in stage 4 disease, with 80% of cancers diagnosed at an early stage.

NHS England has committed funding of over £1.3 billion over the next five years to deliver the commitments on cancer in the Long Term Plan.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the interruption of supply of repeat medications to patients.

The Department understands that maintaining access to medicines is vitally important to many people in this country.

The Department’s Medicine Supply team has well established processes to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time due to manufacturing or distribution issues. The team also works on longer term strategies to ensure a more robust supply chain including the introduction of a mandatory requirement on the pharmaceutical industry to notify shortages and the restriction of certain medicines being parallel exported out of the United Kingdom.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of waiving the NHS surcharge for new staff coming from abroad to work in the NHS.

The Government fully recognises the contribution that international professionals make to the United Kingdom and we remain committed to ensuring that this country still attracts highly skilled people to work here, including for the National Health Service. That is why we have set out plans to introduce a new NHS visa, which will offer an attractive package for NHS staff. The details of the NHS visa will be announced in due course by the Home Secretary.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
24th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) research into and (b) awareness of prostate cancer.

On 10 April 2018, the Government pledged £75 million towards clinical trials for prostate cancer which will focus on improving early diagnosis and survival rates as well as exploring options for different treatments for men affected by the disease.

In 2014, Public Health England ran a Be Clear on Cancer local pilot campaign focusing on ‘Prostate Cancer’ in London. This included posters (by the roadside and in barber shops), print, tailored public health messaging on local radio, street ambassadors and public relations. Further information on this campaign for prostate cancer can be viewed at the following link:

https://prostatecanceruk.org/media/2457630/Be-Clear-on-Cancer-Web-Accessible-GP.pdf

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on returning X-ray facilities to Hinckley hospital.

X-ray facilities will be returning to Hinckley and District Hospital to provide much needed services to the local population, after funding was secured from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

In addition, the local area will benefit from the Government’s £7 million sustainability and transformation partnerships capital investment to refurbish Hinckley Health Centre, which includes works to accommodate diagnostics (x-ray and ultrasound) machines.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
22nd Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of (a) the Primary Care Network draft outline service specifications and (b) primary care enhanced services on the workload of GPs.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have assessed that the Primary Care Network (PCN) draft outline service specifications and Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service (DES) will reduce workload pressures on general practitioners (GPs) and support improved primary care services to patients. This will be through a combination of the additional workforce capacity which is being created within primary care, and the redesign of community services provision to link with and support PCNs. For further information, the Network Contract DES draft Outline Service Specifications public consultation document published in December 2019 is available at the following link:

https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/survey/primary-care-networks-service-specifications/supporting_documents/Draft%20PCN%20Service%20Specifications%20December%202019.pdf

The PCN service specifications form part of annual GP contract negotiations between NHS England and the GP Committee of the British Medical Association. Feedback received during engagement on the drafts published in December will inform ongoing negotiations on the 2020/21 GP contract. NHS England and NHS Improvement will take a deal to Government for sign-off shortly. A statement on the engagement and the wider GP contract negotiations has been published at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/01/primary-care-network-service-specifications-and-the-network-des-close-of-engagement/

The Government recognises that it is vital that PCNs are a success. We have instructed NHS England and NHS Improvement to address the concerns raised by the primary care profession following the closure of the NHS England and NHS Improvement consultation on 15 January. The final text of these specifications, and the primary care enhanced services, are not yet finalised.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Iran on its need to (a) respect the right to peaceful assembly and (b) release unfairly detained prisoners.

We continue to raise human rights with the Iranian Government at every appropriate opportunity, both directly and in multilateral fora. This has included making clear to Iran that the violence levelled at protestors is totally unacceptable and must stop, through summoning Iran's most senior diplomat here in London, and through our ambassador in Tehran. We also supported successful votes to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Support of Women and to establish an investigative mechanism into human rights abuses by the Iranian regime. The UK will work with partners to ensure this delivers for the people of Iran.

David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made about the current impact of UK humanitarian aid on (a) malnourished Yemeni children and (b) Yemen.

The UK will spend at least £88 million on aid in Yemen over the course of the current financial year. This will help feed at least 200,000 people every month, provide lifesaving health care for 800,000 women and children, and treat 85,000 severely malnourished children. The UK plays a leading role in the Yemen humanitarian response and has spent over £1 billion on aid since the conflict began.

Amanda Milling
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made about the current political situation in Yemen.

