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).
Prevent gyms closing due to a spike in Covid 19 cases
Gov Responded - 28 Oct 2020 Debated on - 23 Nov 2020 View Maria Eagle's petition debate contributionsIn the event of a spike we would like you not to close gyms as a measure to stop any spread of Covid. Also for gyms to not be put in the same group as pubs in terms of risk or importance. Gyms are following strict guidelines and most members are following rules in a sober manner.
Exempt golf courses from the list of venues required to close due to Covid-19
Gov Responded - 23 Nov 2020 Debated on - 23 Nov 2020 View Maria Eagle's petition debate contributionsIsolation essential to the Government’s strategy for fighting coronavirus, and UK citizens must remain healthy and exercise whilst keeping adequate distance between people. The Government should allow golf courses to open so families or individuals can play golf in order to exercise safely.
These initiatives were driven by Maria Eagle, 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.
Maria Eagle has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to establish a public advocate to provide advice to, and act as data controller for, representatives of the deceased after major incidents.
A Bill to establish a public advocate to provide advice to, and act as data controller for, representatives of the deceased after major incidents.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to establish a public advocate to provide advice to, and act as data controller for, representatives of the deceased after major incidents.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to introduce limits on the age of tyres on buses and coaches; and for connected purposes.
Maria Eagle has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
In 2018, the leisure events industry contributed £39 billion to the UK economy and the GVA contribution was £30.4 billion. This includes arts and cultural events, music events and festivals, and sporting and recreational events.
We appreciate the important role that the live events sector plays in the UK’s economy.
We appreciate the important role that the live events sector plays in the UK’s economy, and that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the sector.
The Chancellor has announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme come to end. From November, the Jobs Support Scheme will provide further support to returning workers, while the extended Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will aid the self-employed who are currently actively trading but are facing reduced demand.
We are also offering businesses who face a drop in demand for their services and possible cash flow issues generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans, and are extending the application window of the government-backed loan schemes and continuing reduced VAT (from 20% to 5%) on concert tickets to March 2021.
We will give all businesses that borrowed under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years. This will reduce their average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. We also intend to allow CBILS lenders to extend the term of a loan up to ten years, providing additional flexibility for UK-based SMEs who may otherwise be unable to repay their loans.
In addition, the Secretary of State provided a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This support package will benefit the live events sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating.
Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total package up to £210 million.
We recognise that the live events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19. We continue to meet with the stakeholders to discuss the specific issues facing the industry.
We appreciate the important role that the live events sector plays in the UK’s economy, and that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the sector.
The Chancellor has announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme come to end. From November, the Jobs Support Scheme will provide further support to returning workers, while the extended Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will aid the self-employed who are currently actively trading but are facing reduced demand.
We are also offering businesses who face a drop in demand for their services and possible cash flow issues generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans, and are extending the application window of the government-backed loan schemes and continuing reduced VAT (from 20% to 5%) on concert tickets to March 2021.
We will give all businesses that borrowed under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years. This will reduce their average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. We also intend to allow CBILS lenders to extend the term of a loan up to ten years, providing additional flexibility for UK-based SMEs who may otherwise be unable to repay their loans.
In addition, the Secretary of State provided a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This support package will benefit the live events sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating.
Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total package up to £210 million.
We recognise that the live events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19. We continue to meet with the stakeholders to discuss the specific issues facing the industry.
On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors.
We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop detailed guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding. We will publish this guidance as soon as possible in July.
We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including live entertainment and outdoor events, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors back up and running as soon as possible. The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and it focuses on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors.
On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors.
We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop detailed guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding. We will publish this guidance as soon as possible in July.
We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including live entertainment and outdoor events, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors back up and running as soon as possible. The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and it focuses on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors.
DCMS is engaging with a range of departments to support the economic response to Covid-19, and ensuring that the needs of its sectors including live entertainment and outdoor events and those who work in them, are fully understood. DCMS will continue to work with these valuable sectors to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.
On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors including some businesses operating in the night time economy.
We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding, and we will publish detailed guidance as soon as possible in July.
The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This includes over 750,000 laptops and tablets that have already been delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities by the end of last week.
Figures on the number of devices delivered is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data. These figures are broken down by local authority and academy trust, depending on which organisation ordered devices. Information on delivery by constituency is not available.
We announced on 12 January 2021 that we are purchasing 300,000 more laptops and tablets, bringing the total to 1.3 million. The Get Help with Technology scheme will email all schools with information on the number of additional devices allocated to them, and when they will be able to order. Devices will be available from early February 2021.
We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.
The Uni Connect outreach programme operated by the Office for Student (OfS) has, since its inception in 2017, established 29 regional partnerships of universities, colleges, employers and other local partners, to provide sustained outreach to young people in schools and colleges in areas with low or unexplained gaps in higher education (HE) participation. The programme has been successful in addressing cold spots in outreach and enabling engagement from schools and colleges. Funding this programme has embedded a collaborative approach to widening access and enabled local partners to galvanise action around HE outreach to complement the funding already spent by Higher Education Providers on outreach as part of their Access and Participation Plans.
The initial investment in the Uni Connect programme to establish a collaborative model and set up a regional infrastructure comes to an end in July 2021, and so this is an appropriate time to consider the scope and objectives of the programme, including funding other areas of increasing importance for students and prospective students.
