Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Implement sanctions against the Nigerian Government and officials
Gov Responded - 11 Nov 2020 Debated on - 23 Nov 2020 View Ms Lyn Brown's petition debate contributionsThe Government should explore using the new sanctions regime that allows individuals and entities that violate human rights around the world to be targeted, to impose sanctions on members of the Nigerian government and police force involved in any human rights abuses by the Nigerian police.
These initiatives were driven by Lyn Brown, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Lyn Brown has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make involvement in child criminal exploitation an aggravating factor in sentencing for drug supply, drug production, drug importation and money laundering offences; to make being a victim of child criminal exploitation a mitigating factor in sentencing for such offences; to establish reviews of sentencing guidelines in relation to the prevention of child criminal exploitation and criminal liability in relation to child criminal exploitation for organised criminal offenders; to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to include a statutory definition of child criminal exploitation; to create a register of child criminal exploitation offenders; to place duties on public bodies to make plans to prevent, and collaborate in preventing, child criminal exploitation; to make provision about the reporting of the scale of child criminal exploitation and the inclusion of such exploitation in child, domestic, and offensive weapons homicide reviews; to require criminal justice agencies to publish information on their responses to child criminal exploitation; to make provision about the training of professionals in responding to child criminal exploitation; to make provision about the content and national oversight of local serious violence strategies in relation to child criminal exploitation; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - David Hanson (LAB)
We are clear that a person’s sexuality and gender identity is a personal issue, and fully support people’s right to privacy.
In certain circumstances, maliciously revealing a person’s sexual orientation or gender reassignment status without their consent could be found to be harassment under the Equality Act 2010.
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 also provides robust protection for trans people with a Gender Recognition Certificate from unwanted disclosure of their gender history, making it a criminal offence for anyone who has acquired information about a Gender Recognition Certificate holder’s gender history in an official capacity to disclose that information to anyone else, save for in a small number of exempted contexts.
We recognise that appropriately supporting all children in schools can involve balancing complex and sensitive matters. The Government continues to work across departments and with the LGBT sector to better understand these issues and how best we can support schools. The Secretary of State for Education has recently written to the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to accept her offer of advice as they determine their next steps in this area and other equalities issues for schools.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the independent regulator for equality law and regularly issues guidance on areas of equality law that span across several sectors.
It is not unusual for regulators and the Government to engage on relevant issues nor for Government departments to issue guidance relevant to their specific briefs. In this specific instance, that approach will enable Department for Education sectoral expertise, on safeguarding for example, to be taken fully into account in any next steps.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent public body, and makes its own decisions on how it exercises its functions and its relations with its stakeholders. All public appointments to the EHRC are made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments through fair and open competition.
The Registration window for the Building Safety Fund closed in July 2020. There are 45 registrations from the West Ham constituency where eligibility for the fund has yet to be verified. 14 registrations have provided no information so we have been unable to assess their eligibility, further information is required for 10 registrations, and 21 are currently being reviewed. The Department does not hold the information for how long registrations have been at each stage.
Each of the 22 Building Safety Fund registrations were found ineligible as the wall systems and cladding materials on these buildings did not meet the definition of an unsafe cladding system defined in the technical eligibility criteria for the Building Safety Fund.
The Equality Hub is engaging with a wide range of stakeholders who hold different views in relation to conversion therapy. The Core Issues Trust wrote to the Equality Hub asking a Minister to meet to discuss our efforts to ban conversion therapy, an invitation which was declined. Instead, Equality Hub officials met briefly with the group as part of their routine stakeholder engagement around the proposed ban.
The Government launched its consultation into how – not whether – to ban conversion therapy on Friday 29 October. This will close on Friday 10 December. I would encourage everyone with an interest in this area to submit a response.
The Government is working at pace to deliver on our commitment to ban conversion therapy. We will also ensure there is support available for victims of conversion therapy, the first time the UK Government has offered this. The support will be available to whoever considers themselves to be at risk of - or has undergone - conversion therapy, whatever the circumstances.
The importance of developing a quality service is of central importance and we are working at pace to explore delivery options available to realise this commitment. An announcement with more details on the service and how it will be delivered will be made in due course.
The Government is working at pace to deliver on our commitment to ban conversion therapy. We will also ensure there is support available for victims of conversion therapy, the first time the UK Government has offered this. The support will be available to whoever considers themselves to be at risk of - or has undergone - conversion therapy, whatever the circumstances.
The importance of developing a quality service is of central importance and we are working at pace to explore delivery options available to realise this commitment. An announcement with more details on the service and how it will be delivered will be made in due course.
Through our COP26 Nature Campaign, we are advancing work in four core areas; tackling the drivers of deforestation, promoting sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, mobilising increased and more targeted finance for nature, and driving political ambition on nature.
On Nature Day at COP26, we are creating several opportunities to drive international action on all areas of biodiversity, including grasslands. The UK’s top priority is to agree on a strong post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. We will be pushing countries to make ambitious commitments to curb the dual crisis of biodiversity loss and climate change. This will put us on a path to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and mitigate the climate crisis.
This Government supports inclusive workplaces and believes that all LGBT people should be able to be themselves at work, so that they can do their best and achieve their full potential.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.
This Government supports inclusive workplaces and believes that all LGBT people should be able to be themselves at work, so that they can do their best and achieve their full potential.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.
This Government supports inclusive workplaces and believes that all LGBT people should be able to be themselves at work, so that they can do their best and achieve their full potential.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.
This Government supports inclusive workplaces and believes that all LGBT people should be able to be themselves at work, so that they can do their best and achieve their full potential.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.
Officials are engaging with Bain & Company better to understand the status of the findings in the recently published Zondo Commission reports and to seek appropriate assurances to the Government that Bain has taken steps to remedy any shortcomings identified therein.
The grounds for exclusion of organisations from bidding for Government contracts are set out in The Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These rules set out the circumstances in which bidders must, or may, be excluded from a public procurement process for a variety of criminal offences and in other specific situations. In all cases, individual departments and other public sector bodies are responsible for their own decisions on these matters, which apply only to the award of new contracts.
The Government recognises the need to commemorate those who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mark and remember this period as one of immense struggle.
The Prime Minister announced on 12 May the establishment of a UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. The Government will set out the Commission membership and terms of reference in due course.
We are aware of the call for the Memorial Wall to become a permanent national memorial. The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, once established, will consider the appropriate way to remember those who have lost their lives during the pandemic.
Discussions on the future of the Memorial Wall are being led by Lambeth London Borough Council.
The entitlement of resident Commonwealth and Irish citizens to vote reflects our close historical ties with Commonwealth countries and the reciprocal arrangements UK has with Ireland. The Government has no plans to alter these rights.
In relation to relevant citizens of the Union, I refer the Hon member to the answer which I gave to PQ 1802 on 29 January 2020.
The Scottish Parliament is responsible for the franchise for local elections in Scotland. The Welsh Assembly is responsible for the franchise for local elections in Wales.
I refer the Hon. Member to the briefing notes on the Queen's Speech (p.133-134) published on 19 December 2019, which outline the Government's proposals:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/queens-speech-december-2019-background-briefing-notes
I refer the Hon. Member to the briefing notes on the Queen's Speech (p.133-134) published on 19 December 2019, which outline the Government's proposals:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/queens-speech-december-2019-background-briefing-notes
I refer the Hon. Member to the briefing notes on the Queen's Speech (p.133-134) published on 19 December 2019, which outline the Government's proposals:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/queens-speech-december-2019-background-briefing-notes
Legislation will provide Ofgem regulatory powers to investigate and intervene on networks where prices for consumers appear to be disproportionate, if prices are significantly higher than those consumers would expect to pay if they were served by an alternative heating system.
All energy users are having to deal with rising energy costs, which have been caused by global factors. To help consumers, including those on heat networks, government have introduced support worth more than £9bn for vulnerable households, through initiatives such as the Energy Bill Rebate and the Household Support Fund adding to the help provided throughout winter 2021.
There is no national database for smart electricity or gas meter billing information. Billing is the responsibility of individual energy suppliers. Energy consumption is recorded and securely held by the meter whether smart or traditional. Energy suppliers access this data remotely or via manual meters reads for billing purposes.
As the question does not specify which grant scheme it relates to, I am responding under the assumption that it refers to the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF), and the Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) which were affected by the 11 March 2020 date.
Local Authorities were responsible for delivering grants to eligible businesses through these schemes, and they closed for applications on 28 August 2020. As stated in the Grant Funding Schemes guidance, businesses that were in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief as of 11 March 2020 were in scope of the SBGF. Businesses in scope of the RHLGF were those that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March 2020, with properties that have a rateable value of under £51,000.
The guidance is clear that Local Authorities were not required to adjust, pay or recover grants where the ratings list is subsequently amended retrospectively to 11 March 2020. However, Local Authorities had the discretion to depart from this if they knew that the record was incorrect - for example where it was factually clear to the Local Authority that the rating list was inaccurate on 11 March; but they were not obliged to do so.
We asked Local Authorities to close the SBGF and RHLGF schemes by 28 August 2020 and to ensure that, where any payments were still in process, they were completed by 30 September 2020. The only exceptions were those relating to a VOA / Ombudsman query, in which case payments could be made until 30 October. The 30 October date was negotiated to allow VOA queries to be resolved, but any that were not paid out by then are outside the scope of the schemes.
As the question does not specify which grant scheme it relates to, I am responding under the assumption that it refers to Restart Grants which are the current primary business grant mechanism managed by local authorities.
Any changes to the rating list (rateable value or to the hereditament) after 1 April 2021 should be ignored for the purposes of eligibility. Local Authorities are not required to adjust, pay or recover grants where the rating list is subsequently amended retrospectively to 1 April 2021. In cases where it was factually clear to the Local Authority on 1 April 2021 that the rating list was inaccurate on that date, Local Authorities may withhold the grant and/or award the grant based on their view of who would have been entitled to the grant had the list been accurate. This is entirely at the discretion of the Local Authority and only intended to prevent manifest errors.
It is critically important that the following people stay at home and self-isolate immediately: anyone who has tested positive with COVID-19, anyone who has been contacted by NHS Test and Trace or their local authority, and anyone who has returned from abroad and is required to quarantine.
The Government has developed guidance on employment rights and self-isolation so that workers and employers are clear about their rights and obligations. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/if-you-need-to-self-isolate-or-cannot-attend-work-due-to-coronavirus.
In addition, anyone who is due to work anywhere other than where they are self-isolating (normally their home) must inform their employer that they are required to self-isolate. An individual can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 for not doing so.
It is an offence for an employer to knowingly allow a person who is required to self-isolate to work anywhere other than where they are self-isolating. If an employer is reasonably believed to be in breach of this requirement, they may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice, ranging from £1,000 to £10,000.
Local Authorities provide written and verbal advice to businesses to enable them to comply with their obligations. Enforcement action is taken against employers who do not follow this advice and who do not take reasonable steps to ensure that their workers who must be self-isolating are not working from outside their home.
We will consult on a one-year extension of the current Warm Home Discount scheme later this year. We will also consider reform to improve the fuel poverty targeting of the scheme beyond 2022, and will consult on this in due course.
The Competition and Markets Authority issued a public statement on 5 March to reassure businesses and consumers that it is monitoring retail practices during the coronavirus outbreak and will take direct enforcement action, or advise the Government to take additional measures, if it is required.
The government strongly values the work of the BBC World Service and its independent and impartial broadcasting. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine means that BBC World Service channels are playing an increasingly valuable role in challenging disinformation emanating from the Kremlin.
The Secretary of State has made it clear to the BBC in her letter confirming the final licence fee settlement that it should continue to make a substantive investment from the licence fee into the World Service to ensure that it continues to effectively reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world - in English and through its language services.
As set out in the Framework Agreement the BBC should continue to agree objectives, priorities and targets for the World Service with the Foreign Secretary, as well as the languages in which the World Service is to be provided, and any changes to these matters. The World Service’s Spending Review settlement for the period 2022 to 2025 from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be confirmed shortly.
In addition on 24th March the government announced an additional £4.1m of funding for the BBC World Service, to support its Ukrainian and Russian language services. We are not considering providing any further additional funding at this time.
The Government recognises the important social and economic contribution that social enterprises are making across the country.
Social enterprises continue to benefit from the unprecedented package of support made available by the government, including Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Many will also have benefited from government grants where they have been required to close non-essential retail.
In addition to cross economy measures the Government made available a £750 million package of funding, specifically for charities, social enterprises, along with unlocking an additional £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts. This funding has helped over 13,000 organisations continue to deliver vital services for those most affected by the pandemic.
We continue to monitor sector health closely. The government is committed to working with social enterprise representatives to support a strong and resilient sector.
Physical education (PE) and school sport plays an important role in supporting children and young people to be physically active, particularly during the current COVID-19 restrictions. The Department is working with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care on how to support better PE, sport and physical activity provision for all children and young people. This is part of our continuing work to deliver our joint school sport and activity action plan, published in 2019.
I can confirm that the School Games Organisers are now fully funded for the 2021/22 financial year. Funding beyond that point will be subject to future Government Spending Review decisions.
Physical education (PE) and school sport plays an important role in supporting children and young people to be physically active, particularly during the current COVID-19 restrictions. The Department is working with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care on how to support better PE, sport and physical activity provision for all children and young people. This is part of our continuing work to deliver our joint school sport and activity action plan, published in 2019.
I can confirm that the School Games Organisers are now fully funded for the 2021/22 financial year. Funding beyond that point will be subject to future Government Spending Review decisions.
Physical education (PE) and school sport plays an important role in supporting children and young people to be physically active, particularly during the current COVID-19 restrictions. The Department is working with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care on how to support better PE, sport and physical activity provision for all children and young people. This is part of our continuing work to deliver our joint school sport and activity action plan, published in 2019.
I can confirm that the School Games Organisers are now fully funded for the 2021/22 financial year. Funding beyond that point will be subject to future Government Spending Review decisions.
The government recognises the value of esports which has the potential to develop as an area of real national strength in the UK, building on our world-class video games, entertainment and sports sectors.
To deliver on this, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently hosted the first government roundtable with the esports industry, discussing a range of issues including the importance of safeguarding to ensure young people can engage with esports safely.
Safeguarding will be a key area of consideration as the government builds on the roundtable, developing plans over the next few months to support the growth of a safe and inclusive esports sector in the UK.
The department is continuing to work with others across government and in the sector to understand how we can support schools with these complex and sensitive matters.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has recently written to the Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to accept her offer of advice and support as we determine our next steps in this area and across other equalities issues for schools.
I refer the hon. Member for West Ham to the answer I gave on 9 December 2021 to Question 86530.
I refer the hon. Member for West Ham to the answer I gave on 9 December 2021 to Question 86530.
I refer the hon. Member for West Ham to the answer I gave on 9 December 2021 to Question 86530.
Information on the number of children known to children’s services teams in England, that have child criminal exploitation recorded as a factor at the end of assessment, is not yet collected centrally by the department.
Data on child criminal exploitation will be collected for the first time in the 2021 to 2022 children in need census and included in the associated statistics release, scheduled for publication at the end of October 2022. More information on the children in need census can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-in-need-census-2021-to-2022-guide.
Further information on the child criminal exploitation factor is included in the 'Additional guide on the factors identified at the end of assessment' document which is available under the subheading 'Factors identified at the end of assessment' here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/children-in-need-census.
This report raises a number of important issues of concern to all those who are responsible for the care and provision of accommodation for girls within the secure estate.
The responsibility to ensure there is adequate secure welfare provision rests with local authorities as they have a statutory duty to ensure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of all children in their care.
The department has taken a number of steps to support local authorities in fulfilling this duty. The department established the Secure Welfare Coordination Unit in 2016 and continue to fund its work to help plan and coordinate welfare placements and to highlight capacity issues.
The department understands that local authorities sometimes find themselves in a position where the most appropriate placement is difficult to access, particularly for children with the most complex needs. That is why the government announced £24 million of investment to start a programme of work to support local authorities to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure children’s homes and will mean children can live closer to their families and support networks, addressing geographic disparities, in provision that meets their needs.
In addition, as part of this year’s Spending Review (SR), the government announced £259 million over the SR period to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure and open residential children’s homes. The department will announce more details on this funding shortly and the findings of the Centre for Mental Health’s report will be useful to inform the future design of the secure welfare estate.
This report raises a number of important issues of concern to all those who are responsible for the care and provision of accommodation for girls within the secure estate.
The responsibility to ensure there is adequate secure welfare provision rests with local authorities as they have a statutory duty to ensure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of all children in their care.
The department has taken a number of steps to support local authorities in fulfilling this duty. The department established the Secure Welfare Coordination Unit in 2016 and continue to fund its work to help plan and coordinate welfare placements and to highlight capacity issues.
The department understands that local authorities sometimes find themselves in a position where the most appropriate placement is difficult to access, particularly for children with the most complex needs. That is why the government announced £24 million of investment to start a programme of work to support local authorities to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure children’s homes and will mean children can live closer to their families and support networks, addressing geographic disparities, in provision that meets their needs.
In addition, as part of this year’s Spending Review (SR), the government announced £259 million over the SR period to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure and open residential children’s homes. The department will announce more details on this funding shortly and the findings of the Centre for Mental Health’s report will be useful to inform the future design of the secure welfare estate.
I refer the hon. Member for West Ham to the answer I gave on 18 October 2021 to Question 53884.
We forecast future 16-19 year old student numbers and take into account population forecasts when considering the future need for education funding for 16-19 year olds. Future budgets for this education provision are being considered in the current Spending Review.
We have invested an extra £291 million in 16-19 education in the 2021-22 financial year. This is in addition to the £400 million awarded in the 2019 Spending Review, which was the biggest injection of funding into 16-19 education in a single year since 2010. This has allowed us to raise the base rate of funding for all providers of 16-19 education, including school sixth forms and sixth form colleges, from £4,000 in the 2019/20 academic year to £4,188 in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years, as well as to make further funding increases targeted on high value and high cost programmes.
This year, we have also made £83 million in capital funding available through the Post-16 Capacity Fund to support eligible post-16 providers to accommodate the upcoming increase in 16-19 year olds. Bids are currently being assessed and the outcome will be announced in due course.
It is vital that all young people entering higher education (HE) in the UK do so with the same opportunities as their peers to fully benefit from their chosen course of study.
Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the Office for Students (OfS) has a statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity for disadvantaged and traditionally under-represented groups. This includes non-continuation and attainment levels of students from those backgrounds.
The OfS has set itself and the HE sector targets to address longstanding inequalities, including to eliminate the gap in degree outcomes between white and black students.
On 11 March 2021 the OfS published the access and participation data dashboard, which is used to identify gaps in access, continuation, attainment, and progression, at English providers delivering undergraduate provision by different student characteristics. This is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/.
In our latest strategic guidance to the OfS we asked them to urge providers to do more to ensure that all students, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, are recruited onto courses that will deliver good outcomes. We have also asked that the OfS encourage universities to work with schools to meaningfully raise attainment in schools, as this is one of the strongest predictors of future participation in HE.
It is vital that all young people entering higher education (HE) in the UK do so with the same opportunities as their peers to fully benefit from their chosen course of study.
Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the Office for Students (OfS) has a statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity for disadvantaged and traditionally under-represented groups. This includes non-continuation and attainment levels of students from those backgrounds.
The OfS has set itself and the HE sector targets to address longstanding inequalities, including to eliminate the gap in degree outcomes between white and black students. In 2019-20, there was a difference of 18.3% between the proportion of white and black students getting a 1st or 2:1. The OfS has plans to eliminate the unexplained gap in degree outcomes (1sts or 2:1s) between white students and black students by 2024-25, and to eliminate the absolute gap by 2030-31.
On 11 March 2021 the OfS published the access and participation data dashboard, which is used to identify gaps in access, continuation, attainment, and progression at English providers delivering undergraduate provision by different student characteristics. This is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/.
In our latest strategic guidance to the OfS we asked them to urge providers to do more to ensure that all students, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, are recruited on to courses that will deliver good outcomes. We have also asked that the OfS encourage universities to work with schools to meaningfully raise the attainment in schools, because we know this is one of the strongest predictors of future participation in HE.
The government’s expectations are, and have been, very clear: Universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the resources to study remotely.
The Office for Student (OfS), the higher education (HE) regulatory body, is taking the potential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on teaching and learning very seriously. It is actively monitoring providers to ensure that they maintain the quality of their provision, that students are supported and achieve good quality outcomes, that tuition is accessible to all and that HE providers have been clear in their communications with students about how arrangements for teaching and learning may change throughout the year.
The OfS is also following up directly with providers where they receive notifications from students, parents or others that raise concerns about the quality of teaching on offer and requiring providers to report to them when they are not able to deliver a course or award a qualification. If the OfS has any concerns, it will investigate further.
This government recognises that this academic year has been incredibly difficult for students. As a result of these exceptional circumstances, some students are facing financial hardship, with some incurring additional costs at their alternative address. Officials are working hard with the sector to continue to monitor the situation and explore potential approaches to supporting students, particularly from disadvantaged groups.
