Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Create statutory legal duty of care for students in Higher Education
Gov Responded - 20 Jan 2023 Debated on - 5 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsNo general statutory duty of care exists in HE. Yet, a duty of care is owed to students, and the Government should legislate for this. HE providers should know what their duty is. Students must know what they can expect. Parents expect their children to be safe at university.
Ensure Trans people are fully protected under any conversion therapy ban
Gov Responded - 12 May 2022 Debated on - 13 Jun 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsEnsure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.
Reform the Gender Recognition Act.
Gov Responded - 7 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Feb 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsReform the GRA to allow transgender people to self-identify without the need for a medical diagnosis, to streamline the administrative process, and to allow non-binary identities to be legally recognised.
Don’t criminalise trespass
Gov Responded - 15 Apr 2020 Debated on - 19 Apr 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government's manifesto stated “we will make intentional trespass a criminal offence”: an extreme, illiberal & unnecessary attack on ancient freedoms that would threaten walkers, campers, and the wider public. It would further tilt the law in favour of the landowning 1% who own half the country.
Give all key workers a 100% tax and Nat. Ins. holiday through COVID-19 crisis
Gov Responded - 27 Apr 2020 Debated on - 14 Dec 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThe government is helping private firms to protect jobs by paying up to 80% of staff wages through this crisis. If it can do this why can it not help key workers who will be putting themselves/their families at risk and working extra hard under extremely challenging and unprecedented circumstances.
Give government workers a fair pay rise
Gov Responded - 16 Oct 2020 Debated on - 14 Dec 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsDuring the pandemic government workers have delivered vital public services and kept our country safe and secure. After ten years in which the real value of civil service pay has fallen, many face hardship. The Government must start to restore the real value of their pay with a 10% increase in 2020.
These initiatives were driven by Mary Kelly Foy, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Mary Kelly Foy has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to impose duties on certain education and training providers in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2021 and was enacted into law.
Sale of Tobacco (Licensing) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Bob Blackman (Con)
Fashion Supply Chain (Code and Adjudicator) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Liz Twist (Lab)
Completed surveys have identified some elements of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the Palace of Westminster. Fifteen other areas are in the process of being assessed, 11 within the Palace and four within other buildings on the parliamentary estate.
The Government funds a support service for anyone affected by or at risk of conversion practices, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender. The service is run by Galop, which is the UK’s leading LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, and comprises a helpline, instant messaging service, and website, ensuring survivors of the practice can find and access the support that they need.
The Government will shortly publish a draft Bill and consultation response setting out our approach to banning conversion practices. The draft legislation will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee in this parliamentary session.
Restoring Parliament is already boosting UK industries, and the Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to ensuring that the opportunities and benefits are spread as widely as possible across the whole of the UK.
The Programme will use UK materials wherever possible and create jobs and apprenticeships across the country, from engineering and high-tech design to traditional crafts such as carpentry and stonemasonry.
99% of the Delivery Authority’s supply chain expenditure to date has been with UK-based companies. The Delivery Authority’s procurements are advertised using the Government’s Find a Tender service.
A series of events is underway across all of the devolved nations and regions of the UK to raise awareness of the R&R Programme, promote the local benefits and opportunities that will be available through the works and listen to potential suppliers—including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)—on how to make the investment from this Programme as accessible as possible while maintaining value for money for the taxpayer.
Since 2021 the R&R Delivery Authority has been delivering roundtable discussions with local business and political leaders across the English regions in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce. Through these roundtables the Delivery Authority has to date met with over 100 local suppliers, SMEs and training providers in six regions of England, including the North East, the North West, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, and the East of England.
The Delivery Authority has also held introductory meetings with local political representatives and business leaders in the devolved nations to arrange roundtable discussions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For Scotland, these will be delivered in collaboration with the Scottish Chambers, for Wales Chambers Wales, and Northern Ireland is being confirmed.
By the end of 2023 the Delivery Authority will have held roundtable discussions and visited sites of interest to the restoration and renewal across the whole of the UK—including Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and every region in England—to build understanding of how the Programme can support economic benefits in local communities around the whole of the UK.
Both Houses of Parliament will be asked to approve a way forward for the Programme later this year. Once this decision has been made, the Delivery Authority will be able to further focus its efforts to maximise the number of UK-based companies involved with the Programme.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the UK economy. That is why we are making sure the power of Government spending supports this vital sector.
We are increasing opportunities for SMEs - from transparently publishing contract pipelines to simplifying bidding processes and strengthening prompt payment measures.
I am proud that this Conservative Government is bringing in the new public procurement regime will create a simpler and significantly more transparent system that will further open up public procurement to SMEs so that they can compete for and win more public contracts. SMEs will benefit from a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to reducing and removing barriers to SME participation. This will include making bidding timescales realistic and prohibiting contracting authorities from requiring audited accounts and insurances to be in place prior to contract award - helping new entrants to the market.
After stakeholder engagement sessions and research exercises, the government has been unable to establish a robust method for households in caravans not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud.
We recommend that these households should contact their local authority to apply for the Housing Support Fund and also visit the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be eligible to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
The Government do not hold the data requested.
As of 11th July 2023, the cumulative number of those who self-declared as travellers (fixed) that had applied for the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding (GB & NI) was 12,040, of whom 8,120 had received their payment for the support.
