Mark Pawsey

The forthcoming levelling up white paper will set out the UK Government’s approach to tackling spatial inequalities across the country in order to improve outcomes in places where they are weakest. Addressing stark disparities in health outcomes between places is a important part of levelling up, because people should have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives wherever they live. We recognise that smoking is a key driver of these disparities.

We are clear that the best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking and e-cigarettes have an important role to play to support this. However, while e-cigarettes are safer than smoking, they are not risk free. They should only be used as a tool to help people stop smoking.

The Department for Health & Social Care is considering a range of policy and regulatory changes to achieve our ambition to be smoke-free by 2030. These will be set out in our new Tobacco Control Plan, which we will publish in due course

Since 2010, there has been a 31% increase in girls’ entries to STEM A levels in England, and there are now one million women working in core STEM occupations. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of women accepted onto full-time STEM undergraduate courses also increased by 34% in the UK.

However, while women remain underrepresented, this Government will continue to tackle occupational segregation by ensuring that more women are equipped to enter STEM careers.

As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we are exploring options to reduce emissions from Energy from Waste facilities, including whether support for CCUS at Energy from Waste plants could be provided by the Industrial Carbon Capture Business Model. We are still considering this position, given the complexities around the commercial incentives associated with these projects. However, we aim to provide an update on the eligibility of CCUS projects in waste management facilities as soon as possible, in line with the launch of Phase-2 of the CCUS cluster sequencing process.

The Government will launch the Green Gas Levy with a per meter point approach later this year, the design of which was set out in the recent Future Support for Low Carbon Heat & Green Gas Levy Government Response. The impact of a per meter point approach on gas intensive industries is expected to be minimal.

However, the Government recognises the clear benefits of a volumetric levy that aligns policy costs more closely with energy consumption. The Government has been clear that any volumetric levy design must be simple to administer and deliver, minimise costs on consumers, and take consideration of the impact on energy intensive industries and other important UK industries. The Government will ensure it consults fully and works closely with stakeholders on any new proposals in this area.

Further details on the impact of transitioning to a volumetric levy will be set out in the impact assessment that will follow the government response mentioned above in due course.

The Department regularly engages with Ofgem on a range of issues, including the potential role of hydrogen in the GB gas network.

Continued collaboration will be essential in delivering these important programmes.

The UK Government and Devolved Administrations on 1 June 2020 set out plans for a carbon pricing mechanism after we leave the transition period. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-of-uk-carbon-pricing.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday 22 February that indoor entertainment venues, which will include Adult Gaming Centres, will open at Step 3 of the roadmap, not before 17 May. The design of the roadmap has been informed by the latest scientific evidence and seeks a balance between our key social and economic priorities, while preserving the health and safety of the country.

At next week’s Budget the Chancellor will set out the next phase in our economic support package to reflect the steps set out in the Prime Minister’s roadmap to easing restrictions, tailoring support for individuals and businesses to reflect the changing public health restrictions.

Further details will be announced in due course.

The government, with advice from SAGE, reviewed the impact of the previous tiering arrangements and decided that unfortunately stricter rules on tier 3 closures would be necessary to have an impact on the rate of transmission in very high alert areas. This led to the decision that all hospitality and indoor entertainment venues in tier 3 areas would have to close, including casinos, bingo halls and adult gaming centres. SAGE advice is independent and published on a regular basis on: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies

The government has continued to engage with the land-based gambling sector throughout the pandemic, including with its trade associations the Betting and Gaming Council, Bacta and the Bingo Association. The Minister for Sports, Heritage and Tourism has had a series of roundtable discussions with the industry to discuss the impact of Covid-19, including representatives from two of Britain’s largest AGC operators. DCMS officials have been in regular contact with the representative trade associations and fed their views into the government decision-making process, and they are continuing to do so.

Government has set out an analysis of the health, economic and social impacts of the tiered approach, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-health-economic-and-social-effects-of-covid-19-and-the-tiered-approach. As on previous occasions, local data packs have also been published.

Epidemiological data and projection models on local restriction tiers, including commentary on individual tier allocation decisions, can also be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938964/Coronavirus_England_briefing_26_November.pdf.

In recent years, we have bolstered local authorities’ powers to tackle litter and fly-tipping. We have increased and introduced new penalties for littering and fly-tipping and given councils the power to stop and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. We also continue to campaign to raise awareness of the impacts of littering to support behaviour change and we are providing funding of just under a million pounds to help 44 local authorities purchase new litter bins.

The Government committed in its manifesto to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. Since consulting on its introduction in 2019, we have been developing proposals for a DRS using further evidence and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. We are liaising with Public Health England (PHE) to consider any impact that Covid-19 may have on the development of a DRS for drinks containers. Advice from PHE will be considered in the development of proposals, which will be presented in a second consultation in early 2021.

As an independent trading nation, we are building strong trading relationships across the world and removing market access barriers for British businesses. We have secured trade agreements with 66 non-EU countries, worth £217bn in 2019. We have formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement which removes tariffs on 95% of goods between members and will deepen UK access to key markets around the world, from Mexico to Malaysia.