We have made an additional £85 million of student hardship funding available to HE providers in the 2020/21 academic year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to their students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. Support can include help for students, including international students and postgraduates, facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location or assistance to help students access teaching remotely.
This is in addition to the £256 million of government-funded student premium funding already available to HE providers to draw on for this academic year, 2020/21. We know that not all students will face financial hardship. The current measures aim to target support for students in greatest need. The government continues to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.
The OfS required HE providers to return information on disbursement of hardship funding as part of the monitoring of its use. I have been liaising with the OfS on the analysis of those returns.
The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the Primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.
The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the Primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.
The physical education (PE) and sport premium can be used by primary schools to develop or add to their PE, sport, and physical activity provision, and to build capacity and capability within the school. This includes providing additional opportunities for pupils to be physically active to help with recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department has ensured that schools have flexibility to use PE and sport premium from last year where their ability to make provision was limited by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department is currently considering arrangements for the Primary PE and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year and will confirm the position as soon as possible.
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. The Department is continuing to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance explains the actions school leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in their school. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.
Individuals working with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate are exempt from wearing a face covering in environments where they are normally required.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated as necessary.
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. The Department is continuing to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance explains the actions school leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in their school. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.
Individuals working with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate are exempt from wearing a face covering in environments where they are normally required.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated as necessary.
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. The Department is continuing to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance explains the actions school leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in their school. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.
Individuals working with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate are exempt from wearing a face covering in environments where they are normally required.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated as necessary.
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. The Department is continuing to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, in order to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the effect of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. This guidance explains the actions school leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in their school. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained. The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.
Individuals working with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate are exempt from wearing a face covering in environments where they are normally required.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated as necessary.
This has been a very difficult time for students, and we welcome the decision from many universities and accommodation providers to offer rent rebates for students who need to stay away from their term-time address. The government urges universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.
The government has been clear in published guidance that tenants should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability. Where they can pay the rent as normal, they should do so. Tenants who are unable to do so should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity.
This guidance is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.
If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint.
If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml
We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to higher education providers this financial year.
Providers will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. Support might include help for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location. I also made clear in my 2 February 2021 guidance to the OfS that the funding should be available to help students that have already applied for hardship funding previously but now need additional support. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research) and international students. We will continue to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.
Students will normally qualify for Child Benefit if they are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training). Full-time students with children can also apply for Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance. Full-time students who are single parents or student couples, one or both of whom are responsible for a child, and part-time students responsible for a child can apply for Universal Credit.
This has been a very difficult time for students, and we welcome the decision from many universities and accommodation providers to offer rent rebates for students who need to stay away from their term-time address. The government urges universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.
The government has been clear in published guidance that tenants should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability. Where they can pay the rent as normal, they should do so. Tenants who are unable to do so should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity.
This guidance is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.
If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint.
If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml
We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to higher education providers this financial year.
Providers will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. Support might include help for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location. I also made clear in my 2 February 2021 guidance to the OfS that the funding should be available to help students that have already applied for hardship funding previously but now need additional support. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research) and international students. We will continue to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.
Students will normally qualify for Child Benefit if they are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training). Full-time students with children can also apply for Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance. Full-time students who are single parents or student couples, one or both of whom are responsible for a child, and part-time students responsible for a child can apply for Universal Credit.
This has been a very difficult time for students, and we welcome the decision from many universities and accommodation providers to offer rent rebates for students who need to stay away from their term-time address. The government urges universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.
The government has been clear in published guidance that tenants should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability. Where they can pay the rent as normal, they should do so. Tenants who are unable to do so should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity.
This guidance is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.
If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint.
If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml
We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to higher education providers this financial year.
Providers will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. Support might include help for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location. I also made clear in my 2 February 2021 guidance to the OfS that the funding should be available to help students that have already applied for hardship funding previously but now need additional support. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research) and international students. We will continue to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.
Students will normally qualify for Child Benefit if they are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training). Full-time students with children can also apply for Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance. Full-time students who are single parents or student couples, one or both of whom are responsible for a child, and part-time students responsible for a child can apply for Universal Credit.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has put in place many measures to support individuals impacted by financial hardship, including international students. These measures include protection for renters from eviction, safety net support from local authorities regardless of immigration status, as well as a series of bespoke visa concessions for international students to mitigate against the impact of COVID-19. The government keeps these concessions under review and will not hesitate to act where further support is needed. £3.2 billion has been allocated to local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak to support vulnerable groups, irrespective of their immigration status.
The department has also made available an additional £70 million of hardship funding for higher education students in England for this financial year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available for providers to distribute to a wide range of students, including international. This money is in addition to the £256 million of Student Premium funding higher education (HE) providers are able to draw on this academic year towards student hardship funds and mental health support.
I have been clear that student welfare remains one of my top priorities and the department has worked closely with the HE sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to increase communications and messaging around hardship for students; I recently discussed this with a number of sector representatives at a taskforce meeting.
I would encourage all students, wherever they are learning, who need assistance to reach out to their HE provider’s student support and welfare teams as soon as possible, as these services are likely to be an important source of support. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing student welfare and mental health services and have adapted delivery mechanisms including reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable. For example, over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them to expand, and international students can also utilise Student Space – a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising during the COVID-19 outbreak – which has been funded by up to £3 million by the Office for Students.
The department does not hold data on the number of international students in rent arrears. We believe that some international students in need of support may not be contacting their universities to ask for assistance if they find themselves experiencing hardship. I have written to international students directly, providing information regarding the support available for mental health, wellbeing, and hardship at this time, and have asked the sector to further raise awareness and encourage international students to seek assistance as necessary.
The UK was one of the first countries to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing comprehensive immigration flexibility for international students, and the government has implemented several concessions to support visa holders. If an international student needs to request access to hardship funds through their provider due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, they can be confident that they can express these concerns to their provider without any impact on their immigration status.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has put in place many measures to support individuals impacted by financial hardship, including international students. These measures include protection for renters from eviction, safety net support from local authorities regardless of immigration status, as well as a series of bespoke visa concessions for international students to mitigate against the impact of COVID-19. The government keeps these concessions under review and will not hesitate to act where further support is needed. £3.2 billion has been allocated to local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak to support vulnerable groups, irrespective of their immigration status.
The department has also made available an additional £70 million of hardship funding for higher education students in England for this financial year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available for providers to distribute to a wide range of students, including international. This money is in addition to the £256 million of Student Premium funding higher education (HE) providers are able to draw on this academic year towards student hardship funds and mental health support.
I have been clear that student welfare remains one of my top priorities and the department has worked closely with the HE sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to increase communications and messaging around hardship for students; I recently discussed this with a number of sector representatives at a taskforce meeting.
I would encourage all students, wherever they are learning, who need assistance to reach out to their HE provider’s student support and welfare teams as soon as possible, as these services are likely to be an important source of support. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing student welfare and mental health services and have adapted delivery mechanisms including reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable. For example, over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them to expand, and international students can also utilise Student Space – a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising during the COVID-19 outbreak – which has been funded by up to £3 million by the Office for Students.
The department does not hold data on the number of international students in rent arrears. We believe that some international students in need of support may not be contacting their universities to ask for assistance if they find themselves experiencing hardship. I have written to international students directly, providing information regarding the support available for mental health, wellbeing, and hardship at this time, and have asked the sector to further raise awareness and encourage international students to seek assistance as necessary.
The UK was one of the first countries to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing comprehensive immigration flexibility for international students, and the government has implemented several concessions to support visa holders. If an international student needs to request access to hardship funds through their provider due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, they can be confident that they can express these concerns to their provider without any impact on their immigration status.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has put in place many measures to support individuals impacted by financial hardship, including international students. These measures include protection for renters from eviction, safety net support from local authorities regardless of immigration status, as well as a series of bespoke visa concessions for international students to mitigate against the impact of COVID-19. The government keeps these concessions under review and will not hesitate to act where further support is needed. £3.2 billion has been allocated to local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak to support vulnerable groups, irrespective of their immigration status.
The department has also made available an additional £70 million of hardship funding for higher education students in England for this financial year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available for providers to distribute to a wide range of students, including international. This money is in addition to the £256 million of Student Premium funding higher education (HE) providers are able to draw on this academic year towards student hardship funds and mental health support.
I have been clear that student welfare remains one of my top priorities and the department has worked closely with the HE sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to increase communications and messaging around hardship for students; I recently discussed this with a number of sector representatives at a taskforce meeting.
I would encourage all students, wherever they are learning, who need assistance to reach out to their HE provider’s student support and welfare teams as soon as possible, as these services are likely to be an important source of support. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing student welfare and mental health services and have adapted delivery mechanisms including reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable. For example, over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them to expand, and international students can also utilise Student Space – a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising during the COVID-19 outbreak – which has been funded by up to £3 million by the Office for Students.
The department does not hold data on the number of international students in rent arrears. We believe that some international students in need of support may not be contacting their universities to ask for assistance if they find themselves experiencing hardship. I have written to international students directly, providing information regarding the support available for mental health, wellbeing, and hardship at this time, and have asked the sector to further raise awareness and encourage international students to seek assistance as necessary.
The UK was one of the first countries to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing comprehensive immigration flexibility for international students, and the government has implemented several concessions to support visa holders. If an international student needs to request access to hardship funds through their provider due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, they can be confident that they can express these concerns to their provider without any impact on their immigration status.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has put in place many measures to support individuals impacted by financial hardship, including international students. These measures include protection for renters from eviction, safety net support from local authorities regardless of immigration status, as well as a series of bespoke visa concessions for international students to mitigate against the impact of COVID-19. The government keeps these concessions under review and will not hesitate to act where further support is needed. £3.2 billion has been allocated to local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak to support vulnerable groups, irrespective of their immigration status.
The department has also made available an additional £70 million of hardship funding for higher education students in England for this financial year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. This is available for providers to distribute to a wide range of students, including international. This money is in addition to the £256 million of Student Premium funding higher education (HE) providers are able to draw on this academic year towards student hardship funds and mental health support.
I have been clear that student welfare remains one of my top priorities and the department has worked closely with the HE sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to increase communications and messaging around hardship for students; I recently discussed this with a number of sector representatives at a taskforce meeting.
I would encourage all students, wherever they are learning, who need assistance to reach out to their HE provider’s student support and welfare teams as soon as possible, as these services are likely to be an important source of support. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing student welfare and mental health services and have adapted delivery mechanisms including reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable. For example, over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them to expand, and international students can also utilise Student Space – a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising during the COVID-19 outbreak – which has been funded by up to £3 million by the Office for Students.
The department does not hold data on the number of international students in rent arrears. We believe that some international students in need of support may not be contacting their universities to ask for assistance if they find themselves experiencing hardship. I have written to international students directly, providing information regarding the support available for mental health, wellbeing, and hardship at this time, and have asked the sector to further raise awareness and encourage international students to seek assistance as necessary.
The UK was one of the first countries to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing comprehensive immigration flexibility for international students, and the government has implemented several concessions to support visa holders. If an international student needs to request access to hardship funds through their provider due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, they can be confident that they can express these concerns to their provider without any impact on their immigration status.
This is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the higher education (HE) sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to ensure that students are given appropriate support. I routinely engage the sector on our plans and have drawn on the expertise of the HE Taskforce of various sector representatives to challenge and inform our decision making.
On 22 February, I wrote to students outlining what my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s announcement on return to educational settings meant for HE. The letter is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/d0d32f33-6efd-42f9-b75d-6b2204ac81dc/letter-to-students_minister-donelan_22022021.pdf. As stated in the letter, we made available an additional £70 million of funding for student hardship. Providers will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. This funding is available for HE providers to distribute to a wide range of students, including international students. Support might include help for students who are unable to work due to COVID-19 and to help students access teaching remotely. This is in addition to the £256 million of Student Premium funding providers are able to draw on this academic year towards student hardship and mental health support.
Whilst the government plays no role in the provision of student residential accommodation, HE providers can draw on hardship funds to support students facing financial difficulties due to accommodation fees. The government encourages all accommodation providers to be as flexible as possible. Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. We encourage universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart. Where students remain in their university accommodation, HE providers should continue to make sure they are well looked after and supported. Universities UK have published a checklist for providers to support students who are required to self-isolate, which can be accessed here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2020/uuk-checklist-support-self-isolating-students.pdf.
It is vitally important that universities continue to make sure that students feel as supported as possible and I encourage providers to regularly communicate with students about the support available to them. Providers should pay particular regard to the specific needs of certain groups during this period, including international students, who will require access to welfare and mental health support and essential services. I wrote to international students in December 2020 regarding tier 4 restrictions, and the letter is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/01c8a0f7-6799-43e8-aa95-d60552fb6d44/minister-donelan-letter-clarifying-student-travel-in-light-of-tier-4.pdf.
We have informed students via a range of communication channels, including student-facing media, such as: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949100/Minister_Donelan_Letter_to_Students_on_January_Returns.pdf and: https://twitter.com/michelledonelan/status/1363972520077049857/photo/1.
We recognise that many students are facing additional mental health challenges during this time, and many providers have bolstered their existing mental health services. We have worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS), providing up to £3 million to fund the mental health platform Student Space. We have also asked the OfS to allocate an additional £15 million towards student mental health, through proposed reforms to strategic priorities grant funding.
The Department and LocatED are consulting with the London Borough of Newham and the Local Planning Authority on the delivery of School 21 Plaistow, a secondary free school project. The number of new homes and housing mix is currently under review and will be finalised during the planning determination period.
On 26 August 2020, the Department revised its guidance on face coverings in schools and colleges following a new statement by the World Health Organisation on 21 August. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education.
As the guidance outlines, from 1 September, in areas of national government intervention, in schools where year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils when moving around indoors, for example in corridors and communal areas, where social distancing cannot be safely managed. Nationwide, all schools have the discretion to require staff, visitors and pupils (in year 7 and above) to wear face coverings in indoor communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is right in their particular circumstances. Based on current evidence and the measures that schools are already putting in place, as well as the negative impact on communication and teaching, face coverings are not necessary in the classroom.
The guidance points to Department for Health and Social Care advice on face coverings but does not specify a type or style of face covering. It sets out that it is reasonable to assume that staff and young people will have access to face coverings due to their increasing use in wider society, and notes that Public Health England has made available resources on how to make a simple face covering.
The information requested is not held by the Department for Education.
Local authorities are statutorily obliged to inform the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel of all incidents of serious harm or death of a child under 18 years old where abuse and neglect is known or suspected. The National Panel shares this data with the Department for Education.
Information collected and held by the department does not distinguish ‘homicide’ as a reporting category.
The attached table sets out over the last 4 years: the number of child deaths notified as serious incidents, the number of Serious Case Reviews that local areas have stated will be initiated and the number of local child Safeguarding Practice Reviews that local areas have stated will be initiated.
The UK Government is committed to leading efforts to protect the marine environment, including from pollution.
The UK Marine Strategy Part 3, published in December 2015, sets out a comprehensive list of actions the UK Government is taking to reduce contaminant concentrations in the marine environment. We are currently updating the document and aim to publish an updated UK Marine Strategy Part 3 in 2022, outlining the programmes of measures that will continue to move us towards Good Environmental Status in our seas. Existing measures include various pollution reduction requirements for emissions and discharges from industry, and measures for coastal waters that are set out in the River Basin Management Plans.
The Government has made tackling harm from storm 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, the Government set out its expectation that water companies 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 UK Government is also tackling pollution from waste at its source. The Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December 2018, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, working towards our 25 Year Environment Plan target to significantly reduce, and where possible to prevent, all kinds of marine plastic pollution.
Given the trans-boundary nature of the marine environment, we work closely with other countries to tackle pollution, such as with those who share our seas through the OSPAR Convention. The UK also contributes to and implements the obligations of several global initiatives, including the London Protocol and the London Convention, to protect the marine environment from mercury, persistent organic pollutants, hazardous wastes, hazardous chemicals, pesticides and marine litter and their impact on our precious marine spaces.
The world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax that is set to be introduced in April 2022 will increase demand for recycled plastic by encouraging the use of recycled plastic content in the manufacture of plastic packaging, addressing concerns raised by stakeholders that a lack of market demand for recycled plastics has held back recycling.
Our proposed collection and packaging reforms that will help us work towards our milestone of all plastic packaging placed on the UK market being recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025 are complementary to the tax. These include a Deposit Return Scheme for beverage containers, a requirement for a core set of materials to be collected from households and businesses for recycling and extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Packaging EPR will incentivise producers to make better design choices and to use plastic packaging that can be recycled or re-used. Collectively, these proposals will increase the supply of good-quality material for recycling, including for plastic packaging with recycled content. We have recently closed consultations on each and are analysing the responses and evidence submitted by consultees.
Our work towards achieving our plastic packaging commitment and the Plastics Packaging Tax are complementary measures and hence further assessment of the compatibility of the 30% recycled plastic content criterion and the commitment is not needed.
Species-rich grasslands are vital for biodiversity and their retention and management can play an important part in safeguarding carbon stores. Domestic biodiversity policy is devolved in the UK and so this response relates to England only.
Our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step change in ambition for nature, and we are already putting in place new legislation and new investment to meet this ambition. Our Environment Bill requires a new, historic legally binding target to be set to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. A domestic 2030 species target will not only benefit our species but the actions necessary to deliver it will also help to drive wider environmental improvements.
The Bill also introduces Local Nature Recovery Strategies which will identify priorities and opportunities for nature recovery and help drive investment and action to expand, improve and connect habitats, including grasslands, and establish a Nature Recovery Network.
We are committed to protecting 30% of our land for biodiversity. Our Sites of Special Scientific Interest protect our most important grasslands, and provide a wide range of other benefits including flood control, water purification, and carbon storage.
We are introducing three new environmental land management schemes which will support farmers and land managers to deliver a range of environmental benefits. These schemes will reward sustainable farming practices, reducing carbon emissions, creating and preserving habitat, including grasslands, and making landscape-scale environmental changes.
We have also invested in nature restoration to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change and to safeguard green jobs, for example through our £80m Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Plantlife’s ‘Meadow Makers’ project, which was awarded over £700,000 in the first round, is restoring 500 hectares of species-rich grassland at 100+ sites across seven landscapes.
The Government will publish a Green Paper before the end of the year which will set out our approach to driving nature recovery in England and provide the primary vehicle for developing and engaging on our future plans and proposals.
To promote responsible ownership, there is clear guidance available to educate and remind horse owners of their responsibilities to provide for the welfare needs of their animal. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids makes clear that you should consider buying or rehoming a youngster before taking the decision to breed. The foal’s individual future must also be considered before breeding from your equine, and the code highlights the UK’s overpopulation problem at the time of publication. The Code can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf
Further information on responsible breeding is available to the public, including World Horse Welfare’s “Need to Breed” initiative which can be found here: https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/do-you-need-to-breed.
The Government considers that the key issue at stake here is how well equines are cared for after they have been born, and existing protections address this. We continue to engage closely with key stakeholders in the equine sector about these issues. The Government currently has no plans to introduce additional legislation or regulation specifically relating to breeding levels themselves.
An impact assessment was published alongside our second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Our research in the assessment suggested that for an All-in DRS (which includes all sizes of drinks containers up to 3l) with an 85% return rate of in-scope containers, there would be an annual reduction of 34,493 tonnes of plastic waste in 2024 increasing to 58,007 tonnes by 2033.
Our recent consultation set out options for the scope of DRS including size of drinks containers that could be included. The amount of reduction in plastic waste will of course vary depending on the precise scope of a DRS and potential return rates, which will be reflected in our government response and final impact assessment.
We have recently closed a second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the consultation, with a view to publishing a government response in due course. The government response will include a final decision on the scope and materials to be included in the deposit return scheme. An impact assessment for the introduction of the scheme will also be published.
Any packaging materials not included within the scope of a deposit return scheme will be included under the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime to ensure equitable treatment of packaging materials, which would then be collected through kerbside recycling collections.
Local Planning Authorities are responsible for issuing planning consents for the redevelopment of brownfield land. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that development sites should be suitable for its proposed use taking account of ground conditions and any risks arising from land contamination. This includes risks arising from former activities such as gasworks. The Framework is also clear that new development should be appropriate for its location taking into account the likely effects of pollution on health, living conditions and the natural environment.
Certain remediation activities on former gasworks sites (such as treatment of contaminated soils and groundwater) require a mobile treatment permit under the Environmental Permitting Regime. These permits are issued by the Environment Agency (EA), which regulates emissions from the treatment activities (e.g. air pollution, odour, noise).
Before treatment commences, the operator must submit an application to the EA to deploy the mobile plant to site. This application must include site specific information to show how the operator will:
From 21 April 2021, certain bird gatherings can take place in Great Britain provided the organisers notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency at least seven days before the event and that they meet the requirements of the General Licence. This includes markets, shows, sales, exhibitions of pigeons, budgerigars, canaries, parrots, cockatiels and birds of prey. Some low risk pigeon racing is also permitted. Gatherings of ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys or game birds whether kept commercially as poultry, as pets or for other purposes remain banned. Poultry gatherings will be kept under review.