How suppliers choose to set the standing charge and unit rate is a commercial decision. However, the energy price cap sets a limit on unit rates and standing charges, ensuring that millions of households pay a fair price for their energy.
In August 2022, Ofgem reviewed the components of the standing charge to see if they could be reduced. Ofgem concluded that, if the methodology for the standing charge were to change, there are numerous high consuming, vulnerable users, such as disabled users, who would pay more. Therefore, retaining the current methodology protects vulnerable users with greater energy needs.
The Government is keen to support these households and to ensure that they can receive the Alternative Fuel Payment via the Alternative Fund where eligible. We are currently working to find an acceptable method for these households to provide proof of eligibility, whilst protecting public funds, so they can claim the AFP AF support.
The National Semiconductor Strategy sets out the government’s plan to build on the UK’s strengths to grow our sector, increase our resilience and protect our security.
We will announce plans by the autumn to further support the competitiveness of the semiconductor manufacturing sector that is critical to the UK tech ecosystem or our national security.
We have engaged extensively with industry including with the new Semiconductor Advisory Panel to inform our approach.
I am pleased to share that more than 98% of premises in the City of Durham constituency can access a superfast connection, above the national average. More than 61% of premises are also able to access a gigabit-capable connection, which is a significant increase from just 1% of premises in 2019.
The Government is committed to working with broadband suppliers further so that 85% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband by 2025. We are on track to achieve our target. At present, over 74% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection, up from just 6% in January 2019.
Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver fast, reliable broadband across the UK. More than £1 billion of public subsidy has been made available to broadband suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to rural and hard to reach parts of the country. To date, we have awarded seven contracts in locations from Cornwall to Cumbria, and we have launched a further 14 procurements, which combined will deliver fast, reliable broadband to up to 748,000 premises that would have otherwise missed out.
Support is also available for homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. The voucher scheme provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses in rural areas towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband via local community broadband projects. To date, almost 84,000 vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.
The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including hospices.
An HMT-led review into the operation of the current Energy Bill Relief Schemes was conducted with the objective of significantly reducing the overall burden on the taxpayer/public finances, and ensuring support is targeted at those most in need and unable to adjust to recent energy price rises. The review considered a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence, including input from businesses and stakeholders. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.
Ofgem calculate the price cap to reflect the efficient costs of supplying energy. Ofgem now update the cap quarterly, so consumers will benefit more quickly from falling wholesale prices. The Government then applies the Energy Price Guarantee to reduce the cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household will pay an average bill of £2,500 a year until April 2023 and then £3,000 a year until April 2024. Where the efficient cost of supplying energy falls below the level of the EPG, the price cap ensures that Standard Variable Tariffs will reflect the lower cost of wholesale energy.
If landlords have a domestic electricity meter point, they will receive £400 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The Government introduced the Energy Prices Bill in Parliament on 12th October. The Bill includes provisions to require landlords to pass benefits received from the Energy Price Guarantee, Energy Bills Support Scheme, or Energy Bill Relief Scheme to tenants who pay all-inclusive bills.
If landlords have a commercial meter, they will not receive the £400 payment. Commercial halls are supported through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
The standing charge element of an energy bill reflects the on-going costs that fall on energy suppliers to provide and maintain a live supply regardless of a consumer’s usage. One component of these costs relates to distribution. As it costs more to distribute electricity to some regions than others, there are regional variations in standing charges to reflect higher costs to serve.
Under the Energy Price Guarantee, average standing charges for customers on default tariffs will remain capped in line with the levels set (in Great Britain) by Ofgem for the default tariff cap from 1 October. Standing charges for households in Northern Ireland will also be unaffected.
The Government has no plans to introduce a price cap on alternative fuels.
The price of heating oil is estimated to have risen by around 147% in the year to October 2022. A payment of £100 will effectively limit the increase in heating costs to 130%, in line with the benefit offered by the Energy Price Guarantee for customers on mains gas.
On 29 July the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by EBSS. This will include those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier. The government will be announcing details later in the autumn on eligibility and on how these households will receive the £400 payment.
This support will be provided alongside the ‘Energy Price Guarantee’ which will mean a typical UK household will pay, on average, no more than £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years.
The Government publishes weekly national average pump prices for both petrol and diesel online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-road-fuel-prices. The Government does not collect data at a local level.
The difference in retail prices largely reflects a difference in traded wholesale prices for the two fuels. The wholesale cost of diesel is often higher than for petrol. This is because UK and European refineries were historically set up at a time when petrol was the dominant fuel in demand. Consequently, the UK is a net importer of diesel but a net exporter of petrol.
The Government analysis shows that petrol and diesel prices are mainly driven by the price of crude oil (priced in US$) and exchange rates. These are also influenced by a range of factors, which can create small price differences in the short term. This includes balance of demand and supply for individual fuels, levels of oil stocks, changes to the costs of biofuels, and distribution and retail costs.
The Government publishes weekly national average pump prices for both petrol and diesel online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-road-fuel-prices. The Government does not collect data at a local level.
The difference in retail prices largely reflects a difference in traded wholesale prices for the two fuels. The wholesale cost of diesel is often higher than for petrol. This is because UK and European refineries were historically set up at a time when petrol was the dominant fuel in demand. Consequently, the UK is a net importer of diesel but a net exporter of petrol.