The OfS is currently consulting on the future of the programme. Whilst it has not undertaken individual discussions with Shaping Futures regarding the next phase of funding for Uni Connect, programme-wide updates have been provided to partnerships at regular meetings with the Programme Leads and Chairs.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, writes annually to the OfS, setting out the available teaching grant funding, and will issue the letter for 2021/2022 in due course.
The Uni Connect outreach programme operated by the Office for Student (OfS) has, since its inception in 2017, established 29 regional partnerships of universities, colleges, employers and other local partners, to provide sustained outreach to young people in schools and colleges in areas with low or unexplained gaps in higher education (HE) participation. The programme has been successful in addressing cold spots in outreach and enabling engagement from schools and colleges. Funding this programme has embedded a collaborative approach to widening access and enabled local partners to galvanise action around HE outreach to complement the funding already spent by Higher Education Providers on outreach as part of their Access and Participation Plans.
The initial investment in the Uni Connect programme to establish a collaborative model and set up a regional infrastructure comes to an end in July 2021, and so this is an appropriate time to consider the scope and objectives of the programme, including funding other areas of increasing importance for students and prospective students.
The OfS is currently consulting on the future of the programme. Whilst it has not undertaken individual discussions with Shaping Futures regarding the next phase of funding for Uni Connect, programme-wide updates have been provided to partnerships at regular meetings with the Programme Leads and Chairs.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, writes annually to the OfS, setting out the available teaching grant funding, and will issue the letter for 2021/2022 in due course.
The Uni Connect outreach programme operated by the Office for Student (OfS) has, since its inception in 2017, established 29 regional partnerships of universities, colleges, employers and other local partners, to provide sustained outreach to young people in schools and colleges in areas with low or unexplained gaps in higher education (HE) participation. The programme has been successful in addressing cold spots in outreach and enabling engagement from schools and colleges. Funding this programme has embedded a collaborative approach to widening access and enabled local partners to galvanise action around HE outreach to complement the funding already spent by Higher Education Providers on outreach as part of their Access and Participation Plans.
The initial investment in the Uni Connect programme to establish a collaborative model and set up a regional infrastructure comes to an end in July 2021, and so this is an appropriate time to consider the scope and objectives of the programme, including funding other areas of increasing importance for students and prospective students.
The OfS is currently consulting on the future of the programme. Whilst it has not undertaken individual discussions with Shaping Futures regarding the next phase of funding for Uni Connect, programme-wide updates have been provided to partnerships at regular meetings with the Programme Leads and Chairs.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, writes annually to the OfS, setting out the available teaching grant funding, and will issue the letter for 2021/2022 in due course.
The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. Over 750,000 laptops and tablets had been delivered to schools, academy trusts and local authorities by the end of last week, nearly 140,000 of which had been delivered this month.
We have also provided over 54,000 4G wireless routers, with free data for the academic year so that children have access to remote education. Routers have been distributed to schools, academy trusts and local authorities, who are responsible for allocating them to the families that need them most. For this reason, figures on the number of routers provided at constituency level is not available.
The Department has also partnered with some of the UK’s leading mobile network operators to provide free data to disadvantaged families, which will support access to education resources, including Oak National Academy, and other websites.
Families will benefit from this additional data until July 2021. Schools are able to request free mobile data uplifts via the Get Help with Technology service.
A number of mobile network providers are also progressing the zero-rating of educational resources, such as Oak Academy and BBC Bitesize.
The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on schools across the country. The Department acknowledges the continued hard work of all school staff in ensuring that pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress whilst putting in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff.
It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, but at the right time and in the right way. The Department is working with schools and Ofsted to decide the best way to achieve this in a sensitive and gradual way.
The Department and Ofsted are clear that schools are not expected to prepare for Ofsted inspections.
The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on schools across the country. The Department acknowledges the continued hard work of all school staff in ensuring that pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress whilst putting in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff.
It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, but at the right time and in the right way. The Department is working with schools and Ofsted to decide the best way to achieve this in a sensitive and gradual way.
The Department and Ofsted are clear that schools are not expected to prepare for Ofsted inspections.
The Department has invested over £195 million to support access to remote education and online social care. As part of this, we have already provided over 50,000 4G wireless routers, with free data for the rest of the 2020/21 academic year; 220,000 laptops and tablets in the summer term; and over 100,000 more this term to support disadvantaged children. Departmental guidance about remote education is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice.
The Department estimated the number of disadvantaged pupils without access to an internet connection using data on pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection. We know that schools and local authorities will have the best judgement of the children that need access to a device or internet connection.
We continue to provide 4G wireless routers, with free data, where schools face disruption and children need to access remote education.
In partnership with mobile network operators, the Department is providing temporary access to free additional mobile data, offering families flexibility to access the resources that they need the most.
Schools can request free mobile data uplifts for families who lack sufficient internet access until the end of the academic year via the Get Help with Technology service, when they experience disruption to face-to-face education or for clinically extremely vulnerable children. Further guidance about the Get Help with Technology service is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
It is vital that pupils continue to attend school for their education, wellbeing and long term development. Time spent out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. The Government guidance for the opening of schools during the COVID-19 outbreak is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
Children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should still attend school. Guidance on shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable persons from COVID-19 is available through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.