The UK welcomes the UN-brokered two-month truce in Yemen, which began on 2 April, and the creation of a Presidential Leadership Council on 6 April. After over seven long years of conflict, a negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. The UK will continue to use its diplomatic relations and role as penholder on Yemen in the UN Security Council to support efforts towards political dialogue and peace. The UK continues to encourage the conflict parties to engage constructively with UN-led peace efforts.

Amanda Milling
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is she taking to help support the development of a democratic Sudan.

Since the military coup in October 2021 we have consistently pressed for a return to Sudan's transition to democracy. This includes through statements, discussion at the UN Security Council, and directly with different Sudanese political actors. We also provide support to civil society and the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, which is mandated to assist Sudan's transition to democracy. Further, we have conveyed to Sudan's military leadership that the restoration of a credible civilian-led government is vital for the resumption of economic support and international debt relief.

We welcome the efforts of the UN and African Union to facilitate talks to end the crisis and urge all sides to engage fully in this process. We also call for the military to end arbitrary detentions, lift the State of Emergency and allow people to protest without fear of violence. These messages were delivered directly to Sudan's military leadership and other political actors during a recent visit to Khartoum by the UK Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, and other envoys, on 27-29 April.

10th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made about the current impact of UK humanitarian aid to Sudan.

We are concerned at the levels of humanitarian need in Sudan, with almost half the population expected to face hunger this year and the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates up to 20 million people will face "emergency" or "crisis" levels of acute food insecurity in 2022. This situation is driven by the ongoing political and economic crisis. As a leading donor, the UK continues to deliver lifesaving support to those who need it most. In 2021 we contributed £27 million to humanitarian response via partners, including the World Food Programme, the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. This provided approximately 1.2 million people with urgent assistance such as food, cash and voucher support, safe drinking water, shelter, and sanitation, with over 500,000 vulnerable children receiving free school meals.

24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress she has made with her international partners on ensuring a successful international covid-19 vaccination rollout in line with the capacity of national health systems.

The UK is committed to help bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end and strongly supports the COVAX Facility as a key multilateral mechanism to deliver this. The UK is one of the largest donors to COVAX's Advance Market Commitment (AMC), committing £548 million to support global vaccination, and will donate 100 million vaccine doses by mid-2022. During the UK's G7 Presidency, Leaders committed to share and finance one billion doses, primarily through COVAX. We will build on these priorities with Germany and Indonesia as they take on the Presidencies of the G7 and G20 in 2022.

COVAX and its Alliance partners work closely with governments to ensure robust and transparent distribution and reporting plans are in place to ensure priority groups are reached. The UK is an active member of the Gavi Board, which has agreed a new global co-ordinator and steering committee to support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. The UK and COVAX partners are also working with countries to help health systems deliver vaccines. This includes engaging with communities and leaders to build trust, provide correct information, and encourage uptake.

Amanda Milling
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
6th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting educational opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan.

We continue to press the Taliban to ensure the full and equal access to education for all. Secondary schools are now open to girls in at least 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and the Taliban have publicly said they are working towards a plan to get all girls back to school. The Foreign Secretary has discussed women's rights, including girls' education, with international counterparts including at the G7 and at the 12 October extraordinary meeting of G20 Leaders on Afghanistan, where the Foreign Secretary represented the Prime Minister. We will continue to work with the international community to use our influence to secure women's and girls' rights to access to education and jobs and to participate in public life. The Minister of State for South Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, attended the annual Women, Peace and Security Open Debate at the UN Security Council in October and met prominent Afghan women to discuss how the UK can best support Afghan women and girls.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
5th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what objectives he plans to pursue as co-chairman of the Global Partnership for Education's Replenishment Summit in July 2021.

The primary objective of the Global Education Summit (GES) is to raise as much as possible of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)'s $5 billion over five years. At the G7 Summit, the Prime Minister announced the UK pledge of £430 million to GPE, which is our largest ever pledge, and an uplift of 15 per cent from our current position as top bilateral donor. This significant pledge meant we were able to secure commitment from G7 partners of at least $2.7 billion to GPE ahead of the GES.

The UK intends to support the GPE in diversifying its funding base with new sovereign and private donors, and is working closely with our co-hosts, Kenya, to galvanise domestic financing to education from developing nations. At the Summit, we hope to secure up to $4 billion, which is 80 per cent of GPE's $5 billion 5-year target, providing the single biggest ever boost to children's education opportunities around the world.

5th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress the UK has made as President of the G7 to remove barriers to education across the world.