The Government analysis shows that petrol and diesel prices are mainly driven by the price of crude oil (priced in US$) and exchange rates. These are also influenced by a range of factors, which can create small price differences in the short term. This includes balance of demand and supply for individual fuels, levels of oil stocks, changes to the costs of biofuels, and distribution and retail costs.
Our Energy Price Cap remains in place, protecting millions of households from sudden price spikes. We are also supporting the most vulnerable and low-income households with the cost of fuel bills through initiatives such as the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments
The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period.
On 8th April we published guidance for unpaid carers on GOV.UK, which includes general advice on infection control, advice on caring where someone has symptoms, how to create care plans, how to make alternative care arrangements at short notice and access links to various NHS resources.
We have provided additional funding to Carers UK’s helpline, information and support services, to help more carers access trusted information and advice. We also continue to signpost carers to the charity’s website for additional information and support during this pandemic.
We are committed to supporting carers in the City of Durham and across the country to remain in work, recognising the challenges of balancing work and care also in the longer term.
This is why the Government is now consulting on proposals to introduce Carer’s Leave, to support working people who are also carers to balance employment with their caring responsibilities.
This Government is also clear about the benefits of flexible working for employers and for their employees, including those with caring responsibilities. In our manifesto we said that, subject to consultation, we would introduce measures to make flexible working the default.
The Government published the draft Online Safety Bill in May 2021, which places new legal duties on tech companies, including social media platforms, to protect their users.
All companies in scope will need to tackle illegal abuse by making sure it is taken down quickly when they are aware of it and by using systems and processes to minimise the risk of similar material appearing. Services which are likely to be accessed by children will need to provide safety measures for child users, including from cyberbullying. Major platforms will also need to address legal but harmful content for adults. Ofcom as the regulator will be able to take enforcement action, including large fines, against companies who do not comply with their duties.
The draft Bill has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee which reported its recommendations on 14 December. We are considering the Committee’s recommendations and are committed to introducing the Bill shortly.
The Government recognises the serious risks that pupils and teachers face online. The Department for Education’s COVID-19 Parent and Pupil Panel Survey, published in October 2021, found that 6% of pupils in years 6-13 reported that they had experienced online bullying in the 12 months up to July 2021. Furthermore, Ofcom’s Internet Users’ Experience of Potential Online Harms Survey conducted in early 2020 found that 1% of children aged 12-15 who had experienced bullying, abusive behaviour and threats cited TikTok as the platform on which this occurred.
The Government is also deeply concerned by reports related to the abuse of teachers on TikTok. The upcoming Online Safety Bill will ensure that online platforms, including TikTok, do much more to protect their users, including from online bullying and abuse. The strongest protections in the legislation are for children.
All gambling advertising, wherever it appears, is already subject to strict controls on content and placement. Gambling operators and their affiliates must abide by the advertising codes issued by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP). Breaches of the code can result in the Gambling Commission taking enforcement action. The CAP has recently consulted on strengthening the advertising codes for gambling for the greater protection of children and vulnerable adults. New measures to protect vulnerable adults are already in force and a full consultation outcome, including new protections for children, is expected shortly.
In addition, the gambling industry has its own gambling advertising code – The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising which includes additional requirements, for example, a 9pm television advertising watershed for most forms of gambling and ensuring advertising is targeted only at those over 25 years old on social media.
As with advertising, sponsorship arrangements must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children. If a gambling sponsorship is socially irresponsible or otherwise violates licence conditions, the Gambling Commission can take action against both the operator and the partner organisation.
The Government is reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it remains fit for the digital age. As part of its broad scope, the review called for evidence on the benefits or harms of allowing operators to advertise and engage in sponsorship arrangements. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a White Paper outlining conclusions and next steps in due course. We are also looking more broadly at how online advertising is regulated through the Online Advertising Programme, which will be launching a public consultation in the coming months.
I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions as we wouldn’t want to reverse the progress we are making. There is evidence that singing loudly can increase aerosol and thus increase the risk of coronavirus transmission, particularly indoors. As with any activity, the cumulative effect of aerosol transmission means the more people involved, the higher the risk of transmission.
The Covid context has also changed with the emergence of more transmissible strains. This would include the so-called Alpha variant B.1.1.7 which research suggests may be 70% more transmissible, and now the Delta variant B1.617.2 which looks to be even more transmissible. This means the risks associated with transmission have increased since these studies were undertaken. For these reasons it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions, so that we can see the impact of this before moving to the next step.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
Football clubs form an integral part of this country and it is important they are given as much support as possible during these difficult times. In light of this, the Government announced a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support.
I recently wrote to the Football Association, alongside the other major sport governing bodies, to underline the importance of maintaining the momentum of women’s football. We want to see women’s sport continue to thrive, and football is a popular choice for women and girls to get active (being the second most popular team sport in terms of participation for adult women in England). The government is also looking forward to the UK hosting the rescheduled women’s UEFA European Championships in 2022. The Government will continue to liaise closely with the football authorities on this important matter.
The Government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. DCMS and the Home Office are working at pace to develop the legislation. We will publish a full government response later this year, and legislation will be ready this session.
St Leonard’s Catholic School has an assigned project director who has been working with the trust and school leadership team, providing support and direction. As part of this work, the Department has commissioned a risk assessment. The decant of coursework and other items, as requested by the school, was completed on Friday 27 October.