The usual powers to secure high levels of attendance continue to be available to schools and local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak. It would be for either the school or the local authority to decide if they wish to use a penalty notice as a sanction. When considering the appropriate action to tackle absence, schools and local authorities should consider the individual circumstances of each pupil and family and take the best course of action to support the child’s return to school.
Schools should consider concerns from pupils, parents and households who may be reluctant or anxious about school attendance and put the right support in place to address this. Schools will be able to provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.
Defra has been contacted by many individuals and organisations willing to generously donate their time, money and resources to helping the Ukrainian people. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is leading on the distribution of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Individuals who wish to help Ukraine are urged to donate to the Red Cross or DEC Ukraine appeals (www.dec.org.uk/). Cash donations will be more effective at enabling experienced aid workers to reach the people who need help the most, rather than donations of goods. Reputable NGOs such as these will be able to efficiently utilise existing supply chains.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is currently prioritising applications for vocational driving licences and has moved additional staff into this area. Applications for provisional vocational licences are being processed within the normal turnaround time of five working days.
Airlines’ schedules are subject to change at short notice and it is for that reason that we have not made a formal assessment of the number of flights that will be operated after the introduction of the new managed quarantine measures.
The Government will keep all our measures under constant review, including quarantine measures for international travellers and how long these are required for.
The Government recognises that the aviation sector has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Firms can continue to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees,VAT deferrals, and the recently-launched Airports and Ground Operations Support Scheme
If businesses find themselves in severe and urgent financial difficulties, even following these unprecedented support measures, then we remain open to discussion about bespoke financial support, but only as a last resort. Any intervention would need to be on terms to protect the interests of taxpayers.
The Government recognises that the aviation sector has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Firms can continue to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals.
If businesses find themselves in severe and urgent financial difficulties, even following these unprecedented support measures, then we remain open to discussion about bespoke financial support, but only as a last resort. Any intervention would need to be on terms to protect the interests of taxpayers.
The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury on matters related to aviation.
Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with the Aviation industry, including regional airports, throughout this crisis. We remain committed to an open engagement with the sector and continue to work with industry to establish relationships that will reflect Government’s priorities, both in terms of sharing information and giving industry the opportunity to feedback as policy develops, with the aim of helping retain jobs and return the sector to growth as soon as possible.
The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury on matters related to aviation. The Secretary of State meets regularly with his Cabinet colleagues including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in addition to the many more meetings attended by Junior Ministers or DfT Officials to discuss and achieve the goals to mitigate the effect of COVID-19.
The Government recognises the impact COVID has had on the aviation sector, particularly in light of the continuing restrictions. Firms can continue to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals or the new Airport and Ground Operator Support Scheme (AGOSS).
In total, we estimate the support we have committed to provide to the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) through the coronavirus support package, the new AGOSS scheme and through export development guarantees, will benefit the sector by around £6.5bn.
If businesses find themselves in severe and urgent financial difficulties, even following these unprecedented support measures, then we remain open to discussion about bespoke financial support, but only as a last resort. Any intervention would need to be on terms to protect the interests of taxpayers.
The government is focused on reducing the public health risks posed by community transition of COVID-19 and imported variant cases of the virus from overseas.
We are also developing a forward looking strategic framework on the recovery of the sector, which will include the government’s ongoing priority to support and strengthen regional connectivity.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.
In total, we estimate the support we have committed to provide to the overall air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) through the coronavirus support package, the new AGOSS scheme and through export development guarantees, will benefit the sector by around £6.5bn.
The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.
The Department has worked closely and extensively with representatives of Eurostar, airlines, airports, ferries, and ports throughout this process. This has included identifying applicable exemptions from the self-isolation requirements.
The Department has been working closely with the aviation sector and HM Treasury to produce and support measures which will ensure there is sufficient capacity to protect global travel routes, continue repatriation, freight and maintain vital connectivity. The Secretary of State has met with other Ministerial colleagues including HMT Ministers sixteen times over the last three months, in addition to the many more meetings attended by Junior Ministers and DfT Officials to help achieve these goals.
The Department for Transport has ensured the economic impact assessment, led by the Treasury, reflects the impacts the measures will have on the transport sector and the wider economy, and ensured specific and targeted exemptions to mitigate the impact.
The Department for Transport has ensured the economic impact assessment, led by the Treasury, reflects the impacts the measures will have on the transport sector and the wider economy, and ensured specific and targeted exemptions to mitigate the impact.
The previous Government announced its intention to bring forward legislation to ban the use of tyres aged 10 years and over on HGVs, heavy trailers, buses, coaches and minibuses in February 2019. A statutory consultation on legislative proposals, which concluded on 1 September 2019, received more than 1100 responses reflecting a wide variety of views.
The Government is committed to improving road safety. The Department for Transport is analysing the consultation responses and finalising the regulatory impact assessment. We expect to publish the conclusions of the consultation this Spring.
The previous Government announced its intention to bring forward legislation to ban the use of tyres aged 10 years and over on HGVs, heavy trailers, buses, coaches and minibuses in February 2019. A statutory consultation on legislative proposals, which concluded on 1 September 2019, received more than 1100 responses reflecting a wide variety of views.
