Mark Eastwood

The process of policy formation in the Church Commissioners takes into account a wide range of views, including those of bishops. The Commissioners will consider on a case by case basis any approaches from regional or local authorities wanting to submit expressions of interest for new Investment Zones that include land owned by the Commissioners.

The Agricultural Land Classification was reviewed as per the Agricultural Land Classification Map for Yorkshire and the Humber region (ref 10-111c). The site is identified as grade 3 agricultural land and referenced within the Planning Statement. The Environmental Impact Assessment submitted with the application looks at the impact of the development on soil.

Disclosure remains one of the most important and complex issues in the criminal justice system, and it is a priority for this Government to encourage improvements in disclosure practice in order to ensure the disclosure regime operates effectively, fairly, and justly. The first annual review of the operation of the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure has just been completed and will be published imminently. That review involved close collaboration with policing, the CPS and others in the criminal justice system and has led to some important amendments to the guidelines which should aid front line policing, particularly in relation to the development of an annex on redaction.

The new approach of the Guidelines gives clear guidance on only providing relevant information to the CPS, for example by cutting footage from body worn video or only including relevant message chains not an entire phone image. In this way there is less to redact, thereby helping the burden felt by front line policing and the CPS.

The consultation on the new approach to domestic upholstered furniture fire safety is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. The consultation will include draft regulations and will set out a proposed timetable for introducing the new approach.

The consultation on the new approach to domestic upholstered furniture fire safety is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. The consultation will include draft regulations and will set out a proposed timetable for introducing the new approach.

The consultation on the new approach to domestic upholstered furniture fire safety is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. The consultation will include draft regulations and will set out a proposed timetable for introducing the new approach.

As the UK’s designated postal operator, Royal Mail is responsible for the last mile delivery of NHS vaccination letters. The Government is working closely with Royal Mail to ensure that these letters are prioritised. As a private company, Royal Mail is responsible for its day-to-day operations.

We are determined to seize the economic opportunities of the net zero transition, including supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. The UK has a strong base to build upon – there are already over 460,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country.

We are investing in the UK’s workforce to ensure that people have the right skills to deliver our transition to net zero. This summer, BEIS and DfE Ministers jointly hosted a roundtable with businesses and academics along with DfE to discuss skills and net zero, which is the start of a sustained work programme to take forward policy in this area.

We will formally respond to the Committee on Climate Change June 2020 Progress Report on Reducing UK emissions in October.

The regulations have always identified homeware, building supplies and hardware stores as being among those businesses which may be regarded as legal exceptions to the requirement to close.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 does not include a definition on what constitutes a homeware retailer. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business exempt from closing having considered the Regulations.

Where stores do remain open they are strongly advised to do so only where staff and customers can adhere to PHE guidelines on social distancing.

Sports and physical activity are crucial for our mental and physical health.

On Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister announced a roadmap out of the current lockdown in England. The government has introduced a step approach to the return of outdoor and indoor sport areas across England.

Outdoor grassroots sport and outdoor organised team and sports participation events have been allowed to resume from Step 1b (29 March), but spectators are not permitted at sporting events taking place on private land at Step 1b, with the exception of adults only where they are needed to supervise under-18s that they have a responsibility for or providing care or assistance to a person with disabilities participating in an organised sporting event or activity. These adults should maintain social distance and not mix with other households.

This does not prevent people from viewing recreational or organised sport that is taking place in a public space (e.g. a park) at Step 1b or Step 2 (12 April), in groups of up to 6 people or 2 households. However, sporting events that are intended to attract spectators (including ticketed events), or events that are likely to attract a significant number of spectators (e.g. a major marathon), should not take place in a public space, or on private land, until Step 3 (no earlier than 17 May).

The Chancellor announced on 5 January another £4.5 billion in new lockdown grants to support businesses and protect jobs. This includes one-off top up grants to be delivered by local authorities for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, worth up to £9,000 per property, to help them through to the spring. A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses. Local authorities will receive the funding for these one-off grants next week, and we encourage them to make payments to businesses as soon as possible.

All local authorities in England will receive a top-up worth a total of £500m to their allocation from the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), which has already provided local authorities with £1.1 billion. This funding will ensure that local authorities can make discretionary grants to businesses which are not eligible for the LRSG (Closed) but which are nonetheless experiencing a severe impact on their business due to the national lockdown.

Eligibility for the one-off grants, as well as the existing LRSG (Closed) grants, is automatic. Businesses should contact their local authorities for more information on how to receive these grants, and in some cases they will need to provide additional information to their LAs.

Local authorities will run application schemes for the ARG, including for the £500m top-up, and will have significant discretion when it comes to deciding which businesses receive payments. Businesses should contact their local authorities for more information.

ARG guidance for LAs was first published on 3rd November 2019 and is updated regularly: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities

The Chancellor announced on 5 January another £4.5 billion in new lockdown grants to support businesses and protect jobs. This includes one-off top up grants to be delivered by local authorities for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, worth up to £9,000 per property, to help them through to the spring. A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses. Local authorities will receive the funding for these one-off grants next week, and we encourage them to make payments to businesses as soon as possible.

All local authorities in England will receive a top-up worth a total of £500m to their allocation from the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), which has already provided local authorities with £1.1 billion. This funding will ensure that local authorities can make discretionary grants to businesses which are not eligible for the LRSG (Closed) but which are nonetheless experiencing a severe impact on their business due to the national lockdown.

Eligibility for the one-off grants, as well as the existing LRSG (Closed) grants, is automatic. Businesses should contact their local authorities for more information on how to receive these grants, and in some cases they will need to provide additional information to their LAs.

Local authorities will run application schemes for the ARG, including for the £500m top-up, and will have significant discretion when it comes to deciding which businesses receive payments. Businesses should contact their local authorities for more information.

ARG guidance for LAs was first published on 3rd November 2019 and is updated regularly: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities

DCMS officials are working at pace on plans for the Youth Investment Fund, and continue to assess how COVID-19 is impacting on young people and youth services. We continue to engage with the youth sector as plans develop, and will publish further details in due course.

We are making over £100 million of funding available to support Education Investment Areas over the course of the Spending Review period. The Levelling Up White Paper, published on 2 February 2022, set out some of the support that will be available to schools in these areas.

In these new Education Investment Areas, the department will offer retention payments to help schools keep the best teachers in the highest priority subjects.

To drive up standards rapidly, schools in these areas that have been judged less than Good in successive Ofsted inspections could be moved into strong multi-academy trusts, to attract more support and the best teachers. This will be subject to a consultation in the spring.

Our Schools White Paper will set out further details on the funding available to Education Investment Areas, as well our plans to make a wider programme of support available to a priority subset of these areas.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review will set out our plan to improve provision for children with SEND across England. It will be published in the first 3 months of 2022.

Simpler Recycling will significantly increase the tonnage of household and business municipal food waste collected for recycling or composting in England, contributing towards Net Zero. The impact assessment accompanying our 2021 consultation estimated that over two metric tonnes of additional food waste per annum would be separately collected by 2030 under our central scenario for these reforms. These figures are being revised for our Final Impact Assessment on Simpler Recycling which will be published in due course.

We are committed to working with our friends and allies in the Commonwealth to remove unnecessary barriers to free and fair trade, strengthen trading relationships, and building better, greener and more resilient global supply chains.

Of the 55 other Commonwealth members, we have trade agreements with 33 and an additional 16 qualify for preferential access to the UK market under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

There are no current plans to proceed with a Commonwealth New Deal as we are negotiating an ambitious programme of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) at unprecedented pace to help our nation become a truly Global Britain. We are progressing negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as negotiating FTAs with India, Canada, Mexico, Israel, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Department is currently preparing a revised draft of the circular in light of feedback from a range of key stakeholders, including local government and police force representatives, as to what the guidance should contain. We plan to further engage with interested parties on this revision, with a view to publishing in due course.

Air services between the United Kingdom and other countries are governed by a portfolio of bilateral air services agreements, which set the framework in which airlines from both countries operate. Our agreement with Pakistan does not place any restrictions on the frequency or nature of direct air services. Any airline from the UK or Pakistan, designated under this agreement, can operate between any points in the two countries.

However, it is for individual airlines to determine whether to take advantage of the rights and routes available to them within any air services agreement. Market conditions, such as the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, often affect the commercial considerations of airlines.

My Department’s officials and the Civil Aviation Authority stand ready to assist any UK or Pakistan airline which wants to operate between the two countries.

As I mentioned to my hon. friend in the chamber this morning, the Government has recently made £350 million available to add another 209 stations to the Access for All programme. The stations he mentioned (Dewsbury, Shepley and Mirfield) were not successful in that round of money, but I would be delighted to meet and work with him to ensure that those stations get the funding they deserve, because our rail network needs to be accessible for everybody. Furthermore, Dewsbury and Mirfield stations are part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade programme which includes options to improve accessibility.

Throughout the duration of the Kickstart scheme, over 30,000 employers took on a young person, providing them with the opportunity to gain experience that would improve their chances of progressing to find long-term, sustainable work. Essential to this effort has been employers, including B&M retail, Superdrug, McColls, JD Sports and CDS Superstores, who were the top recruiters, taking over 8,000 Kickstart participants between them. As of the 4^th July, around 30,000 young people had yet to complete their Kickstart jobs.

As of May 2022, around 7 in 10 people were in paid employment 10 months after starting their Kickstart job. This figure is subject to revision and it includes participants who left their Kickstart Scheme job in less than six months.

The Kickstart evaluation will continue to assess the longer-term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six-month jobs, the fieldwork for the commissioned evaluation will continue until at least 2023. We will publish the findings once complete.

Notes section:

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme. The information provided on the number of employers is based on PAYE numbers, if an employer has more than on PAYE, they may be included in this figure more than once. In addition, the number quoted for young people in paid employment is based on those whose earnings are reported via RTI so does not include some groups such as the self-employed.

Pension Credit applications and take up have improved dramatically following the Pension Credit awareness campaign in April, and the Pension Credit Day of Action on 15 June; this involved work with broadcasters, media, newspapers and other stakeholder partners who were encouraged to reach out to pensioners to promote Pension Credit through their channels.

Although not all claims can be directly attributed to the campaign, early indications are that the day of action has been highly effective. Our internal management information suggests there have been over 10,000 Pension Credit claims made during the week of the media day – an increase of 275% compared to the same week in 2021, which itself was an enhanced week due to the 2021 Pension Credit Action Day.

The impact of these claim volumes on numbers of successful awards and on Pension Credit take up will take longer to establish given the usual cycle involved in producing those statistics. However, the campaign is ongoing including a particular focus on getting the private sector to drive forward efforts to enhance claims, and specific effort to reach out to communities who have traditionally not claimed Pension Credit. That work is very much ongoing.

As of 29 June, we estimate that at least 505,400 unemployed Universal Credit claimants and Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants have moved into work during the Way to Work Campaign between 31 January and the end of 26 June 2022.

This total figure is composed of our into work measure to the end of May (over 386,000) and our internal management information up to 26 June (58,900). We are now also able to include JSA claimants who have moved into work between 31 January and 9 June 2022 (35,100) into our total. Furthermore, we have also included those claimants with a sanction in place that moved into work during the period of the campaign up to 26 June (25,400). Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency and timeliness.

The number and proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments that have been carried out (a) face to face, (b) remotely, including telephone and video, and c) paper based, can be found in the tables below.

Please note:

• All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10
• Proportions are based on actual values and may not add up due to rounding
• Clearances volumes relating to remote channels and face-to-face after March 2020 are calculated from weekly MI and are representative of performance. All of the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the Assessment Providers
• Please note: the above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards

Provider performance is measured across a range of service level agreements setting out the department's expectations for service delivery. These include quality, performance delivery targets and customer experience.

For the years 2013 - 2022, the number of assessments per channel are:

With channel proportion as:

For more information, monthly performance measures against targets can be found in the attached PDF document.

A key criterion is clear, meaningful metrics that directly align to the core priorities of the Strategy. We are working with system partners, industry and patient groups and other key stakeholders to develop meaningful metrics for each initiative and for the overall robust evaluation of the strategy.

Our previous answer, which you reference in your question, outlined the range of different initiatives we are progressing. Each initiative is at a different stage of progress and will work up individual, appropriate criteria with their key delivery partners. These will be reported to programme governance structures as they become available.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Department’s inaugural Medical Technology (MedTech) Strategy was published on 3 February 2023, building on the broader Life Sciences Vision. We are committed to ensuring that the Department utilises innovative MedTech as implementation progresses.

The MedTech Strategy includes a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the end-to-end innovation pathway, including procurement routes, to expedite patient access to MedTech and boost adoption within the National Health Service.

The Innovative Devices Access Pathway pilot was launched on 19 September 2023. This new pathway will provide multi-partner support for the rapid development of innovative technologies for adoption into the NHS to address unmet clinical needs. More information on the pilot is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-innovative-devices-access-pathway-idap

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will undertake new Multi-Technology Evaluations of technologies in use and at a later stage in their lifecycle. These evaluations will enable comparisons between similar products and support the NHS to make better informed decisions on the right product for the right price.

The Department is working closely with NHS Supply Chain and NHS England to develop a consistent methodology for value-based procurement (VBP). VBP aims to shift procurement decisions away from an emphasis on reducing product costs to working with industry to consider technologies that represent a reduction in total costs within the patient pathway. Timeframes are still being determined.

The Department will consult on updating processes on applications to Part IX of the Drug Tariff to support the adoption of innovation in primary and community care.

The NHS Innovation Service is providing innovators with the resources, tools and support they need to increase the chances of getting their product or idea adopted by the NHS. More information is available at the following link:

https://innovation.nhs.uk/

We plan to assess the impact of these initiatives through the MedTech Strategy Programme governance structures.

The Department’s inaugural Medical Technology (MedTech) Strategy was published on 3 February 2023, building on the broader Life Sciences Vision. We are committed to ensuring that the Department utilises innovative MedTech as implementation progresses.

The MedTech Strategy includes a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the end-to-end innovation pathway, including procurement routes, to expedite patient access to MedTech and boost adoption within the National Health Service.

The Innovative Devices Access Pathway pilot was launched on 19 September 2023. This new pathway will provide multi-partner support for the rapid development of innovative technologies for adoption into the NHS to address unmet clinical needs. More information on the pilot is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-innovative-devices-access-pathway-idap

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will undertake new Multi-Technology Evaluations of technologies in use and at a later stage in their lifecycle. These evaluations will enable comparisons between similar products and support the NHS to make better informed decisions on the right product for the right price.

The Department is working closely with NHS Supply Chain and NHS England to develop a consistent methodology for value-based procurement (VBP). VBP aims to shift procurement decisions away from an emphasis on reducing product costs to working with industry to consider technologies that represent a reduction in total costs within the patient pathway. Timeframes are still being determined.

The Department will consult on updating processes on applications to Part IX of the Drug Tariff to support the adoption of innovation in primary and community care.

The NHS Innovation Service is providing innovators with the resources, tools and support they need to increase the chances of getting their product or idea adopted by the NHS. More information is available at the following link:

https://innovation.nhs.uk/

We plan to assess the impact of these initiatives through the MedTech Strategy Programme governance structures.

The Department’s inaugural Medical Technology (MedTech) Strategy was published on 3 February 2023, building on the broader Life Sciences Vision. We are committed to ensuring that the Department utilises innovative MedTech as implementation progresses.

The MedTech Strategy includes a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the end-to-end innovation pathway, including procurement routes, to expedite patient access to MedTech and boost adoption within the National Health Service.

The Innovative Devices Access Pathway pilot was launched on 19 September 2023. This new pathway will provide multi-partner support for the rapid development of innovative technologies for adoption into the NHS to address unmet clinical needs. More information on the pilot is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-innovative-devices-access-pathway-idap

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will undertake new Multi-Technology Evaluations of technologies in use and at a later stage in their lifecycle. These evaluations will enable comparisons between similar products and support the NHS to make better informed decisions on the right product for the right price.

The Department is working closely with NHS Supply Chain and NHS England to develop a consistent methodology for value-based procurement (VBP). VBP aims to shift procurement decisions away from an emphasis on reducing product costs to working with industry to consider technologies that represent a reduction in total costs within the patient pathway. Timeframes are still being determined.

The Department will consult on updating processes on applications to Part IX of the Drug Tariff to support the adoption of innovation in primary and community care.

The NHS Innovation Service is providing innovators with the resources, tools and support they need to increase the chances of getting their product or idea adopted by the NHS. More information is available at the following link:

https://innovation.nhs.uk/

We plan to assess the impact of these initiatives through the MedTech Strategy Programme governance structures.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice is to help British nationals make informed decisions about foreign travel. The Government's overriding concern is always the safety and security of British nationals. Whether travel is essential or not is a personal decision. Travellers may have urgent family or business commitments to attend to. Circumstances differ from person to person. Only individuals can make an informed decision based on the risks.

There has been no contribution from the UK Government to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (the Protocol) Investment Fund. The UK does not hold information on the contributions of other Parties.

The Investment Fund is not yet operational and requires an Oversight Committee to be established. We would expect fundraising to commence after this is formed.

There has been no contribution from the UK Government to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (the Protocol) Investment Fund. The UK does not hold information on the contributions of other Parties.

The Investment Fund is not yet operational and requires an Oversight Committee to be established. We would expect fundraising to commence after this is formed.

As part of our response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Lukashenko regime is being made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin. The UK is working with our international partners to prevent those who fail to respect the rules-based international order from reaping its benefits.

To that end, on 15 March, the government announced an additional 35 per cent tariff on certain goods of Russian and Belarusian origin. The decision to include Belarus in scope of this measure is to prevent circumvention of Russian-origin goods, and is in line with the evolving sanctions position.

When designing this policy, the government considered the sectoral impacts on the UK economy alongside our wider objectives. To help businesses adjust, the Department for International Trade has exempted goods that had left Belarus or Russia before the legislation entered into force on 25 March 2022. If UK businesses have any questions about trading with Ukraine, Russia or Belarus they can contact the government's Export Support Service.

We will continue to keep these measures under review.

The Home Office has listened to the security concerns of our faith communities, including through the recent public consultation on faith security. We recognise that protective security must be tailored to support the specific requirements of faith communities. The Home Office is currently developing a security training package, which will be suitable for all faiths. This will ensure that our commitment of 19 March 2019 to deliver this training within three years is met. Security advice for places of worship is currently available for free from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office on GOV.UK.

These clauses in the Environment Bill support the Government's increased ambitions for nature and to deliver on our world leading target of halting species decline by 2030. The clauses reflect the importance of furthering the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and will enable the Secretary of State to introduce regulations which amend the Habitats Regulations as they apply in England. This will provide greater legal certainty and make environmental processes clearer, to help improve the condition of our most important habitats. The Secretary of State may only make regulations under these clauses if they are satisfied that the regulations do not reduce the level of environmental protection provided by the Habitats Regulations. These changes complement MHCLG's commitment to encourage biodiversity net gain through the planning system, as set out in our Planning for the Future White Paper.

The planning reforms set out in the Planning for the Future White Paper will make it simpler, quicker and more accessible for local people to engage with the planning system. The best way to bring forward new, significant development is by improving community engagement and input at an earlier stage in the planning process. At the plan making stage, people will have the opportunity to comment on local plans and deciding where proposed development should go. This will give certainty to local communities that development will be in the areas best identified for growth. There will still be the opportunity for people to comment on planning applications where these are still required.

Planning for the Future proposes significant changes to the focus and processes of planning – to secure better outcomes including improving our precious countryside and environment alongside increasing the supply of land for new, beautiful homes and sustainable places. One key proposal is that local plans place all land into one of three categories: areas for Growth, Renewal or Protection. The consultation proposal is clear that Green Belt and valued green space, which need not necessarily be a designated area, would be included in areas for Protection.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should not only protect and enhance the natural environment but should secure net gains for biodiversity, including wildlife habitat, woods and ecological networks, and recognise the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. The reforms we are proposing are designed to support the continuing implementation of this policy by local authorities, in line with our 25 Year Environment Plan and provisions in the Environment Bill.

We also propose to transform how communities engage with plan-making, using new digital tools to make it easier for many more people to understand, engage with and influence development policies and proposals.

After carefully considering all the responses to Planning for the Future, the Government will publish its conclusions.

The overall proven reoffending rate has decreased significantly.

We are taking action to drive this down further by ensuring prisoners leavers have access to employment and accommodation.

For instance, we have rolled out Prison Employment Leads to match candidates to jobs and appointed business leader chairs to our Employment Advisory Boards.

We have also begun delivering our temporary accommodation service, so prison-leavers have a stable base on release.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not hold data centrally on the number of court proceedings initiated by police forces in England and Wales that have been unsuccessful on the grounds that the notice of intended prosecution arrived after the 14-day period from the alleged offence.

HMCTS holds data with regards to the:

a) number of cases acquitted after trial;

b) number of cases dismissed as a result of no evidence being offered; and

c) number of cases withdrawn.

When cases are listed and a subsequent issue with the notice of intended prosecution is identified the case is discontinued.