St Leonard’s Catholic School has an assigned project director who has been working with the trust and school leadership team, providing support and direction to ensure all children return to face-to-face education as quickly as possible. As a result of this work, all pupils returned to full-time face-to-face learning on 30 October 2023.
Work is underway to provide temporary classrooms on the school playing field, which will allow years 7 and 8 to return from Ushaw College. The Department is working with the school on timing of the move, and this will be early in the new year.
The overall purpose of Gold Command meetings is to set the strategic direction and make key decisions relating to the Government’s response to RAAC in schools and colleges. This may include discussion on the mitigation plans for individual schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC.
St Leonard’s Catholic School has an assigned project director working alongside the trust and school leadership team, providing support and direction to ensure all children returned to face to face education as quickly as possible. This was achieved on 30 October 2023. Additionally, a working group of officials, school leadership and trust personnel meet regularly to continue to mitigate the effect of RAAC for pupils and staff.
The department collects information on the childcare workforce through the survey of childcare and early years providers. This is a long-standing, nationally representative survey of 10,000 childcare and early years providers. The latest data was published on 15 December 2022, and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2022. The department does not collect data on workforce at constituency level.
Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.
The department has regular contact with each local authority in England, including Durham County Council, about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing, such as workforce recruitment and retention.
Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
The early years workforce makes a huge contribution to young children’s lives. Supporting and growing this workforce to deliver the transformative reforms announced by the Chancellor in the Spring 2023 Budget is a priority for the department. The department is developing a range of new workforce initiatives including the launch of a new, national, multi-channel broadcast recruitment campaign, planned for the beginning of 2024, to boost interest in the sector and support the recruitment of talented staff.
The Department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions from Members of Parliament. The below table provides the proportion of (a) ordinary and (b) named day written parliamentary questions answered by the Department from 1 January 2023 to 23 October 2023, as at 23 October.
PQ type | Answered | Answered on time |
PQ-Ordinary | 2,379 | 2,033 (86%) |
PQ-Named | 817 | 587 (72%) |
Total | 3,196 | 2,620 (82%) |
The guidance for education settings with confirmed RAAC in their buildings makes clear that schools should consider educational, safeguarding and wellbeing impacts for pupils and do their best to minimise the amount and length of any disruption to education, with support from their caseworker. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-guidance-for-responsible-bodies-and-education-settings-with-confirmed-raac.
The Department’s priority is that pupils remain in face to face education or can return to it as soon as possible. Where schools do need to deliver education remotely, they are likely to already have established plans in place that have worked well for them, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department has produced guidance to support schools to provide high-quality remote education, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providing-remote-education-guidance-for-schools.
This guidance recommends that schools have systems for checking, daily, whether pupils are safe at home and engaging with their remote education. To help schools in doing that, the Department has brought together various sources of government support at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The Department publishes annual figures on free school meals (FSM) eligibility for pupils in England. The most recent figures are for January 2023, and are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.
In the City of Durham constituency in January 2023, 1,642 (25%) state funded primary school pupils and 1,272 (18%) secondary school pupils were known to be eligible for FSM. Data showing the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for FSM in County Durham Local Authority and the North East region is accessible here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/83927831-5a72-47bb-d6ab-08dbca2fee12.
For 2023/24, the National Funding Formula has allocated £480 annually on the basis of the number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) through the ‘FSM factor’. The meal rate for universal infant FSM in 2023/24 has increased to £2.53. This represents an increase of 5% and brings funding in line with wider FSM for the first time.
The Department recognises the cost pressures that some schools and suppliers may be facing. The Department is holding regular meetings with other Government Departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies.
The Department is aware that the catering provision at St Leonard’s School has been closed due to the areas containing RAAC and will cover additional costs relating to the provision of FSM as a consequence of RAAC.
The Department’s school travel policy aims to make sure no pupil is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local Authorities must arrange free home to school travel for pupils of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and live more than the statutory walking distance from it. The statutory walking distance is two miles for pupils aged under eight and three miles for those aged eight or over.
The Department does not have any plans to amend the statutory walking distance, but pupils will also be eligible for free travel if they live within the statutory walking distance and would not be able to walk to school because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. In addition, there are extended rights to free home to school travel for pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who live with a parent that claims the maximum amount of working tax credit. Pupils aged eight or over, but under eleven, may have free travel to their nearest school if it is more than two miles from their home. Pupils aged eleven to sixteen may have free travel to one of their three nearest schools, provided it is between two and six miles from their home, or to a school that their parents have chosen on the grounds of their religion or belief that is between two and fifteen miles from their home.
Local Authorities are responsible for assessing route safety to determine whether a pupil is eligible for free home to school travel. Local knowledge is likely to be important and the Department does not have a role in these decisions. The Department’s guidance explains that Local Authorities should consider a range of risks such as canals, rivers, ditches, speed of traffic and fields of vision for the pedestrian and motorist.
The Department’s school travel policy aims to make sure no pupil is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local Authorities must arrange free home to school travel for pupils of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and live more than the statutory walking distance from it. The statutory walking distance is two miles for pupils aged under eight and three miles for those aged eight or over.