For a full list of what is permitted see the guidance for bird gatherings on gov.uk. Definitive requirements are set out in the published General Licence for the relevant administration (England, Wales and Scotland).
Changes to EU law from 21 April 2021 affect the movements of certain live animals. As a consequence of this change, racing pigeons are considered to be in scope of the definition of ‘captive birds’ and the requirements for imports into the EU would apply. These include export certification and a period of quarantine prior to export to the EU.
Defra has sought technical clarification from the European Commission on the new rules as they apply to movements of racing pigeons, including how an EU derogation for racing pigeons might be granted, and we are actively seeking a response.
Changes to EU law from 21 April 2021 affect the movements of certain live animals. As a consequence of this change, racing pigeons are considered to be in scope of the definition of ‘captive birds’ and the requirements for imports into the EU would apply. These include export certification and a period of quarantine prior to export to the EU.
Defra has sought technical clarification from the European Commission on the new rules as they apply to movements of racing pigeons, including how an EU derogation for racing pigeons might be granted, and we are actively seeking a response.
Defra has not made an assessment of the impact of food waste levels as a result of this policy. However, we continue to support the hospitality sector to make sure good food is not wasted.
Since 2018 we have supported the surplus redistribution sector with over £11 million of grants to make sure they have the infrastructure to get good food, including from the hospitality sector, to those who have a need. We are also supporting WRAP and its brokerage work bringing businesses together with suitable food redistributors.
We are also directly helping hospitality businesses to waste less. The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap is open to the hospitality sector and sets out a series of milestones to Target, Measure and Act on their waste including the provision of sector specific tools to measure their waste. This programme is supported by the Guardians of Grub campaign which aims at empowering employees to waste less in its provision of advice, guidance and support.
Defra has not made an assessment of the impact of food waste levels as a result of this policy. However, we continue to support the hospitality sector to make sure good food is not wasted.
Since 2018 we have supported the surplus redistribution sector with over £11 million of grants to make sure they have the infrastructure to get good food, including from the hospitality sector, to those who have a need. We are also supporting WRAP and its brokerage work bringing businesses together with suitable food redistributors.
We are also directly helping hospitality businesses to waste less. The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap is open to the hospitality sector and sets out a series of milestones to Target, Measure and Act on their waste including the provision of sector specific tools to measure their waste. This programme is supported by the Guardians of Grub campaign which aims at empowering employees to waste less in its provision of advice, guidance and support.
Bovine TB is one of the greatest animal health threats to the UK and the disease costs the public over £100 million a year, with the cost to the farming industry around £50 million a year.
The Government badger cull costs are published annually on the GOV.UK website and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-government-badger-control-costs.
The 2019 costs are still being calculated and will be published later this year. Costs are not broken down by cull zone.
The most recent badger control policy value for money analysis, carried out in 2019, estimates the Net Present Value i.e. the monetised benefits of Badger Control over 11 years at £1.08 million per area.
Further information can be found on GOV.UK at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-badger-control-policy-value-for-money-analysis.
In Area 32-Cumbria the cull area is made up of two parts, the minimum infected area and the outer cull area. The minimum infected area is based on:
Therefore the boundary could be expanded if evidence shows that infected badgers are found outside the boundary, as it was in 2019.
Natural barriers to badger movement were used, as far as practical, for the outer boundary of Area 32 to minimise the risk of possible perturbation effects. Area 32 is made up of two parts, the minimum infected area and the outer cull area. The outer cull area acts as a buffer between the minimum infected area, where the majority of infection is located, and those outside of the cull area.
A ‘buffer zone’ currently operates around the minimum infected area in Area 32-Cumbria; this is referred to as the outer cull area (OCA). Both the minimum infected area and the outer cull area together make up the intervention area.
The OCA is based on estimated average badger social group territory size surrounding the minimum infected area, to take into account the possibility that infection may have already spread in the badger population. The boundary was adjusted to adhere to natural barriers to badger movement as far as practical to minimise the risk of possible perturbation effects.
The results of testing of badgers from the 2019 cull are still being analysed. When completed they will inform decisions as to what type of badger control method should be applied in 2020.
All cull companies are instructed to carry out a thorough sett survey programme in the spring before each cull in their area. Animal and Plant Health Agency surveyors then carry out a Quality Assurance check on at least 5% of the land parcels at random in areas between their first and second cull.
Defra does not hold this data regarding the culling of deer. The Deer Act 1991 provides a robust framework for the protection of deer, including the welfare of shot deer.
The evidence that invasive species are having an ever greater impact on biodiversity, globally and domestically, is undeniable. The 2019 Environmental Audit Committe report, developed using a wide range of evidence sources, highlighted the risks these species pose to native biodiversity. It also called for greater levels of prevention, management, control and public awareness regarding invasive species and their negative effects on the environment.
Defra is also in receipt of the 2019 UN global assessment report on biodiversity which concluded that “the numbers of invasive species per country have risen by around 70 per cent since 1970” and that “invasive non-native species have contributed to 40 per cent of the animal extinctions that have happened in the last 400 years and are the biggest threat to biodiversity on islands”. Defra is aware that the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services found that invasive species were one of the top five direct drivers for changes to nature and were included in a list with climate change and pollution.
Reports such as “The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-Native Species on Great Britain” remain highly relevant, as the impact of invasive non-native species (INNS) has not decreased since the report was published. Defra recently however commissioned a scoping study aimed at documenting the current evidence in relation to the ecosystem service impacts of INNS in the UK. This study[1] sought to determine the feasibility of expanding on the 2010 report by estimating natural capital costs incurred by INNS, alongside the direct economic costs which the 2010 report focused upon.
[1] Scoping study: ecosystem services and natural capital costs of invasive non-native species in the UK - BE0162 http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=1&ProjectID=20315
Defra has undertaken two formal consultations relating to the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. They were: “Invasive Non-native Species: Tackling Invasive Non-native Species – A new enforcement regime” and “Management measures for widely spread Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in England and Wales”. These consultations ran from from 9 January 2018 to 3 April 2018 and 18 July 2019 to 12 September 2019 respectively.
Releasing grey squirrels back into the environment, even in areas away from red squirrels, would encourage a wide range of further negative impacts associated with this species towards other native species, forestry assets and national parks.
The release of grey squirrels can only be allowed as a management measure under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 if it contributes to the population control, eradication or containment of the species. The Government will, therefore, not be updating this Order to permit the release of grey squirrels by veterinary practices or wildlife hospitals. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not allow grey squirrels to be kept or released. The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order, which came into effect on 1 December 2019, thus brought England in line with the rest of the United Kingdom.
Any grey squirrel that requires medical attention can be taken to a licensed facility where it can remain for the rest of its natural life.
Ending new HIV infections and preventing AIDS-related deaths is a critical part of the UK government’s renewed focus on ending preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns, and children by 2030.
The UK is a world leader in efforts to end the AIDS epidemic. Last year the UK made a £1.4 billion pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria for the 6th replenishment covering 2020 to 2022. This supports the commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. In 2018 alone, the Global Fund provided 18.9 million people with treatment in 2018 and protected nearly 700,000 babies from being infected by their mothers.
We are working to expand access to treatment, while reducing new infections, particularly among adolescent girls, women, and other marginalised populations, who face stigma and discrimination.
Ending new HIV infections and preventing AIDS-related deaths is a critical part of the UK government’s renewed focus on ending preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns, and children by 2030.
The UK is a world leader in efforts to end the AIDS epidemic. Last year the UK made a £1.4 billion pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria for the 6th replenishment covering 2020 to 2022. This supports the commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. In 2018 alone, the Global Fund provided 18.9 million people with treatment in 2018 and protected nearly 700,000 babies from being infected by their mothers.
We are working to expand access to treatment, while reducing new infections, particularly among adolescent girls, women, and other marginalised populations, who face stigma and discrimination.
We are gravely concerned about escalating Syrian Regime and Russian military action and its humanitarian impact in Idlib. As of 6 February, the UN reports that 586,000 people have been displaced since 1 December 2019 and many more are at risk of imminent further displacement.
This financial year DFID has already allocated £103 million to organisations delivering aid cross-border from Turkey primarily into North West Syria, including Idlib. This has helped to provide hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare including psychosocial support.
Given the rapidly deteriorating conditions in North West Syria, we have put options in place to increase our funding further to address the pressing needs of those displaced by the conflict. We have provided funding to response partners including the UN to preposition essential supplies to support innocent families and civilians displaced by conflict and are supporting all our partners to respond to this humanitarian crisis.
I visited Turkey on 5-6 February and discussed the crisis in North West Syria with UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs, as well as with Turkish authorities. DFID partners on the ground are working tirelessly to provide aid to those affected by the military offensive. We continue to provide education assistance and support healthcare facilities affected by the recent violence.
The UK’s strong support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the African Union’s most ambitious regional economic integration initiative, was highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AfCFTA Secretariat and the UK. This was the first of its kind with a non-African country. As a non-binding MoU, it will not be published. However, it will provide the UK and the AfCFTA Secretariat a framework for partnership on implementation of the agreement, trade facilitation and investment.
Information on all military licences granted for export to Ethiopia over the last five years is available on GOV.UK, from the strategic export controls licensing statistics annual reports, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data-annual-reports.
Whilst the crewing of ships is a commercial decision, the methods used by P&O Ferries in relation to the sacking of the crews of their vessels are intolerable. I am deeply concerned over reports that in moving against workers so rapidly, P&O Ferries may not have followed the correct and legal processes, and my Rt Hon Friend the Transport Secretary has therefore asked the Insolvency Service to look at the notification requirements and to consider if further action is appropriate.
The Transport Secretary has written to P&O Ferries to tell them to negotiate and engage with unions. We will work closely with counterparts in the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that workers are being signposted to the most relevant support and will continue to explore what other actions can be taken.
In 2020, the Government bought approximately £11.4M of capacity from P&O Ferries under the Government-Secured Freight Capacity (GSFC) scheme. P&O Ferries also received £4.4M under the 2020 Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme for the continuation of specified routes. This was on the basis of audited costs and included no allowance for profit.
In addition, P&O made extensive use of the furlough scheme, with over 1,000 staff on furlough at one point.
Given the considerable support P&O Ferries has received from the taxpayer, the Transport Secretary has instructed officials to review all contracts the Government currently has with both P&O Ferries and DP World.
The Secretary of State has written to the chief executive of P&O Ferries to express his anger over their handling of the situation and urge him to engage with the seafarers affected to rectify his decision.
I also spoke to the CEO on Thursday 17 March to express my concern and anger at the manner in which they have treated their loyal, hard working seafarers. I will continue to engage with P&O Ferries throughout this situation and have insisted P&O Ferries support those affected.
The Department for Work and Pensions have reached out to P&O Ferries employees to offer assistance and a number of schemes can be accessed. The Home Office, other transport operators and local employers are also offering support within their respective organisations.
The Government acted quickly to put shipping sanctions in place in order to hold Russia to account for its attack on Ukraine. We are working closely with partner organisations to ensure that those sanctions are fully and correctly enforced for all ships which may be in scope.
South Africa was removed from the red list at 4am on Monday 11 October.
Decisions on red list assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account Joint Biosecurity Centre risk assessments of countries and territories, alongside wider public health factors. A summary of the Joint Biosecurity Centre methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.
Key data used to support decision to remove South Africa from red list on 11 October has been published on gov.uk
The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. This evaluation includes a range of data sources and approaches including data sharing arrangements with operators, surveys, interviews and focus groups with users and non-users and interviews with key local and national stakeholders. A final report will be published in spring 2022. Any future rules for e-scooters may not be exactly the same as the rules in trials, but they will be based on the evidence gathered.
I have met with the Inclusive Transport Stakeholder Group last year, to discuss e-scooters and our local trials. Membership of this group includes representatives from: Age UK, Scope, Alzheimer’s Society, National Autistic Society, Disability Rights UK, DPTAC, Guide Dogs and Leonard Cheshire. Since then I have hosted four e-scooter roundtable discussions - the most recent on 7 June - attended by several groups that represent the interests of disabled people and older people to update them on the progress of the trials and listen to their concerns.
On TRU, Network Rail has developed an operating model which utilises two separate alliances on the east and west of the Transpennine route. These aim to tap into the best capability from rail and construction to mitigate the risks of skill shortages.
The business case for the Transpennine Rail Upgrade is being developed. Steps to improve hygiene and social distancing will be fully considered as part of the delivery of the programme. In the interim the rail industry will continue to actively encourage passengers to socially distance, manage passenger flows and increase cleaning regimes.
The Secretary of State commissioned the HS1 Connectivity Study Report in 2015 which considered a wide range of high speed rail and conventional rail options to link High Speed 2 (HS2) with High Speed 1 (HS1) at St Pancras International and Stratford International stations. No suitable option could be identified that delivered value for money for the tax payer due to the complexity in construction, excessive costs and the level of disruption it would cause.
The Department for Transport is working with HS2 Ltd, Camden Council, Transport for London and other local stakeholders to enhance non-rail connectivity between the HS2 station at Euston and the HS1 station at St Pancras as part of the planned wider redevelopment of the Euston area.
There are no plans to add Stratford International as an operating station on the HS2 network. The Department considered Stratford International in the initial HS2 station selection process, however, it was not taken forward as it was not considered to release the same level of benefits to onward connectivity and passenger journey times as the planned HS2 London stations.
The Department for Transport also considered a number of rail and tunnel link options between HS2 and HS1, including a long tunnel connecting Stratford International station and Old Oak Common. However, these were rejected on the basis of excessive cost and disruption.
We have recently published the second HS2 Parliamentary report with an update provided on potential Covid-related impacts on Phase One. HS2 Ltd is currently re-planning its schedule for Phase One to mitigate slower than planned progress on construction, including verified impacts from Covid-19. However, this will not impact the projected Delivery into Service date range of 2029-2033.
The full impact of Covid-19 on cost and schedule continues to be assessed, including work to disaggregate Covid-19 impacts from other cost and schedule impacts on the programme.
The Department commissioned the National Skills Academy for Rail in January 2021 to provide data on skills shortages across transport modes. Skills shortages were identified in infrastructure construction, rail, freight and logistics. The Department is now working, in collaboration with industry partners, stakeholders, other Government departments and public bodies (including HS2 Ltd), to identify mitigations and ensure it addresses the challenges facing both the transport industry and the wider economy.
HS2 Ltd has also developed a Skills, Employment and Education strategy, that focuses on securing the skills and labour required to build HS2, and leave a legacy of a highly-skilled and diverse workforce. Underlying this strategy are labour and skills forecasting data and analysis which provide an assessment of potential mismatches between HS2 labour and skills requirements and their availability. Reforecast data is expected to be published later this year.
The impacts on central London stations (and all London stations including Stratford International) were reviewed as part of the AP3 Euston scheme for the Bill in September 2015. The Transport assessment to this set out the cross-London rail impacts for the design year of 2041 in section 3.5*. It should be noted that Stratford International was not identified as having any substantial change in use at that time.
As neither HS2 Ltd nor the Department believe the impact of HS2 will cause a material change to the underlying long-term usage of the London rail network, the analysis does not currently need updating.
The impacts on central London stations (and all London stations including Stratford International) were reviewed as part of the AP3 Euston scheme for the Bill in September 2015. The Transport assessment to this set out the cross-London rail impacts for the design year of 2041 in section 3.5*. It should be noted that Stratford International was not identified as having any substantial change in use at that time.
As neither HS2 Ltd nor the Department believe the impact of HS2 will cause a material change to the underlying long-term usage of the London rail network, the analysis does not currently need updating.
As with all rail upgrades, our evaluation of the options made through the business case process will consider the long-term benefit of the scheme in terms of its contribution to the Government’s commitment to decarbonize the economy by 2050. Environmental Impact Assessments for the construction itself will be undertaken in accordance with the relevant regulations.
We are currently evaluating a range of different options for the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which will be selected later this year, informed by the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands. The value for money of each option varies and it is therefore not possible to be specific at this stage.
We are currently evaluating a range of different options for the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which will be selected later this year, informed by the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands. These options range in their delivery date dependent on the option which is eventually chosen.
We are undertaking analysis in support of the next business case for the TransPennine Route Upgrade which we expect to complete later this year. This will consider different post-COVID-19 demand scenarios.
The Government does not record the numbers of newly qualified forklift operators.
The training for materials handling equipment, including forklift trucks, is an option within the Supply Chain Warehouse Operative apprenticeship but is not required to complete the apprenticeship. There have been 5,093 Supply Chain Warehouse Operative apprenticeship starts in the last five years.
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due to re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 LGV tests per week.
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due to re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 LGV tests per week.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not collect data on the nationality of those taking an LGV driving test.
Logistics UK estimate that there were around 25,000 EU nationals working as LGV drivers in the UK in 2020.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not collect data on the nationality of those taking an LGV driving test.
Logistics UK estimate that there were around 25,000 EU nationals working as LGV drivers in the UK in 2020.
Free movement between the UK and the European Union ended on 31 December 2020 and on 1 January 2021, and the UK implemented a points-based immigration system that prioritises skills and talent over where a person comes from.
The UK and the EU have agreed a framework for the recognition of professional qualifications between the Parties which is based on the EU’s recent free trade agreements. It makes improvements on those agreements, which are designed to make the system more flexible and easier for regulatory authorities to use. EU driving licence holders residing in the UK will be able to exchange their licence without the need for a re-test. They can use their EU licence as long as it is valid, subject to UK licence renewal requirements. Certificates of professional competence for drivers and transport managers issued by EU Member States remain valid for use in the UK.
The number of LGV drivers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in February 2021 was 80, down 11 per cent from a year ago. The number of qualified LGV drivers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has historically been low, reflecting the ongoing LGV driver shortages in the logistics industry.
Departmental officials are working with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to ensure that qualified LGV drivers are able to move back into work as soon as possible.
The number of LGV driver practical test passes in each of the last five years are:
2015/16 | 39,000 |
2016/17 | 44,346 |
2017/18 | 40,808 |
2018/19 | 43,065 |
2019/20 | 41,434 |
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency publishes the statistics for all driving tests on Gov.uk
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not hold this data.
The Government does not record the numbers of newly qualified forklift operators.
The training for materials handling equipment, including forklift trucks, is an option within the Supply Chain Warehouse Operative apprenticeship but is not required to complete the apprenticeship. There have been 5,093 Supply Chain Warehouse Operative apprenticeship starts in the last five years.
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 tests per week.
Prior to the pandemic more than 40,000 drivers passed their LGV test each year over the last four years. The restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic has affected the ability for new drivers to take their LGV driving test.
LGV driver training and testing is due re-start on 12 April as the current restrictions are lifted. When tests resume DVSA plan to conduct 2,800 to 3,000 tests per week.
There have been 4,889 starts for the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship standard in the five years to October 2020.
We are working with the industry to develop a suite of apprenticeships which will enable the logistics sector to make the most of the Apprenticeship Levy funding available.
There have been 4,889 starts for the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship standard in the five years to October 2020.
We are working with the industry to develop a suite of apprenticeships which will enable the logistics sector to make the most of the Apprenticeship Levy funding available.
The labour shortages in the sector are longstanding. There has been no recent systematic assessment by the department of the extent of the skills shortage. Assessments have been made by Logistics UK.
We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to ensure that jobseekers can find employment or training in the industry as quickly as possible.
We are also working with the Department for Education in supporting the logistics sector make the most of the opportunities provided through the apprenticeship levy.
In 2016, the Government set ambitions through the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (TISS) to increase apprenticeships in road and rail client bodies to help address skills shortages in the transport sector, ensuring that the transport sector has the capacity and capability to deliver planned investment and to increase diversity.
Over the past four years, the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT) has worked to identify skills shortages across the transport sector. To understand the likely impact of changes to migration policy post-Brexit, STAT responded to the Migration Advisory Committee’s Call for Evidence on Salary Thresholds (2019) and the Shortage Occupation List (2017 and (2020). This included employer led evidence of the potential impacts of Brexit on the transport industry.
The Department has received representations from sector stakeholders including Logistics UK which publishes an annual Skills and Employment Report and a monthly Logistics Performance Tracker. The Road Haulage Association also continue to make representations to government.
At the roundtable on 2 September, leading experts in the field clarified that underlying health conditions and comorbidities largely explain ethnic disparities in maternal mortality rates.
Maternity experts also linked this to a reluctance by some women from minority backgrounds to attend routine appointments and check-ups where many of these conditions are typically identified.
The government continues to work with maternal health practitioners and ethnic minority women to drive positive actions and interventions in this area so that our actions can benefit more women. This includes the recently launched NHS campaign ‘Help us Help You’, informing pregnant women about the importance of attending check-ups, and providing reassurance that the NHS is there to see them safely.
