Mark Tami

Details of my official meetings with external organisations are published and can be found on Gov.uk.

Existing legislation limits noise from fireworks available to consumers to a maximum of 120 decibels. Consumers can also choose to buy from a range of fireworks with lower noise levels.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has been developing a fact-based evidence base on the key issues that have been raised around fireworks. This includes noise as well as anti-social behaviour, non-compliance, environmental impact, and the impact on humans and animals. This will build a full picture of the data around fireworks in order to identify whether, and what, further action is appropriate.

The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.

While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.

As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:

1. All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;

2. Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;

3. Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and

4. When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.

Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.

The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.

While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.

As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:

1. All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;

2. Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;

3. Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and

4. When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.

Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.

The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.

While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.

As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:

1. All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;

2. Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;

3. Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and

4. When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.

Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.

The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.

While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.

As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:

1. All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;

2. Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;

3. Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and

4. When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).

The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.

Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.

There is no scientific or technical justification for the European Commission banning the import of Live Bivalve Molluscs (LBMs), including oysters, from class B waters (where depuration/processing is required after harvest). We are seeking urgent resolution on the European Commission’s decision.

Grant funding to support the purchase of equipment for depuration was previously made available across the UK through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In England similar support was delivered through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF), with equivalent funding provided to the devolved administrations. The MFF will continue to fund activities such as depuration as long as funding remains available under this scheme.

At the Spending Review the Government provided replacement funds to enable the four nations of the UK to deliver their own domestic funding schemes, tailored to the needs of their sector. In England, we intend to open a new scheme for delivering grant funding in April. This will include support for the purchase of new equipment for depuration. The devolved administrations are responsible for the design and delivery of their own schemes.

All of the support available has been provided through grants.

Whilst the Dee Cockle fishery straddles England and Wales, it is managed by Natural Resources Wales, and therefore comes under the auspices of the Welsh Government.

The Government is committed to banning the use of hand-held remote controlled electronic dog collars and will lay the necessary legislation for such a ban as soon as Parliamentary time allows. The ban will not include dog bark induced collars or collars that work in connection with perimeter fencing.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Customer Relationship Management System currently has over 200,000 active company records, and our advisers have many interactions with UK businesses every day. Whilst it is not possible to determine what was discussed in each of those interactions, DIT guidance to its staff is clear. Any decision to set up an operation in the EU is a commercial decision for the business, and it is not the role of DIT staff to advise companies on such decisions.

Of the interactions recorded since 1 December 2020, only one was with a company located in Alyn and Deeside, and that interaction related to a virtual trade mission to Canada. This reflects the fact the companies based in Wales receive local support on international matters from the Welsh Government, in line with their devolved responsibilities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 January to Question UIN 143100.

Considering applications that were completed in 2019, the longest length of time taken for a dual-use item licence to be refused in 2019 was 315 working days; the longest length of time taken for a dual-use item licence to be issued was 731 working days. The latter application is not typical, but required a government-to-government assurance and could not be completed until the foreign government involved had provided the necessary documentation.

The average processing time for all Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications was 19 working days in 2019. These include military rated, dual use and other rateable items, such as end use and human rights related items. The results also include applications that were either stopped/withdrawn, or did not require a licence. The average processing time for solely dual use items can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

The Rt Hon. Gentleman may find it helpful to know that median processing times – and the number of applications that are processed within 20/60 working days – are published on GOV.UK.

Considering applications that were completed in 2019, the longest length of time taken for a dual-use item licence to be refused in 2019 was 315 working days; the longest length of time taken for a dual-use item licence to be issued was 731 working days. The latter application is not typical, but required a government-to-government assurance and could not be completed until the foreign government involved had provided the necessary documentation.

The average processing time for all Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications was 19 working days in 2019. These include military rated, dual use and other rateable items, such as end use and human rights related items. The results also include applications that were either stopped/withdrawn, or did not require a licence. The average processing time for solely dual use items can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

The Rt Hon. Gentleman may find it helpful to know that median processing times – and the number of applications that are processed within 20/60 working days – are published on GOV.UK.

Ecuador has been on the red list since 15 January 2021 due to the ongoing presence of variants of concern. Government scientists will continue to engage with countries still on the red list and keep the evidence on variants of concern, especially Lambda and Mu, under close review in order to ensure the UK’s approach remains proportionate.

Decisions on red country assignment and associated border measures will continue to be taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments alongside wider public health factors.

The data for all countries and territories will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.