The Department does not have any plans to amend the statutory walking distance, but pupils will also be eligible for free travel if they live within the statutory walking distance and would not be able to walk to school because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. In addition, there are extended rights to free home to school travel for pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who live with a parent that claims the maximum amount of working tax credit. Pupils aged eight or over, but under eleven, may have free travel to their nearest school if it is more than two miles from their home. Pupils aged eleven to sixteen may have free travel to one of their three nearest schools, provided it is between two and six miles from their home, or to a school that their parents have chosen on the grounds of their religion or belief that is between two and fifteen miles from their home.
Local Authorities are responsible for assessing route safety to determine whether a pupil is eligible for free home to school travel. Local knowledge is likely to be important and the Department does not have a role in these decisions. The Department’s guidance explains that Local Authorities should consider a range of risks such as canals, rivers, ditches, speed of traffic and fields of vision for the pedestrian and motorist.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.
It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.
The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.
There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.
The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.
The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.
Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.
All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.
Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.
While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.
The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.
All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.
Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.
It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.
The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.
There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.
The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.
The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.
Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.
All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.
Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.
While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.
The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.
All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.
Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.
It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.
The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.
There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.
The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.
The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.
Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.
All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.
Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.
While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.
The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.
All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.
The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.
The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.
Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.
Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.
The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:
Parliamentary constituency | Schools selected for SRP |
Bolton West |
|
City of Durham |
|
The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.
Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.
Kinship carers play a vital role in caring for children and the department recognises the impact increased cost of living pressures will place on their ability to provide that care.
The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care sets out recommendations that seek to improve the financial and practical support kinship carers receive., The department is due to respond to those recommendations early in 2023.
Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen as a result of global events this year and that have impacted students. Many higher education (HE) providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.
To support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, the department confirmed in guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022/23 financial year that universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through their own hardship funds and the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for academic year 2022/23.
Maximum loans for living costs and grants have been increased this academic year, 2022/23. The government is reviewing options for uprating maximum loans and grants for the 2023/24 academic year. An announcement will follow in due course.
In addition, maximum tuition fees have been capped at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year, in respect of standard full-time courses. The department is also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
As part of the package of support for rising energy bills, the government is also giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes.
All households will save money on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee. This is in addition to the £400 energy bills discount for all households. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount.
The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support, as appropriate, onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen as a result of global events this year and that have impacted students. Many higher education (HE) providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.
To support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, the department confirmed in guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022/23 financial year that universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through their own hardship funds and the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for academic year 2022/23.
Maximum loans for living costs and grants have been increased this academic year, 2022/23. The government is reviewing options for uprating maximum loans and grants for the 2023/24 academic year. An announcement will follow in due course.
In addition, maximum tuition fees have been capped at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year, in respect of standard full-time courses. The department is also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
As part of the package of support for rising energy bills, the government is also giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes.
All households will save money on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee. This is in addition to the £400 energy bills discount for all households. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount.
The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support, as appropriate, onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen as a result of global events this year and that have impacted students. Many higher education (HE) providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance.
To support disadvantaged students and those who need additional help, the department confirmed in guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2022/23 financial year that universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through their own hardship funds and the student premium, for which up to £261 million is available for academic year 2022/23.
Maximum loans for living costs and grants have been increased this academic year, 2022/23. The government is reviewing options for uprating maximum loans and grants for the 2023/24 academic year. An announcement will follow in due course.
In addition, maximum tuition fees have been capped at £9,250 for the 2022/23 academic year, in respect of standard full-time courses. The department is also freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
As part of the package of support for rising energy bills, the government is also giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes.
All households will save money on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee. This is in addition to the £400 energy bills discount for all households. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount.
The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12 October includes the provision to require landlords to pass benefits they receive from energy price support, as appropriate, onto end users. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.
The department recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare.
Students starting a doctoral degree on or after 1 August 2018 are eligible to receive a postgraduate doctoral loan of up to £27,892 to help with course fees and living costs, including childcare.
In addition to the above childcare support for doctoral students, all parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances.
Working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare if they earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage and under £100,000 per year. Students who participate in paid work in addition to their studies and meet the income requirements will be eligible for the additional hours.
Parents who meet these income criteria may also be able to receive support from Tax-Free Childcare, which can be worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged 0 to 11, or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children aged 0 to 16.
Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The department remains committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare, and we continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.
The Department continues to work with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to help education settings access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. From October this year, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3B of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings, with a minimum of 30% going to education settings. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills.
Since 2015, the Department has allocated over £13 billion in capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings, which can support improvements to energy efficiency. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, with all new buildings being net zero carbon in operation. They will achieve this, in part by installing electricity generation on their estate. Any new funding will be determined at future fiscal events.
The department has a statutory obligation to consult on any potential changes to the Early Years Statutory Framework (EYFS), including any proposed changes to ratios. The department consulted on moving to the Scottish ratios for two-year-olds, from a ratio of 1:4 (one adult to four children) to 1:5 (one adult to five children), as well as on how greater flexibility can be provided within ratios for childminders. This consultation closed on 16 September, and the department will respond in due course.
Responses from this consultation will help to build the evidence base, including understanding more around the potential effect of safeguarding in the event that government guidelines are changed.
Alongside the consultation, the department ran a survey of early years providers to establish the likely impact of the changes on providers, and this survey will be published in due course.
Our priority continues to be to provide safe, high-quality early years provision for our youngest children.
This government’s proposals set out in the Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper, which is subject to consultation, seek to enable issues to be resolved earlier and improve relationships locally by strengthening mediation, including consulting on making it mandatory.
