Luke Pollard

Building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders and we are introducing new measures that will legally require building owners to prove they have tried all routes to cover costs. The fire risk is lower in buildings under 18 metres and costly remediation work is usually not needed. Where fire risks are identified, they should always be managed proportionately. The Secretary of State is looking closely at this issue to make sure everything is being done to support leaseholders. Further detail on the support offer for leaseholders in residential buildings of 11-18 metres will be released when all options have been fully considered.

We have already allocated £734 million of funding from the original £1 billion first announced for Building Safety Fund, but it is important to remember that we are reliant on building owners providing the necessary basic information for us to assess their registrations to the fund and we continue to encourage these building owners who are yet to provide the information to do so. As more building owners are completing their applications and giving us the information we need, so too is the pace of allocation of funding increasing.

This Government has committed £5.1 billion of grant funding through the Building Safety Fund for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding on residential buildings over 18 metres. The Secretary of State is looking closely at this issue to make sure everything is being done to support leaseholders. Further detail on the support for leaseholders with unsafe cladding in residential buildings of 11 - 18 metres will be released when all options have been fully considered. We continue to examine what more can be done to protect and support leaseholders.

Government funding does not absolve building owners of their responsibility to ensure that buildings are safe. All routes to meet costs, for example through warranties and recovering costs from contractors for incorrect or poor work should be explored. The Building Safety Bill also contains measures to protect leaseholders by providing a legal requirement for building owners to prove they have tried all routes to cover the cost of essential safety works, along with evidence that this has been done. If this does not happen, leaseholders will be able to challenge these costs in the courts.

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person's homelessness. Local authorities must work with people at risk of losing their homes to develop personalised housing plans, tailored to focus on the needs and circumstances of the household.

We have provided local authorities with £310 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant this year to support those at risk of homelessness. Local authorities may use homelessness funding flexibly in line with local need.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 56598 on 25 October 2021.

In total, there are 21 documented items made of ivory or containing ivory that are owned by the Houses of Parliament.

There are 18 accessioned objects documented within the Parliamentary Heritage Collections. Of these 12 are small objects from the Parliamentary Art Collection made between the 17th and 19th centuries. The remaining six are items of 19th century historic furniture or fabric which contain small amounts of ivory decoration.

There are two accessioned items documented in the Parliamentary Archives which contain ivory. These are a Book of Common Prayer containing decorative ivory crosses and a set of ink stamps with ivory handles. There are no accessioned items documented in either the House of Lords Library or House of Commons Library made of, or containing, ivory.

A non-accessioned First World War book of remembrance in the House of Lords includes an ivory Tudor rose in the binding. There may be other non-accessioned items containing ivory in the Houses that have not yet been identified.

In 2020 the Church Commissioners reviewed their policy on trail hunting and suspended any directly issued licences which previously permitted trail hunting. Where trail hunting continues to take place across Commissioners’ tenanted land (and which is beyond our direct control owing to the tenant’s security of tenure) we are seeking to assist farm tenants with the regularisation of any informal trail hunting arrangements.

I am ultimately responsible for leading the G7 Presidency and discussions with other G7 leaders. There are no current plans for a separate Ministerial appointment.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.

Further to the answer given to PQ143093, there will be some limited local transport disruption as a result of essential security measures.

We are discussing necessary health and safety measures for delegates with G7 partners and others.

Further to the answer given to PQ143093, there will be some limited local transport disruption as a result of essential security measures.

We are discussing necessary health and safety measures for delegates with G7 partners and others.

Further to the answer given to PQ48377, negotiations with the EU were led by Task Force Europe, a small central unit led by the Chief Negotiator Lord Frost. By December, there were 38 civil servants working in this team. Negotiations were a cross-departmental effort and accordingly involved a larger number of staff overall, including subject specialists in all key negotiating areas.

The UK Government is of the view that it would not be appropriate to impose an all-postal vote for the local and mayoral elections in England, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, in May 2021. All-postal voting increases fraud risks, and removes choice from voters who wish to cast their vote in person.

Postal voting on demand already allows any registered elector to apply for a vote by post.

The Government is working with the electoral administrators and Public Health England to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and covid-secure places to vote. People will be able participate in the polls safely, and in a way of their choice, whether by post, proxy or in-person.

This work is outlined in my recent letter to Electoral Returning Officers, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-chloe-smith-mp-to-returning-officers

As has been the case under successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

This issue cuts across multiple departmental responsibilities, as is the case for many complex concerns, and therefore engages various Ministers including in DHSC and DWP.

Details of Ministerial responsibilities can be found on GOV.UK.

The UK is already leading the fight against climate change as we work to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In setting our carbon emission ambitions, we take advice from the Climate Change Committee, an independent, statutory body which provides expert advice to Government on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Adapting to, as well as mitigating, the inevitable changes in our climate is vital. That is why, we are taking robust action to improve the resilience of our people, economy and environment.

We work closely with Defra on net zero and support their work on adaptation. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State engages regularly with his DEFRA counterpart, including through the Climate Action Committees.

The Environment Agency plays an important role in helping to achieve net zero, for example, as part of the Nature for Climate Fund, it is planting over 850,000 trees, providing carbon savings that will help us to achieve our carbon budgets, while also helping to improve flood resilience and air quality and provide habitat for wildlife.

The location of the new Met Office supercomputer is subject to an ongoing procurement exercise. The Met Office Statement of Requirements stated that at least 50% of the solutions capability must be in the UK. The Met Office left the Prime Bidders to propose locations and work with their supply chains on suitable bids. While the procurement is ongoing the integrity of the process must be maintained, in strict accordance with Government procurement rules. It is not possible to comment further at this stage due to the commercial sensitivity of the procurement process. Nevertheless, the capability sustained by the new supercomputer will support many high tech and skilled jobs through Met Office staff, suppliers and partners, primarily in the South West related to the Met Office Headquarters in Exeter.

The location of the new Met Office supercomputer is subject to an ongoing procurement exercise. The Met Office Statement of Requirements stated that at least 50% of the solutions capability must be in the UK. The Met Office left the Prime Bidders to propose locations and work with their supply chains on suitable bids. While the procurement is ongoing the integrity of the process must be maintained, in strict accordance with Government procurement rules. It is not possible to comment further at this stage due to the commercial sensitivity of the procurement process.

The Government will publish a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy this year, ahead of COP26. The strategy will set out our vision for transitioning to a net zero economy so we can make the most of new growth and employment opportunities across the UK.

We have a robust legislative framework in place to ensure that the government is meeting its climate targets. The Climate Change Act 2008 introduced our innovative framework of carbon budgets to ensure continued progress towards our climate targets. The carbon budgets currently set in legislation cover the period between 2008 to 2032 and are among the most stringent in the world, requiring the equivalent of a 57% cut in emissions by 2030 from a 1990 baseline. We will set the sixth carbon budget this year and will set out our plans on continuing to meet our climate targets.

Through my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan and our Energy White Paper, we have set out concrete steps we will take to build back greener from the pandemic and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Over the coming months, in addition to the Net Zero Strategy, we will bring forward further bold proposals to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country.

Homeowners are able to request, at any time before their Green Homes Grant voucher has expired, an extension to their voucher. Several factors such as winter weather conditions, COVID-19 and Christmas may have an impact on the speed at which certain measures may be installed. In order to take account of this, we have instructed the scheme administrator to, on request, extend vouchers by an additional 3 months, or until 31 March 2021 (whichever is earlier).

Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters in Great Britain as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade to make the energy system more efficient and flexible, enabling the cost-effective delivery of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in homes and small businesses. This obligation will expire at the end of June 2021 and will be replaced with a new four-year policy framework from 1 July 2021 with fixed annual installation targets for energy suppliers to drive the consistent, long-term investment needed to ensure that everyone can benefit from smart meters.

Ministers and officials are engaging regularly with representatives across the chemicals industry on all areas relating to the end of the transition period.

The Government put forward an unprecedented package of support, including loan schemes, grant funding and wage packages, to help as many individuals and business as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This support package included the?Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF) which was provided via local authorities to support small businesses and businesses in some of the sectors?hardest hit by the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Government also created a Local Authority Discretionary Grants Scheme to ensure that local authorities could use their knowledge and discretion to direct funds to businesses not covered by the SBGF or the RHLGF. In recognition that economic need varied across the country, government set some national criteria for this fund but allowed local authorities to determine which cases to support within those criteria.

The guidance provided to local authorities on all three of these schemes are available on gov.uk. No specific advice in respect of fox hunts was provided to local authorities as part of the guidance around these schemes.

We have already made significant progress in improving the rights of agency workers, in particular by increasing the information they receive about pay rates, including when they are employed by umbrella companies.

The Government has committed to expand the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate to include umbrella companies. In the Queen’s Speech we announced our intention to bring forward an Employment Bill. We will bring forward detailed proposals on future legislation in due course.

Close contact services – which includes sports and massage therapy – in England, except Leicester, were able to reopen from Monday 13 July, subject to them following the COVID-secure guidelines.

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the full launch.

We’ve now provided close contact services, including sports therapists in England except Leicester, with the certainty they need to reopen from Monday 13 July, subject to them following the Government’s COVID-secure guidelines.

We need to be confident services are able to reopen in a COVID-secure way for the staff and customers. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and our guidance has been developed with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Hairdressers were the initial phase of safely reopening close contact services, and we are now assured that the necessary steps can be taken to reopen the rest of the sector.

The Government has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals on allergen labelling for toothpaste and other non-food items that contain milk protein.

Sports and physical activity providers and facilities are at the heart of our communities, and play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. On 22 October, the Government announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres. In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

Ultimately it is the responsibility of the mobile network operators to appoint suppliers to replace Huawei in their 5G networks. This will be based on their specific commercial and technical requirements.

The Government’s work on telecoms security will ensure that security and resilience are also primary considerations for operators as they make those decisions.

The Government has set out a clear timetable for the removal of Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027. To go further and faster beyond a 2027 target would add considerable - and unnecessary - further costs and delays. And the shorter we make the timetable for removal, the greater the risk of actual disruption to mobile telecoms networks.

Not all operators use Huawei. For those operators that do use Huawei, individual pathways to comply with the 2027 deadline will be a commercial decision for the individual operators.

The forthcoming Telecommunications (Security) Bill will provide the powers to place this timetable on a clear legal footing. In the meantime Ministers and senior officials are working with affected operators to ensure long term compliance.

The Government has set out a clear timetable for the removal of Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027. To go further and faster beyond a 2027 target would add considerable - and unnecessary - further costs and delays. And the shorter we make the timetable for removal, the greater the risk of actual disruption to mobile telecoms networks.

Not all operators use Huawei. For those operators that do use Huawei, individual pathways to comply with the 2027 deadline will be a commercial decision for the individual operators.

The forthcoming Telecommunications (Security) Bill will provide the powers to place this timetable on a clear legal footing. In the meantime Ministers and senior officials are working with affected operators to ensure long term compliance.

The Government is committed to the delivery of world-class digital infrastructure, including 5G, across the UK. Our ambition is for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027.

All four mobile network operators have launched 5G networks, with 5G services now available in over 100 towns and cities across the UK. Whilst the vast majority of investment in 5G will be made by industry, the department is funding the research and trials of 5G networks through the £200m 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme which invests in targeted projects across the UK to build the commercial case for 5G.

The Government is also committed to reducing the barriers to the deployment of mobile infrastructure. As part of this, the Government has announced that, subject to a technical consultation, it intends to take forward reforms to the planning system to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage. The Government also intends to consult on whether changes to the Electronic Communications Code are needed to support these aims.

On 8 June 2020 in its response to the DCMS Select Committee Immersive and Addictive Technologies inquiry, the government announced its intention to run a call for evidence on loot boxes. This will launch shortly and will seek detailed information on the impact of loot boxes on players, particularly children and young people.

The government takes concerns around potential harms from loot boxes very seriously and stands ready to take action should the outcomes of the call for evidence support taking a new approach to ensure users are better protected.

DCMS has always been clear that the Performing Arts guidance would be updated on the basis of the latest science and public health context.

The PERFORM study (published 20 August) has indicated that it is the cumulative aerosol transmission from both those performing in and attending events that is likely to create the risk of transmission. As a result of these findings we have updated the Performing Arts guidance to confirm that non-professionals can now engage in all activities, including singing, wind and brass and confirmed that where non-professional groups plan to meet, there are no set limits on the numbers who can be involved when taking place outside and/or in a Covid-secure venue. This is in line with rules on meeting people outside your household for clubs and groups and gatherings in Covid-secure venues.

Organisations must ensure that they carry out an appropriate COVID-19 risk assessment and that individuals are socially distanced at all times. Organisations will want to minimise risk as far as possible and the Performing Arts guidance sets out a number of mitigations that should be considered to minimise risk including operating outside where possible, limiting the numbers involved in and duration of activity and considering how ventilation can be improved.

DCMS has always been clear that the Performing Arts guidance would be updated on the basis of the latest science and public health context.

The PERFORM study (published 20 August) has indicated that it is the cumulative aerosol transmission from both those performing in and attending events that is likely to create the risk of transmission. As a result of these findings we have updated the Performing Arts guidance to confirm that non-professionals can now engage in all activities, including singing, wind and brass and confirmed that where non-professional groups plan to meet, there are no set limits on the numbers who can be involved when taking place outside and/or in a Covid-secure venue. This is in line with rules on meeting people outside your household for clubs and groups and gatherings in Covid-secure venues.

Organisations must ensure that they carry out an appropriate COVID-19 risk assessment and that individuals are socially distanced at all times. Organisations will want to minimise risk as far as possible and the Performing Arts guidance sets out a number of mitigations that should be considered to minimise risk including operating outside where possible, limiting the numbers involved in and duration of activity and considering how ventilation can be improved.

We want a sustainable student finance system that is fair to students and taxpayers – and which continues to enable anyone with the ability and the ambition to benefit from higher education to do so. The student finance system will continue to protect borrowers, including women on maternity leave, or any person on any form of parental leave, if they see a reduction in their income.

Student loan repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate or amount borrowed, and no repayments are made for earnings below the relevant repayment threshold. Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold - if a borrower’s income drops, so do their repayments. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower. No commercial loans offer this level of borrower protection.

If, at the end of the year, the borrower’s total income is below the relevant annual threshold, they may reclaim any repayments from the Student Loans Company made during that year.

Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a comprehensive adoption service. This specifically includes, ‘Assistance, including mediation services, in relation to arrangements for contact between an adoptive child and a natural parent, natural sibling, former guardian or a related person of the adoptive child’.

As set out in our published ‘Adoption Strategy: achieving excellence everywhere’ we are working with local authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies to improve support around contact with birth relatives, including letterbox contact. This will include working closely with birth parents and those with lived experiences. The strategy can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere.

More details on actions to improve contact will be confirmed in due course.

The government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs and we are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until July 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.

The enrolment process is still underway for schools that wish to sign up to the programme. As of 22 December 2021, 1,245 schools had signed up and 847 schools had placed food orders. We will work with our supplier Family Action to monitor the data and consider suitable opportunities to share more information on the programme as it progresses.

The government recognises the contribution school breakfasts can make to children's wellbeing and learning. Alongside our national programme, there are also a number of organisations providing valuable support to schools with a breakfast provision.

The attached tables show whether subjects met postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment targets (Table 1), and/or received postgraduate ITT bursaries (Table 2) for academic years 2017/18 to 2021/22.

We publish the ITT census detailing the numbers of new entrants to ITT in England in each academic year annually. This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-teacher-training#census-data. We also publish the ITT bursaries on an annual basis and previous bursaries can be accessed in ITT funding publications. This information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-initial-teacher-training-itt.

Air cleaning units were allocated to settings based on need, using the eligibility criteria we have set out in our guidance: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj.

As of 24 January, 1,265 providers that applied for department-funded air cleaning units were eligible for air cleaning units, including 2 providers in Plymouth and 25 providers in Devon and Cornwall. Please note that we do not hold information by geographical region. We are currently finalising the total number of units allocated to providers. This will depend on the needs identified by eligible providers, including the number of people using the room(s).

The total number of eligible providers mirrors published summary findings from the department’s survey of the use of CO2 monitors, which show that only 3% of providers using carbon dioxide monitors reported sustained high carbon dioxide readings that couldn’t otherwise be addressed. This is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units.

The total number of air cleaning units that providers have applied for was just over 8,000. Up to an additional 1,000 units have now been ordered, bringing the total number of units available up to 9,000, allowing all eligible applications to be fulfilled.

During the autumn term, the department provided over 353,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of schools, colleges and nurseries, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.

Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual providers. Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation. Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.

When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19. Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated.

The department will also make up to 8,000 air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces in state-funded education providers, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible. These department-funded units are only available to state-funded schools, colleges and nurseries. The private sector is autonomous and it is up to independent schools to decide on whether they want to purchase air cleaning units.

Deliveries of air cleaning units will start from this week to special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision providers. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November 2021. The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January. All state funded schools, colleges and nurseries can apply.  Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Providers with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.

For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. The marketplace can be accessed here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to providers on ventilation requirements. In addition to our existing guidance on ventilation we have provided schools, colleges and nurseries with guidance on how to use the air cleaning units as well as how to order a unit via the marketplace. The application process has been communicated to providers via our Daily Bulletin and we continue to support settings with their queries via the Coronavirus Helpline.

During the autumn term, the department provided over 353,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of schools, colleges and nurseries, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.

Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual providers. Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation. Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.

When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19. Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated.

The department will also make up to 8,000 air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces in state-funded education providers, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible. These department-funded units are only available to state-funded schools, colleges and nurseries. The private sector is autonomous and it is up to independent schools to decide on whether they want to purchase air cleaning units.

Deliveries of air cleaning units will start from this week to special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision providers. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November 2021. The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January. All state funded schools, colleges and nurseries can apply.  Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Providers with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.

For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. The marketplace can be accessed here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to providers on ventilation requirements. In addition to our existing guidance on ventilation we have provided schools, colleges and nurseries with guidance on how to use the air cleaning units as well as how to order a unit via the marketplace. The application process has been communicated to providers via our Daily Bulletin and we continue to support settings with their queries via the Coronavirus Helpline.

During the autumn term, the department provided over 353,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of schools, colleges and nurseries, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.

Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual providers. Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation. Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.

When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19. Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated.

The department will also make up to 8,000 air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces in state-funded education providers, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible. These department-funded units are only available to state-funded schools, colleges and nurseries. The private sector is autonomous and it is up to independent schools to decide on whether they want to purchase air cleaning units.

Deliveries of air cleaning units will start from this week to special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision providers. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November 2021. The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January. All state funded schools, colleges and nurseries can apply.  Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Providers with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.

For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. The marketplace can be accessed here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to providers on ventilation requirements. In addition to our existing guidance on ventilation we have provided schools, colleges and nurseries with guidance on how to use the air cleaning units as well as how to order a unit via the marketplace. The application process has been communicated to providers via our Daily Bulletin and we continue to support settings with their queries via the Coronavirus Helpline.

The key priorities of teaching school hubs are delivery of the early career framework, national professional qualifications, initial teacher training, the appropriate body role, and wider continuing professional development (CPD), in that order. The department has not provided specific advice to teaching school hubs on working with subject teacher associations in developing their wider CPD. Any subject-specific CPD must be aligned with relevant subject-specific programmes funded by the department, such as mathematics hubs.

The department offers bursaries for initial teacher training (ITT) to incentivise applications for ITT courses. The bursaries on offer are reviewed each year to take account of factors including historic recruitment, forecasted economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. This provides flexibility in responding to the need to attract new teachers, meaning money is spent where it is most needed.

In the 2020/21 academic year, the department exceeded the postgraduate ITT target in religious education at 129% of the original target. In the 2021/22 academic year, the equivalent target was extremely close to being met, at 99% of the target. As a result, we have focused the bursaries on subjects where it is hardest to attract sufficient applicants. We will review the need for financial incentives across all subjects again, using the latest available data, before announcing the bursaries for the 2023/24 academic year.

The department offers bursaries for initial teacher training (ITT) to incentivise applications for ITT courses. The bursaries on offer are reviewed each year to take account of factors including historic recruitment, forecasted economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. This provides flexibility in responding to the need to attract new teachers, meaning money is spent where it is most needed.

In the 2020/21 academic year, the department exceeded the postgraduate ITT target in religious education at 129% of the original target. In the 2021/22 academic year, the equivalent target was extremely close to being met, at 99% of the target. As a result, we have focused the bursaries on subjects where it is hardest to attract sufficient applicants. We will review the need for financial incentives across all subjects again, using the latest available data, before announcing the bursaries for the 2023/24 academic year.

This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

We have not made any estimates of the number of ivory items owned by or collated in the Department for Education or institutions owned or managed by the government.

The ‘Religious education in English schools: non-statutory guidance’, published in 2010, sets out advice to support the provision of high quality religious education in maintained schools in England. It also provides local authorities with information about their roles and responsibilities, particularly in relation to their local Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education. The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the central school services block (CSSB) continues to fund local authorities for the ongoing responsibilities that they have a statutory duty to deliver for all pupils in maintained schools and academies. The total funding for ongoing responsibilities is £257 million in the 2021/22 financial year and is a 3.8% increase compared to the 2020/21 financial year, in order to keep up with inflation and pupil numbers. The Department will confirm funding allocations for the CSSB in the 2022/23 financial year shortly. We do not specify what proportion of their CSSB funding local authorities should spend on specific central services - this is for local authorities' own discretion.

The introduction of the CSSB in the 2018/19 financial year followed extensive consultation with local authorities, schools, and other stakeholders. A total of 87 local authorities saw a gain in funding, as a result of the introduction of the CSSB, with local authorities also protected against losses of more than 2.5% per pupil in funding for ongoing responsibilities.

The Department’s officials regularly meet with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials to discuss cost pressures on local authorities. The decision on the level of funding for the CSSB each year is then taken by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

The ‘Religious education in English schools: non-statutory guidance’, published in 2010, sets out advice to support the provision of high quality religious education in maintained schools in England. It also provides local authorities with information about their roles and responsibilities, particularly in relation to their local Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education. The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the central school services block (CSSB) continues to fund local authorities for the ongoing responsibilities that they have a statutory duty to deliver for all pupils in maintained schools and academies. The total funding for ongoing responsibilities is £257 million in the 2021/22 financial year and is a 3.8% increase compared to the 2020/21 financial year, in order to keep up with inflation and pupil numbers. The Department will confirm funding allocations for the CSSB in the 2022/23 financial year shortly. We do not specify what proportion of their CSSB funding local authorities should spend on specific central services - this is for local authorities' own discretion.

The introduction of the CSSB in the 2018/19 financial year followed extensive consultation with local authorities, schools, and other stakeholders. A total of 87 local authorities saw a gain in funding, as a result of the introduction of the CSSB, with local authorities also protected against losses of more than 2.5% per pupil in funding for ongoing responsibilities.

The Department’s officials regularly meet with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials to discuss cost pressures on local authorities. The decision on the level of funding for the CSSB each year is then taken by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

The ‘Religious education in English schools: non-statutory guidance’, published in 2010, sets out advice to support the provision of high quality religious education in maintained schools in England. It also provides local authorities with information about their roles and responsibilities, particularly in relation to their local Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education. The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the central school services block (CSSB) continues to fund local authorities for the ongoing responsibilities that they have a statutory duty to deliver for all pupils in maintained schools and academies. The total funding for ongoing responsibilities is £257 million in the 2021/22 financial year and is a 3.8% increase compared to the 2020/21 financial year, in order to keep up with inflation and pupil numbers. The Department will confirm funding allocations for the CSSB in the 2022/23 financial year shortly. We do not specify what proportion of their CSSB funding local authorities should spend on specific central services - this is for local authorities' own discretion.

The introduction of the CSSB in the 2018/19 financial year followed extensive consultation with local authorities, schools, and other stakeholders. A total of 87 local authorities saw a gain in funding, as a result of the introduction of the CSSB, with local authorities also protected against losses of more than 2.5% per pupil in funding for ongoing responsibilities.

The Department’s officials regularly meet with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials to discuss cost pressures on local authorities. The decision on the level of funding for the CSSB each year is then taken by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

The Department has received a copy of a report produced by the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE). The report presents a summary of responses received from local authorities to Freedom of Information requests relating to funding of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs).

Local authorities are allocated funding through the central school services block (CSSB) for a range of duties that they must meet for all pupils in maintained schools and academies, such as establishing and maintaining a SACRE. In financial year 2021/22, the total funding for ongoing responsibilities in the CSSB is £257 million, a 3.8% increase compared to 2020/21, to keep up with inflation and pupil numbers.

The Department does not specify what proportion of this money should be attributed to different services or duties. It is up to each local authority to decide this for itself. We expect that a SACRE should be sufficiently resourced to meet its statutory duties. If a SACRE is unable to do this, it should first raise a complaint locally about the issue. If it has done this unsuccessfully, the issue can be escalated to the Department’s School Complaints Unit.

Religious education (RE) is not an optional subject for state funded schools. They must teach RE to all pupils throughout all Key Stages up to age 18. Teaching a broad and balanced curriculum is important to the academic, social, and personal development of young people. These requirements have not changed because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department is working with a broad range of stakeholders to develop a range of short, medium, and long term options to ensure all young people recover their education over the term of this Government.

In November 2019, 2,958 state funded secondary schools returned full curriculum information to the Department via the School Workforce Census. This represents 86% of all state funded secondary schools in England.

Of these 2,958 schools, 984 reported no teaching of religious education (RE) or philosophy teaching to Year 11 pupils during the week of the workforce census. One school reported teaching RE or philosophy in mixed year groups, which may include Year 11 pupils.

Of the 984 schools, 144 were judged outstanding in their last Ofsted full inspection. The last full inspection may have been several years prior to 2019. It is therefore not possible to draw any meaningful correlation between information about teaching time on these subjects during the census week and a school’s Ofsted rating.

The information above is based on the number of hours of dedicated RE or philosophy teaching recorded by each school for Year 11 pupils. It is possible that other general teaching within the school may include elements of RE, ethics, or philosophy.

State funded schools in England have a duty to teach RE to all pupils aged 5 to 18 years. While academies, free schools and most maintained schools designated as having a religious character may design and follow their own curriculum, all other maintained schools must follow their area’s locally agreed syllabus for RE.

Any concerns that a school may not be complying with the requirement to teach RE should, in the first instance, be raised via the school’s complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be escalated to the Department’s School Complaints Unit.

In 2018, the Department published Building Bulletin 101, which is guidance for school design on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This guidance sets out the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines and Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 for indoor air quality.

The Department has worked closely with other Government departments, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector, to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.

The PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and continue to be the right measures to take. Current evidence suggests that the way to control COVID-19 is the same, even with the new variants. These measures create a safer environment for children, young people, and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. PHE keeps all these controls under review, based on the latest evidence. Schools therefore need to continue to implement these controls to the fullest extent. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

The Department's guidance signposts further advice from the Health and Safety Executive on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm.

Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.

The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.

We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.

The Department is continuing to work closely with colleagues across Government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years sector.

The Department is rolling out our asymptomatic testing programme to primary schools with deliveries of test kits which started from the week commencing 18 January 2021.

The asymptomatic testing programme will offer all primary school, schools-based nursery, and maintained nursery school staff home lateral flow device test kits for twice weekly testing. This will help to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 in education settings by identifying asymptomatic positive cases. Those who test positive will then self-isolate, helping to reduce transmission of the virus.

Community testing programmes are currently being rolled out across the country. They are led by local authorities and provide asymptomatic testing through testing sites based in the local community. This testing is primarily focused on those who have to leave home to work during lockdown, with local authorities able to focus on the right people in their areas and decide how the testing is best delivered.

Early years staff, as critical workers, continue to have priority access to Department of Health and Social Care led symptomatic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing via the online portal: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested.

The Department is having ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme as well as encouraging local authorities to consider prioritising appropriate testing for staff in private, voluntary and independent settings and childminders via the Community Testing Programme, which is being rolled out to all local authorities.

In his speech during National Adoption Week my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, reaffirmed his commitment to finding a stable, loving home for all children. Since then, this government has continued to support the development of Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs), which are designed to improve adopter recruitment, speed up matching and improve adoption support. There are now 30 RAAs covering 141 local authorities.

In the same week that the Secretary of State for Education gave his speech, the RAA and sector led national recruitment campaign, #youcanadopt, launched its Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) specific outreach work, including piloting a triage service for BAME prospective adopters. By encouraging people of all backgrounds to come forward to adopt, and supporting them through that process, we aim to reduce waiting times for BAME children, who normally wait the longest to be found a new adoptive family.