The Department issues guidance to transport organisations in England to help them understand how to provide safer workplaces and services for themselves, their workers and passengers. It outlines measures to assess and address the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19). The Department published updated guidance on 5 November:
The guidance makes clear that it does not supersede any legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment or equalities and that it is important that businesses and employers continue to comply with their existing obligations.
We have issued comprehensive guidance on the steps transport operators should take to assess and address the risks of coronavirus in the transport sector across England. While we strongly advise passengers to practice social distancing to help limit the spread of COVID-19, we acknowledge that this might not always be possible. We have been working closely with operators to ensure appropriate procedures are in place and that they are clearly communicated to passengers. Some stations have natural ‘pinch-points’, which makes maintaining social distancing difficult. Passengers are urged to use the whole length of the train to board, avoid travelling at busy times and follow government guidance.
We have issued comprehensive guidance on the steps transport operators should take to assess and address the risks of coronavirus in the transport sector across England. While we strongly advise passengers to practice social distancing to help limit the spread of COVID-19, we acknowledge that this might not always be possible. We have been working closely with operators to ensure appropriate procedures are in place and that they are clearly communicated to passengers. Some stations have natural ‘pinch-points’, which makes maintaining social distancing difficult. Passengers are urged to use the whole length of the train to board, avoid travelling at busy times and follow government guidance.
The Government has published guidance specifically for both aviation operators and for air passengers on safer travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This operator guidance maps out the measures airlines can take to protect passengers and staff on board aircraft, and includes advice on hygiene measures, face coverings, and social distancing in the aircraft setting. On the specific issue of seating passengers travelling in a group together, the guidance states ‘where possible and where mass and balance allow, enable social distancing among passengers of different households or support bubbles, where relevant.’
The Government expects all airlines to manage the risks of coronavirus as far as possible in order to provide safer workplaces and services for workers and passengers. For further information, the operator guidance is available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-aviation-guidance-for-operators
Network Rail has offered SME commercial estate tenants a three-month zero-rent period between April and June 2020.
In deciding on this course of action, Network Rail worked to understand the offers of support proposed by those in similar situations, including the Arch Company and Transport for London.
Our priority is to ensure the safety of both employees and passengers, as well as the ongoing provision of passenger and freight services. Operators and their suppliers, including those to whom catering is subcontracted, are working to resource trains appropriately, protect staff wellbeing and provide essential services for those who must travel, such as key workers who may have accessibility requirements. On-board catering services should cease, unless it is possible to serve pre-packed food that requires minimal contact. Catering staff can and have been deployed to do other tasks on our railways.
As part of the Department’s plans to reshape how, when and where the Department works, which will result in a smaller, greener and better estate, we plan to move colleagues and services from London Stratford, Jubilee House to Ilford, Wentworth House which is approximately 7.6 miles away. Impacted colleagues are currently having one-to-one discussions with local leaders where their individual circumstances, including any potential impact for those with protected characteristics are discussed and potential options considered. For those colleagues who are unable to move to Ilford, Wentworth House, redeployment within DWP or other Government Departments will be the priority.
The Department is making every effort to fully support staff through this process. As a responsible employer, the Department will make provision for redundancies as necessary. However, this will be a last resort after all efforts to retain, retrain and redeploy colleagues, either within DWP or other Government Departments in the area, have been exhausted.
As part of the Department’s plans to reshape how, when and where the Department works, which will result in a smaller, greener and better estate, we plan to move colleagues and services from London Stratford, Jubilee House to Ilford, Wentworth House which is approximately 7.6 miles away. Impacted colleagues are currently having one-to-one discussions with local leaders where their individual circumstances, including any potential impact for those with protected characteristics are discussed and potential options considered. For those colleagues who are unable to move to Ilford, Wentworth House, redeployment within DWP or other Government Departments will be the priority.
The Department is making every effort to fully support staff through this process. As a responsible employer, the Department will make provision for redundancies as necessary. However, this will be a last resort after all efforts to retain, retrain and redeploy colleagues, either within DWP or other Government Departments in the area, have been exhausted.
The Department published an update on the exercise to correct past ESA underpayments on Gov.uk on 8 July 2021. This reported that as of 1 June 2021, of the 600,000 cases checked, 118,000 arrears payments have been made totalling £613 million. This report showed the numbers of cases paid arrears at a national level only as the data was not available at sub-national level at that time. The Department is investigating the feasibility of providing this analysis at a constituency level.
This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes through a range of measures, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.
The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; Restart, which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year; and JETS, which provides light touch employment support for people who are claiming either Universal Credit or New Style Jobseekers Allowance, for up to 6 months, helping participants effectively re-engage with the labour market and focus their job search. We have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job. In total, our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.
In April this year, we increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25, helping eligible low income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins. We are investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has been expanded to every Local Authority across England. Participating children are benefitting from a range of support, including healthy and nutritious meals as well as fun and engaging activities covering the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.
No. The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of the COVID support package worth £407 billion.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced with the success of the vaccine rollout. Now the economy is reopening and as we continue to progress with our recovery our focus is on helping people back into work.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for UC claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; Restart, which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to UC claimants who are unemployed for a year; and JETS, which provides light touch employment support for people who are claiming either Universal Credit or New Style Jobseekers Allowance, for up to 6 months, helping participants effectively re-engage with the labour market and focus their job search. We have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job. In total, our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.
We are aware of the report, and we constantly keep our policies and systems under review.
Universal Credit is a modern, flexible benefit responding effectively to economic conditions, providing a safety net for millions in the wake of the pandemic. In 2021/22 we will spend over £111bn on working age welfare, equivalent to 4.9% of GDP (GB).
The temporary uplift was part of a support package that has lasted beyond the end of restrictions. Our focus now is on our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.
The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all Universal Credit (UC) claimants to meet their individual circumstances. Jobcentre and Service Centre staff undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Staff receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.
Every care is taken to prevent incorrect payments being made and to ensure that benefits are paid to the correct recipient; we are focused on paying people their correct entitlement from the outset of a claim. The vast majority of benefit expenditure is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring. We are constantly improving our processes and continue to invest in the use of data and analytics to identify fraud and error.
Following the introduction of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act, all overpayments of UC and new style benefits paid in excess of entitlement are recoverable. The Department seeks to recover benefit overpayments without creating undue financial hardship, and any person who does experience such hardship is encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management unit. Where a person cannot afford the proposed rate of repayment it may be possible to negotiate a lower repayment rate.
It is Government policy that individuals granted pre-settled status have the same access to benefits as they did prior to the introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). They will satisfy the right to reside element of the Habitual Residence Test and can access benefits if they are exercising a qualifying right to reside, such as a worker or self-employed person, and are habitually resident in the UK. As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is appealing the case mentioned in the report, it would be inappropriate to comment any further
The Department has recently developed a digital service which enables employment inspired National Insurance Number (NINo) applications to be made on-line, removing the need for the majority of applicants to attend a face to face appointment.
Due to the suspension last year of the employment inspired NINo service, because of Covid 19 restrictions, demand for the NINo service is extremely high. The average time taken to process applications, including British Passport holders, is around 10/12 weeks. The Department is currently recruiting and training additional staff to reduce these waiting times.
The Government is committed to helping people with the cost of living and providing a safety net for those that need it and has injected billions into the welfare system for those most in need. The Covid Winter Grant Scheme was introduced to provide Local Authorities in England with funding to support vulnerable households with the costs of food, heating and water bills, in response to the pandemic. The funding was intended to provide additional support throughout the challenging winter period to those most in need. This will now be extended until the 16 April 2021 to support families as restrictions are gradually lifted.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
The Department has taken a predominantly digital approach to providing and delivering services associated with Universal Credit, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system. This allows our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support through different channels.
For vulnerable people our telephone lines were also available, including a line for prison leavers. Measures brought in during covid-19 are under constant review.
Under the National Health Service Act 2006, NHS trusts can raise additional income from marketing spare capacity resulting from a hospital’s non-core functions. The use of income generation schemes has played an important role in supporting NHS services for some time and has enabled investment in infrastructure and services.
Such schemes should not interfere with the delivery of services to patients in line with required standards. NHS bodies must ensure that commitments to these schemes do not divert significant management resources or otherwise prejudice the delivery of core services.
This information is not collected centrally.
No assessment has been made. The National Health Service e-Referral Service (e-RS) does not record data on ethnicity and deprivation. Where appropriate, general practitioners (GPs) should include relevant sensitive patient information within the clinical referral information shared with the chosen provider to support the referral. The referring GP is responsible for ensuring that all options offered to patients are appropriate for their clinical, social and accessibility needs. The e-RS records data on the source of the referral, including the patient’s post code. This data is available to regional NHS commissioners.
Departmental officials have met with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to discuss the review of the guidelines. Officials have also attended workshops with NICE and stakeholders to discuss the scope of the fertility guidelines review.
From 1 April 2022, free asymptomatic testing will be available for a number of at-risk groups. We are currently developing options to support those eligible for antiviral treatments against COVID-19 on the basis of significant vulnerability.
There are no plans to make such an assessment. The London Fire Brigade is working with the Trust to ensure their facilities remain safe.
Patient safety in hospitals is a top priority for this Government. The London Fire Brigade is working with Barts Health NHS Trust to ensure their facilities remain safe.
National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for prioritising the funding of investment in their facilities, with additional funding available from the Department if required.
The national contracts agreed between NHS England and independent sector providers are short-term measures aimed to support the National Health Service’s response to the spread of the Omicron variant until 31 March 2022. We do not believe these arrangements will have any significant long-term negative impact on staff availability to the NHS or potential health inequalities.
The arrangements provide additional surge capacity to prevent NHS services from being overwhelmed and to ensure the recovery of elective care can continue. The public can be confident that all those requiring emergency or urgent treatment can continue to receive it.
We have no specific plans to do so. There are now hundreds of walk-in sites and the opening hours of vaccination sites have been extended to seven days a week. General practitioners and pharmacies have also been asked to increase their provision of vaccination services, including in areas of lower uptake.
Priority access for COVID-19 vaccinations has been provided for carers and those they care for. In phase one of the vaccination programme, carers were included in priority cohorts four and six invited for vaccination in January and February 2021. In December 2021, the National Health Service directed vaccination centres to allow priority queuing at walk-in centres for carers and those they care for.
If an individual has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in a third country, they will be eligible to receive a booster vaccination, provided they meet the eligibility criteria of the rest of the population. On 29 November, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, it was announced that all eligible adults aged 18 years old and over will be offered a booster vaccine by the end of January 2022.
The Government believes that it is right that people who do not live in the United Kingdom on a lawful, settled basis help contribute towards treatment costs. Therefore, we have implemented a system of charging overseas visitors that is fair and proportionate, working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure that the Charging Regulations are properly applied.
The Department regularly reviews the Charging Regulations, with consideration for their equity and impact on vulnerable groups, using a range of evidence and reports by organisations such as the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). We are committed to improving the support, guidance, and advice provided to trusts on the issues raised by the IPPR’s report. We are taking steps to further protect vulnerable groups by raising awareness of exemptions from charge and improving guidance and training for the National Health Service on identifying patients who are genuinely without funds.
The Government believes that it is right that people who do not live in the United Kingdom on a lawful, settled basis help contribute towards treatment costs. Therefore, we have implemented a system of charging overseas visitors that is fair and proportionate, working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure that the Charging Regulations are properly applied.
The Department regularly reviews the Charging Regulations, with consideration for their equity and impact on vulnerable groups, using a range of evidence and reports by organisations such as the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). We are committed to improving the support, guidance, and advice provided to trusts on the issues raised by the IPPR’s report. We are taking steps to further protect vulnerable groups by raising awareness of exemptions from charge and improving guidance and training for the National Health Service on identifying patients who are genuinely without funds.
The Government believes that it is right that people who do not live in the United Kingdom on a lawful, settled basis help contribute towards treatment costs. Therefore, we have implemented a system of charging overseas visitors that is fair and proportionate, working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure that the Charging Regulations are properly applied.
The Department regularly reviews the Charging Regulations, with consideration for their equity and impact on vulnerable groups, using a range of evidence and reports by organisations such as the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). We are committed to improving the support, guidance, and advice provided to trusts on the issues raised by the IPPR’s report. We are taking steps to further protect vulnerable groups by raising awareness of exemptions from charge and improving guidance and training for the National Health Service on identifying patients who are genuinely without funds.
Vaccines administered in Germany can be recorded in vaccination records and displayed in the NHS COVID Pass. This allows individuals resident in England but vaccinated in Germany to demonstrate their status and avoid self-isolation regulations in the same way as those vaccinated under the United Kingdom programme.
NHS England and NHS Improvement undertook a comprehensive mental health needs analysis was undertaken during summer 2021. It is expected to provide information about the current mental health needs of prisoners as well as the staffing skill mix and resources required to meet these needs. NHS England and NHS Improvement expect to publish the outcomes from this analysis by April 2022.
NHS England and NHS Improvement acknowledge there will continue to be restrictions on accessing group therapies until prisons move into stage one of the COVID-19 recovery regime.
Local recovery plans are in place to address the mental health and well-being of prisoners, which will include both individual and group therapy depending on restrictions. In the interim, telemedicine and digital platforms have been developed to support prisoners’ ongoing mental health and wellbeing across the prison estate.
NHS England and NHS Improvement undertook a comprehensive mental health needs analysis was undertaken during summer 2021. It is expected to provide information about the current mental health needs of prisoners as well as the staffing skill mix and resources required to meet these needs. NHS England and NHS Improvement expect to publish the outcomes from this analysis by April 2022.
NHS England and NHS Improvement acknowledge there will continue to be restrictions on accessing group therapies until prisons move into stage one of the COVID-19 recovery regime.
Local recovery plans are in place to address the mental health and well-being of prisoners, which will include both individual and group therapy depending on restrictions. In the interim, telemedicine and digital platforms have been developed to support prisoners’ ongoing mental health and wellbeing across the prison estate.
From 19 November, the NHS COVID Pass can be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel and is available through the NHS App and on NHS.UK. Booster vaccinations are not required for domestic certification in England.
There are currently no plans to record booster vaccinations in the NHS COVID Pass. Booster vaccinations are not required for domestic certification in England. We recognise that some countries are altering their vaccination requirements, therefore we are keeping this under review.
Vaccination sites order the vaccines they require to meet their clinic schedules. There are adequate quantities of vaccine for allocation across England and to date, over 99% of deliveries have been made on time and in full.
There are currently several hundred thousand doses for booster vaccination across the three North and East London integrated care systems - East London Health and Care Partnership, North London Partners in Health and Care and North West London Health and Care Partnership. This provides sufficient supply for each of the approximately 300 vaccination sites in these areas.
North East London Health and Care Partnership has a list of immunosuppressed patients, and other patients eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. General practitioner practices use this list to contact patients for COVID-19 vaccinations, in coordination with primary care colleagues and acute consultants.
Every eligible adult in England aged 18 years old and over has now been contacted and offered a COVID-19 booster vaccination, including immunosuppressed patients.
National contracts were used to secure all appropriate inpatient capacity across England, which came to an end on 31 March 2021. However, these contracts related to hospital capacity, not bed capacity. Total spend on hospital capacity and health services from private sector providers from March 2020 to March 2021 is not currently available as these contracts are undergoing a reconciliation exercise. It is expected that this will be completed by the end of 2021/22. However, information is being collated at independent provider level, rather than by specific area or region. From 1 April 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement returned to local commissioning arrangements and as such this information is not held centrally.
No recent assessment has been made. While national contracts were used to secure appropriate inpatient capacity and other resource in England, on 31 March 2021 these contracts came to an end. From 1 April 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement returned to local commissioning arrangements and as such this information is not held centrally.
We have announced £2 billion this year through the Elective Recovery Fund and £8 billion in the following three years to tackle the elective backlog. This will enable National Health Service commissioners and trusts to secure the capacity required locally.
This data is not held in the format requested.
The information requested is not collected centrally, as general practice workforce data is not available by hospital trust.
The service delivery model HMP Wandsworth has been reviewed and an assessment and liaison function is being established within the mental health team. While additional mental health practitioners are recruited, the wider mental health team is providing an assessment, liaison and case management function. This has enabled a review to ensure that referrals into mental health services are dealt with responsively with clear governance and oversight.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are maintaining oversight of these service developments and a number of governance mechanisms are in place to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation. These include a monthly Quality and Performance Board, regular site visits, attendance at the prison Local Delivery Board and regular meetings between commissioners and the lead healthcare provider at operational and strategic level.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are ensuring prison screening programmes are re-established and effective access to external treatment pathways is made available through telemedicine or in person hospital attendance.
In order to improve the understanding of existing medical conditions and needs of those entering the secure estate, such as drug use, mental health and alcohol-related disorders, NHS England and NHS Improvement are reviewing and updating the reception screening tool across the adult secure estate.
As a signatory to the National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare, the Department is committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the UK Health Security Agency to ensure safe, legal, and effective care that improves health outcomes and reduces health inequalities for prisoners.
To increase access to outpatient services, all secure and detained sites in England have now received the equipment to facilitate Telemedicine appointments within their establishment. Regions are working to establish connections with their tertiary and secondary health care partners to reduce the need to move a patient to sites external to the prison for a healthcare appointment.
No formal assessment has been made of the barriers to increased use of remote consultations in prisons in England. However, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw region is running a pilot connecting five prisons to one hospital trust for telemedicine appointments and has successfully implemented a clinical assessment and treatment service clinic using the telemedicine solution. Learning from this pilot is being rolled out across the English regions and other regions are now setting up similar services.
NHS England and NHS Improvement continues to work with other providers of services such as mental health organisations, probation services, voluntary community and social enterprise organisations, and liaison and diversion services to promote the use of telemedicine across the estate.
The NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) prison health data system ‘SystmOne’ already collects and holds ethnicity data for prisoners. NHSEI regularly review the data fields to ensure they are accurate and appropriate and provide quality audits and reports for internal use by commissioners.
From 2022 clinical records will work across a General Practitioner (GP) to GP system which will support a swift reconciliation of client data including ethnicity, as people transfer from community services into custodial settings and from custody back into the community.
The Department is funding, through the National Institute for Health Research, the ‘Understanding the scale and nature of avoidable harm in prison healthcare’ research project. This aims to identify the scale of avoidable harm in prison healthcare and understand which policies or processes could minimise the risk of this in the future. The project is currently due to complete in May 2023.
NHS England and NHS Improvement’s health and justice and health and inequalities teams are considering how the national Core20PLUS5 health inequalities survey for National Health Service professionals could be applied to prison settings. This will contribute to the monitoring and reduction of differences in health outcomes across priority areas such as maternal health, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and early cancer detection. In addition, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death will undertake a review of natural cause deaths of people who died whilst detained in prison.
The Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice meet regularly to discuss health services for people in prison. Officials from both Departments continue to work together to improve healthcare services and outcomes for all people in custody.
We have regular discussions with the Ministry of Justice on a range issues related to the provision of healthcare services in prisons.
We have no specific plans to do so. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement collect health information in the prison health data system which is regularly reviewed and analysed to improve healthcare services for prisoners. Where possible, comparisons will data for the general population will made.
Flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines are ordered by and delivered directly to prison healthcare teams in the same way as vaccination services in the community. The prison healthcare team will offer and administer the vaccines to eligible patients. Each establishment will decide on the best approach dependent on their facilities as to whether their clinics administer both the flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations at the same time or separately.
No such estimate has been made. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) advises that it is at an early stage in developing its estates a strategy, including understanding how any changes would impact on the care patients receive. The LAS will engage with the public and stakeholders on any proposed changes.
No such estimate has been made. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) advises that it is at an early stage in developing its estates a strategy, including understanding how any changes would impact on the care patients receive. The LAS will engage with the public and stakeholders on any proposed changes.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) do not hold data centrally on the number of breaches related to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The CQC’s records also do not separately identify records of breaches or other regulatory action related to ECT specifically. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom (UK). Its role is to set and enforce the standards all doctors must adhere to and it is responsible for ensuring that medical practitioners have the necessary skills and knowledge to join the UK medical register.
The GMC does not have data readily available on practitioners of ECT who have had their licence to practise restricted or removed.
The Electroconvulsive Therapy Accreditation Service (ECTAS) is an organisation of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and arrangements for participation are a matter for the College. The Care Quality Commission may consider ECTAS accreditation as part of the evidence used in its regulation. However, it does not receive details of the accreditation process or of members within the scheme.
As of 19 July 2021, 90% of prisons in England offered a first dose to their adult population. 99% of prisons had also offered both doses to those in Phase One priority cohorts 1-9.
Unvaccinated prisoners awaiting a first dose offer by this date were those newly admitted to sites, however many of them would have already been offered the vaccine in the community or in a previous prison.
NHS England and NHS Improvement collate weekly data showing the number of vaccinated adult prisoners there are in the prisons in England. As per the data from Friday 23 July (which included those who received their first or second dose on Monday 19 July), 43,276 had received a first dose and 23,819 had received a second dose.
As of 28 July 2021, all eligible adult prisoners in England were offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
As health is a devolved matter, any data specific to Wales would be a matter for their respective devolved administration.