In the current system, in most cases, families must secure a mediation certificate before registering an appeal with the tribunal, but they do not have to participate in the mediation itself. If the parent or young person does decide to proceed with mediation, then the local authority must ensure that it arranges for mediation between it and the child's parent or young person, within 30 days. Mediation is effective in the majority of cases. In 2021, 74% of mediation cases were settled without the need to progress to tribunal. Mediation is free of charge for families.
Waiting for a SEND tribunal hearing can take significantly longer. The tribunal has a performance measure that 75% of appeals should be brought to hearing and the decision issued within 22 weeks.
Streamlining complaints processes and strengthening earlier dispute resolution will help to maintain and improve relationships between parents/carers and the local authority to enable them to continue working together. However, parents would still be able to go to tribunal if necessary. Coproduction remains a fundamental principle of the SEND system and the department wants to continue to work with parents and carers at every level of reform.
The Green Paper is now out for public consultation on its proposals until 22 July.
Social care services, including those for disabled children and their families, are provided on the basis of an individual assessment of each child and family’s needs.
The department has not conducted an assessment of children’s social care services in light of the Disabled Children’s Partnership polling released in January 2022. The government believes it is right for local authorities, who know their areas’ needs best, to determine what services are required locally, including disabled children’s social care services.
This year councils have access to £51.3 billion to deliver their core services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care. The government has also given over £6 billion in unringfenced funding directly to councils to support them with the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including children’s services.
The department will continue to work with other government departments, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to ensure the needs of children’s services are reflected.
In addition to statutory services, the department is providing £27.3 million to the Family Fund in the 2021-22 financial year to support over 60,000 families on low incomes raising children and young people with disabilities or serious illnesses. Grants can be used for a range of purposes, including family breaks.
During the autumn term, we provided carbon dioxide monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding.
We have now delivered on our public commitment with over 353,000 monitors delivered in the Autumn term. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in most schools, colleges and nurseries, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.
The department will also make up to 8,000 air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces in state-funded education providers, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible.
Deliveries will start from next week to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision schools, colleges, and nurseries. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November 2021.
The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January 2022. All state funded schools, colleges and nurseries can apply. Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Schools, colleges and nurseries with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.
For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. Further information is available here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.
During the autumn term, we provided carbon dioxide monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding.
We have now delivered on our public commitment with over 353,000 monitors delivered in the Autumn term. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in most schools, colleges and nurseries, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.
The department will also make up to 8,000 air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces in state-funded education providers, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible.
Deliveries will start from next week to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision schools, colleges, and nurseries. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November 2021.
The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January 2022. All state funded schools, colleges and nurseries can apply. Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Schools, colleges and nurseries with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.
For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. Further information is available here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to nurseries, schools and colleges on ventilation requirements. It is important to ensure that nurseries, schools and colleges are well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.
The department recognises that schools may be facing pressures this winter, particularly where energy prices have increased. However, these cost increases should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools: at the 2019 Spending Round, the government committed to significant additional investment in schools of £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. This year, mainstream school funding is increasing by 3.5% overall, and all schools are receiving at least a 2% increase to pupil-led per pupil funding.
Durham is receiving an extra £10.5 million for schools this year, an increase of 3.3% per pupil. This takes total funding for 2021-22 in Durham to over £344.5 million, including additional funding to meet increased costs of teachers’ pay and pensions.
School leaders have the flexibility to make their own decisions on how to prioritise their spending to invest in a range of resources that will best support their staff and pupils. The department does not have detailed information on how cost pressures will vary for individual schools, as these will depend on individual circumstances and local decision making.
Schools continue to be able to access existing support for financial issues, including a wide range of school resource management tools, and, in serious circumstances, additional funding or advances from local authorities for maintained schools, or the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academy trusts.
School funding remains one of the department’s key priorities and any decisions on future funding will be made as part of this year’s Spending Review. We expect the outcome of the 2021 Spending Review to be announced on 27 October.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to nurseries, schools and colleges on ventilation requirements. It is important to ensure that nurseries, schools and colleges are well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.
The department recognises that schools may be facing pressures this winter, particularly where energy prices have increased. However, these cost increases should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools: at the 2019 Spending Round, the government committed to significant additional investment in schools of £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. This year, mainstream school funding is increasing by 3.5% overall, and all schools are receiving at least a 2% increase to pupil-led per pupil funding.
Durham is receiving an extra £10.5 million for schools this year, an increase of 3.3% per pupil. This takes total funding for 2021-22 in Durham to over £344.5 million, including additional funding to meet increased costs of teachers’ pay and pensions.
School leaders have the flexibility to make their own decisions on how to prioritise their spending to invest in a range of resources that will best support their staff and pupils. The department does not have detailed information on how cost pressures will vary for individual schools, as these will depend on individual circumstances and local decision making.
Schools continue to be able to access existing support for financial issues, including a wide range of school resource management tools, and, in serious circumstances, additional funding or advances from local authorities for maintained schools, or the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academy trusts.
School funding remains one of the department’s key priorities and any decisions on future funding will be made as part of this year’s Spending Review. We expect the outcome of the 2021 Spending Review to be announced on 27 October.
I refer the hon. Member for City of Durham, to the answer I gave on 20 October 2021 to Question 56976.