In December 2020, Krish Kandiah was announced as the new chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board (ASGLB). Krish will work with the ASGLB to provide leadership to the sector and improve services for children and families.

On 15 January 2021, the Secretary of State for Education announced that funding for the Adoption Support Fund will continue for the next financial year ensuring that adopted children and families will continue to receive much needed support until March 2022. We are working closely with adoption stakeholders, including regional and voluntary adoption agencies, to identify delays and barriers in accessing the Adoption Support Fund and actions needed to overcome these: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-secretary-launches-review-of-childrens-social-care.

In his speech during National Adoption Week my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, reaffirmed his commitment to finding a stable, loving home for all children. Since then, this government has continued to support the development of Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs), which are designed to improve adopter recruitment, speed up matching and improve adoption support. There are now 30 RAAs covering 141 local authorities.

In the same week that the Secretary of State for Education gave his speech, the RAA and sector led national recruitment campaign, #youcanadopt, launched its Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) specific outreach work, including piloting a triage service for BAME prospective adopters. By encouraging people of all backgrounds to come forward to adopt, and supporting them through that process, we aim to reduce waiting times for BAME children, who normally wait the longest to be found a new adoptive family.

In December 2020, Krish Kandiah was announced as the new chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board (ASGLB). Krish will work with the ASGLB to provide leadership to the sector and improve services for children and families.

On 15 January 2021, the Secretary of State for Education announced that funding for the Adoption Support Fund will continue for the next financial year ensuring that adopted children and families will continue to receive much needed support until March 2022. We are working closely with adoption stakeholders, including regional and voluntary adoption agencies, to identify delays and barriers in accessing the Adoption Support Fund and actions needed to overcome these: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-secretary-launches-review-of-childrens-social-care.

We support English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses as part of our wider effort to improve adult literacy in England. Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget for courses and qualifications at pre-entry, entry level 1 to 3, level 1 and level 2. In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through ESOL classes.

However, English Language Teaching Centres are private language schools, and as such are not in receipt of any funding from the department. We have therefore made no assessment of the adequacy of support for them during the COVID-19 outbreak. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an extensive and unprecedented package of support measures for businesses across the country and as such we have delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally, with a total fiscal response of close to £200 billion.

The measures introduced, including loan schemes, grant funding, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced an extension to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and other loan schemes until 31 January, ensuring there is further support in place for firms who need it during this ongoing period of difficulty.

On 31 October, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced that the CJRS will remain open until December, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Under the extended scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the previous version of the scheme, which was due to end on 31 October. This means the extended furlough scheme is more generous for employers than it was in October.

In addition, business premises forced to close in England are to receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant. A further £1.1 billion is being given to local authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly.

We support English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses as part of our wider effort to improve adult literacy in England. Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget for courses and qualifications at pre-entry, entry level 1 to 3, level 1 and level 2. In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through ESOL classes.

However, English Language Teaching Centres are private language schools, and as such are not in receipt of any funding from the department. We have therefore made no assessment of the adequacy of support for them during the COVID-19 outbreak. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an extensive and unprecedented package of support measures for businesses across the country and as such we have delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally, with a total fiscal response of close to £200 billion.

The measures introduced, including loan schemes, grant funding, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced an extension to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and other loan schemes until 31 January, ensuring there is further support in place for firms who need it during this ongoing period of difficulty.

On 31 October, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced that the CJRS will remain open until December, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Under the extended scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the previous version of the scheme, which was due to end on 31 October. This means the extended furlough scheme is more generous for employers than it was in October.

In addition, business premises forced to close in England are to receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant. A further £1.1 billion is being given to local authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly.

We support English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses as part of our wider effort to improve adult literacy in England. Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget for courses and qualifications at pre-entry, entry level 1 to 3, level 1 and level 2. In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through ESOL classes.

However, English Language Teaching Centres are private language schools, and as such are not in receipt of any funding from the department. We have therefore made no assessment of the adequacy of support for them during the COVID-19 outbreak. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an extensive and unprecedented package of support measures for businesses across the country and as such we have delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally, with a total fiscal response of close to £200 billion.

The measures introduced, including loan schemes, grant funding, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced an extension to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and other loan schemes until 31 January, ensuring there is further support in place for firms who need it during this ongoing period of difficulty.

On 31 October, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced that the CJRS will remain open until December, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Under the extended scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the previous version of the scheme, which was due to end on 31 October. This means the extended furlough scheme is more generous for employers than it was in October.

In addition, business premises forced to close in England are to receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant. A further £1.1 billion is being given to local authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly.

As of 4 July, providers offering before or after-school care and other out-of-school activities to children have been able to open, both on or away from school premises, with protective measures in place.

The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and so does not routinely collect data on the number of providers in operation. However, newly established REACT teams, comprising education and social care staff from both this department and Ofsted, are working closely with local authorities and will be a valuable source of intelligence on the sufficiency of wraparound care places in local areas.

We are also encouraging schools to resume their breakfast and after-school club provision, where possible, from the start of the autumn term; and, as part of our guidance to schools on full opening, have provided them with guidance to support them in reopening this valuable provision, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#wraparound-provision-and-extra-curricular-activity.

Schools should also be working closely with any external wraparound providers which their pupils may use, to ensure as far as possible, children can be kept in a group with other children from the same bubble they are in during the school day; and we have published further updated guidance for providers who run before and after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings for children on the protective measures that should be put in place from the start of the autumn term, to ensure they are operating as safely as possible when all children return to school. This guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

We have published guidance for schools to outline the protective measures they should have in place to minimise the risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19 when all children return to school in the autumn term. The guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

The guidance highlights that schools should work to resume any breakfast and after-school provision, where possible, from the start of the autumn term. Additionally, the guidance highlights that schools should work closely with any external wraparound providers which their pupils may use, to ensure as far as possible, that children can be kept in a group with other children from the same bubble they are in during the school day.

Schools can also consult the guidance produced for providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children, as much of this will be useful in planning extra-curricular provision. The guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

State-funded schools in England have a duty to teach religious education to all pupils aged 5 to 18 years. While academies, free schools and most maintained schools designated as having a religious character may design and follow their own curriculum, all other state schools must follow their area’s locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Unless stipulated in a locally agreed syllabus, pupils do not have to be taught an accredited Religious Studies qualification. However, where pupils do not choose it as an examination subject, the requirement to teach religious education still applies.

The Department’s guidance on full opening of schools sets the expectation that schools teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn, but that they use their existing curriculum flexibilities within subjects to create time to cover the most important missed content. Religious education is explicitly stated as one of the subjects that should be taught. The guidance was published on 2 July and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

The Department’s guidance on religious education is already available for both maintained schools and for academies and free schools. The guidance for maintained schools is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010 ; and the guidance for academies and free schools at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools/religious-education-re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools . No additional guidance on this subject is therefore needed.

State-funded schools in England have a duty to teach religious education to all pupils aged 5 to 18 years. While academies, free schools and most maintained schools designated as having a religious character may design and follow their own curriculum, all other state schools must follow their area’s locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Unless stipulated in a locally agreed syllabus, pupils do not have to be taught an accredited Religious Studies qualification. However, where pupils do not choose it as an examination subject, the requirement to teach religious education still applies.

The Department’s guidance on full opening of schools sets the expectation that schools teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn, but that they use their existing curriculum flexibilities within subjects to create time to cover the most important missed content. Religious education is explicitly stated as one of the subjects that should be taught. The guidance was published on 2 July and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

The Department’s guidance on religious education is already available for both maintained schools and for academies and free schools. The guidance for maintained schools is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010 ; and the guidance for academies and free schools at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools/religious-education-re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools . No additional guidance on this subject is therefore needed.

State-funded schools in England have a duty to teach religious education to all pupils aged 5 to 18 years. While academies, free schools and most maintained schools designated as having a religious character may design and follow their own curriculum, all other state schools must follow their area’s locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Unless stipulated in a locally agreed syllabus, pupils do not have to be taught an accredited Religious Studies qualification. However, where pupils do not choose it as an examination subject, the requirement to teach religious education still applies.

The Department’s guidance on full opening of schools sets the expectation that schools teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn, but that they use their existing curriculum flexibilities within subjects to create time to cover the most important missed content. Religious education is explicitly stated as one of the subjects that should be taught. The guidance was published on 2 July and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

The Department’s guidance on religious education is already available for both maintained schools and for academies and free schools. The guidance for maintained schools is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010 ; and the guidance for academies and free schools at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools/religious-education-re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools . No additional guidance on this subject is therefore needed.

It is the responsibility of governing boards, members (in academy trusts) and religious authorities (in schools designated with a religious character) to appoint governors and trustees. The Department is clear in the Governance Handbook that boards, when appointing new governors or trustees, should focus on the skills, experience, characteristics and diversity the board needs to be effective and to provide a sufficient range of perspectives to enable robust decision making.

Governing boards are responsible for compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and for ensuring that schools and trusts comply with all applicable aspects of discrimination law and this includes compliance with the public sector equality duty.

The Government has not issued such guidance to schools and multi-academy trusts as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, to help nurseries and schools to plan, prepare and adapt existing spaces for the return of more children, the Department published a range of detailed guidance on how to implement protective measures. The guidance can be found at the following GOV.UK link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

This includes the main protective measures guidance, which can be found directly here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies) under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.

Authorised pet checkers are trained by the Animal and Plant Health Agency prior to being granted approval and receive annual audits of their checking and processing to ensure they uphold our requirements. They also receive refresher training and are encouraged to liaise with their Animal and Plant Health Agency contacts to identify non-compliance trends and additional training requirements.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021 and completed committee on 18 November 2021. The Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

The Home Office managed migration datasets indicate that in 2021, visas issued to Ukrainian nationals accounted for 67% (19,920) of all visas issued under the seasonal worker route, including those issued under the temporary visa schemes for poultry, food sector HGVs, and pork butchers.

Defra is engaging with the operators of the seasonal worker visa route to prepare and advance contingency plans in response to the situation in Ukraine. Operators can recruit from any country they choose for the seasonal workers visa route and operators recruited seasonal workers from almost 50 countries in 2021.

Defra does not collect data on the number of pigs culled on farms. Producers, who are responsible for the welfare of animals on farm, are also not required to submit such data to us. We therefore have no data on the culling of pigs in 2020. However, from our engagement with the pig sector, we understand that around 29,800 pigs were culled on farms between 1 September and 31 December 2021 and around 6,200 pigs have been culled on farm since 1 January 2022. We are very aware of the impact the culling of pigs is having on the individual farmers involved.

We continue to monitor the evolving situation and to work closely with the pig industry. On 10 February I chaired a roundtable with pig industry representatives from across the UK to discuss the challenges that the sector has been facing in recent months caused by the pandemic, including the loss of exports to the Chinese market for certain pig processors, disruption to CO2 supplies, and a temporary shortage of labour in the processing sector. We have provided a package of measures to help address these unique circumstances, which includes temporary work visas for up to 800 pork butchers, and Private Storage Aid and Slaughter Incentive Payment schemes to facilitate an increase in the throughput of pigs through abattoirs.

The Government announced on 14 January that it would issue, with strict conditions, an emergency authorisation to use a neonicotinoid seed treatment for sugar beet crops in England. Since then, Defra Ministers have met with representatives of the sugar industry at a Parliamentary reception and at the NFU conference. Discussions included work to end the sector’s reliance on neonicotinoids.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) received information indicating that the MS44 Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (IVMS) device that has been marketed by Maritime Systems Ltd was different to the device that was type-approved by the MMO in November 2021 and may not meet the required specification set out in the published approval process. Concern was centred around transmission strengths of the MS44 IVMS device, specifically in regard to its 4G capability.

So that the MMO could provide individuals with the reassurance needed to move forward with installation, type approval was temporally suspended to allow for a review to take place. Additional supporting information was requested regarding the functionality of the device and assurances were sought that the actual device that will be offered to industry moving forward is the MS44 device as approved within the original type approval programme.

The additional information provided by Maritime Systems Ltd confirms that the MS44 device continues to meet the required specification criteria, including 4G functionality. As a result of the review, this device remains one of the approved IVMS devices available for purchase.

On 7 March 2022, the MMO communicated the outcome to industry and also published an update online. In addition to the outcome of the review, this confirmed that the deadline for Tranche 1 (vessels 10m to 11.9m in length) device installation has been extended by seven weeks to 16 May 2022 and the grant claim window to 17 June 2022 to align with the Tranche 2 deadline.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will not be taking any enforcement action with respect to IVMS until a Statutory Instrument is laid and comes into force. That SI is scheduled to be laid in November 2022. Any enforcement after that date will be in line with the MMO’s Compliance and Enforcement Strategy.

Defra group is proud of our already dispersed workforce with 85% of our staff based outside London. Defra has three of its four core “hubs” outside London (Bristol, York and Newcastle). In December 2021 Defra had 9,383 civil servants outside London, including 2,886 from the core department. Our Bristol hub, Horizon House, is our largest office outside London with 8% of Defra group and 15% of the core department’s staff based there.

Defra is committed to continuing to build vibrant staff communities across the country, with a talented, diverse and inclusive workforce with a genuine connection to the local community and area. The publication of the Levelling Up White Paper provides a major step towards the transformation of the UK, spreading opportunity and prosperity for all.

It also reinforces this Government’s, and Defra’s, commitment to increasing significantly the geographic spread of civil servants across the UK. Defra will move 550 roles in the core department out of London by 2025 and a further 550 by 2030. We will also increase the proportion of our senior civil servants who are based outside London from one-third to one-half by 2030.

As we relocate more staff out of London we will make use of our existing properties. Initially we are focused on building our policy presence in our Newcastle hub (announced in November), opening small office spaces in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and working to expand other, non-London policy hubs. Moving forward, increasing the opportunities for staff in the South West remains one of our priorities, with our large group office in Exeter housing around 350 Rural Payments Agency staff.

One of the key reforms in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare is to ban hand-held remote-controlled electronic training collars (“e-collars”), given their scope to harm the welfare of dogs, including those deemed reactive. We continue to work closely with the animal welfare sector, enforcement agencies and Governments across the four nations on this ban.

We have listened carefully to a range of views from pet owners and respondents, as well as consulting key stakeholders including animal welfare charities, e-collar manufacturers, and trainers who use e-collars. Defra ran a public consultation in 2018 on the proposed ban on e-collars for cats and dogs in England. A summary of the responses received can be found here; Animal welfare: banning the use of electronic training collars for cats and dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

With reference to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill there are currently no plans to undertake a further consultation on a ban on e-collars.