As of 19 July 2021, 90% of prisons in England offered a first dose to their adult population. 99% of prisons had also offered both doses to those in Phase One priority cohorts 1-9.
Unvaccinated prisoners awaiting a first dose offer by this date were those newly admitted to sites, however many of them would have already been offered the vaccine in the community or in a previous prison.
NHS England and NHS Improvement collate weekly data showing the number of vaccinated adult prisoners there are in the prisons in England. As per the data from Friday 23 July (which included those who received their first or second dose on Monday 19 July), 43,276 had received a first dose and 23,819 had received a second dose.
As of 28 July 2021, all eligible adult prisoners in England were offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
As health is a devolved matter, any data specific to Wales would be a matter for their respective devolved administration.
We have no plans to do so. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for assessing the safety and efficacy of treatments. NICE provides guidelines on when doctors should consider using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) based on the available clinical evidence. Its guidance ‘Depression in adults: recognition and management’, includes recommendations on when ECT could be considered a treatment option for complex and severe depression. The Department expects commissioners and providers of services to pay due regard to these guidelines, which are kept under regular review.
It is a contractual requirement for general practitioner (GP) practices to publish the mean earnings of partners, salaried GPs and any locum who has worked in the practice for over six months.
GPs and partners with total National Health Service earnings above £150,000 per annum will be required to report those earnings by submitting self-declarations annually. The pay threshold at which earnings will have to be reported will change annually with inflation.
The Department is working with the social care sector to improve employee satisfaction through supporting wellbeing and increasing recognition for staff. To support the wellbeing of social care workers, we have worked alongside the National Health Service and other organisations to provide a package of emotional, psychological and practical resources for the workforce. This includes support helplines, guidance, bereavement resources and a bespoke package of support for registered managers.
We have also identified carers, paid and unpaid, as essential workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to give them much-needed acknowledgment of their critical role in keeping people safe and supported.
We are committed to reforming the adult social care system, including the provision of affordable personalised care and will bring forward proposals in 2021.
There are no plans to carry out any formal assessment. However, the report made a number of recommendations which are being taken into account as appropriate though existing aligned programmes of work being undertaken by the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement.
There are no plans to carry out any formal assessment. However, the report made a number of recommendations which are being taken into account as appropriate though existing aligned programmes of work being undertaken by the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Regardless of whether the contract holder is an individual, a partnership, or an organisation, all contract holders and providers of National Health Service core primary medical services are subject to the same requirements, regulation and standards. We have no plans to make a further assessment.
Regardless of whether the contract holder is an individual, a partnership, or an organisation, all contract holders and providers of National Health Service core primary medical services are subject to the same requirements, regulation and standards. We have no plans to make a further assessment.
Data on the number of patients diagnosed with sarcoma at stage I and II by each of these cancer cell types is not available in the format requested. Statistics on sarcoma are not published by stage at diagnosis because the subdivision of the small numbers of cases leads to unreliable estimates of incidence rates and trends.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has undertaken a thorough review into reports of an extremely rare specific type of blood clot in the brain in the United Kingdom, following vaccination with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. It is also considering other types of blood clots alongside low platelet levels. No risk factors for this unusual type of clotting disorder have been identified although the MHRA is continuing to monitor the emerging data.
There is no evidence those with a history of common types of thrombosis are more at risk of developing rare blood clots with low platelets after vaccination. Therefore, the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in individuals with a history of these conditions is not currently a contraindication. Individuals with past clotting episodes without low platelets and those diagnosed with thrombophilia remain at risk of COVID-19 disease and should be vaccinated with any of the available vaccines. However, as a precautionary measure, administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine in patients with a history of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or antiphospholipid syndrome should only be considered when the benefit outweighs any potential risks and use is contraindicated in those who have experienced major clots with low platelets after any COVID-19 vaccine or after exposure to heparin.
These rare events have also been reported in other countries with the Janssen vaccine. However, no predisposing risk factors have been identified. The available evidence does not suggest an increased risk of these rare events following administration of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is supporting a relevant study on mechanisms of immunothrombosis in Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT). Findings from this study are available at the following link:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102662
There are currently no clinical trials specifically looking at VITT in the United Kingdom. As the largest public funder of health and care research, the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including COVID-19 vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis.
We are investing an additional £110 million to expand adult mental health services including psychological and talking therapies and £111 million to increase the mental health workforce support patients with conditions such as COVID-19 VITT.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have already invested £2 million to fund the establishment of Respiratory Clinical Networks to support the delivery of the objectives set out in the NHS Long Term Plan and provide clinical leadership to respiratory services in managing the current and on-going demand posed by COVID-19.
A priority area for respiratory services in the Long Term Plan is spirometry and this will be supported through the 13 respiratory clinical networks and the national team. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for 2021/22 includes improved respiratory indicators. The QOF will measure patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on or after 1 April 2021 whose diagnosis has been confirmed by a quality-assured post-bronchodilator spirometry test.
For 2021/22, £325 million of capital funding has been allocated for diagnostic services. Discussions on how funding will be allocated are ongoing, including the establishment of community diagnostic hubs (CDHs). Diagnostics for respiratory conditions are part of the proposed ‘core’ services to be provided by CDHs. Pending the funding allocation, plans for mobilisation of CDHs from across England are currently under review and we anticipate some early adopter sites to provide services from summer 2021 with further CDHs opening in autumn.
The data is not available in the format requested.
The data is not available in the format requested.
The information is not collected in the format requested.
It is not yet clear what the physical, psychological and rehabilitation needs will be for those experiencing long-term effects of the virus, including those with chronic lung conditions. The National Health Service and the wider scientific community are currently working to better understand the disease course of the COVID-19 virus, including symptom severity and duration, long term effects and how best to support recovery.
Community Diagnostic Hubs will create additional capacity for patients presenting with respiratory symptoms which will support efforts to reduce waiting times. Elective waiting lists, including for those with respiratory symptoms, are managed at system and trust level with digital solutions available to ensure the most clinically urgent patients are managed first. In addition, £1 billion has been made available to the National Health Service in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective activity.
While we have made no official assessment, the NHS is taking steps to restore services and improve waiting times as a priority, including services for respiratory patients. In May, the NHS announced a £160 million accelerator initiative to rapidly trial further innovations and interventions to boost activity across all elective services.
Community Diagnostic Hubs will create additional capacity for patients presenting with respiratory symptoms which will support efforts to reduce waiting times. Elective waiting lists, including for those with respiratory symptoms, are managed at system and trust level with digital solutions available to ensure the most clinically urgent patients are managed first. In addition, £1 billion has been made available to the National Health Service in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective activity.
While we have made no official assessment, the NHS is taking steps to restore services and improve waiting times as a priority, including services for respiratory patients. In May, the NHS announced a £160 million accelerator initiative to rapidly trial further innovations and interventions to boost activity across all elective services.
The Government recognises that chronic health conditions, including chronic lung conditions, may result from a COVID-19 infection and that there is a need to invest in research to better understand these conditions and how to effectively support affected individuals. The National Institute for Health Research, with UK Research and Innovation, has funded a post-hospitalisation study to understand and improve long-term health outcomes for people hospitalised with COVID-19 and four research studies specifically looking at the long-term effects of COVID-19, in non-hospitalised individuals with funding totalling £18.5 million. In addition, a second £20 million ‘long’ COVID-19 research call is currently underway.
The Departmental funded evaluation of Liaison and Diversion services, published by RAND, found that these services are successfully engaging with a range of service users with diverse and often overlapping vulnerabilities. The evaluation has shown that the Liaison and Diversion model is successful in increasing referrals to mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services and diversion from custodial sentences. The Department will be working across Government to further analyse the report’s findings and identify opportunities to build on this successful model.
We remain focussed on our NHS Long Term Plan commitments including those to expand access to community mental health services for adults with serious mental illness, including those individuals with the most complex needs. This will help maximise the effectiveness of Liaison and Diversion services by increasing capacity for onward referrals and improving support available for individuals with multiple vulnerabilities.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.
No such assessment has been made.
The information is not held in the format requested.
The information is not available in the format requested.
Dedicated female practitioner leads were nominated for each Liaison and Diversion Service in 2018. In 2019 self-report questionnaires were issued to all Liaison and Diversion Female Pathway Leads to assess progress made against developing effective female pathways. Having analysed the returns, bespoke advice was offered to providers.
In November 2020 NHS England delivered a virtual Maternal and Perinatal Pathway Workshop to commissioners and providers of Liaison and Diversion services. NHS England regional Health and Justice commissioning teams monitor Liaison and Diversion providers performance against the service specification requirements to ensure that they are delivering a gender specific approach within Liaison and Diversion Services and that they have effective pathways in place for onward referrals to gender specific community based services.
We do not currently centrally hold data on the vaccination rates for directly employed prison staff, non-directly employed people who work within prisons or probation staff.
As of 19 April 2021 we have administered 23,281 first doses to prisoners eligible for vaccination during phase one. This represents an estimated 85% of eligible prisoners. In addition, 780 prisoners have received second doses which is 3.4% of the first dose total and includes some prisoners having a second dose in prison after a first dose in the community.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of communication programmes were initiated across the English secure and detained estate, including prisons and youth offender institutions, with the support of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service including using prison television broadcasts to address COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 care. Prison radio continues to feature programmes providing general medical information for patients in prisons delivered by clinical providers and a number of articles have been written for the prison magazine, Inside Times, as well as general notifications, such as leaflets translated into a number of languages posted across individual sites.
General practitioner and nurse-led services have continued to be present within all prisons in England. In response to COVID-19, telemedicine has been deployed at speed across the estate, enabling video calling for primary care, secondary care and mental health appointments within dedicated healthcare facilities. The provision of health services to those in public sector prisons in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.
Following the HM Inspector of Prisons’ report, we understand that a number of changes have been made to processes to ensure patients in the prison are able to see a general practitioner in a timely way, including clinical triage of patients placed on waiting lists based on need and a single point of administrative contact who will report when any patient has exceeded an appropriate wait time. Patients will also be able to refer themselves to healthcare services appropriately, in a timely manner and with any necessary support to enable them to communicate their needs. Officers will receive an introduction to the healthcare service as part of their induction and patients will receive this as part of their reception/transfer in.
The Face Covering Regulations require that workers in retail, hospitality and leisure venues wear a face covering where they come or are likely to come into contact with members of the public. Pharmacies are included in these requirements so both staff and members of the public must wear a face covering.
The information is not currently centrally held in the format requested.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees and how often they have met is not normally shared publicly.
We introduced the Test and Trace Support Payment (TTSP) scheme to support those where financial concerns can make it difficult to self-isolate.
We continue to work closely with the 314 local authorities in England to monitor the efficacy and payments made under the TTSP scheme. The discretionary element of TTSP is specifically designed to address the needs of people on low incomes, including those with no recourse to public funds, who need financial support for self-isolation and to encourage greater uptake of testing and to undertake self-isolation. We have provided an additional £20 million a month to extend the current scheme beyond 31 March into the summer.
The following table provides data on the number of patients spending more than 12 hours from decision to admit to admission in January 2021, by National Health Service region and Barts Health Trust.
| Number of patients spending more than 12 hours from decision to admit to admission |
NHS England East of England | 246 |
NHS England London | 1,534 |
NHS England Midlands | 405 |
NHS England North East and Yorkshire | 59 |
NHS England North West | 405 |
NHS England South East | 141 |
NHS England South West | 1,019 |
Barts Health NHS Trust | 376 |
It should be noted that Barts Health NHS Trust data is not comparable with other hospitals as it has three hospitals with major emergency departments within the Trust.
COVID-19 rates in London were higher compared to the rest of the country in January.
The increased number of 12-hour trolley waits seen in January 2021 reflects the extreme demand for beds in the system at this time, with delays reported due to awaiting COVID-19 test results, reduced bed stock due to social distancing and intensive treatment unit capacity expansion and reconfiguration of beds to meet COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 demand.
The Department is currently working with local authorities to gather information on the operation and impact of the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, including an assessment of the ethnicity of those applying for and receiving the payments. The results of the assessment and information covering any ethnic disparities will be published in due course.
All general practitioner (GP) practices are private businesses that are paid by the National Health Service to provide a health service to their registered patients. Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) holds details of the type of each GP contract holder in Newham, but not details of the full cooperate structure of the limited companies that hold contracts. Newham CCG does not directly contract with any private healthcare companies based in the United States.
There are currently no plans to make such an assessment.
We have made no such estimate. The Government continues to work closely with the 314 local authorities in England to monitor the efficacy and payments made under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.
The scheme is now being extended to the summer and funding to local authorities to make discretionary payments to people facing hardship is being increased to £20 million a month, to ensure local authorities can continue to make payments and support people on low incomes to stay at home and self-isolate when required to do so.
No such assessment has been made.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the commissioning of substance misuse services within secure and detained settings. In addition to structured treatment, unstructured treatment is also provided which can include harm reduction advice, brief interventions, mutual aid groups and signposting and information. This is not reported in National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data.
No such assessment has been made.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the commissioning of substance misuse services within secure and detained settings. In addition to structured treatment, unstructured treatment is also provided which can include harm reduction advice, brief interventions, mutual aid groups and signposting and information. This is not reported in National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data.
The Government recently announced an additional £80 million of funding in 2021/22 to enhance drug treatment services, including increasing the number of treatment places for prison leavers and offenders across England. This will improve access to community treatment for adults and young people following their release from a secure setting.
In addition, the NHS Long Term Plan introduced a new RECONNECT service which works with people before they leave prison and helps them to make the transition to community-based services. Of the new £80 million funding, £2.5 million will be invested in an enhanced RECONNECT service. This will support offenders with complex needs to engage with and get the right treatment from substance misuse and other services, for up to a year after release. The enhanced service will target those aged 18 to 24 years old.
The Government recently announced an additional £80 million of funding in 2021/22 to enhance drug treatment services, including increasing the number of treatment places for prison leavers and offenders across England. This will improve access to community treatment for adults and young people following their release from a secure setting.
In addition, the NHS Long Term Plan introduced a new RECONNECT service which works with people before they leave prison and helps them to make the transition to community-based services. Of the new £80 million funding, £2.5 million will be invested in an enhanced RECONNECT service. This will support offenders with complex needs to engage with and get the right treatment from substance misuse and other services, for up to a year after release. The enhanced service will target those aged 18 to 24 years old.
No such assessment has been made.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the commissioning of substance misuse services within secure and detained settings. In addition to structured treatment, unstructured treatment is also provided which can include harm reduction advice, brief interventions, mutual aid groups and signposting and information. This is not reported in National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have offered testing machines extensively to trusts who lead the diagnosis and treatment pathways, including those in prisons. Some prisons have taken up the offer, while others already achieve excellent rates of testing with other methods.
Furthermore, the High Intensity Test and Treat (HITT) programme have been implemented in prisons. HITTs involve partner services working together to offer testing to every person in prison on a short period of time. Those who are found to be positive are fast-tracked onto treatment, with a deadline of less than two weeks. The aim of the HITTs is the test at least 95% of the prison population, leaving prisons in a good place to achieve micro-elimination of Hepatitis C. Whilst these projects were disrupted during lockdown periods, several HITTs were able to take place during 2020.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned prisoner peer support schemes, run by the Hepatitis C Trust. The peers provide information about Hepatitis C to those at risk and work to engage with each individual on their own terms and encouraging and support individuals in testing.
Progress is being made towards the elimination of hepatitis C. Over 57,000 people have benefitted from new drugs which cure hepatitis C being made available on the National Health Service over the last few years. Up to 95% of those with a reported response to the treatment have been cured. Furthermore, death registrations for hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease and cancer fell by 20% between 2015 and 2018, exceeding the 10% reduction by 2020 World Health Organization target. This is a direct result of the investment in hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment.
All 112 prisons in England have access to hepatitis C diagnosis. Local authorities decide which method is utilised to achieve diagnosis. This is usually either a ‘point of care’ antibody test, a dry blood spot test or onsite PCR testing machines. Prisons may also have access to other diagnostic kit such as portable fibroscanners, to assess liver cirrhosis.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have offered ‘point of care’ PCR testing machines to every trust leading hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment pathways, including prisons. NHS England and NHS Improvement also offer the option of taking machines into 30 prisons per year as a part of the ‘High Intensity Test & Treat’ programme, to supplement reception screening.
Prisons in England use an ‘opt-out’ testing offer to diagnose hepatitis C infection. Testing is offered either at reception into prison or within 72 hours at the more extensive healthcare assessment. Individuals can be diagnosed, referred to a virtual consultation with the specialist treatment team and start treatment within days. Hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment for prisoners on a short sentence and remand will, to an extent, rely upon the prisoner rate of uptake for offered tests.
For those who start but do not complete treatment, medicines can be provided to take out on release and a ‘Follow Me’ facility can be used to ensure patients remain engaged with their treatment. Prisoners on short recalls are unlikely to start treatment within a one to two-week period. However, they will receive the opt-out testing offer and referral processes are in place for those individuals testing positive. If individuals are already diagnosed and/or have started treatment, this can be continued through case management between prison health and the trust specialist treatment team.
Prisons should not be used as a place of safety as alternative provision is available and more suitable for people who need to be kept safe.
No such assessment has been made.
Data on wastage of vaccination doses is not currently available. Work is ongoing across the vaccination programme to standardise and increase the information available for management purposes. However, no vaccines should be wasted.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that where vaccine remains unused following an offer of vaccination to those in detained settings, such vaccine could reasonably be offered to prison officers.
On 11 March 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that any left-over vaccine that cannot be used on detainees should be used for prison officers. This is increasingly unlikely given the numbers of detainees now eligible for the vaccine as the programme continues. However, in cases where vaccine remains unused following an offer of vaccination to those in detained settings, NHS England and NHS Improvement have been asked to consider offering those vaccines to prison officers, in order to minimise wastage in delivery of the programme.
This information is not held centrally. For those leaving custody, general practitioner registration should be arranged prior to release.
The information requested is not currently held centrally in the format requested.
The information is not collected in the format requested.
Ministers and officials have regular discussions with National Health Service providers on a wide range of issues relating to the current national restrictions.
National Health Service capacity is monitored by NHS England, while Public Health England publishes monitoring data on capacity at the following link:
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare
The Government will take a cautious approach to easing lockdown and will be guided by the data. Of the four tests to facilitate decision-making around the easing of lockdown, two relate to NHS capacity; evidence showing vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated; and evidence that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
National Health Service capacity is monitored by NHS England, while Public Health England publishes monitoring data on capacity at the following link:
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare
The Government will take a cautious approach to easing lockdown and will be guided by the data. Of the four tests to facilitate decision-making around the easing of lockdown, two relate to NHS capacity; evidence showing vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated; and evidence that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Taking regular annual leave is important to support staff retention, health and wellbeing and patient safety. Employers have a duty of care to staff to ensure staff have reasonable opportunities to take annual leave to rest and recuperate and, whenever possible, leave requests should be approved. However, the National Health Service is continuing to face challenges as it responds to the pandemic, so there is less flexibility as to when leave can be taken. Employers across the NHS are working hard to maximise available workforce capacity, including use of bank staff and returners to maintain quality of care as far as possible and enable staff to take leave. The NHS People Plan published in July 2020 includes a commitment to enhanced occupational and mental health support for NHS staff.
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Taking regular annual leave is important to support staff retention, health and wellbeing and patient safety. Employers have a duty of care to staff to ensure staff have reasonable opportunities to take annual leave to rest and recuperate and, whenever possible, leave requests should be approved. However, the National Health Service is continuing to face challenges as it responds to the pandemic, so there is less flexibility as to when leave can be taken. Employers across the NHS are working hard to maximise available workforce capacity, including use of bank staff and returners to maintain quality of care as far as possible and enable staff to take leave. The NHS People Plan published in July 2020 includes a commitment to enhanced occupational and mental health support for NHS staff.
Following the roundtable on 2 September, officials in the Cabinet Office Race Disparity Unit are supporting the Department of Health and Social Care in driving positive actions through a number of interventions on maternal mortality from an equalities perspective.
For example, NHS England and Improvement are introducing a funded and comprehensive national support offer which will be mobilised later this year. This will require Local Maternity Services to work towards achieving the ambition that 75% of Black and Asian women receive continuity of care by 2024.
NHS England sets day case and outpatient tariffs for a range of procedures where expert clinical consensus is that this may be appropriate. In the case of hysteroscopy procedures there is a single price.
NHS England recognises that few hysteroscopy cases are reported as outpatient procedures and that most are reported as day cases or inpatient cases. NHS England has raised this issue with the NHS Digital-led Expert Reference Group that covers this clinical area. Expert Reference Groups are led by clinicians nominated by their Royal Colleges to agree currency design changes and provide their views about whether the prices relativities are correct. The Expert Reference Group for this clinical area advises that the same price is set for all forms of diagnostic hysteroscopy procedures under Healthcare Resource Group codes MA31Z-MA34Z.