Funding for local authorities’ services, including disabled children’s social care, is unringfenced, allowing local authorities flexibility to spend according to local needs and priorities.
In the 2021-22 financial year, councils have access to £51.3 billion to deliver their core services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care. The government has also provided an additional £6 billion of funding directly to councils to support them with the immediate and long-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including those on services for disabled children.
The department will continue to work hard across government ahead of the next Spending Review to ensure children and young people are at the heart of this government’s priorities.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and his department, discuss a range of issues, including children’s social care funding with HM Treasury, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and other government departments on a regular basis.
I refer the hon. Members for the City of Durham, Bath, and Stockton North to the answer I gave on 2 June 2021 to Question 7328.
I refer the hon. Members for the City of Durham, Bath, and Stockton North to the answer I gave on 2 June 2021 to Question 7328.
The Department’s guidance states that, when a school or college is in operation, it is important to ensure that it is well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained. This can be achieved by a variety of measures including using mechanical ventilation systems and/or natural ventilation, such as opening windows. In all cases, actions should be taken to encourage fresh air into the building, whilst striking a balance with thermal comfort. This guidance applies to all schools in England.
The Department continues to review the ventilation requirements set out in its guidance, including considering whether monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2) levels would be appropriate, and is working with Public Health England and ventilation experts on a pilot project to measure CO2 levels in typical classrooms.
The Department continues to keep the protective measures under review based on the latest scientific evidence and advice as this continues to evolve.
The guidance for schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. The government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation whether the accommodation is managed by universities or private sector organisations.
If a student is contractually committed to move home and has been told to self-isolate, they should seek to delay their move until all members of their household have come to the end of their self-isolation period. All parties involved should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change move dates where someone is self-isolating or has tested positive.
There is no prohibition on moving house where necessary, and anyone in England who wishes to move house can do so. This includes forming new households and moving into and out of shared student accommodation and houses in multiple occupation. Guidance is available here for: landlords and tenants on renting and COVID-19: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.
If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found here:
https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain, https://www.nrla.org.uk/.
The government is aware of the disproportionate impact the crisis will have on some students and we recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for this academic year, towards hardship support. The government has made an additional £85 million of student hardship funding available to higher education (HE) providers in the 2020/21 academic year. Providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to their students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need.
We know that not all students will face financial hardship. The current measures aim to target support for students in greatest need and the government continues to monitor the situation to look at what impact this funding is having.
Some students may also be eligible for a one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, if they are required to self-isolate. Information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/test-and-trace-support-payment.
It is vitally important that universities continue to make sure that students feel as supported as possible should they have to self-isolate. This robust package of support needs to include mental health and wellbeing support, daily communications and ensuring students have access to suitable free or affordable food.
Universities UK have also produced a checklist for providers to support students who are required to self-isolate as well as bespoke guidance for HE providers on how to prepare for and care for students who are required to self-isolate on arrival in the UK. We encourage providers to review this guidance when considering how best to support their international and other students arriving from overseas.
The OfS have published a statement on support for students in self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak, available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/ofs-student-panel-statement-on-support-for-students-in-self-isolation-during-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic/.
In February 2020, the Department announced the first 50 of 500 projects to replace or refurbish buildings through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). Further information on the projects is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-first-50-schools.
The Department does not hold a priority list for school rebuilds, beyond the schools confirmed for the SRP. We collect data on the condition of school buildings through the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme. The CDC programme collected data on 22,031 schools, comprising 63,942 teaching blocks, across 9 geographical regions of England, between 2017 and 2019. The CDC programme followed a predecessor programme, the Property Data Survey (PDS) which ran from 2012 to 2014. A third condition data collection programme (CDC2) is now underway, to update the Department’s condition data. Further information on CDC2 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-data-collection-2-cdc2-programme.
The prioritisation process for the second round of 50 SRP projects is ongoing, informed by data from CDC as well as further investigations and site visits. The process that the Department is using to prioritise these projects is explained here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme/school-rebuilding-programme.
The Department plan to consult later this year on the approach to prioritising schools for the SRP. Following this, we will confirm the approach for future projects.
In February 2020, the Department announced the first 50 of 500 projects to replace or refurbish buildings through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). Further information on the projects is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-first-50-schools.
The Department does not hold a priority list for school rebuilds, beyond the schools confirmed for the SRP. We collect data on the condition of school buildings through the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme. The CDC programme collected data on 22,031 schools, comprising 63,942 teaching blocks, across 9 geographical regions of England, between 2017 and 2019. The CDC programme followed a predecessor programme, the Property Data Survey (PDS) which ran from 2012 to 2014. A third condition data collection programme (CDC2) is now underway, to update the Department’s condition data. Further information on CDC2 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-data-collection-2-cdc2-programme.
The prioritisation process for the second round of 50 SRP projects is ongoing, informed by data from CDC as well as further investigations and site visits. The process that the Department is using to prioritise these projects is explained here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme/school-rebuilding-programme.
The Department plan to consult later this year on the approach to prioritising schools for the SRP. Following this, we will confirm the approach for future projects.
Testing in schools and colleges should continue until the end of summer term. Further information on testing arrangements over the summer break and autumn term will be made available shortly.
The information requested is not held centrally.
The Department collects information on teacher numbers from the School Workforce Census but does not hold live information on the use of supply teachers. The Census data can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce.