Powers already exist to ban e-collars under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The secondary legislation needed to ban remote controlled electronic training collars will be laid before Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Defra has made no assessment of trail hunting on private land. Giving permission for trail hunting is a matter for the landowner.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law.

An annual assessment based on both monitoring and supplementary modelling is undertaken annually. Plymouth is covered by the South West zone and the latest assessment can be found here:

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/viewonline?year=2020_issue_1#report_pdf

Defra's national network, the Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) provides measurements of air pollutant concentrations throughout the UK for a range of pollutants, which includes 3 monitoring sites in Plymouth. These sites form part of a network of 171 sites across the UK, used to monitor compliance with the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010). An interactive map showing the location of monitoring sites forming part of the AURN in Plymouth can be found at the following URL: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/interactive-map

The AURN network provides high resolution hourly information, communicated rapidly to the public, using a wide range of electronic, media and web platforms. Data from monitoring sites in Plymouth is accessible through the following URL: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/

Defra's Pollution Climate Mapping model estimates concentrations of air pollutants at 1km² grid squares across the UK. An interactive map to display these concentrations can be found through the following URL:

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/gis-mapping/

Plymouth City Council also carries out air quality monitoring as part of the Local Air Quality Management process and provides Defra with annual reports on the status of air quality within its Local Authority boundary. These reports detail strategies employed to improve air quality and any progress that has been made. Plymouth has a single city-wide Air Quality Management Area, which is due to levels of nitrogen dioxide exceeding national objectives. Summary statistics for all its Air Quality measurements can be found in its annual status reports, available through the following URL: https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/environmentandpollution/airquality

Local authorities have the statutory duty to prosecute for offences under the Animal Health Act 1981 and provide information of any successful prosecutions annually. It is presented in a parliamentary report which is available on gov.uk.

A summary of that data shows that the following number of prosecutions were made under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, although the data does not specify whether the prosecutions relate to fallen stock; such information would have to be sought from the local authorities themselves.

2016 – 22

2017 – 18

2018 – 30

2019 – 38

2020 – 15

2020 – Data not yet available

The Secretary of State has not recently met any organisations running hunts to discuss this issue.

Local authorities have the statutory duty to prosecute for offences under the Animal Health Act 1981 and provide information of any successful prosecutions annually. It is presented in a parliamentary report which is available on gov.uk.

A summary of that data shows that the following number of prosecutions were made under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, although the data does not specify whether the prosecutions relate to fallen stock; such information would have to be sought from the local authorities themselves.

2016 – 22

2017 – 18

2018 – 30

2019 – 38

2020 – 15

2020 – Data not yet available

The Secretary of State has not recently met any organisations running hunts to discuss this issue.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not have access to the Surfers Against Sewage notification dataset and therefore cannot comment on the accuracy of spill notifications made by Water and Sewerage Companies (WaSCs) to third party organisations. We expect that, as this data is provided in near real time to Surfers Against Sewage, there will have been limited opportunity for WaSCs to quality assure the raw data to confirm that all the alerts have resulted in spills.

The number of Event Duration Monitors has increased substantially over the last few years to cover over 80% of overflows, and will provide complete coverage by 2023. For that reason, the number of spill notifications has gone up. However, the Government has been clear that the number of spills is unacceptable and has made tackling this a priority. We are therefore the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue, including through the Environment Act.

A draft of the Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat (SPS) was published for consultation on 22 July 2021. The consultation was open to the public until 15 October 2021. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) provided a response to the consultation. I gave oral evidence to the EAC's Water Quality in Rivers inquiry on 15 September 2021, where the SPS was discussed. A draft of the strategic policy statement will be laid in Parliament in the New Year for a 40 day period, where it will then directly inform the Price Review process, including Ofwat’s draft methodology due to be published in summer 2022.

In the period from 2010 to date, the Treasury has received about £143 million from imposed fines on water companies. These have been the result of Environment Agency prosecutions and Ofwat enforcement investigations.

I have been clear that the current level of sewage discharges is unacceptable.

Water companies are committed in the current 5-year business planning period to a significant programme of improvements to monitoring and management of sewer overflows. Water company investment in this area currently totals £3.1 billion, including £1.9 billion of investment in the Thames Tideway Tunnel and £1.2 billion elsewhere delivering over 800 improvement schemes in response to Event Duration Monitoring insights. Water companies must also certify to Ofwat each year that they have the funding, management resources and systems and controls in place to fulfil their regulated activities, including to meet their environmental obligations and should be investing accordingly in order to fulfil their regulatory requirements.

Companies have also already re-opened their business plans as part of our efforts to build back greener from the pandemic. Ofwat approved a draft package of over £2.7 billion and as part of this new package of investment, companies committed an additional £144 million to help eliminate the harm caused by Storm Overflows and trial the creation of two bathing rivers.

The Government has made tackling this a priority and we are the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue.

Earlier this year the Government published a new draft set of strategic priorities for the water industry's financial regulator Ofwat. In this publication Government set out its expectation that water companies must take steps to "significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows."

The Environment Act then placed this direction on a statutory footing, setting a duty for water companies to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from Storm Overflows. Defra intends to set out the level of ambition expected by this in due course.

The Government will take the necessary action to ensure that water companies perform against existing, and new, statutory obligations.

Improving water quality is a Government priority and we are taking significant action in this area for people and nature. The Environment Act sets a duty on the Government to publish a storm overflow discharge reduction plan by September 2022. This plan will address reducing the adverse impacts on public health of sewage discharges from storm overflows.

Where rivers are designated as Bathing Waters, the Environment Agency monitors water quality and classifies bathing waters in line with the health protective standards of the Bathing Water Regulations (2013) and publishes an annual classification of Poor, Sufficient, Good or Excellent. It must also exercise its pollution control powers to achieve at least Sufficient status. Currently there is one river with designated Bathing Water Status, the River Wharfe at Ilkley. This was monitored for the first time during the 2021 Bathing Water Season (15th May - 30th September). The classification result will be published in January 2022.

The Environment Agency publishes a profile for each designated Bathing Water on its Swimfo website (https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/), which provides water quality testing results, the annual classification and information on pollution sources affecting each Bathing Water.

The Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) have published Swim Healthy guidance on Gov.UK

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swim-healthy-leaflet).

The Environment Agency sets objectives for the ecological status of England’s water bodies, including rivers, and sets out the programmes of measures to achieve those objectives in our river basin management plans. These plans are updated on a six-yearly cycle. The objectives for water bodies over the next six-year cycle (2021-2027) are contained in the updated draft river basin management plans which are currently available for statutory public consultation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/draft-river-basin-management-plans-2021

The Government has not made an assessment of the impact on riverside SMEs of local sewage pollution.

However, the Government has been clear that the water industry’s levels of sewage discharges from storm overflows are unacceptable and has made tackling this a priority. We are the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue, including through the Environment Act. The provisions in the Environment Act place a duty on the water industry to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts caused by storm overflows. These include adverse impacts on public health.

The Government will publish a report before 1 September 2022 on the actions necessary, including the costs and benefits of the elimination of storm overflows. The report will consider a range of benefits, including those to business.

Defra published an impact assessment on 20 March 2020 (Environment Act 2021 publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament) setting out the cost / benefit assessment of the Environment Act 2021 measures as were laid out in the then-draft Bill introduced in January 2020.

Several provisions in the Act will, however, be commenced by Regulations and detailed impact assessments will be undertaken as part of the development of those Regulations. These will include consideration of the impacts on customers.

The Defra-led Storm Overflows Taskforce has published a Storm Overflows Evidence Project on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options for eliminating harm from storm overflows. The independent research conducted by Stantec presents a detailed overview of potential approaches that will act as an important evidence base for Government action. This is the first comprehensive analysis of its kind and the Government will take account of its findings in future impact assessments.

The Environment Agency does not hold the data for the volume of sewage released by storm overflows.

Working with water companies, the Environment Agency has concluded a programme to install Event Duration Monitors (EDM) on the vast majority of storm overflows, just over 80% of overflows in England, by the end of 2020. These monitors provide a robust and consistent way of monitoring how often and for how long storm overflows are used but do not measures volume. By the end of 2023, the remaining number will be monitored.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 December 2021, PQ 82067.

The Government has made tackling sewage overflows a priority and we are the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue.

Earlier this year the Government published a new draft set of strategic priorities for the water industry's financial regulator Ofwat. In this publication Government set out its expectation that water companies must take steps to "significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows."

The Environment Act then placed this direction on a statutory footing, setting a duty for water companies to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows. Defra intends to set out the level of ambition expected by this in due course.

The Water Industry Act, as amended by the Environment Act, will include a duty on water companies to publish near real time information (within one hour) of the commencement of an overflow, its location and when it ceases, and to monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of a storm overflow or a sewage disposal works. These requirements will be part of the way we measure and evaluate the reduction in harm caused by storm overflows and the Government will bring forward implementing legislation in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 December 2021, PQ 82067.

The Government has made tackling sewage overflows a priority and we are the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue.

Earlier this year the Government published a new draft set of strategic priorities for the water industry's financial regulator Ofwat. In this publication Government set out its expectation that water companies must take steps to "significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows."

The Environment Act then placed this direction on a statutory footing, setting a duty for water companies to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows. Defra intends to set out the level of ambition expected by this in due course.

The Water Industry Act, as amended by the Environment Act, will include a duty on water companies to publish near real time information (within one hour) of the commencement of an overflow, its location and when it ceases, and to monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of a storm overflow or a sewage disposal works. These requirements will be part of the way we measure and evaluate the reduction in harm caused by storm overflows and the Government will bring forward implementing legislation in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 December 2021, PQ 82067.

The Government has made tackling sewage overflows a priority and we are the first Government to take concerted action to tackle this historic infrastructure issue.

Earlier this year the Government published a new draft set of strategic priorities for the water industry's financial regulator Ofwat. In this publication Government set out its expectation that water companies must take steps to "significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows."

The Environment Act then placed this direction on a statutory footing, setting a duty for water companies to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows. Defra intends to set out the level of ambition expected by this in due course.

The Water Industry Act, as amended by the Environment Act, will include a duty on water companies to publish near real time information (within one hour) of the commencement of an overflow, its location and when it ceases, and to monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of a storm overflow or a sewage disposal works. These requirements will be part of the way we measure and evaluate the reduction in harm caused by storm overflows and the Government will bring forward implementing legislation in due course.

As part of the Storm Overflows Evidence Project commissioned by the Storm Overflows Taskforce, the consultants undertook a public attitudes survey on the issue of sewage discharges. This independent research project assessed the potential impact on rivers of reducing storm overflows and the related costs. The report, conducted by Stantec, has now been published on gov.uk and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storm-overflows-evidence-project. The report is the first assessment of its kind ever conducted. The Government, together with the Storm Overflows Taskforce, will take account of its findings in future impact assessments.

Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, is responsible for ensuring that water companies charge fair prices and deliver quality services through the Price Review. As part of this process, water companies must engage with their customers and obtain broad customer support when developing their plans and making decisions around future investments.

As published in Defra’s transparency data for April-June 2021, Lord Goldsmith met Coller Capital and Lord Sarfraz on 24 May to discuss sustainable, plant-based protein and the alignment of agricultural finance with climate and nature. We do not routinely publish the minutes of meetings.

Tetraethyllead (TEL) is a chemical used in AVGAS 100 and is listed on the UK REACH Candidate list as a substance of very high concern (SVHC). This places certain obligations on companies or individuals that use or place TEL on the market in GB.

SVHC identification is the first step in the Authorisation process, which is used to control the use of substances with specific hazards. Once a substance has been identified as an SVHC, it can then be prioritised for inclusion in Annex 14 of UK REACH (the authorisation list). In its recent draft recommendation on substances that are a priority for adding to Annex 14, the HSE concluded whilst no action should be taken at present, it might be appropriate to revisit the regulatory approach to tetraethyllead when technical evaluations of potential alternatives for use in aviation fuel are completed.

The Department for Transport is working to encourage industry to transfer to cleaner aviation fuels as soon as possible. In December 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport asked officials to explore ways to encourage the aviation sector to use UL91 fuel, an unleaded aviation fuel which it is believed a significant proportion of the piston engine aviation fleet can use.

The aviation fuel AVGAS 100 is not listed on the UK REACH Candidate list as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) because it is a mixture of substances. One of these substances is tetraethyllead (TEL), which is listed on the UK REACH Candidate list as an SVHC. This places certain obligations on companies or individuals that use or place TEL on the market in GB. This includes its use in aviation fuel.

No polar bear hunting trophies were imported under CITES in 2019 or 2020. The reply I gave to the hon. Member on 2 July 2021, PQ 22019, was based on inaccurately reported data which conflated information on commercial and hunting trophy trade in polar bear parts. We will publish a correction to PQ 22019.

CITES permits can be issued for a range of purposes, for example commercial, scientific or personal use. Four polar bear items were imported for commercial purposes, with permits, in 2019 and 2020.

There were 1322 letters from hon. Members awaiting responses from Ministers as of 15 November 2021. This year to date Defra has responded to over 9,700 letters from hon. Members.

The target for correspondence sent to the Secretary of State is for 85% to be completed within 20 working days. The monthly average response time for letters sent to him by hon. Members as of 15 November 2021 is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. We can advise that in the month up until 15 November, 50% of letters sent to Ministers had been responded to within 20 working days.

We are unable to advise what the longest response time has been for a letter sent to the Secretary of State by an hon. Member since January 2021, as this information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

There were 1322 letters from hon. Members awaiting responses from Ministers as of 15 November 2021. This year to date Defra has responded to over 9,700 letters from hon. Members.

The target for correspondence sent to the Secretary of State is for 85% to be completed within 20 working days. The monthly average response time for letters sent to him by hon. Members as of 15 November 2021 is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. We can advise that in the month up until 15 November, 50% of letters sent to Ministers had been responded to within 20 working days.

We are unable to advise what the longest response time has been for a letter sent to the Secretary of State by an hon. Member since January 2021, as this information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

There were 1322 letters from hon. Members awaiting responses from Ministers as of 15 November 2021. This year to date Defra has responded to over 9,700 letters from hon. Members.