The Government is committed to improving road safety. The Department for Transport is analysing the consultation responses and finalising the regulatory impact assessment. We expect to publish the conclusions of the consultation this Spring.
The previous Government announced its intention to bring forward legislation to ban the use of tyres aged 10 years and over on HGVs, heavy trailers, buses, coaches and minibuses in February 2019. A statutory consultation on legislative proposals, which concluded on 1 September 2019, received more than 1100 responses reflecting a wide variety of views.
The Government is committed to improving road safety. The Department for Transport is analysing the consultation responses and finalising the regulatory impact assessment. We expect to publish the conclusions of the consultation this Spring.
Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres remained open for claimants who required face-to-face support. From April, Jobcentres in England, Scotland, and Wales returned to their pre-lockdown opening hours and restarted face-to-face appointments, in accordance with government guidelines.
In line with current public health guidance, and with safety measures in place, Jobcentre Work Coaches are continuing to book face-to-face appointments for those claimants who are required to attend mandatory appointments as part of their conditions for receiving Universal Credit.
The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that particular time. There is no target of face-to-face appointments a full-time Work Coach is expected to deliver in one day. Appointments are determined by the circumstances of each claimant and the type of meeting being conducted. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach, and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.
Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstance. Jobcentre team leaders are responsible for assuring the quality services provided to individual claimants through a combination of observation of Work Coach interviews, feedback, coaching and appraisal.
Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres remained open for claimants who required face-to-face support. From April, Jobcentres in England, Scotland, and Wales returned to their pre-lockdown opening hours and restarted face-to-face appointments, in accordance with government guidelines.
In line with current public health guidance, and with safety measures in place, Jobcentre Work Coaches are continuing to book face-to-face appointments for those claimants who are required to attend mandatory appointments as part of their conditions for receiving Universal Credit.
The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that particular time. There is no target of face-to-face appointments a full-time Work Coach is expected to deliver in one day. Appointments are determined by the circumstances of each claimant and the type of meeting being conducted. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach, and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.
Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstance. Jobcentre team leaders are responsible for assuring the quality services provided to individual claimants through a combination of observation of Work Coach interviews, feedback, coaching and appraisal.
Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres remained open for claimants who required face-to-face support. From April, Jobcentres in England, Scotland, and Wales returned to their pre-lockdown opening hours and restarted face-to-face appointments, in accordance with government guidelines.
In line with current public health guidance, and with safety measures in place, Jobcentre Work Coaches are continuing to book face-to-face appointments for those claimants who are required to attend mandatory appointments as part of their conditions for receiving Universal Credit.
The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that particular time. There is no target of face-to-face appointments a full-time Work Coach is expected to deliver in one day. Appointments are determined by the circumstances of each claimant and the type of meeting being conducted. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach, and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.
Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstance. Jobcentre team leaders are responsible for assuring the quality services provided to individual claimants through a combination of observation of Work Coach interviews, feedback, coaching and appraisal.
Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres remained open for claimants who required face-to-face support. From April, Jobcentres in England, Scotland, and Wales returned to their pre-lockdown opening hours and restarted face-to-face appointments, in accordance with government guidelines.
In line with current public health guidance, and with safety measures in place, Jobcentre Work Coaches are continuing to book face-to-face appointments for those claimants who are required to attend mandatory appointments as part of their conditions for receiving Universal Credit.
The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that particular time. There is no target of face-to-face appointments a full-time Work Coach is expected to deliver in one day. Appointments are determined by the circumstances of each claimant and the type of meeting being conducted. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach, and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.
Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstance. Jobcentre team leaders are responsible for assuring the quality services provided to individual claimants through a combination of observation of Work Coach interviews, feedback, coaching and appraisal.
It is not the Department’s policy to use digital methods by default when contacting all Universal Credit recipients.
We have a number of methods to support us in communicating with claimants. When making an initial application for Universal Credit, individuals are able to opt for their preferred contact method.
Work coaches and claimants can also use Universal Credit online journals to communicate, unless it has been previously identified that this is not an option for the claimant. In these cases, the journal will be updated, however the claimant will also be contacted in a way that suits their individual needs, for example by a phone call.
This information is not collated as a matter of normal business and is only available at disproportionate cost to the Department.
This information is not collated as a matter of normal business and is only available at disproportionate cost to the Department.
This information is not collated as a matter of normal business and is only available at disproportionate cost to the Department.
The data for deductions in March and April 2020 is not yet available.
From 3rd April 2020, deductions from Universal Credit for some government debt, such as Tax Credits, benefit overpayments and Social Fund Loans were suspended initially for 3 months with a review. This was done to ease the financial pressure of debt recovery on benefit claimants and to also allow Debt Management staff to be re-deployed to focus on the unprecedented volume of new claims received during the covid-19 outbreak.
The latest available information on Universal Credit payment timeliness is published and can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
The department published a set of supplementary management information on the number of Universal Credit Advances paid by the four advance types. It is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-declarations-claims-and-advances-management-information
This management information will be updated on each Tuesday up to the end of June. Each week the release will include daily data for the time up to a week before the release date.
This information is intended for future publication
Statistics on Alternative Payment Arrangements for March and April will be published on 11 August 2020 and can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
The Department is open and transparent about our approach to benefit recovery, publishing our full Benefit Overpayment Recovery staff guide on gov.uk. Information regarding the waiver process can be found in chapter 8 of this guide. I have included a link below for your information.