The first round of the Levelling Up Fund received significant interest from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bidding authorities, across the three investment priorities of the Fund. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.

The Levelling Up Fund received significant interest from Local Authorities in Wales, across the three investment priorities of the Fund. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.

The Department for Transport has not conducted a specific assessment relating to the impact of car parking charges and fines at station car parks. Station car parks are managed and run by train operating companies and Network Rail based on the needs of passengers and the local community, including the availability of other nearby car parks or limitations posed by either being in city centre or rural locations. The Department encourages a wide range of modes of travelling to and from stations, to improve active travel connections to stations.

It is a commercial decision for airlines on whether to continue to fly to countries where COVID-19 related border restrictions apply as the restrictions may not apply equally to all customers. We have urged airlines and travel agents to be reasonable and flexible in their refund and rescheduling policies. Customers who are restricted by destination border conditions, applied after they booked travel, should discuss any compensation claims with the airline or their travel insurance provider, in the first instance.

The Child Maintenance calculation is designed to be fair and affordable, while ensuring that the paying parent contributes a significant proportion of their income to support their children.

For self-employed paying parents the income used to calculate child maintenance payments is usually provided by HMRC and is the gross taxable profit of the parent’s business, for the latest tax-year HMRC hold a complete record. The taxable profits of a business represent the amount from which a business owner can support themselves and meet their outgoings.

The Child Maintenance calculation is designed to be fair and affordable, while ensuring that the paying parent contributes a significant proportion of their income to support their children.

For self-employed paying parents the income used to calculate child maintenance payments is usually provided by HMRC and is the gross taxable profit of the parent’s business, for the latest tax-year HMRC hold a complete record. The taxable profits of a business represent the amount from which a business owner can support themselves and meet their outgoings.

As explained in my answer to Question 156258 on 2 March, a First Tier Tribunal considering an appeal against a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision also considers the length of any award it may make. The length of award will be based on the individual’s needs and the likelihood of those changing. If the Tribunal gives a short, fixed-term award then it is indicating that the claimant’s limitations are likely to improve to the point they would not be entitled at the end of their PIP award. As claimants can continue to receive benefit under a new award in a similar way to someone having their award reviewed, no requirement for an Impact Assessment was established. The Department is currently reviewing the approach to Fixed Term Awards including where awarded after Tribunal.

As explained in my answer to Question 156258 on 2 March, a First Tier Tribunal considering an appeal against a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision also considers the length of any award it may make. The length of award will be based on the individual’s needs and the likelihood of those changing. If the Tribunal gives a short, fixed-term award then it is indicating that the claimant’s limitations are likely to improve to the point they would not be entitled at the end of their PIP award. As claimants can continue to receive benefit under a new award in a similar way to someone having their award reviewed, no requirement for an Impact Assessment was established. The Department is currently reviewing the approach to Fixed Term Awards including where awarded after Tribunal.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with an award without a review date have always been able submit a renewal claim up to six months prior to their existing award ending. Prior to 15 May 2021 the Department had been reminding claimants 14 weeks before their existing award was due to end that they could submit a new claim if they considered that they still have needs arising from their health condition or disability. From 15 May 2021 we have been sending the reminder to claim 26 weeks prior to the existing award ending.

In 2016, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a review of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of health outcomes. This included consideration of the approach taken by the Institute of Medicine in the United States in setting dietary reference intakes for vitamin D. In 2016, the SACN and the European Food Safety Authority published a joint explanatory note outlining their dietary reference values (DRVs) for vitamin D.

The SACN noted that for assessments carried out in the United Kingdom, US and the European Union, serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) continues to be the best indicator of exposure to vitamin D from skin synthesis and dietary intake, and is used to derive DRVs for vitamin D. However, the evidence considered for setting a target concentration of 25(OH)D, as the basis for setting DRVs, is not the same.

We have not made a formal assessment.

Our current advice is to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D throughout the autumn and winter for musculoskeletal health. In addition, people at risk of vitamin D deficiency including black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are advised to consider taking a daily supplement throughout the year.

The NHS Long Term Plan states that where appropriate every person diagnosed with cancer, including sarcoma patients, should receive a Personalised Care and Support Plan based on a holistic needs assessment, end of treatment summaries and health and wellbeing information and support, including for mental health needs. All patients will have access to the right expertise and support.

People with long term conditions, such as cancer, have been identified as priority patients for accessing Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services. Many IAPT services have strong links with a range of health and care settings to ensure that patients and carers receive the right support as quickly as possible.