The target for correspondence sent to the Secretary of State is for 85% to be completed within 20 working days. The monthly average response time for letters sent to him by hon. Members as of 15 November 2021 is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. We can advise that in the month up until 15 November, 50% of letters sent to Ministers had been responded to within 20 working days.

We are unable to advise what the longest response time has been for a letter sent to the Secretary of State by an hon. Member since January 2021, as this information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

There were 1322 letters from hon. Members awaiting responses from Ministers as of 15 November 2021. This year to date Defra has responded to over 9,700 letters from hon. Members.

The target for correspondence sent to the Secretary of State is for 85% to be completed within 20 working days. The monthly average response time for letters sent to him by hon. Members as of 15 November 2021 is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. We can advise that in the month up until 15 November, 50% of letters sent to Ministers had been responded to within 20 working days.

We are unable to advise what the longest response time has been for a letter sent to the Secretary of State by an hon. Member since January 2021, as this information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 17 November 2021.

Our approach to fisheries licensing under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement has been reasonable and fully in line with our commitments. Technical discussions continue with the European Commission and French administration to determine whether there is further information available that would support vessels to qualify for a licence. Vessels that provide the required evidence will receive a licence.

The figures referred to were from draft findings of the Storm Overflows Evidence Project, which was commissioned by the Storm Overflows Taskforce (made up of a range of active stakeholders in this sector). The final report considers a wide range of policies and scenarios with their respective cost and impact on customer bills, including the upper bound figure of £600 billion to separate the combined sewer network. This research was an independent report, conducted by Stantec, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storm-overflows-evidence-project

The report contains detailed methodology of how it arrived at its initial conclusions and the government will consider its findings carefully, alongside other recommendations from the Storm Overflows Taskforce.

A reply will be sent to the hon Member in due course.

This Government takes the issue of low-welfare and illegal supply of puppies very seriously. Significant steps have already been taken to improve and update the laws on dog breeding in England to crack down on unscrupulous breeders who breed dogs purely for financial greed at the expense of animal welfare.

My department supports the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which was created to combat growing concerns about the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming and exchange, including through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. We have backed a set of Minimum Standards that PAAG developed which several of the UK’s largest classified websites have agreed to meet. Meanwhile my department maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licencees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including provisions to protect dogs from being bred from too often or at an early age, which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. Any licensee advertising dogs for sale will need to include their licence number in the advert and specify the local authority who issued the licence. Additional requirements placed on advertisements include that the age of the dog for sale must be displayed along with a recognisable photograph.

We banned the commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens in England from 6 April 2020. This ban aims to disrupt the low-welfare trade that supports puppy farming by preventing pet shops, pet dealers and other commercial outlets from selling these animals in England unless they themselves have bred them. It means anyone looking to get a puppy must buy direct from a breeder or consider adopting from a rescue centre instead.

Furthermore, the Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling and one of our key reforms in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare is to end this abhorrent, cruel practice and low-welfare pet imports. We continue to maintain a close working relationship with the animal welfare sector, enforcement agencies and Governments across the four nations regarding the regulation of dog breeding and pet sales. This will allow us to explore a more consistent approach to addressing any cross-border issues associated with illegal or low-welfare supply.

We have not made any estimates of the number of ivory items owned by, or collated in this Department, or institutions owned or managed by the Government.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing.

No licences have been issued for the import of hunting trophies of polar bears in 2019, 2020 or 2021.

The information is not available in the form requested. Individual staff costs cannot be easily identified to provide a precise figure for the production of that specific video alongside their other creative content commitments that day.

The video was produced alongside other creative content commitments that day. It is not possible to break down the exact production hours.

The video published 26 October 2021 was made in-house by the Defra group communications Digital Engagement and Creative Content team and did not incur a cost.

The age of our Victorian sewerage system means a complete elimination of discharges from storm overflows would be extremely challenging and initial assessments suggest it could cost over £150 billion according to the Storm Overflows Evidence Project, commissioned by the Storm Overflows Taskforce. The full research report will be published shortly.

Earlier this year the Government consulted on a set of strategic priorities for Ofwat, the independent economic regulator for the water industry. The draft strategic policy statement (SPS) sets out the direction from the Government that water companies must take steps to "significantly reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows". This is the first time any government has set out this expectation for water companies to prioritise their reliance on storm overflows to discharge sewage. The SPS strongly influences investment decisions and is one of the Government's key tools in driving action from water companies. The Government expects to publish the final SPS in early 2022.

Government has also announced that it will put the direction set out in the SPS on a statutory footing with a new duty on water companies to progressively reduce impacts of sewage discharges.

Eliminating harm from storm overflows is a Government priority, but we know that it will involve significant change and take time to achieve. The age of our Victorian sewerage system means a complete elimination of discharges from storm overflows would be extremely challenging and require full separation of pipes across the country, alongside other additional infrastructure. Initial assessments suggest this would cost over £150 billion according to the Storm Overflows Evidence Project, commissioned by the Storm Overflows Taskforce. The full research report will be published shortly.

However, this does not mean that things cannot improve significantly. We are continuing to work with the industry to make sure that storm overflows are properly controlled and to reduce the harm caused by their discharges. This Government has been clear that the current failure of water companies to reduce adequately sewage discharges is unacceptable.

Between 2020 and 2025 water companies will invest £7.1 billion to protect and improve the environment. This includes the £5.2 billion invested through the Water Industry National Environment Programme. Of this, £3.1 billion will be invested in in storm overflow improvements.

However, we have made it crystal clear to water companies that they must take further action to significantly reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows as a priority. Our draft Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat sets out for the first time that we expect water companies to take the steps required to "significantly reduce…. storm overflows." We have also announced that we will put that instruction on a statutory footing with a new duty on water companies to progressively reduce the impact of sewage discharges.

Our Environment Bill also includes the following new duties directly on water companies to:

• publish statutory Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans, for the first time, setting out how they will reduce overflows, as well as detailing other improvements, and provides the power for government to direct companies if these plans are inadequate;
• monitor water quality up and downstream of areas potentially affected by discharges;
• publish data on storm overflow operation on an annual basis;
• publish near real time information - within one hour- on the operation of storm overflows.

We will not hesitate to use our powers to hold companies to account. Earlier this year Southern Water was handed a record-breaking £90 million fine, and Thames Water was fined £4 million and £2.3 million for separate incidents.

New amendments have been tabled that place duties on the Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and reduce their impact. There is also a duty to report to Parliament on progress on implementing the plan. We will also produce a report outlining further evidence regarding elimination of Storm Overflows by September 2022. We expect this to drive action to tackle this issue in a shorter timeframe.

Truly reducing harm from storm overflows will require a collaborative approach between many actors. To this end, in August 2020 I established the Storm Overflows Taskforce to bring together key stakeholders from the water industry, regulators, and environmental NGOs, with a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce has already taken steps to improve monitoring and transparency and has commissioned research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.

Professional dog walkers should comply with all relevant legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and others. They should also comply with any relevant local authority requirements, not walk more dogs at any one time than their insurance policy allows, and ensure that the dogs are kept under control at all times.

The Canine and Feline Sector Group, which includes in its members the UK’s most significant animal welfare organisations, has published guidance to assist professional dog walkers in ensuring the welfare of animals in their care. Their guidance has formed the basis for guidance owned and issued by several local authorities and recommends that no more than four dogs are walked at any one time.

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

Additionally, David Lewis has been appointed to co-chair the new Supply Chain Advisory Group and the new Industry Taskforce, providing a link between business and government to identify causes of supply chain issues and pre-empt future issues. He has been appointed until the end of the year.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. 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.

Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. These include extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains, including those for food packaging.

British pie manufacturers have not raised concerns with Defra about aluminium packaging availability for pie foil casings, but we are aware of issues raised more generally by the food and drink industry due to packaging shortages. We will continue those conversations to explore further impacts and discuss potential solutions.

On 19 October, the Government's Net Zero Strategy was published, setting the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out Government's vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors. The Natural Resources, Waste and Fluorinated-Gases (F-Gases) chapter covers Defra related sectors and their emission reductions including agriculture, peat and tree planting.

The Government's Net Zero Strategy sets the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government's vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors.

The Natural Resources, Waste and Fluorinated-Gases (F-Gases) chapter collates wide-ranging commitments, incorporating nature-based solutions into our approach to reach net zero, ensuring the pathway delivers multiple benefits for climate, biodiversity, and people. This brings together and builds on commitments and policies made in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Agriculture Act and the Environment Act. We have committed to support the agriculture sector to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases.

Table 8 in the technical annex of the Net Zero Strategy sets out sector emissions in future carbon budgets compared with current emissions levels.

There is currently an adequate supply of water and wastewater treatment chemicals throughout the UK. A temporary Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) was introduced to enable water and wastewater treatment sites to apply to the Environment Agency (EA) to reduce chemical dosing levels and mitigate any delays resulting the shortage of haulier drivers. This will expire at the end of the year unless the EA chooses to extend it. It has not been necessary for any wastewater companies to use the RPS.

The Government has consulted on the draft strategic policy statement (SPS) for Ofwat, the independent economic regulator. Government expects to publish the final strategic policy statement in early 2022.

The draft SPS includes a strategic priority on ‘Protecting and enhancing the environment’:

• Ofwat should drive water companies to be more ambitious in their environmental planning and delivery to contribute towards the priorities set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan. Ofwat should drive water companies to improve their day to day environmental performance to enhance quality of the water environment.

A temporary Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) was introduced to enable water and wastewater treatment sites to apply to the Environment Agency (EA) to reduce chemical dosing levels and mitigate any delays resulting from the shortage of haulier drivers. This will expire at the end of the year unless the EA chooses to extend it. It has not been necessary for any water or wastewater company to use the RPS.

Any company planning to make use of this short-term measure must first agree its use with the EA, which will thoroughly check compliance. The EA will continue to monitor discharges and water quality as normal. Compliance with permit limits will also continue to be assessed.

The Government's Net Zero Strategy sets the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out Government's vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors.

Sectoral emissions for Waste and F-gases over forthcoming carbon budget periods are set out in Table 8 of the technical annex to the net zero strategy. These are: Carbon Budget (CB) 4 24-27 MtCO2e; Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 17-20 MtCO2e and CB6 12-15 MtCO2e.

n.b. NDC is the midpoint of CB5

The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with industry representatives on strengthening Parliamentary oversight of Ofwat and its performance.

Ofwat is directly accountable to Parliament for the performance of its functions and duties through the Water Industry Act 1991.

In the National Infrastructure Strategy published in November 2020, the Government committed to produce a cross-sectoral review of economic regulation.

The Government’s Net Zero Strategy sets the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors.

Sectoral emissions for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) over forthcoming carbon budget periods are set out in Table 8 of the technical annex to the Net Zero Strategy. These are Carbon Budget (CB) 4; 51-57 MtCO2e; Nationally Determined Contribution 44-52 MtCo2e and CB6 38-48 MtCO2e.

There is currently an adequate supply of water and wastewater treatment chemicals throughout the UK. The Government and industry have worked together to put in place effective mitigations to increase driver numbers. It has not been necessary to use military drivers to transport wastewater treatment chemicals.

There is currently no disruption to the supply of water, its treatment, or the treatment of wastewater.

The Government continues to work closely with water companies and regulators to reduce the likelihood and mitigate any future supply challenges.

There is currently an adequate supply of wastewater treatment chemicals throughout the UK. Water companies have robust plans in place to deal with a variety of emergencies that may arise. Companies retain stockpiles of critical chemicals as a contingency measure.

There is currently no disruption to the supply of chemicals used in the treatment of wastewater.

Protecting our water resources remains a priority for this government, which is why we are working to support the delivery of the ambitions set out in the Environment Agency’s national framework to reduce personal water consumption to 110 litres per person per day by 2050, without affecting the quality of life and enjoyment of water used by households.

We are also considering the potential for a statutory target on overall demand for public water supply under the target framework set out in the Environment Bill, alongside other target options which we intend to consult on in early 2022.

There is no shortage of sewage treatment chemicals, and precautionary mitigation measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of any such shortage.

Once commenced, the Ivory Act will introduce one of the toughest bans on elephant ivory sales in the world by banning the dealing in items made of or containing elephant ivory, regardless of their age, unless they fall within one of the narrow and carefully defined exemptions.

We plan to implement the Ivory Act this winter and for the ban to come into force in spring 2022.

It is not Government policy to comment on security procedures in Government buildings.

The Government published a Written Ministerial Statement on Reducing Demand for Water on 1 July 2021, which announced plans to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label to inform consumers and encourage the purchase of more water efficient products for both domestic and business use. We are currently exploring options for the label, including the potential to achieve energy savings, as well as further water savings.

A catch, tag and release (CHART) programme to conduct scientific research into Atlantic Bluefin Tuna abundance in English waters will run from 16 August until 14 November 2021.

Details of the programme were published on the website of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on 23 April 2021: CHART Programme for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna - CEFAS.

This Government was the first of any major economy to set a net zero target in law, building on the legal framework to prevent and adapt to the effects of climate change in the Climate Change Act. The Environment Bill now requires a new, historic legally binding target to be set to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.

The Environment Agency (EA) was in discussions with HM Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport on their proposals for the disposal of rainwater containing tritium (a radioactive isotope of hydrogen) between December 2020 and June 2021. At that point HMNB Devonport formally submitted an application to vary its Approval for the receipt and disposal of radioactive waste.

At present this low level contaminated rainwater passes through the effluent treatment plant operated by the neighbouring nuclear site, Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd. HMNB Devonport now wants to release the rainwater directly into the River Tamar/Hamoaze. This would result in a very minor increase in dose to the public – equal to less than five minutes of the average annual background radiation dose in the UK. The total dose from all pathways and sources of radiation from the Dockyard was less than 0.005 mSv in 2019, which was less than 0.5 percent of the dose limit. Overall this is a very low level of radioactivity that will be discharged to the environment. The environmental impact of the tritium discharge is therefore minimal.

Discussions included the EA giving pre-application advice to the dockyard to ensure that the application would contain sufficient information to allow the EA to assess the application in a timely manner. The EA consulted with the public until 27 July about this application and will now work to determine the application. The consultation can be found here: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/nuclear/application-to-vary-the-radioactive-substances-app/

The radioactive substances provisions of the Environmental Permitting Regulations do not apply to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). However, there is a Memorandum of Understanding between the EA and the MoD which provides for equivalent administrative arrangements. The Approval held by the MoD for HMNB Devonport is the equivalent of a Permit that would be held by a civilian operator.