In addition, when the Department informs claimants of a benefit overpayment (either by letter, or via the journal in Universal Credit), they are advised to contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss repayment. During this discussion, if a claimant expresses concern about repayment, Debt Management staff will inform them that they can request a waiver be considered.
It should be noted that a waiver can only be granted where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship, and where clear evidence of this can be provided.
The information requested for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) new claims registrations made in March and April 2020 is not yet readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. It is due for future publication in the PIP Quarterly Official Statistics which will be released on 11 June 2020.
We are closely monitoring all new assessment processes to ensure they are working well for those claiming health and disability benefits, as well as providing the right level of information to allow claims to be assessed.
The department’s priority is ensuring people get their benefit payments and that we can continue to support those who need us most. We are working with all our Assessment Providers to ensure we do not place people claiming health and disability benefits at unnecessary risk. As a temporary measure, this has included suspending face-to-face assessments and introducing telephone assessments. Health Professionals continue to make recommendations based on paper-based evidence, where possible, to avoid unnecessary assessments.
Assessments haven’t stopped. From 17 March we suspended face to face assessments for sickness and disability benefits for 3 months to protect vulnerable people (and assessment centre staff) from unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19. As always, wherever possible we will do a paper-based assessment. If further information is needed, the assessment provider may arrange a telephone assessment.
DWP is committed to paying people benefits and supporting our citizens at this time.
All face to face appointments have been suspended so that jobcentres are closed to the public except for in exceptional circumstances to minimise risk to the public and staff.
Where colleagues can effectively contribute to the department’s response working from home then they are doing so. Not all colleagues can work from home because they need to access equipment, programmes and support to enable them to do their telephony and processing work.
Measures are in place to ensure compliance with social distancing, including extensive communications, both through posters displayed in the office and on the department’s Intranet advising colleagues about how to work differently to ensure social distancing can be achieved.
We have also put in place a route for staff to escalate concerns to our regional Health & Safety teams. Cleaning regimes have been enhanced to include additional targeted touchpoint cleaning.
We will continue to follow Government guidance on social distancing and reflect best practice as the current situation evolves
We responded to the hon. Member’s letter on 1 November 2021.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority issued an exceptional use authorisation on 23 December 2020.
While the Government has not undertaken a formal impact assessment, we continue to consult widely with the travel and hospitality sector, including through the Global Travel Taskforce.
Over the few past weeks, Government Ministers and officials have engaged with stakeholders from across the aviation, maritime, hotel and hospitality industries and are finalising plans to implement the new scheme.
We replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 20 January 2021.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued an exceptional use authorisation to the Department, who have taken on the role of legal manufacturer. The devices deployed for daily contact testing at workplaces such as Jaguar Land Rover have received a CE mark for supervised use. As long as use of the devices is supervised, as is the case at Jaguar Land Rover, the MHRA considers their use within the CE mark and no further authorisation is required.
Anyone identified as the close contact of someone who has tested positive must complete their full self-isolation period, regardless of any negative test result during this period. The incubation period for COVID-19 varies from person to person and a test taken during the self-isolation period may not therefore necessarily detect the virus.
The standard operating procedure ‘Clinical Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Mass Testing with Lateral Flow Antigen Testing Devices – Workplace Asymptomatic Test Site’ and terms and conditions ‘DHSC Terms and Conditions for Covid-19 Testing of Employees 1.3’ with Jaguar Land Rover are attached.
Although there should be no requirement for employees to use the app, employers should not be preventing staff from using it if they wish to.
There are some specific scenarios when users should pause the app’s contact tracing function. For non-health and social care workers these are if the phone is stored in a locker or communal area or if the user is working behind a fixed perspex or equivalent screen.
The Government introduced the new, non-repayable, training grant, an extension of the Learning and Support Fund (LSF), of at least £5,000 per academic year in September 2020, for all eligible new and continuing pre-registration nursing students, studying at English universities. Continuing students on the NHS bursary are not eligible for the LSF package.
Students ordinarily resident in England choosing to study at a higher education provider in one of the devolved administrations are not eligible for the LSF. Student support arrangements for healthcare students residing in England but studying in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are set out in detail at the following link:
The Government introduced the new, non-repayable, training grant, an extension of the Learning and Support Fund (LSF), of at least £5,000 per academic year in September 2020, for all eligible new and continuing pre-registration nursing students, studying at English universities. Continuing students on the NHS bursary are not eligible for the LSF package.
Students ordinarily resident in England choosing to study at a higher education provider in one of the devolved administrations are not eligible for the LSF. Student support arrangements for healthcare students residing in England but studying in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are set out in detail at the following link:
The National Health Service Test and Trace Support Payment was a new scheme introduced on 28 September 2020, it is only for people who are told to self-isolate on or after this date and who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.
However, an individual may wish to make enquiries with their local authority about the discretionary fund available to individuals who do not qualify for the Test and Trace Support Payment but require corresponding financial support to self-isolate.
For both the Test and Trace Support Payment and discretionary payments, eligible individuals will receive their £500 payment on top of any benefits and Statutory Sick Pay that they currently receive.
The NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme was introduced on 28 September 2020, alongside the legal duty to self-isolate. People can apply for the Test and Trace Support Payment if they have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace on or after this date and they meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria will not be changed to include people whose isolation period predates the scheme.
As of 10 December, an individual notified to self-isolate by the NHS COVID-19 App because they have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is able to claim the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
On 22 June 2020, the Department set out a series of steps to relax the shielding guidance until shielding is paused on 31 July 2020. Full details are set out in the advice to clinically extremely vulnerable people at the following link:
The Prime Minister has called on industry to work with the Government to urgently develop a new test to determine whether people have developed immunity. Rapid upscaling will help National Health Service and other critical public sector staff back to work as fast as possible.
With a focus on ensuring the highest priority cases are tested first, officials are working to rapidly increase the number of tests that can be conducted by Public Health England and the NHS in laboratories, with the expected surge in capacity ready within weeks.
The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. As the UK is no longer a Member State, we no longer attend EU Health Ministers’ meetings. However, the UK continues to collaborate with the EU to tackle this outbreak by attending Health Security Committee meetings, sharing information through the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) and through engaging bilaterally with the European Commission and other European and international partners.
The UK Government advises people to donate cash through trusted charities and humanitarian partners, rather than donating goods. Unsolicited donations, although well-meaning, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent support from getting through. Trusted humanitarian partners are working with the Government of Ukraine and countries in the region to assess needs and delivering the assistance most required to meet those needs. It is usually more efficient for aid organisations to procure items that are required themselves, and locally, than to process, store, and distribute donated goods.
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with EU, NATO and other international counterparts.
The UK Government advises people to donate cash through trusted charities and humanitarian partners, rather than donating goods. Unsolicited donations, although well-meaning, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent support from getting through. Trusted humanitarian partners are working with the Government of Ukraine and countries in the region to assess needs and deliver the assistance most required. It is usually more efficient for aid organisations to procure required items themselves, and locally, than to process, store, and distribute donated goods.
HMG will also match-fund the public's first £25 million of donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our largest ever aid-match contribution.
Businesses and individuals sending goods as in kind donations to assist Ukrainian refugees have to follow UK export guidance and comply with any import rules in the EU or other country that the goods are going to. UK businesses can contact the Export Support Service by phone or online for advice.
The Government understands that people in the UK want to help. The Government advises that businesses and individuals should give money through trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations, rather than donating in kind assistance, such as blankets and clothing. Trusted humanitarian partners will be regularly assessing the need and delivering the assistance required to meet those needs. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal can be found here: https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal.
The Test and Trace Support Payment scheme in England and equivalent support schemes in the Devolved Administrations are linked to employment, and the legislative default is that these payments are liable to income tax. This is in line with the tax treatment of other COVID-19 support payments.
HM Revenue and Customs will use existing powers to gather data from local authorities on the payments made through this scheme. This information will be used to adjust the tax codes through the employer’s PAYE scheme for employees receiving Test and Trace Support Payments.
Such payments are normally liable to National Insurance Contributions (NICs), but the UK Government has granted a NICs exemption in England to reduce the administrative burden on the local authorities making the Test and Trace Support Payments and employers.
The UK Government is working with the Devolved Administrations to extend this NICs exemption to their equivalent schemes.
The Test and Trace Support Payment scheme in England and equivalent support schemes in the Devolved Administrations are linked to employment, and the legislative default is that these payments are liable to income tax. This is in line with the tax treatment of other COVID-19 support payments.
HM Revenue and Customs will use existing powers to gather data from local authorities on the payments made through this scheme. This information will be used to adjust the tax codes through the employer’s PAYE scheme for employees receiving Test and Trace Support Payments.
Such payments are normally liable to National Insurance Contributions (NICs), but the UK Government has granted a NICs exemption in England to reduce the administrative burden on the local authorities making the Test and Trace Support Payments and employers.
The UK Government is working with the Devolved Administrations to extend this NICs exemption to their equivalent schemes.
After eight months of the CJRS, the scheme will close at the end of October. The SEISS will remain open for applications for the second and final grant until 19 October.
It is the case that some sectors will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support those sectors appropriately.
The Government will continue to engage with businesses and representative groups with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for those sectors and for the economy as a whole.
Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors as part of ongoing policy development and implementation.
Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport are in regular contact with airlines, airports and unions to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector and its workers.
Following the Government’s announcement on 18 March of an initial wave of £1.6 billion of funding to respond to COVID-19 impacts on local councils, we continued to keep funding pressures under review, using both data collection and ongoing conversations with councils to refine our assessment.
On 28 April, the Secretary of State announced allocations of an additional £1.6 billion to individual local authorities.
Whereas the first funding allocation was primarily allocated to local authorities through the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula, in recognition that the greatest immediate pressures would fall on local authorities with social care responsibilities, this second wave of funding was allocated on a per capita basis. This reflects our latest understanding of the distribution of additional covid-related pressures, which are likely to be distributed in a way that is different from pre-existing needs. The 65:35 spilt in this per capita allocation between counties and districts in two-tier shire areas provides more funding to district councils than the first wave of funding, whilst providing significant support to social care authorities.
It is important that these two waves of funding are seen together and that false comparisons between the two are avoided. Across both waves, almost 70 per cent of district councils will receive £1 million or more in support, whilst more than 90 per cent of the funding will go to social care authorities.