Meeting under the UK Presidency, G7 Foreign and Development Ministers endorsed two new global targets on girls' education in low-income and lower-middle income countries, which we are calling on the world to help deliver by 2026. Ministers also endorsed a girls' education declaration which specifically states that the G7 will work in collaboration with developing country partners, multilateral institutions, civil society, girl-led groups and youth leaders to remove the obstacles to education that stand in the way of girls. This includes addressing the social, environmental and institutional barriers to education such as reducing violence in and out of schools, reducing harmful cultural practices such as child marriage and FGM, and amending restrictive policies or legislation that prevent girls from thriving in school.

12th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s logistical support to India during the covid-19 pandemic.

The UK has worked closely with the Indian Government on our package of support to ensure that it focuses on India's most urgent needs. The first shipment was delivered on 27 April. On 2 May, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would send a further 1,000 ventilators to support India's response, these arrived in Delhi on 9 May bringing the total package of equipment to 495 oxygen concentrators, 1,200 ventilators and three oxygen generating units.

Given the importance of effective coordination of the large quantities of assistance arriving in India, the UK is channelling its support through the Indian Government and Indian Red Cross. Decisions on exactly where support provided by the UK will be deployed are for the Indian Government. Ministers and officials remain in regular contact with their counterparts to ensure the transfer of medical equipment is as efficient as possible.

1st Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he is making in tackling malnutrition through programmes in (a) Somalia, (b) Yemen and (c) Ethiopia.

Since 2013, the UK has responded to chronic levels of malnutrition in Somalia through a multi-year approach that incorporates both humanitarian and development funding and helps to build longer-term resilience. The Somalia programme is addressing malnutrition by focusing on both the prevention and curative treatment of malnutrition. Our resilience programmes have helped over 300,000 people, with interventions that address the underlying causes of humanitarian need, including malnutrition. This has been complemented by our work in providing healthcare and clean water. In 2020 the UK provided 2.5 million vulnerable Somalis with life-saving cash assistance (874,409), nutrition (303,938), health (453,639) and emergency WASH-Water and Sanitation (895,002).

The UK is playing a leading role in combating hunger in Yemen by contributing over £1 billion in UK aid since the conflict began in 2015. Over the course of our next financial year (2021/22), we will provide at least £87 million to the UN Humanitarian Appeal for Yemen, making us the 5th largest donor. Our funding will feed an additional 240,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis every month, support 400 healthcare clinics and provide clean water for 1.6 million people. We will also provide one-off cash support to 1.5 million of Yemen's poorest households to help them buy food and basic supplies.

In Ethiopia, the UK is working closely with humanitarian and development agencies to make sure aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are delivering support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. The Foreign Secretary visited Gondar, in the neighbouring Amhara region, on 22 January and saw first-hand how £11 million of UK Aid is supporting the World Food Programme and NGOs to ensure the delivery of aid to those affected by the Tigray conflict.

22nd Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to highlight education as part of the global policy agenda of the UK’s presidency of the G7.

Girls' education is a key priority for the UK's G7 Presidency. We will encourage G7 Leaders to endorse two global outcome targets: 40 million more girls in education by 2025, and an improvement of one-third in girls' reading by age 10. We will also be working with G7 partners to raise collective ambition, and ensure a successful replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which supports governments in taking vital steps to strengthen national education systems.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to review foreign travel advice policy in line with developments in national and international rates of covid-19 infection.

FCDO travel advice aims to enable British nationals to take informed decisions about travelling abroad. FCDO travel advice is clear that anyone intending to travel must first follow the domestic rules that apply where they are resident, including those which could restrict international travel. FCDO travel advice sets out the risks in specific states or territories. All FCDO travel advice pages remain under constant review to ensure they reflect the FCDO's latest assessment of risks to British nationals and include up-to-date information and advice. FCDO travel advice related to COVID-19 is based on Public Health England's (PHE) assessment of risks. PHE assessments consider a range of indicators including, but not limited to: virus incidence rates, trends in incidence and deaths, transmission status, international epidemic intelligence, testing capacity and test positivity rates.

12th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle global child malnutrition during the covid-19 pandemic.

Prevention and treatment of malnutrition remains a priority for the UK as part of our commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children, particularly as malnourished people are likely to be more severely affected by COVID-19. The wider impacts of COVID-19 are also predicted to increase malnutrition across Africa and Asia in particular.

The Foreign Secretary has appointed the UK's first Special Envoy on Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs to make sure malnutrition is averted in countries where food insecurity, conflict and COVID-19 have increased risk. FCDO is continuing to deliver programmes to address malnutrition in countries such as Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia. We are also supporting UNICEF to maintain provision of treatment for child wasting and to adapt relevant services in light of the pandemic.