The EA will continue to monitor pollution in the River Tamar/Hamoaze and the potential impact of the HMNB discharge if the application is approved.

The Government made a manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals, and Ministers and officials have engaged with a range of stakeholders throughout policy development on this issue. This, together with the outcomes of the recent consultation and call for evidence, will inform our next steps. Our approach on hunting trophies will be comprehensive, robust and effective and will deliver the change we promised to help protect thousands of species worldwide. We will set out our plans soon.

On 8 June 2021, the Government published its response to the Benyon Review into Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). The Government accepted the central recommendation to take forward pilot sites with the purpose of biodiversity recovery.

The response to the Benyon Review was agreed across Government. Defra officials met with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) during the Benyon Review and when preparing the Government response. The response states that HPMAs will be outside of routine defence exercise areas, and the selection of sites will consider the ability of an activity or sector to adapt to the location of a HPMA.

The Government is developing ecological, social and economic criteria for HPMA identification to create a list of potential sites this year, followed by a consultation and designation of sites in 2022. Defra will engage the MoD and other Government departments on the potential list of sites when it becomes available.

The UK has adopted some of the most ambitious climate change and environment policies and commitments in the world.

Our Nationally Determined Contribution to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 is the most ambitious in the world. We became the first major economy to set a net zero target in law in 2019. We have doubled our International Climate Finance, and are investing nearly a third of it in nature-based solutions to climate change. We are leading coalitions of ambitious countries to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030, to redirect land use subsidies globally to support sustainability and renewal, and to breaking the link between commodity production and illegal deforestation.

Among numerous world-first interventions, the Environment Bill is being amended to create a duty to set a historic target on species abundance for 2030, aiming to halt the decline in nature.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.

Julian Glover and his team set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and AONBs.

Our Written Ministerial Statement published on 24 June shows our support for some of the main themes of the review.

We are working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, and expect to consult on draft proposals later this year.

In regards to the reviews recommendation on a potential National Landscapes Service; we have not made any final decisions on whether and how this proposal should be implemented, and the review did not specify what structure a National Landscapes Service should take. This is just one of the recommendations and we will consult on various areas of the review and respond to the review as a whole in due course.

While we cannot pre-empt the spending review, we have recently launched Farming in Protected Landscapes, a three-year programme announced in the Defra’s Agricultural Transition Programme and as part of the Spending Review 2020 commitment to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our Protected Landscape organisations will receive approximately £20m in funding in the current financial year to provide to farmers and land managers in their areas, delivering projects focusing on the environment, people and place.

The funding allocation for Dartmoor National Park Authority under the Farming in Protected Landscape programme for 2022-23 and 23-24 has not yet been confirmed. Future allocation figures will follow the next Spending Review announcement.

Now that the transition period has come to an end, Great Britain is treated as a third country by the EU and vice versa. The EU has different requirements for animals entering the EU from third countries than for those moving between Member States, including the requirement for the animals to be accompanied by a health certificate and/or quarantine periods where appropriate. The European Commission has recently stated its intention to allow movements of racing pigeons (for racing purposes) from GB to continue to enter the EU (and Northern Ireland) until 20 October under national rules applicable prior to 21 April 2021. After this period, these movements must meet the new requirements set out in the EU Animal Health Regulation and be accompanied by the appropriate EU Export Health Certificate.

We continue to encourage the EU, through our regular engagement, to act pragmatically as part of our new trading relationship.

Now that the transition period has come to an end, Great Britain is treated as a third country by the EU and vice versa. The EU has different requirements for animals entering the EU from third countries than for those moving between Member States, including the requirement for the animals to be accompanied by a health certificate and/or quarantine periods where appropriate. The European Commission has recently stated its intention to allow movements of racing pigeons (for racing purposes) from GB to continue to enter the EU (and Northern Ireland) until 20 October under national rules applicable prior to 21 April 2021. After this period, these movements must meet the new requirements set out in the EU Animal Health Regulation and be accompanied by the appropriate EU Export Health Certificate.

We continue to encourage the EU, through our regular engagement, to act pragmatically as part of our new trading relationship.

Now that the transition period has come to an end, Great Britain is treated as a third country by the EU and vice versa. The EU has different requirements for animals entering the EU from third countries than for those moving between Member States, including the requirement for the animals to be accompanied by a health certificate and/or quarantine periods where appropriate. The European Commission has recently stated its intention to allow movements of racing pigeons (for racing purposes) from GB to continue to enter the EU (and Northern Ireland) until 20 October under national rules applicable prior to 21 April 2021. After this period, these movements must meet the new requirements set out in the EU Animal Health Regulation and be accompanied by the appropriate EU Export Health Certificate.

We continue to encourage the EU, through our regular engagement, to act pragmatically as part of our new trading relationship.

Now that the transition period has come to an end, Great Britain is treated as a third country by the EU and vice versa. The EU has different requirements for animals entering the EU from third countries than for those moving between Member States, including the requirement for the animals to be accompanied by a health certificate and/or quarantine periods where appropriate. The European Commission has recently stated its intention to allow movements of racing pigeons (for racing purposes) from GB to continue to enter the EU (and Northern Ireland) until 20 October under national rules applicable prior to 21 April 2021. After this period, these movements must meet the new requirements set out in the EU Animal Health Regulation and be accompanied by the appropriate EU Export Health Certificate.

We continue to encourage the EU, through our regular engagement, to act pragmatically as part of our new trading relationship.

As has been the case under successive Administrations, it is not Government policy to comment on security procedures in Government buildings.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails.

It is Government policy not to comment on specific technical security controls; however, the incidental personal use of private email accounts from departmental systems is subject to our Acceptable Use policy, in spare time.

The table below shows how many imports of hunting trophies from African lion (Panthera leo), Tiger (Panthera tigris), African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), and Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) were recorded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, in the UK in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

26 imports of hunting trophies from species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species were recorded in the UK in 2020.

The table below illustrates how many R (ranched animal), D (Captive-bred animal), C (Bred in captivity) and F (Born in captivity) hunting trophies were recorded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) entering the UK in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) employs a risk-based, intelligence-led operational model to deliver surveillance and assurance capability at sea. At-sea inspections are just one of a range of tools deployed by the MMO as part of its presence and deterrence strategy to prevent illegal fishing activities in English waters. Close surveillance at sea, hailing vessels to assure their activities as well as maintaining high visibility in areas where the risk of illegal fishing was highest has been effective in deterring unauthorised vessels fishing in English waters.

Between 1 January and 24 June 2021, a total of 228 vessels have been inspected at sea in English waters by MMO, the Royal Navy and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. Of the 228 inspections, 131 EU vessels were inspected, of which 15 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 116 took place outside the limit. Of the 97 UK vessels that were inspected, 51 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 46 took place outside the limit.

The monthly breakdown including the volume of inspections, hours deployed and the total cost for at sea surveillance presence was:

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) employs a risk-based, intelligence-led operational model to deliver surveillance and assurance capability at sea. At-sea inspections are just one of a range of tools deployed by the MMO as part of its presence and deterrence strategy to prevent illegal fishing activities in English waters. Close surveillance at sea, hailing vessels to assure their activities as well as maintaining high visibility in areas where the risk of illegal fishing was highest has been effective in deterring unauthorised vessels fishing in English waters.

Between 1 January and 24 June 2021, a total of 228 vessels have been inspected at sea in English waters by MMO, the Royal Navy and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. Of the 228 inspections, 131 EU vessels were inspected, of which 15 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 116 took place outside the limit. Of the 97 UK vessels that were inspected, 51 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 46 took place outside the limit.

The monthly breakdown including the volume of inspections, hours deployed and the total cost for at sea surveillance presence was:

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) employs a risk-based, intelligence-led operational model to deliver surveillance and assurance capability at sea. At-sea inspections are just one of a range of tools deployed by the MMO as part of its presence and deterrence strategy to prevent illegal fishing activities in English waters. Close surveillance at sea, hailing vessels to assure their activities as well as maintaining high visibility in areas where the risk of illegal fishing was highest has been effective in deterring unauthorised vessels fishing in English waters.

Between 1 January and 24 June 2021, a total of 228 vessels have been inspected at sea in English waters by MMO, the Royal Navy and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. Of the 228 inspections, 131 EU vessels were inspected, of which 15 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 116 took place outside the limit. Of the 97 UK vessels that were inspected, 51 took place inside the 12 nautical mile limit and 46 took place outside the limit.

The monthly breakdown including the volume of inspections, hours deployed and the total cost for at sea surveillance presence was:

Under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK and the EU have committed to sharing the information necessary to implement the fisheries heading, including data on access to fish non-quota stocks in each party's waters. The written record for the 2021 fisheries consultations with the EU sets out the detailed data that will be exchanged.

We are working with the Commission to agree this exchange as soon as possible. The UK and the EU have both committed to agreeing what catch data should be exchanged in the longer term to support sustainable management by 31 July 2021.

It is a legal requirement for all registered fishing vessels over 12 meters in length present within UK waters, including EU vessels, to be fitted with a Vessel Monitoring System satellite tracking system. Data from this system is relayed via the flag member states providing the UK Fisheries Authorities with live positional data.

The awareness raising campaign for the commencement of the Ivory Act will include information about the implementation of the ban, the exemptions, and how individuals and businesses can ensure they comply with the law. A budgetary provision of up to £30,000 has been made.

Defra will also be providing guidance on a number of matters to assist with compliance with the Act. Views on several specific matters to be included in that guidance were sought in the consultation on implementing the Ivory Act that closed on 4 May.

While good progress has been made in water efficiency policy development, we had to delay publication of the response to the 2019 public consultation on Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use to prioritise work on the response to covid-19. Defra plans to publish the consultation response, which will set out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption, in summer 2021.

While good progress has been made in water efficiency policy development, we had to delay publication of the response to the 2019 public consultation on Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use to prioritise work on the response to covid-19. Defra plans to publish the consultation response, which will set out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption, in summer 2021.

While good progress has been made in water efficiency policy development, we had to delay publication of the response to the 2019 public consultation on Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use to prioritise work on the response to covid-19. Defra plans to publish the consultation response, which will set out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption, in summer 2021.

FOI requests are referred to the Clearing House in line with the published criteria available on gov.uk. The Clearing House, which has been in existence since 2004, provides advice to ensure a consistent approach across government to requests for information.

The House of Commons voted for a motion on 1 May 2019 to declare an environment and climate emergency.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary has not engaged directly with the Environment Agency’s (EA) recognised trade unions. The EA has an established infrastructure in place to ensure it engages on a regular basis with its collective recognised trade unions (GMB, Unison, Unite and Prospect). The EA provides regular updates on finance and funding impacts as well as engaging on changes to ways of working, policies and impacts to its staff.

The EA will always seek to deliver the best outcomes for people and the environment and prioritise its enforcement work in line with the funding available, focusing on the cases that pose the greatest threat, risk and harm to the environment and communities.

The Department has not made any estimates of the number of ivory items owned by, or collated in, Government departments, or institutions owned or managed by the Government.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding guidance to local authorities on the allocation of funding to wholesale food distributors.

The Government will ensure that local authorities have the guidance they need to deliver the additional £1.5 billion business rates support package once primary legislation is passed, in line with the announcement on 25 March. As with other business rates reliefs, officials will work closely with local government on the development of the relief scheme and guidance for local authorities will be published in due course.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the seafood sector receives the support it needs to build resilience, recover from the pandemic and adapt to new trading conditions as an independent coastal state. This is why we have announced a range of support to the sector aimed at addressing short, medium, and long-term funding needs. The funding package of up to £23 million, which earlier this year was used to deliver temporary support schemes to seafood businesses affected by Covid-19 and new trading conditions, demonstrates the Government's ability to act decisively and address short-term funding needs where necessary.

£32.7 million has been made available to support the seafood sector this financial year. This meets the Government's manifesto commitment to maintain funding for the sector and enables each of the four administrations of the UK to deliver their own domestic funding schemes The new domestic funding scheme in England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme will support the long-term sustainable growth of the seafood sector and initially focuses on helping businesses adapt to new conditions and opportunities arising from leaving the EU and supporting their on-going recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.

The Prime Minister has announced that an additional £100 million will be made available across the UK for transformative seafood projects that will rejuvenate the industry and our coastal communities. It will be used to invest in: modernising and expanding infrastructure; the science and data needed to ensure a sustainable sector; and the training required to ensure the workforce has the capacity, skills and expertise required for a thriving and prosperous industry. More detail on this funding will be made available in due course.

The Government has announced that £100 million will be made available across the UK for the best transformative seafood projects that will rejuvenate the industry and our coastal communities.

Options for the funding are currently being explored, but key areas for investment are likely to be infrastructure projects that support the development and modernisation of ports, harbours, and landing sites across the UK; the development and roll out of science and innovation across the catching and processing sectors; and the training required to ensure the workforce has the right skills, capacity, and expertise, alongside initiatives to encourage new entrants into the sector. More detail on this funding will be made available in due course.

The Ivory Act will not affect the ownership of ivory items and as such we have no plans for a government surrender scheme at this time. We recognise that, for some low value items, owners may decide it is not cost-effective to register them for sale. This will be a decision for individual owners. Such items may of course be gifted, donated or bequeathed rather than discarded. We will explain to owners what options are available to them as part of our awareness raising campaign.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary has discussed with the Secretary of State for Transport the logistical challenges for the food industry caused by a shortfall of lorry drivers. These discussions focused on a potential time-limited exemption from the points-based immigration system to enable UK employers to continue to recruit EU/EEA Heavy Goods Vehicles drivers.

Officials from the two departments continue to meet regularly to discuss the issue of driver shortfalls and the potential impact on the UK food supply chain. Intelligence from the industry, gathered from ongoing engagement with the sectors of the food chain, forms part of these discussions. Some acute problems have been identified, particularly in wholesale distribution.

Solutions that are being discussed include: extending driver delivery hours; the Department for Transport’s Large Goods Vehicles apprenticeship scheme; the Department for Work and Pensions’ action to encourage more job seekers into the profession; and increased Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency testing capacity.

Exchanges of quota within the UK are available as normal.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for exchanges of quota both at annual negotiations and in-year via a mechanism developed by the Specialised Committee on Fisheries. The UK and EU have also agreed to establish transfers on an interim basis before the in-year mechanism is developed.

No recent assessment has been made in relation to the effect of introducing an international quota exchange mechanism between the UK and EU.