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database shows that there are approximately 4,817 cases which either contain the term ‘testing’ or ‘vaccination’. In order to determine whether these are representations concerning identification could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Department has provided emergency funding to Barts NHS Trust, including £6.1 million in 2019-20 for fire safety works. A significant portion has been carried out and work is scheduled to March 2022, with work designed to ensure clinical services can continue during construction work.
The Women’s Health Agenda is not a formal group and there are no meetings of the Women’s Health Agenda planned.
However, we are committed to considering the issue of painful hysteroscopies as part of our ongoing work on women’s health and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is currently reviewing the guideline regarding out-patient hysteroscopy, which has an explicit focus on minimising pain and optimising the woman’s experience.
The Test and Trace Support Payment of £500 was introduced on 28 September, to support people on low incomes who are unable to work from home if they are told to self-isolate by National Health Service Test and Trace and will lose income as a result.
The standard eligibility criteria include receipt of Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.
Local authorities can make a £500 discretionary payment to those who are not in receipt of any of the above benefits but meet the other eligibility criteria and will face financial hardship as a result of having to self-isolate. Depending on their individual circumstances, people who have no recourse to public funds may be eligible for a discretionary payment.
Prisoners eligible for transfer to National Health Service psychiatric units should be moved out of prison as quickly as possible.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working to revise the Department’s good practice guidance (2011) ‘Transfer and remission of adult prisoners under the Mental Health Act 1983 good practice guidance 2019’. The aim is to facilitate timely access to appropriate treatment under the Mental Health Act and reduce unnecessary delays based on clinical need.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have undertaken extensive public consultation on revisions to the guidance and had planned to publish the final version by spring 2020. The publication process has been delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic but NHS England and NHS Improvement intend to proceed towards publication as quickly as possible.
Prisoners eligible for transfer to National Health Service psychiatric units should be moved out of prison as quickly as possible.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working to revise the Department’s good practice guidance (2011) ‘Transfer and remission of adult prisoners under the Mental Health Act 1983 good practice guidance 2019’. The aim is to facilitate timely access to appropriate treatment under the Mental Health Act and reduce unnecessary delays based on clinical need.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have undertaken extensive public consultation on revisions to the guidance and had planned to publish the final version by spring 2020. The publication process has been delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic but NHS England and NHS Improvement intend to proceed towards publication as quickly as possible.
The report is currently being peer reviewed and will be published in due course.
Every woman who arrives at a prison in England is offered a pregnancy test on reception if they meet the eligibility criteria. Women can refuse to have a pregnancy test but if they do the subject is revisited with them as they settle into prison.
The take up of these tests is not nationally collected. We are unable to tell how many women take up the offer of the test as this information would sit on the patients’ notes.
As part of its ongoing policy responsibilities, the Department is considering the Charging Regulations in relation to the most vulnerable in society, including children and migrant pregnant women and new mothers. This includes ensuring the evidence base is sufficient and up to date where necessary and consideration of relevant legal duties, such as the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The Department has no plans to suspend the Charging Regulations or to launch an independent review of their impact.
Regulations came into force on 29 January 2020 to add Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (now known as COVID-19) to Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. This means there can be no charge made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis, or treatment, of COVID-19. Patients that are known to be undergoing testing and treatment for coronavirus only are not subject to Home Office status checks.
This information has been widely communicated to NHS staff and the public, including a message published on Public Health England’s Migrant Health Guide, which has been translated into 40 languages.
NHS England and NHS Improvement haveconducted a demand and capacity review of adult medium and low secure services to ensure they are in the right geographical location and delivering the right type of service in a timely way. This fed into the commitment to use National Health Service-led provider collaboratives to get appropriate, high quality secure care in place, which is being delivered as part of the implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan.
For high secure services, NHS England and NHS Improvement are in the early stages of a similar demand and capacity review as part of strategic commissioning work. This has been delayed due to the COVID-19 restrictions but is expected to inform the workplan for the 2021-26 high secure demand and capacity plan.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders to explore and model what impact COVID-19 might have on future demand and capacity in the adult secure estate.
Offenders should have access to the same range and quality of healthcare services as people in the community.
Responsibility for the provision of health services in prisons sits with NHS England and NHS Improvement, which will no doubt want to take the findings of this report and any possible implications for the delivery of prison health services into account.
No assessment is necessary as secondary care services are not provided by primary care staff in prisons.
Primary care staff facilitate the use of remote/digital services to support consultations carried out by secondary care staff where people in prisons have not travelled to out-patient settings.
Data on mental health transfers in prisons is only held at an aggregated level and it is not possible to determine median and percentile figures as this would require patient-level information.
Within adult prisons, 285 out of 979 (29.1%) transfers of a prisoner to a secure hospital for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983 in 2019 occurred within 14 days.
Data on mental health transfers in prisons is only held at an aggregated level and it is not possible to determine median and percentile figures as this would require patient-level information.
Within adult prisons, 285 out of 979 (29.1%) transfers of a prisoner to a secure hospital for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983 in 2019 occurred within 14 days.
We have made no such assessments. Primary care teams in prisons are working with their counterparts in secondary care to ensure people in prisons are able to access the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic, including through telemedicine where appropriate.
As COVID-19 is a new disease, there is no high quality evidence to guide clinical management in protecting patients with the disease from the increased risk of thromboembolism. NHS England and NHS Improvement are urging clinicians to support research which may evaluate methods to prevent or reduce harm from thromboembolism in the context of COVID-19.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are not planning to publish clinical guidance it commissioned in relation to venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19. NHS England and NHS Improvement are engaging with other organisations and professional bodies and looking to them to publish the guidance as soon as possible.
As COVID-19 is a new disease, there is no high quality evidence to guide clinical management in protecting patients with the disease from the increased risk of thromboembolism. NHS England and NHS Improvement are urging clinicians to support research which may evaluate methods to prevent or reduce harm from thromboembolism in the context of COVID-19.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are not planning to publish clinical guidance it commissioned in relation to venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19. NHS England and NHS Improvement are engaging with other organisations and professional bodies and looking to them to publish the guidance as soon as possible.
The Government launched its new NHS Test and Trace service on 28 May 2020. This includes enhanced contact tracing.
Public Health England’s local health protection teams and local authority public health teams are an integral part of the contact tracing system. They will be supported by around 25,000 additional contact tracers, a mix of call handlers and health professionals. Health professional applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role will be considered. The post is not band specific.
The Department does not hold this information.
Since 25 February the Government has delivered over 2 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the health and social care system within England, plus tens of millions more will have been distributed by the devolved administrations. This PPE is for frontline staff at care homes, home care providers and hospices as well as to hospitals, ambulance trusts, general practitioner practices and pharmacists.
Over 143 million items of PPE have been made available to social care providers through wholesalers. In addition to this, to date we have authorised the release of over 139 million items of PPE to local resilience forums.
The information is not available in the format requested. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 125,000 workers in care settings and over 118,000 care home residents have been tested through Departmental and Public Health England testing routes.
The Department does not hold this information.
The Department does not hold this information.
The Department does not hold this information.
The data is not held in the format requested. Since the start of the pandemic, over 198,000 workers in care settings and over 177,000 care home residents have been tested through Departmental and Public Health England testing routes.
Data on the number of relatives of care home employees that were tested on the basis of being a relative of a care home employee is not currently available or published in the format requested.
Data on the number of relatives of care home residents that were tested on the basis of being a relative of a care home resident is not currently available or published in the format requested.
The information is not available in the required format.
The information is not available in the required format.
Healthcare services for prisons in England are commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
As of 18 May 2020, no sites were reporting staffing issues that would impact on their ability to manage their patients’ care.
NHS England is the data controller for data processed in the NHS Data Store. It has engaged individual analysts from different tech companies under honorary contracts to assist with modelling data from the NHS Data Store, some of which are employees of Faculty. |
Palantir Technology UK is engaged by NHS England under contract as a data processor. As a data processor, the organisation does have access to the data but can only process it under instruction from NHS England. As such, a data sharing agreement is not required. The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the NHS Data Store is being published by NHS England in due course. |
NHS England is the data controller for data processed in the NHS Data Store. It has engaged individual analysts from different tech companies under honorary contracts to assist with modelling data from the NHS Data Store, some of which are employees of Faculty. |
Palantir Technology UK is engaged by NHS England under contract as a data processor. As a data processor, the organisation does have access to the data but can only process it under instruction from NHS England. As such, a data sharing agreement is not required. The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the NHS Data Store is being published by NHS England in due course. |
NHS England is the data controller for data processed in the NHS Data Store. It has engaged individual analysts from different tech companies under honorary contracts to assist with modelling data from the NHS Data Store, some of which are employees of Faculty. |
Palantir Technology UK is engaged by NHS England under contract as a data processor. As a data processor, the organisation does have access to the data but can only process it under instruction from NHS England. As such, a data sharing agreement is not required. The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the NHS Data Store is being published by NHS England in due course. |
NHS England is the data controller for data processed in the NHS Data Store. It has engaged individual analysts from different tech companies under honorary contracts to assist with modelling data from the NHS Data Store, some of which are employees of Faculty. |
Palantir Technology UK is engaged by NHS England under contract as a data processor. As a data processor, the organisation does have access to the data but can only process it under instruction from NHS England. As such, a data sharing agreement is not required. The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the NHS Data Store is being published by NHS England in due course. |
The Government receives a daily report on the number of COVID-19 home kits dispatched. This single, reliable figure is the only one used for external statistical processes. Home kits returned to the laboratories are uniquely identifiable and therefore not counted in the daily statistics for the number of COVID-19 tests processed.
The Government supports the right of staff working in the National Health Service to speak up and raise concerns. Speaking up is vital for ensuring patient safety and improving the quality of services and should be a routine part of business in the NHS.
The Government has proactively encouraged NHS staff to raise concerns over recent years, and provided support by establishing an independent National Guardian to help drive positive cultural change across the NHS so that speaking up becomes business as usual.
NHS staff remain free to speak in a personal capacity about their work.
The Government supports the right of staff working in the National Health Service to speak up and raise concerns. Speaking up is vital for ensuring patient safety and improving the quality of services and should be a routine part of business in the NHS.
The Government has proactively encouraged NHS staff to raise concerns over recent years, and provided support by establishing an independent National Guardian to help drive positive cultural change across the NHS so that speaking up becomes business as usual.
NHS staff remain free to speak in a personal capacity about their work.
The Chancellor created a £5 billion contingency fund to ensure National Health Service and public services have the resources they need, including personal protective equipment and has been clear that the NHS will get whatever funding it needs to respond to the COVID-19.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is looking for organisations who can support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components across the United Kingdom as part of the Government’s response to COVID-19.
The Chancellor created a £5 billion contingency fund to ensure National Health Service and public services have the resources they need, including personal protective equipment and has been clear that the NHS will get whatever funding it needs to respond to the COVID-19.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is looking for organisations who can support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components across the United Kingdom as part of the Government’s response to COVID-19.
The Department has well-established procedures to deal with supply problems affecting all medical products and supplies, including medicines, medical devices and personal protective equipment regardless of the cause, and work closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised.
A product supply response group has been set up to manage supply of products and to support any response to shortages required for the COVID-19 outbreak. The group is also considering the potential mid to long-term impacts of the outbreak globally. The Department is communicating with all stakeholders, including Royal Colleges, charities, patient groups, the NHS, the adult social care sector, and the devolved nations, and will continue to keep these stakeholders updated as the situation progresses.
Personal protective equipment has been issued to general practices since 9 March the packs include facemasks, aprons and gloves.
The Department has well-established procedures to deal with supply problems affecting all medical products and supplies, including medicines, medical devices and personal protective equipment regardless of the cause, and work closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised.
A product supply response group has been set up to manage supply of products and to support any response to shortages required for the COVID-19 outbreak. The group is also considering the potential mid to long-term impacts of the outbreak globally. The Department is communicating with all stakeholders, including Royal Colleges, charities, patient groups, the NHS, the adult social care sector, and the devolved nations, and will continue to keep these stakeholders updated as the situation progresses.
Personal protective equipment has been issued to general practices since 9 March the packs include facemasks, aprons and gloves.
The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the independent sector to increase capacity and resource within the National Health Service, adding around 8000 beds and 20,000 clinical staff. This will ensure that more facilities are available for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the independent sector to increase capacity and resource within the National Health Service, adding around 8000 beds and 20,000 clinical staff. This will ensure that more facilities are available for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
NHS England has an operating Framework for Managing the Response to Pandemic Influenza. It sets out the roles, responsibilities and functions of NHS England in preparing for and responding to an influenza pandemic. It is intended to complement and support existing plans, policies and arrangements. More information can be found at the following link:
Extensive advice and guidance on COVID-19 has already been produced by Public Health England (PHE), the National Health Service and others, some of which will be of direct relevance to people who misuse drugs and alcohol, and those in specialist treatment for drug or alcohol misuse and dependence. Additional targeted information is being provided in specific settings, including prisons and approved premises. These populations may have particular vulnerabilities and needs that are considered within this guidance, alongside other populations. PHE cascaded this information directly to local authority commissioners on 14 February 2020. The Government will continue to carefully monitor whether further resources need to be made available to protect this vulnerable cohort.
NHS England has an operating Framework for Managing the Response to Pandemic Influenza. It sets out the roles, responsibilities and functions of NHS England in preparing for and responding to an influenza pandemic. It is intended to complement and support existing plans, policies and arrangements. More information can be found at the following link:
Extensive advice and guidance on COVID-19 has already been produced by Public Health England (PHE), the National Health Service and others, some of which will be of direct relevance to people who misuse drugs and alcohol, and those in specialist treatment for drug or alcohol misuse and dependence. Additional targeted information is being provided in specific settings, including prisons and approved premises. These populations may have particular vulnerabilities and needs that are considered within this guidance, alongside other populations. PHE cascaded this information directly to local authority commissioners on 14 February 2020. The Government will continue to carefully monitor whether further resources need to be made available to protect this vulnerable cohort.
The London Ambulance Service remains committed to working with patient representative groups and the wider public, to further improve the care it delivers for Londoners.
I will meet with the Ambulance Trust and the Patients’ Forum to discuss the continuation of their partnership.
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan we have committed at least a further £2.3 billion a year to mental health services by 2023/24 meaning that spend on mental health will be growing faster than the overall National Health Service budget.
Based on core weighted population, an indicative allocation of £163.7m in clinical commissioning group (CCG) baseline investment and indicative allocation of £271.3 million in transformation funding will be made to North East London Sustainability and Transformation Partnership between 2019/20 to 2023/24, with Newham CCG modelled as receiving around 17.5% of this funding.
The Mental Health Investment Standard requires CCGs to increase the amount spent on mental health by at least as much as their overall budget increases. For the first time, in 2018/19 all CCGs met this level of investment.
Outpatient Hysteroscopy is an important topic, and we are open to discussing it at a future meeting of the Women’s Health Taskforce. It is not currently on the agenda for the next Women’s Health Taskforce meeting.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the design of the National Tariff. Any changes to tariff are made following significant engagement with stakeholders throughout the sector. The final changes are consulted on alongside an assessment of the potential impact to providers and patients.
The current statutory consultation on the 2020/21 tariff is open until midnight on Wednesday 22 January. The document considers changes to outpatient tariffs to support the delivery of the Long Term Plan, including outpatient transformation.
Hysteroscopy is covered by the outpatient procedures best practice tariff (BPT). The aim of the BPT is to encourage procedures in an outpatient setting, where clinically appropriate. Outpatient procedures provide the patient with a quicker recovery, as well as allowing them to recuperate at home and get back to work and daily life sooner. The National Health Service in England does not collect data on the incidence of severe pain during hysteroscopy or women discouraged from taking up diagnostic hysteroscopy as a result of fear of severe pain due to the procedure.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for the design of the National Tariff. Any changes to tariff are made following significant engagement with stakeholders throughout the sector. The final changes are consulted on alongside an assessment of the potential impact to providers and patients.
The current statutory consultation on the 2020/21 tariff is open until midnight on Wednesday 22 January. The document considers changes to outpatient tariffs to support the delivery of the Long Term Plan, including outpatient transformation.
Hysteroscopy is covered by the outpatient procedures best practice tariff (BPT). The aim of the BPT is to encourage procedures in an outpatient setting, where clinically appropriate. Outpatient procedures provide the patient with a quicker recovery, as well as allowing them to recuperate at home and get back to work and daily life sooner. The National Health Service in England does not collect data on the incidence of severe pain during hysteroscopy or women discouraged from taking up diagnostic hysteroscopy as a result of fear of severe pain due to the procedure.
The Integrated Review sets out the Government's approach to working with African countries. The Foreign Secretary has agreed a strategy to deliver on that approach in conjunction with other departments and agencies. We continue to share information on the implementation of our approach through various channels including speeches, visits, articles, and social media. For example, I set out our priorities in a speech at Chatham House on 14 December 2021 and during the oral evidence session of the International Relations and Defence Committee on 26 January. The vision is to build a network of liberty through partnerships with African countries, one that promotes British interests and leads to countries, and indeed the continent, being freer, safer, more prosperous, healthier and greener.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
In November 2021, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would provide a guarantee to the African Development Bank that would unlock up to $2 billion of additional climate finance for Africa.
Since November, the FCDO has been working with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) and Credit Rating Agencies to finalise the financial structure of the guarantee. The impact of the guarantee remains the same, with the guarantee expected to unlock up to $2 billion of climate finance for Africa. In the final structure, the FCDO will provide $1.6 billion of cover and ATI will provide $400 million of cover.
The UK is deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa and welcomed the timely conference on drought in the region convened by the UN and the EU in Geneva on 26 April. In January, I announced a £17 million package of emergency humanitarian assistance to address critical needs in Ethiopia (£5 million), South Sudan (£3 million), Somalia (£8 million) and Kenya (£1 million). In February, a further £5.5 million of support was allocated for Somalia, and in March a further £1.6 million to support the drought response in Ethiopia. On 26 April, I announced a further £25 million in aid to provide vital services to almost a million people in Somalia, including food relief and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) support, as the country teeters on the brink of widespread famine.
Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance alongside efforts to promote strengthened national disaster management capacity. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects, which promote soil and water conservation. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities through its multi-year resilience programme and in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.
The UK remains committed to promoting peace and security across the Horn of Africa.
Increased and diversified manufacturing of affordable, quality and effective vaccines will save lives, strengthen health services, and improve preparedness for future pandemics. COVID-19 vaccine availability has improved across Africa since late 2021. The UK is working with COVAX to increase coverage further in countries with weak health systems, prioritising the most vulnerable such as the elderly. We are supporting the Africa Centres for Disease Control's "Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing" by providing detailed market analysis on priority vaccines for the region, to inform manufacturers' and investors' planning. We have also provided technical support to develop business cases for vaccine production in South Africa, Senegal, and Morocco. Our approach contributes to sustainable vaccine manufacturing in the medium and longer term across Africa through commercially viable businesses operating within a well-developed ecosystem of skilled workers, innovative technology, and effective regulation.
The UK works with COVAX, WHO, Unicef and other partners in Africa to support strong and resilient national health systems. This includes improving public health functions such as surveillance, community engagement and vaccine confidence to prevent and prepare for future disease outbreaks and managing COVID-19 through integrating vaccination and access to tests and treatment as part of primary health care.
The significant impact of the pandemic on global economies, including the UK, forced us to take hard but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on Official Development Assistance (ODA) globally and in Tanzania. The original figure of £119 million published for the Shule Bora education initiative was reduced to £89 million. This remains a significant investment in the UK's commitment to supporting 12 years of quality education for all girls. The Shule Bora programme will reach over 4 million children in Tanzania and will help strengthen the impact of education investments. It is specifically focused on testing innovations in education, improving the overall quality of education and independently verifying results. The Foreign Secretary remains committed to restoring the overall budget across the FCDO for women and girls.
We note the report published on 6 April by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Its findings and other reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict are extremely worrying. These include mass detentions, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual and gender-based violence. UK Ministers and senior officials have underscored to the warring parties - at the highest levels - their obligations towards civilians. The protection of all civilians needs to be prioritised, human rights respected and those responsible for human rights abuses and violations held to account.
At a Special Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 17 December 2021, the UK supported and voted in favour of an EU-led resolution on Ethiopia which created an International Commission of Experts to investigate human rights abuses and violations committed during the conflict, and have pushed for this to be properly resourced. We urge all sides in the conflict to cooperate with this Commission of International Experts.
The UK Government was concerned by the unrest and violence in Senegal during protests in March 2021 with reports of protesters being killed. The UK is committed to promoting the protection of freedom, democracy and human rights. We will continue to support inclusive politics and institutions in Senegal. Our Embassy in Dakar regularly engages on these issues and is working with local civil society organisations to support media freedom and access to information in Senegal, which is essential for contributing to democracy and an open society.
We raised our deep concern at reports of sexual violence against protesters in Sudan at a meeting of the UN Security Council on 28 March, and with Sudan's military leadership on 6 April. The use of violence against protestors, including sexual violence, must stop and I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 4 April to question 147040 on issues of accountability.