We have no plans to do so. However, we will set out our pragmatic and evidence-based approach to e-cigarettes.

On 14 October we published a comprehensive new plan to support general practitioners (GPs) and to make it easier for patients to see or speak to GPs and their teams.

Our plan is supported by a new £250 million Winter Access Fund to assist patients with urgent care needs to be seen by their practitioner on the same day, taking account of their preferences.

Public Health England’s smoking cessation marketing activity, including the current ‘Stoptober’ campaign, signposts to a range of quitting support such as replacing tobacco with electronic cigarettes. The updated National Health Service Quit Smoking app launched in advance of Stoptober will continue beyond the campaign with ongoing development planned.

In 2022, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will publish an independent review of the up-to-date evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes. The review will include information about the relative harm of smoking and vaping. New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to be published in November 2021, will advise the public and health professionals on the most effective ways of stopping smoking and reducing its burden of death and disease.

The Department has not consulted consumers on vaping or other reduced-risk products ahead of the Ninth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. However, the Department meets with the Independent British Vape Trade Association to discuss a range of policy and regulatory issues.

In 2022, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will publish an independent review of the up-to-date evidence on the safety of vaping products. The review will include information about the relative harm of smoking and vaping.

New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to be published in November 2021, will make recommendations about using electronic cigarettes to help people stop smoking.

The OHID will use the upcoming NICE guidance publication as an opportunity to communicate with the public and healthcare professionals about the relative harms of using nicotine containing products and smoking to support an informed choice.

The economic implications of COVID-19 will be huge for Africa, possibly worse than the health impact itself. The IMF predict the worst growth rates in Sub Saharan Africa since the 1970s – a recession for 2020 of -3.2%.

I am therefore working with the IMF, World Bank and the African Union to ensure we support their efforts to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic across the continent, including through support to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, and its Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, both of which will support African recovery.

The Government currently has no plans to regulate the locksmith industry.

All locksmiths approved by the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) undergo strict vetting including a criminal record check; are regularly inspected to ensure they conform to legal requirements and customer charters; and must pass the MLA’s qualifications to demonstrate competence.

Although the current easements to death registration in the Coronavirus Act 2020 have not enabled the electronic registration of deaths, the General Register Office continues to look for opportunities to modernise the death registration process.

The current easements for death registration are currently planned to expire in line with the Coronavirus Act 2020, to retain them would require changes to the Primary Legislation which underpins the death registration process

The ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ provides a roadmap out of the current lockdown in England. The design of the roadmap has been informed by the latest scientific evidence and seeks a balance between our key social and economic priorities, whilst preserving the health and safety of the country. The scientific evidence shows that opening too early or too quickly risks a further lockdown. The approach focuses on data, not dates. Each step has a “no earlier than” date, five weeks later than the previous step, to allow time to assess the impact of the previous step and provide a week’s notice before changes occur.

Ahead of Step 4 (no earlier than 21 June), Government will launch the Events Research Programme, to consider how and when restrictions can be lifted from large events including funerals and wakes. Subject to the outcomes of the review, we hope to be able to lift restrictions.

It is the responsibility of the funeral director or venue owner to take all reasonable steps to ensure a funeral is Covid secure, and takes place in a way that complies with all relevant legislation, including around attendance.

A funeral director or venue owner can seek support from the police if they reasonably believe that the numbers attending are likely to breach the legal limits despite their best efforts to prevent this, or the numbers in attendance have unexpectedly exceeded the legal limits. The police can then decide the most appropriate action to take, which may include issuing a fixed penalty notice.

The Government’s guidance for those managing funerals is available through the Deceased Management Advisory Group website. This guidance details the actions funeral directors and others managing funerals should take to ensure funerals take place in a COVID-19 safe and secure way. This includes ensuring a COVID-19 risk assessment is in place and that all reasonable steps are taken to limit the risk of transmission, taking into account the risk assessment and relevant legislation including around attendance.

The Home Office does not provide guidance to police forces as they are operationally independent. Operational guidance is provided by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

A funeral director should notify the police if they reasonably believe that despite their best efforts, the numbers attending are likely to breach the legal limits. The police can decide the most appropriate enforcement which may include issuing a fixed penalty notice.

The Government’s guidance for those managing funerals is available through the Deceased Management Advisory Group website. This guidance details the actions funeral directors and others managing funerals should take to ensure funerals take place in a COVID-19 safe and secure way. This includes ensuring a COVID-19 risk assessment is in place and that all reasonable steps are taken to limit the risk of transmission, taking into account the risk assessment and relevant legislation including around attendance.

The Home Office does not provide guidance to police forces as they are operationally independent. Operational guidance is provided by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

A funeral director should notify the police if they reasonably believe that despite their best efforts, the numbers attending are likely to breach the legal limits. The police can decide the most appropriate enforcement which may include issuing a fixed penalty notice.