Exchanges of quota within the UK are available as normal.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for exchanges of quota both at annual negotiations and in-year via a mechanism developed by the Specialised Committee on Fisheries. The UK and EU have also agreed to establish transfers on an interim basis before the in-year mechanism is developed.

No recent assessment has been made in relation to the effect of introducing an international quota exchange mechanism between the UK and EU.

The Government takes the conservation of endangered species very seriously, which is why we are banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered species, as set out in the Government’s manifesto.

The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the publication of the Government response to the consultation and call for evidence. However, our approach will be comprehensive, robust and effective and will deliver the change we promised to help protect thousands of species worldwide.

The UK’s approach in annual negotiations has been to seek solutions that are sustainable, and which support our fishing industries and local communities. Following the ICES advice for zero catches for quota stocks taken within mixed fisheries would, if applied, close economically important UK fisheries and have a significant impact on the associated coastal communities such as the Irish Sea Nephrops fishery where whiting is an unavoidable bycatch. In this situation, a total allowable catch (TAC) has been set at a level to allow a bycatch of whiting which seeks to prevent closing the Nephrops fishery while still allowing whiting to recover.

This Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of animals and will act to protect them further in all circumstances. The Government's Pet Theft Taskforce has been set up to gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any rise in pets being stolen and will consider the issue from end to end, with the impact on the welfare of the animals being fully considered as one aspect.

In addition, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 (the Act) was granted Royal Assent on the 29 April 2021. This realises the Government's manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for cases of animal cruelty. The Act will come into force on the 29 June 2021 providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare.

The Act's new maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine will apply to animal cruelty offences, including causing unnecessary suffering to an animal in the process of stealing it.

The UK Government and Devolved Administrations are committed to reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals, and this includes routine preventative use.

The UK played a significant role during the negotiations on EU Regulations 2019/4 (medicated feed) and 2019/6 (veterinary medicinal products) and many changes in the EU law on veterinary medicines and medicated feed are desirable from a UK policy perspective. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is currently in the process of amending and supplementing the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 as they have an effect in Great Britain. This involves consideration of provisions corresponding or similar to those in the EU regulations referred to, as proscribed in the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021.

Any changes to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 will be subject to formal public consultation to allow stakeholders to give their views on the proposed changes.

All levels of my department, including the Secretary of State and I, have regular discussions with our colleagues at DIT on the UK’s approach to different trade negotiations, including the ongoing negotiations with Australia. Discussions cover a range of issues including animal welfare and environmental considerations.

Our discussions are grounded in our commitment that the Government will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in our trade deals, including with Australia. We have laid our negotiating objectives setting this out before the House and we will uphold these. Moreover, we have retained in law our existing standards of protection across these areas and our deal with Australia will not alter these.

In all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high animal welfare, environmental protection and food standards.

Prior to negotiations commencing, the Government will publish a scoping assessment of the broad impacts of new FTAs. Following the conclusion of all negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will feed into this where appropriate.

This commitment is in addition to the usual parliamentary scrutiny process under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) which will ensure the House has sufficient time to scrutinise the detail of any deal.

In all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high animal welfare, environmental protection and food standards.

Prior to negotiations commencing, the Government will publish a scoping assessment of the broad impacts of new FTAs. Following the conclusion of all negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will feed into this where appropriate.

This commitment is in addition to the usual parliamentary scrutiny process under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) which will ensure the House has sufficient time to scrutinise the detail of any deal.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

As set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare and as part of an effort to promote high welfare standards, we want to ensure that proportional, targeted, transparent and consistent penalties are available to complement other existing sanctions; such as warnings, improvement notices and prosecution already established by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and other animal welfare related legislation.

Penalty Notices (PNs) would cover a wide range of offences included in the Animal Health Act, Animal Welfare Act and the parts of the European Communities Act covered by the Withdrawal Act. For the worst cases of harm and suffering experienced by animals – criminal prosecutions would still be the correct course of action. In other cases, PNs would be the proportionate response.

An example of where Penalty Notices (PNs) could be used is in the case of overstocking in laying hens, which impacts the welfare of hens. Criminal prosecution is often disproportionate, so beyond an improvement notice - this offence is often unchallenged. In such an example, PNs could be used as an effective deterrent.

The Government takes the issue of puppy smuggling and other illegal importations of pets very seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the United Kingdom at risk.

On 12 May 2021 the Government published its Action Plan for Animal Welfare (APAW). This is a wide-reaching and ambitious plan to set out our current and future work on animal welfare and conservation.

The Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling and one of our key reforms in the plan is to end the abhorrent, cruel practice of puppy smuggling and low-welfare pet imports.

We are planning to bring in powers which enable us to that will allow us to prohibit the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs into Great Britain that have been subject to low welfare practices. This could include increasing the minimum age that dogs can be non-commercially moved or commercially imported into Great Britain.

The Consultation on Cat and Dog Microchipping and Scanning in England received over 33,000 responses. We are currently analysing these and will publish our findings later this year alongside our proposed actions.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill creates an expert committee, the Animal Sentience Committee. The Animal Sentience Committee will have the power to scrutinise individual Ministerial policy formulation and implementation decisions. The Committee will set its own priorities and be supported by a secretariat. The Committee can publish reports on how Ministers have paid ‘all due regard’ to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings, alongside other considerations. Ministers will need to respond to these reports within three months by means of a written statement to Parliament.

The Government launched the Pet Theft Taskforce on 8 May 2021 and the taskforce expects to report its findings this summer. The taskforce’s terms of reference were published when it was launched and are available here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference detail the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives.

The Government recognises the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved pet can cause, and the impact the issue is having on pet owners and families. As with all other crime, we believe that pet theft must be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

The Government launched the pet theft taskforce on 8 May 2021. As part of that launch the taskforce’s terms of reference were published and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference lay out the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives, or remit, and outcomes.

Membership of the Pet Theft Taskforce (Ministers) comprises the Lord Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. This group steers, and is informed by, the Pet Theft Taskforce (Officials) comprising officials from the three departments along with operational partners.

The Government recognises the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved pet can cause, and the impact the issue is having on pet owners and families. As with all other crime, we believe that pet theft must be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

The Government launched the pet theft taskforce on 8 May 2021. As part of that launch the taskforce’s terms of reference were published and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference lay out the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives, or remit, and outcomes.

Membership of the Pet Theft Taskforce (Ministers) comprises the Lord Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. This group steers, and is informed by, the Pet Theft Taskforce (Officials) comprising officials from the three departments along with operational partners.

For enforcement, monitoring and incident response, the Environment Agency (EA) receives the majority of its funding via Grant in Aid from the Government.

The funding directly allocated for enforcement has not reduced for the year 2021/22.

The EA will always seek to deliver the best outcomes for people and the environment and prioritise its enforcement work in line with the funding available, focusing on the cases that pose the greatest threat, risk and harm to the environment and communities.

Defra produces annual estimates of horticultural crop production. These estimates include tonnage, value and imports/exports which allow the Government to monitor productivity and competitiveness within the industry, including supply and self-sufficiency. The latest data we have is 2019. These are available on gov.uk

There are a number of reasons why crops may be unharvested, for example weather, pest and disease or drop in demand. No estimates are made for the tonnage of crops left unharvested. As a result, no data is available to answer this question.

We have regular contact with stakeholders to understand live issues as they develop.

The Environment Agency’s budget for 2021-22 has now been delegated and there are no current plans to provide additional funding.

The Environment Agency is every year exposed to some credit risk, and we note the Agency was successful in achieving its expected income collection in 2020-21.

The Environment Agency (EA) billed £346 million of permit and licence income in 2019/20.

In 2020/21 the EA billed £365 million of permit and licence income.

The Environment Agency (EA) billed £346 million of permit and licence income in 2019/20.

In 2020/21 the EA billed £365 million of permit and licence income.

In 2019/20 the Environment Agency (EA) issued approximately 80,000 permit or licence fee invoices.

In 2020/21 the EA issued approximately 78,000 permit or licence fee invoices.

In 2019/20 the Environment Agency (EA) issued approximately 80,000 permit or licence fee invoices.

In 2020/21 the EA issued approximately 78,000 permit or licence fee invoices.

Departmental budgets for future years beyond 2021-22 will be set by HM Treasury (HMT) through the Spending Review later this year. HMT will set out further details, including the envelopes for the Spending Review, in due course.

Defra’s Spending Review proposals will be developed in line with the outcomes we seek to achieve over the next Spending Review period. We will work closely together with our arm’s length bodies, including the Environment Agency, in developing our Spending Review plans.

Prior to Ministerial submission, Defra’s response to the Spending Review will also be approved by the department’s Executive Committee, of which the Environment Agency CEO is a member.

The UK is a global leader on marine protection. Through leading the Global Ocean Alliance and co-chairing the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, the UK is championing a target under the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect at least 30% of the global ocean in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures by 2030 (‘the 30by30 target’).

The UK believes that the whole ocean should be sustainably managed to allow both the marine environment and sustainable marine economies to thrive. In line with this, we support a global network of MPAs that includes both highly protected sites and those that deliver conservation outcomes alongside sustainable economic activities (i.e. the sustainable use of resources).

The UK also supports the conclusion of negotiations on a new implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (‘BBNJ Agreement’). This will have provisions that allow for the creation of MPAs in international waters, a key mechanism to deliver the ‘30by30’ target. The UK is in favour of a strong obligation on Parties to the BBNJ Agreement to work within relevant bodies to deliver measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

As part of our work to ensure the sustainable use of the ocean, the UK has agreed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems, and strong and enforceable environmental standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority and are in place.

The Pick for Britain website did not actively register or recruit workers. It was a platform which advertised the websites of growers who were recruiting, as well as other resources such as official and industry-led guidance.

The ‘Jobs’ page on the Pick for Britain website had a significant number of hits after its launch on 17 April, but this does not indicate the number of job seekers with an interest in taking up these roles.

We are not able to share any information about specific vacancies, applications, interviews or people in jobs as that information is commercially sensitive and is not held by Defra. As such, we are unable to provide a figure on the number of British workers who were recruited to agricultural jobs via of the Pick for Britain campaign, or the number of applications that were received through the Pick for Britain campaign.

The Pick for Britain website did not actively register or recruit workers. It was a platform which advertised the websites of growers who were recruiting, as well as other resources such as official and industry-led guidance.

The ‘Jobs’ page on the Pick for Britain website had a significant number of hits after its launch on 17 April, but this does not indicate the number of job seekers with an interest in taking up these roles.

We are not able to share any information about specific vacancies, applications, interviews or people in jobs as that information is commercially sensitive and is not held by Defra. As such, we are unable to provide a figure on the number of British workers who were recruited to agricultural jobs via of the Pick for Britain campaign, or the number of applications that were received through the Pick for Britain campaign.

On 23 April, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the management of outside interests in the Civil Service.

The Committee published this letter on 26 April. It can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5623/documents/55584/default/

The Cabinet Secretary’s letter sets out a series of steps to improve processes. This programme of work will also take account of any recommendations that emerge from Nigel Boardman’s review.

The Civil Service Management Code sets out, at paragraph 4.3.4, the requirement that civil servants must seek permission before accepting any outside employment which might affect their work either directly or indirectly. The applicable principles are those set out in the Business Appointment Rules. The Civil Service Management Code is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions.

Where the civil servant is a member of the departmental board, any outside employment as well as other relevant interests will be published as part of the Annual Report and Accounts or other transparency publication.

Evidence shows that UK consumers prefer a relatively narrow range of species which limits the market for UK caught seafood. As a result, we are working in partnership with industry and retailers to build greater consumer awareness of the wide range of species that can be found in UK waters, with the aim of increasing domestic consumption of seafood.

One example is the ‘Sea for Yourself’ campaign run by Defra and Seafish in 2020, as part of which we secured a retail partnership with Morrisons and campaign branding featured on 60,000 fish boxes in Morrisons UK stores.

We are strongly committed to encouraging consumers to buy and eat more locally caught fish and shellfish from UK waters.

Defra does not hold any information on the investment made, or any funding contributed to the budget, by industry stakeholders to the Pick for Britain campaign.

The Pick for Britain campaign was a joint industry-Government initiative with

co-investment from partners, which ensured that the successful campaign was at little direct cost to the Government. £29,830 was spent by Defra on the Pick for Britain campaign in 2020.

The Pick for Britain website did not actively register or recruit workers. It was a platform to advertise the websites of growers who were recruiting, as well as other resources such as official/industry-led guidance.

We are not able to share any information about specific vacancies, interviews or people in jobs as that information is commercially sensitive and is not held by Defra. As such, we are unable to provide a figure on the number of people who were recruited as a result of the Pick for Britain campaign.

Defra does not hold any information on the investment made, or any funding contributed to the budget, by industry stakeholders to the Pick for Britain campaign.

The Pick for Britain campaign was a joint industry-Government initiative with

co-investment from partners, which ensured that the successful campaign was at little direct cost to the Government. £29,830 was spent by Defra on the Pick for Britain campaign in 2020.

The Pick for Britain website did not actively register or recruit workers. It was a platform to advertise the websites of growers who were recruiting, as well as other resources such as official/industry-led guidance.

We are not able to share any information about specific vacancies, interviews or people in jobs as that information is commercially sensitive and is not held by Defra. As such, we are unable to provide a figure on the number of people who were recruited as a result of the Pick for Britain campaign.

Defra does not hold any information on the investment made, or any funding contributed to the budget, by industry stakeholders to the Pick for Britain campaign.

The Pick for Britain campaign was a joint industry-Government initiative with

co-investment from partners, which ensured that the successful campaign was at little direct cost to the Government. £29,830 was spent by Defra on the Pick for Britain campaign in 2020.

The Pick for Britain website did not actively register or recruit workers. It was a platform to advertise the websites of growers who were recruiting, as well as other resources such as official/industry-led guidance.

We are not able to share any information about specific vacancies, interviews or people in jobs as that information is commercially sensitive and is not held by Defra. As such, we are unable to provide a figure on the number of people who were recruited as a result of the Pick for Britain campaign.

a) Defra’s last major review of light pollution was the January 2014 publication of a policy update on artificial light in the environment. Since then we have worked with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework policies include consideration of the impact of light pollution on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation.

Defra has also contributed to the development of the MHCLG Planning Policy Guidance on light pollution published in November 2019.

b) (i) Public Health England carried out a study in 2016 for the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and the Society of Light and Lighting, which included an assessment of light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights on health. The study concluded that some LED streetlight luminaires emitted more blue light than was necessary, but that there was no evidence of direct adverse health effects on people.