24th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to (a) progress the equality agenda for girls throughout the world and (b) eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

The UK is widely recognised for its leadership on gender equality and women and girls' rights. The challenges of advancing girls' education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's political empowerment and participation, women's economic empowerment, and ending gender-based violence, including conflict related sexual violence, are more acute now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to engage virtually with our international partners and champion gender equality in multilateral fora including in the UN. Promoting gender equality and advancing women and girls' rights on the international stage are core elements of the UK's role as a force for good in the world, including fulfilling every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.

The UK is proud to be a world leader on efforts to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict as part of our broader ambitions on gender equality. The UK's continued leadership on these issues was most recently demonstrated at the UN Security Council Open video-conference on Women, Peace and Security on 17 July, which focused on conflict-related sexual violence. The UK will also co-lead the new global Generation Equality Action Coalition on gender-based violence to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action on Gender Equality. We will drive more concerted, coordinated and scaled-up global action across the international system to prevent gender-based violence.

2nd Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department is making on facilitating a positive solution to the conflict in Yemen.

The UK continues to support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure the Yemeni parties' agreement to his proposals for a nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian confidence-building measures and a resumption of the UN-led political process. We engage regularly with international partners on Yemen, including through our role as penholder in the UN Security Council. On 2 September, the Prime Minister discussed Yemen with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On 24 August I spoke with Yemeni Foreign Minister Hadhrami about the peace process and developments in the South. On 1 July, the Foreign Secretary wrote a joint op-ed with his Swedish and German counterparts calling for the international community to back peace efforts.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
9th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in OPEC member states on ensuring the stabilisation of the oil price.

Her Majesty's Government closely monitors the oil market, and assesses its implications for the economy, businesses, and wider geopolitics. This includes the impact of the reduction in oil demand as a result of Coronavirus; the failure of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) + meeting on 5-6 March to reach an agreement on supply cuts; and Saudi Arabia's subsequent decision to increase oil production and reduce prices. No ministerial level discussions have taken place with OPEC members on the oil market since the OPEC+ meeting.

24th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help end the conflict in Syria.

Our priority is to end the conflict in Syria through a negotiated political settlement, in accordance with UNSCR 2254. The UK has repeatedly made clear our full support for the UN-led political process. We are active diplomatically in pressing for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Idlib, including by calling for an emergency UN Security Council discussion on 28 February. On 28 January, the UK hosted a meeting of Special Envoys of the Small Group on Syria to discuss how to advance the political process. We are also committed to supporting the victims of this appalling conflict. The Syria crisis has been the UK's biggest ever humanitarian response, with the UK committing £3.1 billion of support to Syria and the region since 2012.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
16th Oct 2023
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with HMRC on improving customer service in response to queries on self-assessment paperwork.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Treasury Ministers meet with HMRC officials on a regular basis to discuss HMRC’s performance.

HMRC publishes its performance on a monthly and quarterly basis:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
3rd May 2023
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to support future funding of county councils.

At Spending Review 2021, the Government provided councils in England with £4.8 billion of new grant funding between 2022-23 and 2024-25.

Recognising that inflation is higher than it was when these budgets were set, at Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced that local authorities will have access to up to an additional £2.8 billion in 2023-24 and £4.7 billion in 2024-25 for social care and other services, which is of particular benefit to county councils.

The 2023-24 Local Government Finance Settlement confirmed an increase in total Core Spending Power for local authorities of 9.4%.

Decisions on spending beyond 2024-25 will be taken at the next Spending Review.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
7th Nov 2022
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of (a) the effectiveness of his Department's policies for supporting access to cash in rural areas and (b) the potential impact of rurality on access to cash.

While the convenience, security, and speed of digital payments brings opportunities to the businesses and individuals that use them, the government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK.

The government is currently taking legislation through Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill to protect access to cash across the UK. The Bill will establish the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provide it with appropriate powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities.

The Bill requires the Treasury to publish a policy statement that sets out the government’s policy on cash access services. This may include policy with respect to urban and rural areas. The FCA will be required to have regard to the Treasury’s policy statement when exercising its regulatory powers. In addition, the FCA will be able to exercise its powers in order to address local deficiencies specifically in the provision of access to cash facilities that it has identified and considers to be significant. The government’s view is that this will allow for consideration of local circumstances in all parts of the UK, such as those in rural areas.

Further details about the Financial Services and Markets Bill can be found on the Parliament website: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3326

Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Departmen