Following the Government’s announcement on 18 March of an initial wave of £1.6 billion of funding to respond to COVID-19 impacts on local councils, we continued to keep funding pressures under review, using both data collection and ongoing conversations with councils to refine our assessment.
On 28 April, the Secretary of State announced allocations of an additional £1.6 billion to individual local authorities.
Whereas the first funding allocation was primarily allocated to local authorities through the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula, in recognition that the greatest immediate pressures would fall on local authorities with social care responsibilities, this second wave of funding was allocated on a per capita basis. This reflects our latest understanding of the distribution of additional covid-related pressures, which are likely to be distributed in a way that is different from pre-existing needs. The 65:35 spilt in this per capita allocation between counties and districts in two-tier shire areas provides more funding to district councils than the first wave of funding, whilst providing significant support to social care authorities.
It is important that these two waves of funding are seen together and that false comparisons between the two are avoided. Across both waves, almost 70 per cent of district councils will receive £1 million or more in support, whilst more than 90 per cent of the funding will go to social care authorities.
Government published guidance on GOV.UK on 19 March setting out how the children of those whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home will be prioritised for education provision.
Protecting vulnerable tenants and ensuring that residents of supported and sheltered housing schemes are safe is critical at this time.
The guidance is clear that if workers think they fall within the critical categories it describes, they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.
Liverpool City Council made an application for selective licensing under the condition of low housing demand across the whole city.
The evidence provided by the local authority was carefully considered against all the relevant statutory conditions, including those contained within section 80(4) of the Housing Act 2004. The application did not meet the statutory tests because it did not sufficiently evidence the existence of low housing demand in every ward in the city, nor that every ward would become an area of low housing demand.
Liverpool City Council made an application for selective licensing under the condition of low housing demand across the whole city.
The evidence provided by the local authority was carefully considered against all the relevant statutory conditions, including those contained within section 80(4) of the Housing Act 2004. The application did not meet the statutory tests because it did not sufficiently evidence the existence of low housing demand in every ward in the city, nor that every ward would become an area of low housing demand.
The Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside an evaluation of the use of remote hearings during the covid-19 outbreak. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) aims to publish the evaluation in due course.
HMCTS Reasonable Adjustment Guidance and training are intended for internal use and HMCTS does not intend to publish these materials. Remote participation in hearings provides an alternative method for conducting a hearing. However, attending a hearing remotely will not always be appropriate. The option to hold a remote hearing is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly. HMCTS is committed to ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to all users including those with hearing loss.
To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training. All judicial training materials are created and held by the Judicial College which is independent from the Ministry of Justice.
All judicial office holders have access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB). This is a publicly available guidance document that provides explicit guidance on a wide range of considerations, including with individuals who are hard of hearing. The ETBB is published here: www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book-February-2021-1.pdf.
HMCTS has issued guidance to staff highlighting that court/tribunal users with hearing loss may wish to use personal or specialist equipment including Roger assistive devices in our buildings. Where a court/tribunal user wishes to use equipment at a hearing not provided by HMCTS this is subject to judicial approval.
The Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside an evaluation of the use of remote hearings during the covid-19 outbreak. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) aims to publish the evaluation in due course.
HMCTS Reasonable Adjustment Guidance and training are intended for internal use and HMCTS does not intend to publish these materials. Remote participation in hearings provides an alternative method for conducting a hearing. However, attending a hearing remotely will not always be appropriate. The option to hold a remote hearing is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly. HMCTS is committed to ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to all users including those with hearing loss.
To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training. All judicial training materials are created and held by the Judicial College which is independent from the Ministry of Justice.
All judicial office holders have access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB). This is a publicly available guidance document that provides explicit guidance on a wide range of considerations, including with individuals who are hard of hearing. The ETBB is published here: www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book-February-2021-1.pdf.
HMCTS has issued guidance to staff highlighting that court/tribunal users with hearing loss may wish to use personal or specialist equipment including Roger assistive devices in our buildings. Where a court/tribunal user wishes to use equipment at a hearing not provided by HMCTS this is subject to judicial approval.
The Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside an evaluation of the use of remote hearings during the covid-19 outbreak. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) aims to publish the evaluation in due course.
HMCTS Reasonable Adjustment Guidance and training are intended for internal use and HMCTS does not intend to publish these materials. Remote participation in hearings provides an alternative method for conducting a hearing. However, attending a hearing remotely will not always be appropriate. The option to hold a remote hearing is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly. HMCTS is committed to ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to all users including those with hearing loss.
To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training. All judicial training materials are created and held by the Judicial College which is independent from the Ministry of Justice.
All judicial office holders have access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB). This is a publicly available guidance document that provides explicit guidance on a wide range of considerations, including with individuals who are hard of hearing. The ETBB is published here: www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book-February-2021-1.pdf.
HMCTS has issued guidance to staff highlighting that court/tribunal users with hearing loss may wish to use personal or specialist equipment including Roger assistive devices in our buildings. Where a court/tribunal user wishes to use equipment at a hearing not provided by HMCTS this is subject to judicial approval.
The Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside an evaluation of the use of remote hearings during the covid-19 outbreak. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) aims to publish the evaluation in due course.