(ii) Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on insects, and wider biodiversity, as well as global and national assessments of the drivers of biodiversity loss more generally.

There have been a number of externally funded studies which have highlighted potential impacts of artificial light pollution on insects and invertebrates, which Defra keeps under review, for example, with our academic partners on the National Pollinator Strategy for England.

Defra is working closely with industry and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, and to help our world-leading growers access the labour they need to ensure our crops are picked and not wasted.

The Seasonal Workers Pilot has been expanded for one year, with 30,000 visas granted for workers to come to the UK, from EU or non-EU countries, for a period of up to six months to pick and package fruit and vegetables on our farms.

In 2021 and beyond, food and farming businesses will continue to be able to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status – almost 4.8 million EU citizens and their families have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and the application deadline is 30 June 2021. EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK to do seasonal work in 2021.

The Government is encouraging the horticulture sector to make employment more attractive to UK domestic workers through offering training, careers options, wage increases and to invest in automation technology.

To help with these efforts, Defra will build on the success of last year’s domestic recruitment campaign and work with industry and DWP to raise awareness of career opportunities within the horticulture sector to help attract domestic workers, and we will explore the potential for automation to meet future labour demands of the sector.

Defra is leading a Government review of automation in horticulture to understand what is required to accelerate the development and uptake of automation technologies in both the edible and ornamental sectors, in England, with the view to reducing the sector’s long-term dependency on seasonal migrant labour. The review’s final report will be published in the summer of 2021 and inform a range of policy decisions regarding automation and seasonal labour from 2022 onwards.

The 'Pick for Britain' campaign was launched in April 2020 in response to the emerging risks that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to the UK's food supply chain. It was a joint initiative between Defra and industry stakeholders, aimed at promoting picking roles to British workers, particularly those unemployed or on furlough.

This campaign, alongside other measures introduced by Defra, helped to ensure that British growers had access to the labour they needed last year. The harvest was brought home without issue in extraordinary circumstances, and with unprecedented interest from UK workers. We know the 'Pick for Britain' website was central to this uptake in interest - it received around 2 million unique page views following its launch, and recruiters featured on the site received significant numbers of enquiries about roles as a result. We are not able to share specific information about jobs, vacancies or recruitment, as this information is commercially sensitive and not held by Defra.

Defra has collected feedback and lessons from stakeholders and partners to the 'Pick for Britain' campaign, and will use this to inform future work to promote domestic recruitment across the horticulture sectors.

Last year’s ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign was launched in April 2020 in response to the emerging risks that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to the UK’s food supply chain. It was a joint initiative between Defra and industry stakeholders, aimed at promoting horticultural picking roles to British workers, particularly those unemployed or on furlough.

Defra secured co-investment from our industry project partners to deliver the campaign. This ensured that the wide-reaching campaign had a relatively small cost for the Government. Approximately £29,800 was spent by Defra on the ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign in 2020.

Defra has worked at pace with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) over the past few months to explore the potential for re-classification of harvesting areas on a seasonal basis where supported by the testing data, to enable more businesses to export live bivalve molluscs to the EU from Class A waters. Existing procedures allow local authorities and harvesters to request a review of shellfish waters. The FSA has additionally revised its procedures so that it will proactively consider seasonal classifications. The outcome of this review was reflected in the classifications listing published on 31 March 2021 on the FSA’s website at:

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/classification-list-1-april-2021_0.pdf.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently undertaken a review of E.coli testing data for Class B shellfish harvesting areas in England and Wales, which identified eleven new areas that meet the requirements for seasonal Class A classification for at least five months of the year. This includes shellfish waters in Kent, Essex, Dorset, Cornwall and Northumberland. Further details of the locations of these waters can be found on the FSA’s website at:

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/classification-list-1-april-2021_0.pdf

The Seal Alliance received a grant of £75,700 from Defra’s £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund which has been used to support the ‘Give Seals Space’ campaign.

Government officials have also been working with the Seal Alliance to help increase the reach of this government-backed campaign to ensure the impact of human disturbance on these vulnerable marine mammals is minimised.

Further information on the campaign can be found on the Seal Alliance website.

On 23 April, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the management of outside interests in the Civil Service.

The Committee published this letter on 26 April. It can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5623/documents/55584/default/

The Cabinet Secretary’s letter sets out a series of steps to improve processes. This programme of work will also take account of any recommendations that emerge from Nigel Boardman’s review.

The Civil Service Management Code sets out, at paragraph 4.3.4, the requirement that civil servants must seek permission before accepting any outside employment which might affect their work either directly or indirectly. The applicable principles are those set out in the Business Appointment Rules. The Civil Service Management Code is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions.

Where the civil servant is a member of the departmental board, any outside employment as well as other relevant interests will be published as part of the Annual Report and Accounts or other transparency publication.

The emergency services currently use the Airwave system which is not run on 4G. This will eventually be replaced by the Emergency Services Network when it is safe to do so. The Home Office is responsible for roll-out of the Emergency Services Network.

The emergency services currently use the Airwave system which is not run on 4G. This will eventually be replaced by the Emergency Services Network when it is safe to do so. The Home Office is responsible for roll-out of the Emergency Services Network.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, animal owners and keepers are under a legal duty of care for the animals for which they are responsible on a permanent or temporary basis. It is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines, as required by the 2006 Act. That includes ensuring the animal has a suitable environment to live in and is protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

The Control of Horses Act 2015 introduced more flexible options for the management of fly-grazing, straying or abandoned horses which present numerous difficulties for landowners, the public and the horses themselves. The 2015 Act allows landowners and occupiers to seize and, if necessary, remove horses unlawfully left on their land and take them immediately to a place of safety. In all cases, the person seizing the horse must notify the local police force within 24 hours of doing so, and if the horses' owners can be identified, the person must also notify them. If no owner can be identified within four working days, landowners, occupiers and local authorities may then decide what to do with the horses, including rehoming, either privately or via charities, or offering them for sale.

The Government considers that the relevant legislation and guidance in place provides the right safeguards and powers in respect of protecting equine welfare and addressing the issue of straying horses. We remain committed to working with enforcement agencies and other interested parties to ensure issues of horse abandonments or neglect are effectively addressed.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, animal owners and keepers are under a legal duty of care for the animals for which they are responsible on a permanent or temporary basis. It is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines, as required by the 2006 Act. That includes ensuring the animal has a suitable environment to live in and is protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

The Control of Horses Act 2015 introduced more flexible options for the management of fly-grazing, straying or abandoned horses which present numerous difficulties for landowners, the public and the horses themselves. The 2015 Act allows landowners and occupiers to seize and, if necessary, remove horses unlawfully left on their land and take them immediately to a place of safety. In all cases, the person seizing the horse must notify the local police force within 24 hours of doing so, and if the horses' owners can be identified, the person must also notify them. If no owner can be identified within four working days, landowners, occupiers and local authorities may then decide what to do with the horses, including rehoming, either privately or via charities, or offering them for sale.

The Government considers that the relevant legislation and guidance in place provides the right safeguards and powers in respect of protecting equine welfare and addressing the issue of straying horses. We remain committed to working with enforcement agencies and other interested parties to ensure issues of horse abandonments or neglect are effectively addressed.

We do not intend to publish the impact assessment. The Environment Agency has consulted the Department for Transport (DfT) and concluded that disclosure of information relating to the construction, design, layout and operation of the Sevington Inland Border Facility is confidential and would adversely affect both public safety and commercial confidentiality.

The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee for this DfT project and has provided advice relating to the environmental sensitivities, such as flood risk and risk of pollution to surface and groundwater. The Environment Agency’s advice to the DfT was taken into consideration during the development process and the Environment Agency is confident that the site has been designed and is being operated in line with it.

The UK Government funds a comprehensive and well-respected bycatch monitoring programme which provides essential observer data on incidents of cetacean (dolphins, porpoises and whales) bycatch. Information on bycatch rates, broken down by gear type and area are publicly available:

2011 – 2016:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=18535&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6004&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

2017 & 2018:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=19943&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6004&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

In addition, we also fund the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), which annually reports upon threats facing cetaceans through carrying out post-mortems on stranded animals:

2011-2017: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=17835&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6008&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

& 2018:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20101&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6008&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description)

As of 1 April 2021, we let a new 10-year contract for this programme, which demonstrates our long-term commitment to monitoring and mitigating such threats, including bycatch.

The UK Government funds a comprehensive and well-respected bycatch monitoring programme which provides essential observer data on incidents of cetacean (dolphins, porpoises and whales) bycatch. Information on bycatch rates, broken down by gear type and area are publicly available:

2011 – 2016:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=18535&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6004&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

2017 & 2018:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=19943&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6004&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

In addition, we also fund the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), which annually reports upon threats facing cetaceans through carrying out post-mortems on stranded animals:

2011-2017: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=17835&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6008&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

& 2018:

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20101&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=ME6008&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description)

As of 1 April 2021, we let a new 10-year contract for this programme, which demonstrates our long-term commitment to monitoring and mitigating such threats, including bycatch.

The rules of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) in England have been amended. The part requiring all birds to be housed was revoked at 23:59 on the 31 March 2021.

All other biosecurity measures set out in the AIPZ remain a legal requirement until further notice. Bird gatherings also remain prohibited.

Similar steps have been taken in Scotland and Wales.

Our disease control and prevention decisions are based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice and can be found on the gov.uk link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-europe

This Government has not made any assessment of the extent of trail hunting on privately owned land. The Hunting Act 2004 bans hunting of wild mammals with dogs, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act.

This Government will not amend the Hunting Act. Trail hunting should not involve the pursuit of a live mammal, and if hounds do pick up the scent of a live fox during a trail hunt, it is the responsibility of the hunt staff to control the hounds and if necessary to stop them.

Protecting our water resources is a priority for this Government, which is why we have proposed setting a statutory target on overall demand for public water supply in our Environment Bill. This could encompass household use, non-household use and leakage.

As the 2017 Abstraction plan is currently being refreshed, we do not think it is appropriate to set a target on wider abstraction. Water companies are already making changes (both voluntary and at the request of the Environment Agency) to their abstraction licences in order to benefit the environment.

The 2019 Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use consultation, is expected to be published this Spring. The consultation included a call for evidence on setting an ambitious target for personal water consumption, known as per capita consumption (PCC). We sought views on the policy options required to support a personal water consumption target. This included the labelling of water-using products, and the future role of metering.

Whilst good progress has been made in water efficiency policy development, we paused work in this area due to the Covid-19 pandemic and end of the transition period. We have recently recommenced our efficiency work and are committed to publishing the Government response this spring, which sets out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption.

Protecting our water resources remains a priority for this Government, which is why we have proposed setting a statutory target on overall demand for public water supply in our Environment Bill. This could encompass household use, non-household use and leakage.

Defra is committed to publishing the Government response to the 2019 public consultation on Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use consultation, this spring. The response sets out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption.

Defra is committed to publishing the Government response to the 2019 public consultation on Water conservation: measures to reduce personal water use consultation, this spring. The response sets out our ambition and a package of policies to reduce household water consumption.

Both native grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) species are protected in the UK under relevant wildlife legislation. Please refer to the following link for details:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protected-marine-species/seals

In addition, recent Government amendments to the Fisheries Act 2020 offer stronger protection for seals. The amendments prevent the intentional or reckless killing of seals in English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters as a result of commercial fishing.

Together with Seal Alliance we launched a new government-backed campaign ‘Give Seals Space’ on 2 April to reduce the impact that human disturbance can have on these vulnerable marine mammals.

Defra is working to find a resolution on this issue and we have been discussing with the EU and key partners. We have offered to provide reasonable additional reassurances to demonstrate shellfish health, on the understanding that the Commission recognises the existing high standards and history of UK-EU trade.

Until we get this issue resolved, we will do all we can to help businesses adapt to the new trading conditions and access alternative markets.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement is still awaiting ratification by the European Parliament.

The Agreement contains robust mechanisms that can be used by both parties to ensure that the trade and cooperation arrangements are implemented effectively. As a matter of course we will be monitoring such implementation and will use such mechanisms where appropriate.

The Government is delivering support to catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses affected by the impact of Covid-19 or new trading conditions via the Seafood Response Fund.

In order to ensure that funding is targeted only at businesses which are dependent on fishing as their main source of income, the criteria for the scheme specify that all beneficiaries must have at least £10,000 in seafood catch sales. In order to verify that businesses meet the criteria and that the scheme represents value for money for the taxpayer, we must rely on a combination of sales data, vessel licensing data and reference data for calculating average fixed costs for that class of vessel.

Businesses, including sail-powered fisheries businesses, whose vessel is not licensed or registered for the commercial activity of fisheries, and for whom we do not hold sales data to demonstrate they meet the sales threshold, are not eligible for the scheme. Such businesses, however, may still be eligible for wider Government support for organisations impacted by Covid-19.

We will make an announcement on the £100 million fund shortly. The money will modernise and rejuvenate the industry, support economic growth for our coastal communities and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the sector. It is our intention to ensure the sector benefits from this investment in all parts of the UK.

The Secretary of State has regular, productive conversations with Sir James Bevan, the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, about a range of operational and policy issues. This includes net zero. Sir James’ speech on More than Net Zero reflects the government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. Both mitigating and adapting to climate change is essential if we are to meet this goal and government is taking action to deliver on this. This is why mitigating and adapting to climate change is one of the ten goals in the 25 Year Environment Plan. Mitigation and adaptation are also both embedded into other goals, such as air quality and thriving plants and wildlife.

The UK is already leading the fight against climate change by delivering on our world-leading target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Whilst we continue to reduce our contribution to climate change, we are also taking robust action to improve the resilience of our people, economy and environment.

Our second National Adaptation Programme (NAP) (a five-yearly requirement under the UK Climate Change Act 2008) was published in 2018 setting out how we will address climate change risks in the following five years. It follows from the second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in 2017. The NAP includes actions in a broad range of areas, including the natural environment, infrastructure, people and the built environment, business and industry, and local government.

The UK co-convened December’s Climate Ambition Summit to galvanise global action towards a resilient, net zero emissions future. Alongside our updated Nationally Determined Contribution, the UK became one of the first countries in the world to fulfil a key commitment of the Paris Agreement by publishing our first Adaptation Communication. The Adaptation Communication sets out what we are doing to prepare for the effects of climate change at home and support those facing impacts overseas.