The Department, alongside NHS England, is considering the impact of COVID-19 on patients with rare diseases. NHS England has had discussions with some services and patients/patient groups to understand the impact of COVID-19 including what has worked well; what has not worked so well; and opportunities for transformation.

NHS England as a direct commissioner of services and clinical commissioning group commissioners are currently working with all service providers to restore diagnostic capacity for all patient care groups.

NHS England will continue to look at what services can be delivered successfully through virtual communication technology such as telephone consultation and videoconferences. Where services do need to be delivered face-to-face, including the diagnosing of new cases, NHS England will work with providers to ensure that patients have a safe journey through the hospital to the treatment area.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issues guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources through its technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies programmes, including drugs for patients with rare diseases.

NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to fund new treatments, including for rare diseases, in accordance with NICE guidance.

Through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, we are already making important drugs available to patients. So far around 1,500 patients have benefited from the scheme, which enables drugs to be used in clinical practice in parallel with later stages of the regulatory process.

We are in regular contact with Mr Kolim and the Moroccan authorities, and continue to provide consular support to Mr Kolim.

The Government recognises the challenges presented by Covid-19 for stem cell transplantation patients and for all those who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV). Individuals with underlying health conditions who cannot work from home can access the unprecedented package that the Government has introduced at this difficult time. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) which can both be claimed through the November 2020 lockdown. For clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who are on low incomes or who are out of work, the Government has injected a further £9.3bn into the welfare system according to OBR estimates.

To make a claim under the extended CJRS, employees must have been on their employers’ PAYE payroll on or before 30 October 2020. Moreover, self-employed CEV individuals may be eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) which has recently been extended and been made more generous. The Government is increasing the support to the self-employed under the SEISS from 40 per cent of trading profits to 80 per cent for the month of November. As SEISS grants are calculated over 3 months, this increases the total level of the grant from 40 per cent to 55 per cent of trading profits for November to January.

In addition, those who receive a notification that they need to shield will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from their employer, and New Style Employment and Support Allowance, subject to the wider eligibility criteria. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, for example where they are not eligible for SSP, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.

The Government is also providing £32 million in additional funding to local authorities to support CEV people most at risk, including helping them to access food and meeting other support needs to enable them to stay at home as much as possible for the 28 day period that the restrictive advice is in force.

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) was designed to ensure that the smallest businesses can access loans of up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms’ turnover in a matter of just days. The Government is providing lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan to give them the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country, and no interest payments are due for the first 12 months. As of 20th September, over 1.2 million facilities have been approved through BBLS representing a value of more than £38bn.

The Bounce Back Loan scheme rules do not mandate that the applicant must have a business relationship with the lender in order to receive a BBLS loan. The British Business Bank has so far accredited 28 BBLS lenders, including several non-banks and alternative lenders.

The Government does not intervene in their lending decisions.

Some banks have made good on their intention to invite applications from new customers, and many of those that are still only open to existing customers are regularly reviewing that position. The Government have always made clear to lenders that they should open to new customers as soon as it is operationally possible for them to do so.

The Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) published in July 2019 sets out HMRC’s assessment that the reform to the off-payroll working rules is expected to affect 170,000 individuals. The TIIN can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020.

HMRC are undertaking an extensive programme of education and support to help organisations and contractors prepare for the reform.

The off-payroll working rules have been in place for nearly 20 years. They are designed to ensure that someone working like an employee, but through a company, pays similar levels of tax to other employees. It is fair that individuals who work in a similar way should pay broadly the same amount of tax.

The rules apply to individuals who are working like employees under the current employment status tests; they do not apply to the self-employed or stop anyone working through their own company.

The reform shifts responsibility for operating the off-payroll rules from the worker’s company to the engager. It does not introduce a new tax liability, or change applicable income tax or National Insurance rates or thresholds.

The UK Government is working with the haulage sector to promote jobs, training and a range of other initiatives to get more people into HGV driving.

Like other sectors the focus should be on training and recruiting from the UK based workforce in the first instance, especially given the impact of the pandemic resulting in more looking for secure new employment. Immigration policy will be considered alongside strategies to do this, not separately or as an alternative to doing so.

The job of HGV driver is not eligible to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa so cannot be added to the Shortage Occupation List.

The Home Office has though amended the Immigration Rules to enable drivers who come to the UK on an international journey to transport goods or people on journeys within the UK and undertake cabotage operations in line with Department for Transport rules.