HMCTS Reasonable Adjustment Guidance and training are intended for internal use and HMCTS does not intend to publish these materials. Remote participation in hearings provides an alternative method for conducting a hearing. However, attending a hearing remotely will not always be appropriate. The option to hold a remote hearing is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly. HMCTS is committed to ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to all users including those with hearing loss.
To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training. All judicial training materials are created and held by the Judicial College which is independent from the Ministry of Justice.
All judicial office holders have access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB). This is a publicly available guidance document that provides explicit guidance on a wide range of considerations, including with individuals who are hard of hearing. The ETBB is published here: www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book-February-2021-1.pdf.
HMCTS has issued guidance to staff highlighting that court/tribunal users with hearing loss may wish to use personal or specialist equipment including Roger assistive devices in our buildings. Where a court/tribunal user wishes to use equipment at a hearing not provided by HMCTS this is subject to judicial approval.
Remote participation in hearings provides an alternative method for conducting a hearing. However, attending a hearing remotely will not always be appropriate. The option to hold a remote hearing is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly.
HMCTS is committed to ensuring that remote hearings are accessible to all users including those with hearing loss. At the start of the pandemic HMCTS considered its public sector equality duty and completed an Equality Impact Assessment. This is regularly reviewed and updated.
The technology used to facilitate video hearings has the functionality to effectively support those with hearing loss. A range of adjustments can be provided, including speech to text reporters if live captioning was required and sign language interpreters. Additional support is also offered, such as regular breaks in a hearing.
Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch before any type of hearing to discuss any particular adjustments they may need so that people are not treated less favourably because of their disability.
HMCTS staff have access to reasonable adjustment guidance and training. All guidance raises awareness of the issues people may face, and the reasonable adjustments which may help them to fully participate in hearings.
The Judicial College ensures judicial training promotes equal treatment by weaving equality issues and case studies into training material. The judiciary have access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), and learning materials which provide explicit guidance on working with diverse individuals such as those who are hard of hearing.
HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch with HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. HMCTS staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they require in order to be able to provide reasonable adjustments. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for all of those people with hearing loss to be able to access hearings in person.
Reasonable adjustment guidance and broader disability guidance is provided to all HMCTS staff for in person hearings and remote hearings. All guidance raises awareness of the issues people with hearing loss may face, and the reasonable adjustments which may help them to fully participate in hearings. Guidance also provides practical help for staff to ensure they know what hearing enhancement equipment is available in their buildings for users and how to use it. It includes a checklist for making sure that staff have time to test hearing enhancement equipment and are comfortable with how it’s used.
The Judiciary of England and Wales is constitutionally independent of Government, so the MoJ does not issue guidance to the judiciary. Judicial guidance on equal treatment is provided through access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), published by the Judicial College, and learning materials which provide explicit guidance on working with diverse individuals such as those who have hearing loss.
HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch with HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. HMCTS staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they require in order to be able to provide reasonable adjustments. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for all of those people with hearing loss to be able to access hearings in person.
Reasonable adjustment guidance and broader disability guidance is provided to all HMCTS staff for in person hearings and remote hearings. All guidance raises awareness of the issues people with hearing loss may face, and the reasonable adjustments which may help them to fully participate in hearings. Guidance also provides practical help for staff to ensure they know what hearing enhancement equipment is available in their buildings for users and how to use it. It includes a checklist for making sure that staff have time to test hearing enhancement equipment and are comfortable with how it’s used.
The Judiciary of England and Wales is constitutionally independent of Government, so the MoJ does not issue guidance to the judiciary. Judicial guidance on equal treatment is provided through access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), published by the Judicial College, and learning materials which provide explicit guidance on working with diverse individuals such as those who have hearing loss.
HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch with HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. HMCTS staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they require in order to be able to provide reasonable adjustments. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for all of those people with hearing loss to be able to access hearings in person.
Reasonable adjustment guidance and broader disability guidance is provided to all HMCTS staff for in person hearings and remote hearings. All guidance raises awareness of the issues people with hearing loss may face, and the reasonable adjustments which may help them to fully participate in hearings. Guidance also provides practical help for staff to ensure they know what hearing enhancement equipment is available in their buildings for users and how to use it. It includes a checklist for making sure that staff have time to test hearing enhancement equipment and are comfortable with how it’s used.
The Judiciary of England and Wales is constitutionally independent of Government, so the MoJ does not issue guidance to the judiciary. Judicial guidance on equal treatment is provided through access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), published by the Judicial College, and learning materials which provide explicit guidance on working with diverse individuals such as those who have hearing loss.
There are no Government restrictions on the interment of ashes. It has never been Government policy to prevent the interment of ashes, and the Government amended the Regulations on 22 April to make it clear that it was only crematoria buildings which had to close to members of the public, except for funerals and burials. There have never been restrictions on the grounds surrounding crematoria, including burial grounds and gardens of remembrance. The restrictions on crematoria buildings were then lifted on 4 July.
The law does not compel the owners and managers of these places to keep them open, and there are many reasonable justifications for why they may need to close temporarily, such as when conducting a funeral, or for maintenance. The Government urges the owners and managers of these places to take all practical steps towards enabling these places to be visited, in a safe manner consistent with social distancing guidelines.
The information requested is not available.
The latest period for which data about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) are available is October – December 2019.
www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics