Mark Menzies

The Government is working closely with the transport industry, the tourism sector, the aerospace industry and international partners to develop a roadmap to safely re-open international travel.

We are planning several round-table events with industry to encourage contributions to the work of the Global Travel Taskforce from a wide range of partners, including the aerospace industry. The Taskforce is due to report its recommendations to the Prime Minister by 12 April.

On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, with the aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. The plan includes a number of commitments which will deliver increased safety for cyclists, including the roll-out of segregated cycle lanes in towns and cities, a big increase in cycle training, higher safety standards for lorries and improved Cycle Infrastructure Design Guidance.

The management of local roads, including provision of cycle lanes, is the responsibility of individual local traffic authorities. It is for them to ensure their streets are designed to provide safe movement for all road users. Design advice for cycling infrastructure, including cycle lanes, can be found in Local Transport Note 1/20 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’ which is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-120.

The aviation sector is important to the UK economy and the government recognises the challenging times it is facing as a result of COVID-19. The Department for Transport has kept an open dialogue with the aviation sector including with the aerospace industry, through regular structured engagement at both ministerial and official level.

Additionally, the International Aviation Taskforce’s industry Expert Steering Group has been established to bring together all interested parties to co-produce solutions where possible through a cross-sector representative membership, including aerospace industry body ADS, airports, airlines and international representatives to ensure that the work of the UK is in sync with wider global efforts in the aviation sector.

We recognise that aircraft maintaining a holding pattern before landing at Heathrow wastes fuel, creates delays for airlines and their customers, and can increase aviation’s environmental impact.

A key objective of the UK’s plan for airspace modernisation is therefore to minimise the amount of airborne holding before landing at our major airports, which will help to reduce carbon emissions and noise impacts.

It may also be of interest to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde, that following a request for urgent action from the Secretary of State for Transport, on 27 March the UK’s Airport Slot Coordinator, Airport Coordination Limited, announced it would grant alleviation to airlines from the 80:20 slot usage rules until October 2020. This will avoid ‘ghost planes’, and protect both airlines and the environment. The letters from the Secretary of State are publicly available to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde.

Our guidance on admissions in to care homes states that those admitted to a care home should isolate for 14 days following admission. The 14-day isolation requirement was agreed by senior clinicians and reflects current understanding of clinical vulnerability and the potential for longer incubation periods in care home residents. All residents should be tested before admission into a care home and within 72 hours of arrival, whether admitted from hospital, other care settings or the community. Regardless of the test results, the 14-day isolation period should still be observed.

Whilst visitors are not permitted during isolation periods, an ‘essential care giver’ can visit in order to provide essential care and support, provided they comply with the same testing and personal protective equipment arrangements as care home staff. We continue to keep our guidance to care homes under review and any changes will be based on the latest data and clinical advice.

The top four priority groups have now all been offered the opportunity to be vaccinated. Cohorts one to nine can use the National Booking Service online or by calling 119 to book a vaccination appointment.

The system allows people to arrange an appointment at a vaccination centre or pharmacy service. Further follow-up contact is also being made to those individuals who have been invited to make an appointment but have not yet responded or received their vaccination.

The information is not held in the format requested as we do not hold data on the number of people receiving mental health support specifically for online gambling related issues.

We appreciate the particular challenges visiting restrictions pose for people with dementia and for their loved ones.

Under national lockdown, people living in their own home are able to meet one other person outside for exercise, although not in a private garden, and, where applicable, meet inside with people within their support bubble. This applies to people with dementia.

Visits to care homes can continue to take place with arrangements such as outdoor visiting, substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not currently allowed. In the event of an outbreak in a care home, the home should immediately stop visiting (except in exceptional circumstances such as end of life) to protect vulnerable residents, staff and visitors.

The Government is committed to supporting National Health Service capacity to protect it during surges in COVID-19 cases alongside the increased pressures on the system during winter. We have committed an additional £1 billion to address backlogs and tackle long waiting lists. This is separate from the £3 billion previously announced which has enabled the NHS to have ongoing access to independent sector capacity. As of 18 January, the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter is providing inpatient services to COVID-19 patients and the NHS Nightingale Hospital North West and the NHS Nightingale Hospital London are providing ‘step-down’ care to non-COVID-19 patients. Other Nightingale sites at Harrogate and Bristol are supporting NHS elective and diagnostic services but are not providing inpatient services.

General practice services remain accessible to non-COVID-19 patients. General practice is open and the NHS continues to urge the public to come forward with any health concerns they have. NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued guidance on the importance of continuing to offer face to face appointments, utilising remote triage and making use of online and telephone consultations where appropriate – whilst considering the needs of those unable to access or engage with digital services. On 7 January 2021 NHS England and NHS Improvement set out further details on the actions to release capacity in general practice as well as priorities for the next quarter. This includes maintaining routine appointments and supporting the clinically extremely vulnerable and those with ‘long’ COVID-19. In November 2020, the Government has committed an additional £150 million to support general practice through a General Practice Covid Capacity Expansion Fund, in addition to the previously announced COVID-19 support fund.

As one of the largest donors to the international response to COVID-19, the UK has so far pledged up to £1.3 billion of UK aid to address the impacts of the pandemic, and to help end the pandemic as quickly as possible. With our strong support, COVAX has started to make progress on delivering vaccines across the world, and has delivered 77 million doses to 127 different economies to date. We believe that supporting COVAX is the best way to exit the acute phase of the pandemic.

In the Americas, the UK has co-hosted a series of regional workshops on COVAX and access to vaccines, bringing together government ministers and experts with the multilateral health system and development banks. Our embassies have regular engagement with their host countries, sharing lessons learned from the UK's experience. Much of our engagement in the coming months will be around economic recovery and building back greener and better. We work closely with partners throughout Latin America, including through high-level partnerships for sustainable growth with Mexico and Colombia.

PayPal currently provides services in the UK through the Temporary Permissions Regime, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The FCA’s handbook rules require payment service providers, which includes banks, payment institutions and electronic money institutions, to send a final response to complaints about rights and obligations arising under the Payment Services and Electronic Money Regulations within 15 business days after the day on which it received the complaint. In exceptional circumstances, such as where the respondent cannot send a final response within this period for reasons beyond the control of the firm, a response must be sent within 35 business days.

If a consumer complains to a relevant financial services firm and is unhappy with the response, they may be able to bring their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS provides consumers with a free, independent service that enables the proportionate, prompt and informal resolution of disputes with financial firms

With regards to next of kin procedures for banks, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions, the FCA expects firms to have an effective process for dealing with a deceased customer’s accounts from notification of death to the transfer of funds to those who are entitled to receive them. This process is set out in the FCA’s handbook rules.

PayPal currently provides services in the UK through the Temporary Permissions Regime, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The FCA’s handbook rules require payment service providers, which includes banks, payment institutions and electronic money institutions, to send a final response to complaints about rights and obligations arising under the Payment Services and Electronic Money Regulations within 15 business days after the day on which it received the complaint. In exceptional circumstances, such as where the respondent cannot send a final response within this period for reasons beyond the control of the firm, a response must be sent within 35 business days.

If a consumer complains to a relevant financial services firm and is unhappy with the response, they may be able to bring their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS provides consumers with a free, independent service that enables the proportionate, prompt and informal resolution of disputes with financial firms

With regards to next of kin procedures for banks, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions, the FCA expects firms to have an effective process for dealing with a deceased customer’s accounts from notification of death to the transfer of funds to those who are entitled to receive them. This process is set out in the FCA’s handbook rules.

The Government keeps alcohol duties under review and the impact of spirits duty is considered carefully at each fiscal event, including its effects on small producers. The Government is also reviewing small producer reliefs more generally through its alcohol duty review. Further information on the progress of the review will be provided in due course

Throughout the crisis, the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and livelihoods. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) was designed to target support at those who most need it, while protecting the Exchequer against error, fraud, and abuse.

The Government has sought to improve and extend the scheme where possible, for example by amending eligibility conditions to enable self-employed parents who did not submit a tax return for 2018-19, or whose trading profits in 2018-19 were less than their other income because they were pregnant or taking time out of their trade to care for their new-born child, to claim for a grant.

The Government does recognise that some of the rules, criteria and conditions that were vital to ensuring that the SEISS worked for the vast majority, meant that some people did not qualify. However, as the National Audit Office report acknowledged, the Government was right to introduce the SEISS, which has been successful in helping to support millions of self-employed individuals and is just one element of a wider £280 billion package of support.

Those ineligible for the SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available, including increased levels of Universal Credit, Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.

The temporary reduced rate of VAT (five per cent) was introduced to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors. This relief comes at an estimated cost to Government of over £2 billion and is therefore expected to have benefited the sector by reducing its VAT liabilities by this amount.

The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget.

The Government has been clear that it will provide police forces with the support they need to continue protecting the public and keeping communities safe through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government has moved quickly to give the police the powers and guidance they need to support compliance with essential measures on social distancing. The department continues to work closely with our operational partners to ensure the new changes are understood by police forces around the country. The police have been kept updated on these changes as we act quickly to address the public health risk.

On 8 October the Government announced an additional £30m for police forces in England and Wales to step up their enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions through the autumn and winter months.

The department continues to work closely with the policing sector to monitor and make decisions on their current and future needs.

Our spending review settlement will increase our defence budget by over £24 billion over the next four years. This investment will modernise our Armed Forces and support jobs across the UK.

In North West England, the Ministry of Defence spent over £ 2.2 billion with industry and commerce in 2019-20. This includes in our truly world-leading combat air sector, which employs thousands of workers across the UK, including in Lancashire.

Lancashire has long been a key part of our defence industrial footprint, particularly for Combat Air. BAE Systems has a large presence in the area, as well as MBDA through their premises in Lostock, Bolton.

The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper announced that the UK will invest more than £2 billion into the Future Combat Air System programme over the next four years. This major investment will take us a step closer to realising the benefits of Tempest to our nation's security and prosperity.

The Ministry of Defence conducts periodic reviews of the industrial capability necessary to preserve operational advantage and freedom of action. It was those reviews that informed the Combat Air Strategy published in 2018.

Further to this, in March 2020 I launched the Defence Security and Industrial Strategy (DSIS). Through this ongoing cross-Government review into the UK's defence and security industrial sectors, we will identify how we can enhance our strategic approach to ensure we have competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industries that underpin our national security and drive investment and prosperity across the Union now and in the future.

The 2017 National Shipbuilding Strategy sets out the Ministry of Defence's commitment to supporting the UK shipbuilding industry and protecting our assured capability to design, build, repair and integrate naval ships. The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate programme on the Clyde and the Type 31 general purpose frigate programme at Rosyth are a manifest example of our determination to maintain the UK’s ability to deliver warships.

Further to this, through the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy review we will identify how we can enhance our strategic approach to ensure we have competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industries that drive investment and prosperity across the Union.

The UK defence sector supports many thousands of highly-skilled roles across the UK and many of our leading defence suppliers have programmes in place to ensure they have the right skills to deliver defence programmes. Through the Defence Suppliers' Forum, we maintain a close dialogue with industry to understand their approach to the skills the defence sector requires and as part of the Enterprise Approach we are working with industry on how best to maintain skills in the sector. In addition, the Defence Growth Partnership, a joint Government-industry initiative, considers skills in areas which enable exports and competitiveness and has developed a Systems Engineering Masters Apprenticeship, an export career pathway and a digital skills framework.

In March 2020, I launched a cross-Government review into the UK’s defence and security industrial sectors. These sectors are at the forefront of technology, creating new ways to defend against threats, and ensuring that we have the right mix of skills in the industrial base is a key part of that. Through this review we will ensure that the UK continues to have competitive, innovative and world-class defence and security industries that drive investment and prosperity across the Union, to underpin our national security now and in the future.

The move of HQ North West from Fulwood Barracks to Weeton Barracks forms part of the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio which will result in the disposal of Fulwood Barracks in 2027 - a delay in disposal which was announced in February 2019 in the House.

As part of Departmental assessment to enable this move, a capacity study and technical surveys have now been completed at Weeton Barracks to determine the development requirements and, subject to all required permissions, construction work is due to commence September 2023 to December 2024, assuming successful awarding of the contract.

On current plans therefore, HQ North West is scheduled to be re-located from Fulwood Barracks, Preston to Weeton in the summer of 2025.

MHCLG does not hold estimates of the number of homes damaged by flooding over the past twelve months.

Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that in assessing sites where development is proposed, that safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users. The Framework is also clear that any significant implications of the development for the wider transport network, or on highway safety, can be cost effectively mitigated to an acceptable degree. Where appropriate, developer contributions may be sought to achieve improvements that help mitigate any implications.

Last year the Government consulted on the Planning for the Future White Paper, and the reforms will consider how more specific sustainable transport options can be delivered to reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive modes of transport, such as prioritising walking and cycling.

The total number of homes that have been completed with support from Homes England in the North West over the last three years is 22,337. The specific breakdown over each of the three years is as follows; 6,365 between 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018, 8,127 between 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019, and 7,845 between 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020. Further details of Homes England’s starts on site and completions data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-statistics-1-april-2019-to-31-march-2020 .

The Government has committed an unprecedented multi-billion package of support, specifically for charities, social enterprises and the voluntary sector so that they can continue their vital work to support vulnerable people through the coronavirus outbreak. The NHS Volunteer Responders Programme - including the check in and chat service - will also continue to be available until at least March 2021.

MHCLG is providing councils with over £32 million to support Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) people for the 28-day period that the additional guidance is in place. It is designed to give councils flexibility in providing appropriate support to CEV individuals, such as access to food and to local support services, enabling them to stay as safe as possible over this period.

We know how important communal worship is within many of our faith communities, but to limit the spread of the virus, places of worship will be closed for communal prayer. However, they will be permitted to open for individual prayer and to record or livestream services so that worshippers can participate at home. In addition, funerals can be attended by a maximum of thirty people.