The information requested is available online, on the Government website, at the link listed below. Here there are links to the Police Grant allocations for each year from 2010-11 and the Police Grant Report which is published annually and sets out details of Central Government to police forces in England and Wales. These reports contain information on funding to North Wales Police.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-finance

Police funding prior to 2010-11 can be found on Parliament.uk at the following link.

House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 06 Dec 2007 (pt 0003) (parliament.uk)

It is important to note that it is difficult to make direct comparisons between current police funding figures and police funding in the years before 2015-16 due to a number of significant changes in the structure of police funding and the structure of policing over the period.

The amount of central funding the Government has allocated to North Wales Police during the annual settlement process is as follows:

While the majority of funding for the police comes directly from the central Government grants, around a third comes from a share of council tax, known as the police precept. This is not included in the above figures.

The responsibility for setting the precept falls on individual PCCs, and they must consult their local electorate to ensure they explain how additional investment will help deliver a better police service.

This Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2021/22 (publishing.service.gov.uk) explains the full allocation of police core settlement for 2021/22.

The list of travellers exempt from quarantine can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules).

Passengers arriving from exempt countries and territories no longer need to self-isolate when entering England from 10^th July.

Travellers will need to self-isolate if they visited or made a transit stop (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors#transit-stops) in a country that is not on the list in the 14 days before they arrive in England.

Public health remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to remove countries and territories from the list if the health risks are seen to increase.

Devolved administrations make their own decisions around public health measures in place and so it is important for travellers to familiarise themselves with the latest position in the nation of the UK they are travelling to.

Domestic abuse cases are amongst the highest priority work being dealt with by the courts. Non-molestation?orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts, and they continue to be listed for urgent hearings despite the current restrictions. Domestic abuse cases will continue to be afforded a higher priority as public health restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are adjusted.

Protecting victims of domestic abuse and robustly pursuing perpetrators remains a key policing priority during the pandemic and beyond. Where the police are dealing with breach of a non-molestation order, we expect them to engage with local IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) and community-based services to ensure that the victim and their children receive appropriate specialist support throughout the criminal justice process.

Sealand Support Services Limited (SSSL) has been assigned by the US Government as a Maintenance Repair Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) service provider for F-35 Lightning aircraft components. SSSL is currently going through the stand-up and activation stage to become an 'Approved Supplier' to Lockheed Martin and is negotiating the contracts that will underpin the MRO&U workload. Consequently, there are no contracts currently in place.

The size of the Dstl marmoset breeding colony is under constant review by veterinary staff, independent inspectors and the Dstl Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body, following the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement of the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). Accordingly, the breeding colony is maintained at the minimum size consistent with future research needs and maintaining suitable genetic diversity.

I am delighted to say that the first round of the Levelling Up Fund received significant interest from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bidding authorities across the three investment priorities of the Fund. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.

I am delighted to say that the first round of the Levelling Up Fund received significant interest from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bidding authorities across the three investment priorities of the Fund. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.

Following a move to a new operational system, new data extracts are under development to facilitate the production of Social Security and Child Support Tribunal datasets. These new datasets are currently undergoing stringent quality assurance checks before the data can be released into the public domain.

Once this data assurance has been completed these datasets will be released in the Ministry of Justice Official Published Statistics and in the published Management Information as they become available.

Following a move to a new operational system, new data extracts are under development to facilitate the production of Social Security and Child Support Tribunal datasets. These new datasets are currently undergoing stringent quality assurance checks before the data can be released into the public domain.

Once this data assurance has been completed these datasets will be released in the Ministry of Justice Official Published Statistics and in the published Management Information as they become available.

We understand the frustration couples who have had to postpone their wedding or civil partnership must be feeling.

The requirement to solemnize a marriage within twelve months of giving notice to marry is set out in primary legislation, which does not provide for extending this period. It would require primary legislation to change this and we continue to explore potential legislative opportunities. In the meantime, the fees charged by local authorities for giving notice can be reduced, waived or refunded on compassionate grounds or in cases of hardship. It is for each local authority to determine when this can be applied.

HMCTS is working closely with the Judiciary and criminal justice agencies to ensure cases that need to be prioritised can be.

Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Non-Molestation orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts for urgent hearings.

The prioritisation of cases and trials is a judicial decision and the senior judiciary has issued the following guidance:

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Note-on-Listing-Magistrates-SPJ-DSPJ-14.04.20-FINAL.pdf