The Government of Angola is working to improve its human rights record. On 20 April 2020, the Government approved a National Human Rights Strategy which is part of the Universal Periodic Review response and recommendations from the last two sessions of 2014 and 2020 of the UN Human Rights Council. The country's most significant, recent advances on Human Rights include the approval of a religious freedom law (Jan 2019), ratification of the UN Conventions Against Torture (UNCAT) and Racial Discrimination (CERD) and of the Optional Protocol on the Abolition of the Death Penalty (all deposited in Oct 2019). In October 2020, the Government approved a new Penal Code, which came into effect February 2021. The new Penal Code prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, granting to homosexual individuals the same liberties as any other Angolan citizen.
The British Ambassador joined like-minded partners in seeking clarification over the incident in Cafunfo in Lunda Sul province last year. Following an investigation by the Angolan authorities, shortfalls were identified in the crowd control strategies of the Angolan police force. Remedial training was provided by the authorities to avoid a repetition and ensure appropriate and proportionate action will be taken in future.
We are aware of reports that the governor of Amhara region in Ethiopia has asked Russia for support in the rebuilding of public infrastructure. It is not clear whether such support will be forthcoming, and we will continue to monitor to assess the implications of this. We are clear that a full ceasefire in the north of Ethiopia as well as an inclusive national dialogue to address long-standing grievances are essential before reconstruction can begin.
The crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon has had tragic impacts on the lives of civilians. The UK has called for continued humanitarian access, and on 14 April, alongside the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Cameroon, and other UN Member States, we joined the launch of the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). The HRP outlines how humanitarian actors will support 2.6 million people living in crisis areas with multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance.
Over the last five years, we have allocated over £21 million aid to Cameroon, which has included food supplies, sanitation, healthcare and social protection. This is supporting the World Food Programme and International Committee for the Red Cross to assist those affected in the North-West and South-West regions.
The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. This is a longstanding human rights policy priority for the UK Government, and we look forward to hosting a global summit to promote FoRB later this year.
The UK Government has followed Mr Bala's case closely, and has raised his case on multiple occasions with the Nigerian authorities, including following his recent sentencing. We believe that the right of individuals to express opinions is essential to a free and open society. We are concerned by the severity and length of sentence received by Mr Bala at trial. The British High Commissioner has expressed these concerns to the Kano State Government and the Nigerian President's Chief of Staff. We will continue to follow developments in Mr Bala's case closely, and will continue to stress the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief.
An armed separatist movement, the Liberation Front for the Cabinda Enclave (FLEC), has been active in Angola's oil-rich northernmost province, Cabinda, since 1963. Angola demonstrated its ability to hold peaceful and democratic elections in 2017, however, and there is no evidence to suggest that this will not be repeated. HMG, along with other likeminded partners, is monitoring this and will continue to encourage the Government of Angola and its National Electoral Commission to implement strategies for an inclusive, fair and transparent election.
Due to the need for discretion during sensitive policy, legal and financial negotiations, no discussions on the Migration and Economic Development Partnership were held with the International Organisation for Migration, States neighbouring Rwanda, or the African Union.
This new Migration and Economic Development Partnership is a world first and a major milestone in breaking the business model of people smuggling gangs. Rwanda and the United Kingdom are likeminded partners in their desire to tackle the global migration crisis and their track record in hosting refugees. There is a global responsibility to prioritise the safety and well-being of migrants, and Rwanda welcomes this partnership with the United Kingdom to host asylum seekers and migrants, and offer them legal pathways to residence. This is about ensuring that people are protected, respected, and empowered to further their own ambitions and settle permanently in Rwanda if they choose.
We continue to have active discussions in Ethiopia, with the Government of Ethiopia, Humanitarian Agencies and Regional Governments, on implementing the delivery of aid following the 24 March cessation of hostilities, and on exploring all routes to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance for Tigray. As I [Minister Ford] expressed in my statement of 1 April, the arrival of a humanitarian convoy in Tigrayan controlled areas on that day was a welcome development, but we need to see sustained humanitarian access to the region.
British International Investment's (BII) contract with DP World is not being considered as part of the review being undertaken by the Secretary of State for Transport of Government-held contracts with P&O Ferries or its parent, DP World, as BII operates at arm's length to the Government and all investment decisions by BII are made independently. BII's partnership with DP World is therefore not in scope for this HMG Review. The FCDO is not reviewing this contract as it adheres to the investment policy and policy for responsible investing that the FCDO has agreed with BII.
BII's Policy on Responsible Investing includes a focus on job quality, including the rights of workers and employees, is aligned to international best practice and sets out the approach to environment, social and governance (ESG) matters. All investments - including BII's investment partnership with DP World in Africa - are subject to these standards.
Africa has a sixth of the world's population, but accounts for just 4 per cent of global containerised shipping volumes. Ports are vital to the long-term prosperity of the continent. BII partnered with DP World to modernise and expand ports and logistics across Africa starting with three ports in Dakar, Sokhna and Berbera. Trade enabled through the three initial ports will improve access to vital goods for 35 million people and support 5 million jobs (138,000 created). By 2035, an estimated $51 billion in additional trade is forecast to pass through the ports, equivalent to 3 per cent of Senegal's GDP, 3 per cent of Egypt's GDP and 6 per cent of Somaliland's GDP.
The security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is concerning. The UK is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in the country. In recent weeks our regional network has raised our concerns about the recent increase in violence, protection of civilians and increased movement of armed groups with the governments of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda, as well as the leadership of the UN Peacekeeping Mission, MONUSCO.
Our Heads of Mission to DRC and Rwanda have met with DRC President Tshisikedi and the acting Rwandan Foreign Minister respectively, and the Minister for Africa has met with the Ugandan Foreign Minister. At the UN Security Council on 29 March, we urged the Governments of DRC and Uganda to increase their coordination with MONUSCO, to ensure the protection of civilians and the safety and security of UN personnel and humanitarian workers. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and engage bilaterally to improve the security situation.
On the work of the Office for Conflict Stabilisation and Mediation, we are witnessing a profound geopolitical shift following Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The FCDO is adapting its internal leadership arrangements and structures to ensure it is equipped to meet immediate and long-term global challenges. Implications for specific Directorates and teams are under review.
On the future resourcing of the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the Spending Review 2021 provides a three-year settlement of £2.65 billion to the cross-government CSSF. The Fund is managed by the Cabinet Office and yearly allocations are signed off by the National Security Council.
There have been recent reports of violence in South Sudan, including clashes between the two main Parties to the 2018 Peace Agreement. For now the Parties have stated that they remain committed to peace, but there remains a risk of miscalculation and further violence. On 23 March I [Minister Ford] urged all parties to de-escalate, condemning the violence and calling on the Government of South Sudan to exercise leadership and oversight of the nation's security forces. With our international partners we continue to deliver these messages and press the Parties to deliver their commitments. Through our Embassies and High Commissions we will also encourage the region, as guarantors of the Peace Agreement, to use their influence with the Parties to deliver peace.
We are concerned at the food insecurity situation in Sudan as highlighted by the 21 March Food and Agriculture Organization report. The World Food Programme (WFP) has subsequently estimated that up to 20 million people will face "emergency" or "crisis" levels of acute food insecurity in 2022. To help address this in 2021 we contributed £27 million to humanitarian assistance, via partners including the WFP, the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations. In 2021 our funding provided approximately 1.2 million people with lifesaving assistance (such as food, cash and voucher support, safe drinking water, shelter and sanitation), including providing over 500,000 vulnerable children with free school meals.
The overwhelming driver of current food insecurity in Sudan is the political and economic crisis. Since the military coup in October 2021, Ministers, British Embassy staff in Khartoum and senior FCDO officials have encouraged all Sudanese political actors to engage in the next phase of talks facilitated by the UN and African Union to resolve the crisis. This includes maintaining pressure on the military to engage in dialogue and deliver economic security; a message delivered on 3 March in meetings with Sudan's military leadership in Khartoum by senior FCDO officials.
We remain concerned at the political crisis and continued violent repression of protesters in Sudan. The US is right to condemn Sudan's Central Reserve Police for their use of excessive use of force against protesters. We will continue to consider all options to maintain pressure on the Sudanese security forces, including the possibility of sanctions. We would not normally speculate about future sanctions targets as to do so could reduce their impact.
We continue to press the Sudanese military to allow peaceful protests, protect human rights and deliver accountability for past violations. This message was delivered directly by senior FCDO officials to Sudan's military leadership on 3 March in Khartoum.
The FCDO conducts impact assessments as part of the annual business and country planning process, with reference to the UK's Public Sector Equality Duty (under the Equality Act 2010) and International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014. Official Development Assistance allocations, as part of the wider business and country planning process, will be strategically aligned with our future development direction as set out in the forthcoming International Development Strategy.
In line with practice across Government, the FCDO will not formally publish these impact assessments. As the Foreign Secretary has set out to Parliament, if we were to publish all impact assessments, it would discourage the candour of advice officials prepared. As we move through the project cycle, we will also continue to review the actual impact of our spending.
We will publish a new International Development Strategy in the Spring setting out our approach on these issues. This will include how we will deliver our health, climate change and conflict prevention commitments.
The International Development Strategy (IDS) will continue to position the UK as a leader on international development. Building on the extensive evidence and engagement underpinning the Integrated Review, the FCDO and other involved Departments are consulting and engaging with a wide range of global partners, NGOs, businesses, and experts on the themes and analysis underpinning the IDS. This has included roundtables with stakeholders led by my ministers and senior officials, and a Wilton Park workshop with external experts. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders in implementing the strategy, once published.
We are aware of various conflicting reports of an attack on the road to Guba in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. There has been significant unrest in this region for some time and the FCDO already advise against all travel to Pawe, Guba, Dangur, Dibati, Bulen woredas in the Metekel zone of Benishangul-Gumuz, and against all but essential travel to the rest of Metekel zone.
We are aware of longstanding engagement between Russia and Sudan, including the agreement in principle for a Russian naval base in Port Sudan. I have regularly voiced UK concern at Russia's influence across Africa, which capitalises on instability for their own interests. This message has been relayed at the highest levels in Sudan.
We remain concerned at violence in Abyei. We continue to urge Sudan and South Sudan to reach a resolution on the final status of the region to help end the longstanding conflict and violence between different communities. We also frequently raise our concerns at the UN Security Council and have helped ensure that the UN peacekeeping mission (UNISFA) has a robust protection of civilians mandate. British embassy officials in Juba and Khartoum maintain regular contact with UNISFA, most recently sharing reports of potential violence in order to help understand conflict dynamics, and to prevent or respond to any attacks.
We monitor developments in Gabon from our High Commission in Yaoundé (in Cameroon). We are aware of recent speculation in the British media about threats of a coup in Gabon. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. On elections, we stand ready to support the electoral process, working with international partners, including the EU and UN, in coordination with the Government of Gabon and call for all parties to engage constructively in the elections and uphold democratic principles including the rule of law.
The UK Government has not made an assessment of the number of citizens of African states resident in Ukraine. As of 8 March, 2 million people are known to have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR [link: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine].
The UK is supporting an international multisector response to severe and prolonged drought in the south of Madagascar. Through the World Food Programme (WFP) our food assistance support is targeted at whole families with varying numbers of children per household. In total we are reaching 100,000 people in 20,000 households. Through UNICEF our support to health and nutrition is focused on building the knowledge and capacity of parents and care-givers to prevent malnutrition and is reaching 150,000 mothers and primary care givers.
We are also a major contributor to other multilateral partners and UN agencies such as the World Bank; the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO); and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) who are working with the Government of Madagascar and local communities on important aspects of early recovery and resilience such as protecting farmland, replanting crops, and reforestation in the drought-affected south. Later this year we will launch DEFRA's £10 million Bio-Diverse Landscapes Fund to strengthen the sustainable management of nine forest protected areas throughout Madagascar, including in the south, over the next seven years.
UN figures indicate over 2.5 million Nigerians have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict. The UK remains committed to working with Nigeria to respond to the causes and consequences of conflict. We have provided £425 million of humanitarian support in North East Nigeria since 2017, which has supported up to 1.5 million people. I held lengthy and detailed discussions with regional governors, and community and religious leaders, about the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, including in the North East, during my recent visit to Nigeria.
We are concerned by recent closures of camps for displaced persons in Borno State which have relocated over 100,000 people. These people continue to be in need of humanitarian assistance and in some cases are moving to more insecure and ill-equipped locations. We have expressed our concern to Nigerian authorities at Federal and State levels, encouraging safe management of displacement that upholds global good practice. We are working closely with our partners on the ground and other diplomatic missions to monitor the situation and to promote sustainable approaches which ensures any movement is voluntary, safe, informed and dignified.
The UK does not provide any specific support to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo with regard to mobile telecoms. Our current bilateral assistance to DRC is £56.3 million, comprising £30.4 million for humanitarian activities, £17.4 million for health and education; £4.8 million for economic development; and £3.7 million for governance and stabilisation. The UK also supports the work carried out by the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, who through supporting stability across the country also help reduce the scope for criminal acts such a kidnapping. In 2021/22, the UK will contribute approximately £45 million and three military staff officers to MONUSCO.
The UK Government is aware of the death of journalist Evariste Djaï-Loramadji which took place during intercommunal violence in the village of Sandana on 9 February 2022. The UK encourages the Chadian Government to carry out a full investigation into the deaths of Evariste Djaï-Loramadji and civilians, and ensure that those responsible are held to account.
The UK Government is committed to the promotion of media freedom and freedom of expression worldwide. Like the UK, Ghana is a member of the Media Freedom Coalition and has signed the media freedom global pledge. This commits Ghana to improving global media freedom and taking action where journalists and media organisations are at risk. Our High Commission in Accra is aware of the cases raised and will continue to monitor the situation and push for media freedom in our regular discussions with journalists, members of Parliament and Government officials.
The UK and partners issued a statement on 2 March welcoming the UN report and the strong consensus it highlights on issues such as the need for a civilian cabinet, justice and accountability, and the role of women in the transition. Our statement made a clear call for all Sudanese political actors to engage in the next phase of talks to help achieve this. We will continue to advocate for such participation and to maintain pressure on the Sudanese military to engage to deliver the Sudanese people's demands for freedom, peace and justice.
The UK recognises how urgent and important it is to ensure countries most vulnerable to climate change, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa, are able to respond to the risks they face. At COP26 the UK committed £143.5 million to support African countries to adapt to the impact of extreme weather and changing climate.
The UK is fully committed to working with countries to honour the commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact at COP26, including through the Glasgow-Sharm el Sheikh work programme to deliver on the Global Goal on Adaptation; developed countries' commitment to at least double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing countries by 2025; and the Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage. This is in addition to the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use agreed at COP26, aiming to end deforestation by 2030 in Africa, supported by the Congo Basin Pledge, where 11 other donors in committing $1.5 billion for the protection of the Congo Basin Forests, and the land-mark $8.5 billion deal to support South Africa's just energy transition from coal with the UK, France, Germany, the US and the European Union - the first of its kind worldwide.
The UK agrees with the IPCC that global action to adapt to the changing climate has been insufficient and recognises how urgent and important it is to ensure countries most vulnerable to climate change, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa, are able to respond to the risks they face.
At COP26 the UK committed £143.5 million to support African countries to adapt to the impact of extreme weather and changing climate. These include, amongst others, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme to support African countries in designing and implementing transformational adaptation of their economies, supporting resilient water resources management through the Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme, and the Climate Adaptation and Resilience research programme to inform development in a changing climate in Africa. This is in addition to the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use agreed at COP26, aiming to end deforestation by 2030 in Africa, supported by the Congo Basin Pledge, where 11 other donors in committing $1.5 billion for the protection of the Congo Basin Forests and the land-mark $8.5 billion deal to support South Africa's just energy transition from coal with the UK, France, Germany, the US and the European Union - the first of its kind worldwide.
This also includes £19.5 million for the Shock Response Programme in the Sahel, working with the World Bank to strengthen government social protection systems in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, and support to the Centre for Disaster Protection to improve use of early warning systems and disaster risk financing. More recently we have completed a series of reports in partnership with the Met Office and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) to assess climate risks across regions in Sub-Saharan Africa to help embed consideration of climate risks across our work.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 2 March 2022 to question 127412 with regards to the situation in Burkina Faso. We are monitoring the political and security situation closely, and working with partners, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, to encourage continued dialogue around a mutually acceptable timeframe for elections.
I set out the UK's continued support for regional mediation efforts by ECOWAS in a meeting with ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, in Abuja on 22 February. I also discussed the situation in Burkina Faso with Ghana's Foreign Minister, Shirley Botchwey, in Accra on 24 February.
The UK Government was pleased to see calm restored in Guinea-Bissau following the attempted coup d'etat on 1 February. We are aware of reports of an attack on the offices of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, and continue to monitor the situation from our Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Those responsible for violence must be held to account.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 10 January 2022 to question 98238 with regards to the political situation in Somalia. The UK continues to work with the US and other international partners to promote stability in Somalia, including to encourage rapid completion of the electoral process. The UK takes account of the full range of policy tools at our disposal to promote these goals, protect human rights and discourage challenges to peace, security and electoral processes.
We are very concerned about the comments made by Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Our High Commission in Kampala is working closely with the Government of Uganda on the response to the Ukraine crisis. Deputy Foreign Minister, Henry Okello Oryem, issued a public statement stating that Kainerugaba's comments were not in line with the Government policy. We will continue to encourage the international community to unite on Putin's callous actions. Putin's war of choice is based on a series of lies. Russia continues to use disinformation to attempt to justify its military action against Ukraine. In total, more than 100 different stories promoting unfounded claims around pre-texts for invasion were identified being disseminated by Kremlin-controlled media in February. This is a transparent attempt at disinformation and to provide a pretext for military action.
The UK Government was deeply concerned by violence during the #EndSARS protests. We continue to monitor progress of the judicial panels of inquiry and have publicly reiterated the importance of transparency and accountability. We have also called for the transparent publication of all reports and stressed the importance of ensuring all alleged incidents of brutality by the security services are investigated fully, and the need for anyone found responsible to be held to account. We continue to call on the Nigerian police to uphold human rights and the rule of law in all operations and the UK Government will continue to follow all developments closely.
We continue to advocate for, and support, security sector reform in Nigeria. I visited Nigeria in February, and discussed the importance of human rights in my meetings with the Federal Government of Nigeria. During the recent UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (S&DP) Dialogue, we hosted a Human Rights forum, at which the UK agreed future cooperation with Nigeria on topics including: human rights and policing; human rights in conflict, including compliance from security forces; and women, peace and security.
The UK's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF)-funded human rights training on sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria will be delivered by the Centre for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC); the British Defence Section (BDS); the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); and the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Regional Stabilisation Facility. Figures are only available for 2021-2022; we estimate that over 650 police officers and over 3000 military personnel will receive training from CIVIC, UNDP and BDS by the end of the year. Additional military personnel will receive the ICRC delivered International Humanitarian Law/human rights training, which is integrated into British-military training courses run by Operation Turus.
Over 2 million people have left Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion and more will do so as long as President Putin continues his reprehensible and needless attack. We are concerned about credible reports of discrimination against people of African, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds amongst those seeking to leave Ukraine. The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. We have pledged £395 million of aid, which includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance and deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting refugees fleeing Ukraine, through providing logistics advice and analysis of needs on the ground.
We agree that the three Rome UN agencies have a critical role within the international architecture in achieving food security and improving nutrition, but that their collective potential is not being fully realised. The UK has led efforts at UN system-wide reform and has worked closely with other Member States on better collaboration between agencies for greater effectiveness and efficiency. The UK has been at the heart of ongoing reforms described in the Chatham House paper on introducing more transparent and merit-based procedures for selecting agency heads in Rome. These have included the introduction of hearings with candidates in IFAD and FAO. We welcomed Chatham House's contribution to public events prior to the last elections in those agencies and look forward to their continued engagement.
We remain concerned at the political crisis, instability and continued violent repression of protesters in Sudan following the military coup in October 2021. Sudan has a long history of extra-constitutional changes of government, often instigated by elements of the military, but our focus is on supporting the UN facilitated talks that aim to see a negotiated end to the crisis and a return to the path to democracy. Ministers, British Embassy staff in Khartoum and senior FCDO officials continue to call on all Sudanese actors, particularly the military, to engage in talks and deliver the Sudanese people's demands for freedom, peace and justice.
Digital technologies offer the potential to deliver bigger, faster, more transformative social and economic impact for all. We work to advise partner countries on inclusive and responsible digital transformation approaches. However, our Africa-related programming does not invest in global digital companies that contract local people to provide content moderation services. The FCDO is committed to delivering more and better jobs - seeking to improve job quality progressively and raise standards - both in Africa and in the wider world, in line with the ILO's decent work agenda and standards. The UK has ratified all of the ILO's Core Conventions underpinning the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The UK engages with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on country compliance with international labour standards actively as a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body and at the International Labour Conference (ILC). The ILC Committee on the Application of Standards is integral to the ILO's supervisory system and the UK encourages all countries to abide by high labour standards.
I raised the issue of large-scale detentions in Ethiopia with Minister for Justice Gedion on 20 January. We welcome recent releases, but now need to see due process afforded to those that remain in detention.
We run programmes in Ethiopia that support the media environment, and will to continue to engage in support of Media Freedom.
The UK is concerned by the disappearance of journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco in Cabo Delgado on 7 April 2020. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon raised this issue with President Nyusi and reiterated calls for an investigation into his disappearance. Journalists play a critical role, and must be free to carry out their work without fear of violence. The UK is working with partners in government and civil society to promote media freedom in Mozambique, including through supporting a December 2021 conference on the topic of investigative journalism to protect human rights in Cabo Delgado.
Through International Programme funding (formerly the Human Rights and Democracy Programme Fund) the FCDO is supporting the Security and Human Rights Implementation Mechanism (SHRIM), a multi-donor fund committed to improving business, security and human rights through the implementation of international initiatives in fragile contexts. In financial year 2021/22, UK funding to the SHRIM supported projects focussed on the extractives and private security sectors. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya this focused on private security sector governance. In Nigeria, the project supported government engagement with communities and established dialogue with companies. In Mozambique, the project supported the creation of a National Working Group on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights to provide a forum for dialogue and joint resolution of business, security, and human rights concerns. The projects have helped strengthen multi-stakeholder capacities to monitor and promote the respect for human rights.
In addition, the Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK) programme, working in partnership with the East Africa Law Society (EALS) is promoting sustainable, inclusive and responsible business practices across the region.
Compliance with the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers (ICoC) is monitored by the International Code of Conduct Association for Security Providers (ICoCA). The FCDO supports ICoCA through a seat on the ICOCA Governing Board, alongside two civil society board members from Nigeria and Kenya. Eight of the top ten countries with the most ICOCA members including affiliate Private Security Companies (PSC) are in Sub-Saharan African and Sahelian states. In order these are Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.
During the pandemic, ICOCA maintained engagement in the region through virtual means, which led to the creation of a Montreux Document Forum/ICOCA Membership Working Group in Nigeria. Pre-pandemic, ICOCA outreach and field missions to Kenya and Tanzania generated interest from PSC companies and their clients as did ICOCA's visit to South Sudan (November 2021), supported by the FCDO funded ICOCA procurement guide. FCDO funding also delivered training for PSCs on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan had the second, third and fifth largest number of PSC staff respectively to complete the PSEA training.
Our network of High Commissions across India work to promote gender equality and tackle gender-based violence. The issue of criminalising marital rape is currently with the courts in India, and it is right to respect Indian court processes. The British High Commission in New Delhi will continue to follow this closely, while recognising that legal amendments are a matter for India.
The devastation being caused in Ukraine has implications globally. This is being seen in the rising prices of staple foods at a time when there is already concerning levels of food insecurity in many countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. These ongoing issues are largely caused by structural problems, conflicts, climate shocks and economic impacts of Covid-19. The FCDO will continue to prioritise humanitarian assistance and in particular prevent famines wherever possible.
We regularly discuss the importance of human rights with the Government of Mozambique, and are clear that all allegations of human rights abuses and violations must be investigated, and those responsible brought to justice. We are supporting implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights in Mozambique, working with government, civil society and the private sector to promote a community-focused approach to security, and minimize the risks of human rights abuses. In December 2021 the UK supported a conference on the topic of investigative journalism to protect human rights in Cabo Delgado.
The UK Government is committed to empowering and protecting women and girls, including by supporting efforts to end the harmful practice of child marriage. Our programmes and advocacy in Nigeria continue to support efforts to improve the lives of women and girls, in areas including education, social protection, health, addressing gender-based violence, and economic empowerment. UK ODA has supported education in 11 states, reaching over 8 million children since 2009, and supported over 1 million additional girls to access schooling in six states since 2012. I was pleased to be able to discuss UK ODA support to Nigeria during my visit to Nigeria last month, where I held meetings with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors.
As an example, our basic education programme, Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), has a community engagement component that will support efforts to enable and improve learning for marginalised children (particularly girls). The programme will support interventions which encourage the postponement of marriage and childbearing. It will also work with a range of community stakeholders, such as traditional and community leaders, to address the social norms around early marriage.
The UK shares President Ramaphosa's grave concerns about the level of gender-based violence in South Africa. That is why we provided £1.3 million to South Africa's COVID19 Solidarity Fund to support 321 community-based organisations to respond to gender-based violence during the pandemic. At the end of 2021 the UK announced a contribution of £500,000 to South Africa's private sector-led Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund (GBVF Fund), which was launched in February 2021 and is also supporting the work of Women's Rights Organisations in this area. The GBVF Fund aims to help deliver the 2020 National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which includes support for vulnerable groups such as sex workers.
Half of all adults in Nigeria lack access to finance. The investment of CDC Group - British International Investment (BII) from 4 April - in First Bank of Nigeria aims to address the limited access to capital faced by underbanked groups in the country. This will include directing funding to women-owned and led businesses as well as to local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). For investments with a specific gender lens, BII applies the 2X criteria, a global benchmark for what it means to 'invest in women'. Impact data on the financing facility with First Bank of Nigeria will be published in summer 2022, around the same time as the CDC 2021 Annual Review.
Information on all of BII's investments is published annually on its website (available https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/our-impact/search-results/). In addition, details of the impact of BII's investments are included in its Annual Review. The latest Annual Review is also available on the CDC website (https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/annual-review-2020/).
If implemented the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) is an important tool to help Sudan address decades of conflict and marginalisation. This is however, bound to Sudan's wider democratic transition; for example power-sharing arrangements, security reforms and the composition of the transitional government, which was removed following the coup. As such, we continue to encourage all political actors to engage in dialogue and return to the democratic transition.
As part of our diplomatic engagement, HMG works closely with partners and allies in sub-Saharan Africa to increase awareness of and build resilience to disinformation. In Kenya, the British High Commission is working to understand the nature of the wider threat and its impacts. This includes targeted research led by British and Kenyan academics on social media disinformation and hate speech, as well as support to local organisations to monitor disinformation and build resilience to it. The British High Commissioner has also established dialogue with social media platforms (META, Google and Twitter) and facilitated networking with the Kenyan media and civil society. The research is beginning to identify non-Kenyan organisations that may be active in Kenya. To date we have not identified any UK based organisations engaging in such activities in Kenya.
Whilst the cocoa industry is important for the Ghanaian and Ivorian economies and supports the livelihood of millions of farming households, reports of children engaged in hazardous child labour remain very concerning. The UK welcomes both countries' continued commitments to this. These include Ghana's provision of information on the number of child trafficking cases investigated, prosecuted and convicted, and Côte d'Ivoire's First Lady's efforts to address child labour. The UK is a key supporter of the Cocoa Forest Initiative, a joint partnership with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, as well as 35 cocoa and chocolate companies, which aims to achieve a more sustainable cocoa sector.
HMG remains committed to improving traceability in the cocoa sector, so that British consumers can make more informed choices. We are partnering with Mondelez International and Fairtrade through the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility increase the resilience of cocoa farmers and their families to the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to accelerate income diversification. HMG has also pledged support ahead of the Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in May, in order to galvanise action towards Sustainable Development Goal 8.7.
The UK is a strong advocate of media freedom in Tanzania. We raise our concerns with the Government of Tanzania, both on legislation and where individual journalists are prevented from freely reporting or publishing. The UK is actively providing support to civil society and media in Tanzania through our Accountability in Tanzania 2 programme, including support to organisations directly contributing to the debate on reform of the Media Services Act. The UK welcomes the recent announcement of a review of the Media Services Act 2016 by the Government of Tanzania. We also welcome the recent lifting of bans on a number of newspapers, in line with a judgement by the East African Court of Justice.
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the consistently high number of abuses and violations and the restriction of civil and political rights. We expressed our concerns about repression of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors at the 48th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2021. We are following the arrest and sentencing of members of Lutte Pour Le Changement (LUCHA) and continue to raise the importance of free, peaceful democratic activism with our counterparts in DRC. The UK supports the work carried out by the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence. In 2021/22, the UK will contribute approximately £45 million and three military staff officers to MONUSCO, who contribute to the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO). UNJHRO continue to implement protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists. In 2021, 762 cases of threats and human rights violations against beneficiaries were addressed, including 595 human rights defenders.
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the consistently high number of abuses and violations and the restriction of civil and political rights. We expressed our concerns about repression of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors at the 48th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2021. We are following the arrest and sentencing of members of Lutte Pour Le Changement (LUCHA) and continue to raise the importance of free, peaceful democratic activism with our counterparts in DRC. The UK supports the work carried out by the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence. In 2021/22, the UK will contribute approximately £45 million and three military staff officers to MONUSCO, who contribute to the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO). UNJHRO continue to implement protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists. In 2021, 762 cases of threats and human rights violations against beneficiaries were addressed, including 595 human rights defenders.
In 2021-22, the UK has allocated £3.1 million (£9 million over the past 3 years) towards delivering accountable security and justice services to Kenyans and reducing conflict, insecurity and violence against women and girls. UK financial support and political lobbying has helped secure: the launch of Kenya's second National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to strengthen women's agency and participation in the country's peace and security; high-level commitment by the Kenyan police to an integrated Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) policy framework; and the establishment of a Gender Directorate within the National Police Service.
During my visit to Kenya on 17-18 January I met representatives of women's organisations from across the country to hear about their concerns around the upcoming elections. The UK has supported the National Police Service to develop guidelines to support professional and accountable police practice (including in SGBV management) during elections and trained 310 frontline officers on gender and conflict sensitive police response and public order management. We are also providing additional support for women's access to justice.
The UK welcomes initiatives across the African continent to uphold and extend the rights of people with disabilities, including the African Union's (AU) adoption of its African Disability Protocol. Ratification of the protocol is a matter for individual AU member states.
We support the assessment report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) and are concerned by the violence in the Ippy area. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 15 December 2021 to question 90376 with regard to the situation in CAR. Ending violence and building security is a clear priority in CAR. The UK continues to work closely with international partners to support efforts to bring stability to the country.
The UK Government has repeatedly supported calls for those responsible for the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre to be brought to justice. We maintain sanctions against five individuals accused of involvement in the stadium massacre. We welcome the work of The Global Survivors Fund and its Guinean partners in designing a reparation project to provide survivors with psychological, medical and financial support. We continue to monitor the situation and engage with international and regional partners, including through our Embassy in Conakry.
The £10 million concessional UKAid will be used to leverage pension fund and insurance money into a series of energy access developmental projects e.g. minigrids, cold hubs and clean cooking which align with Nigeria's and the UK's climate commitments at COP26. Decarbonisation and energy access can only be achieved by leveraging this institutional capital. There is a target ratio of at least 50 percent institutional or commercial capital in each investment. The UK's funding is debt and returnable by the investee companies to the trust fund, with a lower interest rate and the UK money potentially being first loss. This concessional finance makes it viable for the institutional funders to join. It will be used only in those projects which InfraCredit's investment committee determine are acceptable from a risk and cost perspective and which meet the dedicated UK adviser's assessment of developmental impact. External consultants will assess the performance of the UK initiative twice a year, with funded projects reporting on energy access, megawatt installed and private finance mobilised in line with the International Climate Finance methodologies. A Business Case addendum covering this has been approved by HMG Nigeria's Delivery board and is published on DevTracker. An economic cost benefit analysis has been done for the £10 million spend and a detailed investment agreement is in place with InfraCredit.
The UK has been a firm and consistent supporter for the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan as an essential part of monitoring the situation and delivering improvements. We continue to urge the Government of South Sudan to tackle human rights violations and to implement their commitments, including through implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement. At the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) we will lead efforts to maintain human rights scrutiny and support for South Sudan, including through the work of the Commission on Human Rights. The UK will also use the HRC session to press for robust monitoring and reporting on the situation in South Sudan to continue, as part of understanding the scale of the challenge and need for international attention and support.
We are concerned by the detention of eight journalists and civil society activists during a press conference hosted by a Member of Parliament in Juba on 22 February. Freedom of expression has an essential role to play in the establishment of peace and stability in South Sudan. We engage with the Government of South Sudan to urge them to protect human rights and to ensure that journalists, human rights activists and civil society are free to operate without fear of retribution. We regularly raise the importance of freedom of expression both publicly and privately. In support of the UK's Media Freedom Campaign we also provide assistance to journalists, including those detained or harassed by the government, and media associations in South Sudan.
The UK Government will continue to prioritise women and girls across all our foreign and development work. No decisions on funding for specific organisations or programmes in 2022/23 have yet been made to date as we are currently completing a review of future priorities in the light of the Spending Review settlement. Decisions on allocations will be published in the summer as part of the Annual Review.
The UK supports child protection services in Somalia through partners such as UNICEF. In 2021, UK funding supported community-based awareness raising for approximately 30,000 people, to strengthen the protective environment for children and women. Through the British Embassy in Mogadishu, the UK has raised its concerns about the vulnerabilities of children in armed conflict in Somalia and, at the UNICEF-led Group of Friends of Children Affected by Armed Conflict (CAAC) meeting in late 2021, underlined the need for a proactive approach towards protection. The UK has also engaged Somalia's Ministry of Education on policy and guidelines for implementation of Somalia's commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration. This policy will soon go to Parliament for ratification, and outlines actions to provide safe spaces where child victims of attacks on schools or recruitment by armed forces can receive legal, medical and psychological support.
The Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) Programme is the FCDO's flagship central programme on women's economic empowerment. Work has included partnerships with private businesses and work with grassroots organisations.
The FCDO's annual reviews have found that its performance has fully met expectations including in advancing women's land tenure security in Patna and Delhi. Initiatives have included launching housing finance and livelihood regeneration loans, providing financial literacy and digital training modules; and improving conditions of home based workers in Africa and South Asia. WoW's published reports 'The Double Day' and 'Unpaid and unrecognised: How business can realise the benefits of tackling women's invisible labour' contribute valuable knowledge to businesses on unequal and unpaid work and care. To date (since 2016 ) WOW has reached over 100,000 women across South Asia and Africa, providing them with improved access to higher productivity and higher return jobs; more diversified roles and improved working conditions in global value chains.
The UK has allocated £1,000,000 in humanitarian funding to support the response to the cyclone and tropical storm. This money is allocated through UNICEF and also a contribution to a Red Cross Emergency Appeal. Ahead of these weather events we have shared data and expertise from the UK Met Office, allowing partners to better prepare.
The UK is also a contributor to several pooled funding mechanisms which have made allocations to the cyclone response in Madagascar, including the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (approx. £600,000), the Start Network (£635,000) and the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (approximately £1,800,000).
The UK is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in DRC. In 2021/22, the UK will contribute approximately £45 million and three military staff officers to the UN Peacekeeping Mission, MONUSCO. MONUSCO works to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to address conflict for example through stabilisation support and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of armed groups. The DRC Government retains ultimate responsibility for security and stability, and we regularly discuss the importance of ensuring coherence, transparency, accountability and protection of civilians in security operations. The UK remains deeply concerned by the destabilising role the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, is playing in Africa. As I have said previously, the Wagner Group is a driver of conflict and capitalises on instability for its own interests, as we have seen in other countries affected by conflict such as Libya and the Central African Republic. Wagner does not offer long-term security answers in Africa.
We are aware of longstanding engagement between Russia and Sudan, including support to the military authorities. I have regularly voiced UK concern at Russia's influence across Africa, which capitalises on instability for their own interests. As such we are concerned by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's recent visit to Moscow.
Since the October 2021 coup, FCDO officials have engaged with all parties to encourage dialogue, demonstrate support for the democratic transition and an end to human rights abuses. The UK will continue to do so and, with our international partners, maintain pressure on the Sudanese military to deliver the Sudanese people's demands for freedom, peace and justice.
The UK is supporting the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) by providing financial and technical assistance. We have provided £20 million to the African Union (AU)/Africa CDC's Covid-19 response fund. The UK Public Health Security Agency (UKPHSA) has one full time adviser embedded in Africa CDC and the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team has four technical experts working remotely with Africa CDC to support the AU's COVID-19 response. In addition, the DHSC/UKPHSA New Variant Assessment Platform is providing technical support to build Africa CDC's genomic sequencing capability as a regional centre for genomic sequencing. The UK is also providing technical assistance to support the AU/Africa CDC's Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing to implement a roadmap for African vaccine manufacturing. I plan to meet the Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, again later this month and will discuss UK support to Africa CDC and its transition to an autonomous Health Agency.
We have a regular dialogue with the African Union (AU) about tackling illicit financial flows. This aims to ensure complementarity between their activity on illicit financial flows in Africa and the UK strategy set out in the Economic Crime Plan. The FCDO provides support and advice to host Governments, the private sector, and civil society across the continent - working both through UN agencies and through a network of Countering Illicit Finance Policy Advisors in key financial centres in Africa. At the request of host Governments, the HMT Technical Assistance Unit supports Financial Intelligence Units with building anti-money laundering/combatting the financing of terrorism capacity in Official Development Assistance eligible countries in response to recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The National Crime Agency provides capacity building in host Governments by supporting case work and mentoring on issues related to economic crime and corruption.
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces.
We work with international partners, including France and the United States, to raise the crisis in multilateral fora. At the UN Human Rights Council in September, the UK called for an end to violence and impartial investigations to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to account. We continue to regularly raise specific human rights concerns with the Government of Cameroon. We also urge the Government to remain engaged with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
As part of the response to this the recently detected case in Malawi, Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will vaccinate 22 million children across 4 countries to boost population immunity and prevent the spread of the virus. They are also increasing surveillance capacity in the region to detect any further cases. In addition to our longstanding support at a global level to GPEI, the UK is a strong partner to the Malawi Health Sector, including through our health systems strengthening programme which has a component aimed at building preparedness and response to health shocks such as disease outbreaks.
We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will work with GPEI, the Malawi Ministry of Health and partners on the ground to ensure a timely and thorough response to this outbreak and we await the findings of the investigation into this case.
The UK has expressed concerns about the circumstances of the death of Kizito Mihigo in February 2020 both in public and in private, and urged a prompt, independent and transparent investigation by the Rwandan authorities. During the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of human rights in Rwanda in 2021, the UK Government also recommended that Rwanda conduct transparent, credible and independent investigations into allegations of human rights violations, including deaths in custody. We discuss these issues with the Government of Rwanda through our High Commission in Kigali and at Ministerial level, most recently in January 2022. The UK encourages Rwanda to uphold and champion Commonwealth values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.
Women were a major driver behind the 2019 protests that fought so bravely for democracy. I met a number of inspirational women leaders, social reformers and entrepreneurs during a visit to Sudan in October 2021. The UK continues to stand with them and are concerned by continued violent repression of Sudanese protesters and civil society, including women. While we are pleased at the news that Amiera Osman has been released, she should not have been detained in the first place. Since the coup, we have consistently called for an end to all arbitrary detentions and human rights violations, and for Sudanese people to be able to protest without fear of violence. This includes statements the Foreign Secretary and I have made, and at UN Human Rights Council, the UN Security Council and G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting. With our international partners we will continue to show our support for a return to the democratic transition and maintain pressure on the Sudanese military to deliver people's demands for freedom, peace and justice.
The UK has provided an additional £14.5 million to respond to the extreme drought in Somalia in 2022, which is targeted at those in urgent need, including those who have been displaced. UK officials continue to work with the international community and Government of Somalia to deliver a scaled-up response to increasing needs.
The protection of all civilians needs to be prioritised, human rights respected and those responsible for human rights abuses and violations held to account. At a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on 17 December 2021, we supported and voted in favour of an EU-led resolution on Ethiopia which created an International Commission of Experts. This included a mandate to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law and international refugee law committed in Ethiopia, by all parties to the conflict.
We continue to call for justice and accountability for the victims of human rights abuses and violations, including through the International Commission of Experts and the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce set up by the Ethiopian Government. The 49th HRC Session will also hear the initial findings of the UN Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, Adama Dieng, who was mandated to report on the situation in Sudan since the coup, following UK leadership to secure an HRC resolution on Sudan in November 2021. As part of these discussions we will continue to call for accountability for violations and abuses and maintain pressure on the Sudanese military to protect human rights. We will also continue to engage fully in the ongoing UN-facilitated talks to reach a solution that leads to the restoration of civilian-led government, and meet the demands of the people of Sudan for freedom, peace and justice.
The situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) dated 17 February 2022 makes clear the critical shortage of fuel and other essential commodities in Tigray and consequently how relief operations across the region have come to a standstill.
Since the start of the conflict in early November 2021 the UK has been consistent in calling for unfettered humanitarian access so that life-saving supplies as well as fuel can be delivered. On my visit to Addis Ababa on 20 January 2022 I discussed the clear need for an urgent improvement in humanitarian access with the Government of Ethiopia, including in my meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. All parties to the conflict must facilitate free and unrestricted access for humanitarian goods and personnel in-line with international humanitarian law.