As schools begin to reopen for all pupils from the beginning of the autumn term, we anticipate the demand for supply teachers to return to normal and supply teachers will continue to make a vital contribution in our schools.
The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets to children who would not otherwise have access, as part of over £100 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.
The Department is now supplementing this support by making an initial 150,000 additional devices available in the event that face to face schooling becomes disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions. This scheme will enable schools to support disadvantaged children in Year 3 to Year 11 who do not have their own devices. Schools will also be able to order devices for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their Key Stage 4 at a further education college.
As well as laptops and tablets, the Department has provided over 50,000 4G wireless routers to support disadvantaged children with internet connectivity. These routers come with free data for the autumn term and will allow local authorities and academy trusts to support children who may have their education and care disrupted because of official COVID-19 restrictions or disruption to face to face contact. In partnership with BT, the Department has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT wifi hotspots.
The Department is also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection. We are piloting an approach where mobile network operators are providing temporary access to free additional data offering families more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most.
We committed to supporting local authorities who have struggled with their high needs budgets. That is why we are putting £730 million into high needs nationally next year (2021-22), which represents a 10% increase; coming on top of the additional £780 million we have provided this year (2020-21), that means the high needs funding block will have increased by over £1.5 billion, or 24% in just 2 years. County Durham will receive £61.2 million this year, and for next year has a provisional allocation of £69.4 million, an £8.2 million increase. Provisional allocations for 2021-22 can be viewed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2021-to-2022.
The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this, including advice on the responding to any infections. This includes how schools should manage confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst the school community and contain any outbreak. The guidance can be viewed here:
The 2 July guidance set out that every school should plan for the possibility of local restrictions and how they will ensure continuity of education in exceptional circumstances where there is some level of restriction applied to education or childcare in a local area. The Department of Health and Social Care has published an overview of the tiers of restriction for education and childcare, to be implemented only where absolutely necessary, in its contain framework. This can be viewed here:
We have published guidance on how schools can plan for tier 2 local restrictions due to the operational challenges that schools could experience. This can be viewed here:
The Department has provided a range of resources to support schools in delivering remote education. This includes examples of teaching practice during coronavirus, as well as our work with sector-led initiatives such as Oak National Academy. This can be viewed here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
We have made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year to provide video lessons for reception up to year 11 across a range of subjects. There is also specialist content for students with SEND covering their specific educational needs. Oak National Academy will remain a free optional resource for 2020-21.
The Department has already invested over £100 million to support remote education, including the delivery of over 220,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access. We are now supplementing this support by making an initial 150,000 additional devices available in the event face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions.
The Department has confirmed its intention for all existing statutory key stage 1 and 2 assessments (commonly known as SATs) to return in 2020/21, and to take place in accordance with their usual timetable.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education asked Ofqual in June to consider a short delay to the GCSE, A and AS level exam timetable in 2021, to free up additional teaching time. The Department is continuing to work with Ofqual, the exam boards, regulators in the devolved administrations, and groups representing schools, colleges and higher education to consider the best approach, and decisions will be confirmed as soon as possible.
The Department has been working with Ofqual regarding requirements for assessments and examinations for vocational and technical qualifications, which include BTEC qualifications. Ofqual is currently consulting and engaging with awarding organisations to agree guidance on how awarding organisations can adapt assessments in 2020/21, including timetabling considerations.
The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this, including advice on the responding to any infections. This includes how schools should manage confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst the school community, and contain any outbreak. The guidance is available here:
The 2 July guidance set out that every school should plan for the possibility of local restrictions and how they will ensure continuity of education in exceptional circumstances where there is some level of restriction applied to education or childcare in a local area.
The Department of Health and Social Care has published an overview of the tiers of restriction for education and childcare, to be implemented only where absolutely necessary, in its contain framework. This can be viewed here:
We have published guidance on how schools can plan for tier 2 local restrictions due to the operational challenges that schools could experience. This can be viewed here:
The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school or college full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools and colleges prepare for this. The guidance can be viewed her: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/education-and-childcare.
All schools and colleges will be provided with a small number of home testing kits that they can give directly to parents/carers collecting a child who has developed symptoms at school, or staff or students who have developed symptoms at school or college, where they think providing one will significantly increase the likelihood of them getting tested.
We have also issued guidance explaining what parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges in the autumn term. This guidance explains that it is important for parents to engage with the NHS Test and Trace process and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-in-the-autumn-term.
In the majority of cases, schools and parents will be in agreement that a child with symptoms should not attend school, given the potential risk to others. In the event that a parent or guardian insists on a child attending school, schools can take the decision to refuse the child if in their reasonable judgement it is necessary to protect their pupils and staff from possible infection COVID-19. Any such decision would need to be carefully considered in light of all the circumstances and the current public health advice.
Further guidance is available on testing and tracing for COVID-19 here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/.
On 24 May, we published a planning guide to provide information and support for all early years providers in England as they prepared to open for all children. This planning guide was co-produced with experienced senior leaders and sector representatives and is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-early-years-and-childcare-settings.
Unlike older children and adults, children in early years cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years, we have taken this into account. Settings should keep children in consistent small groups and work through the hierarchy of controls set out in our guidance, which include minimising contact and mixing.
If demand for places is higher than the setting’s capacity when measures to allow physical distancing between groups are in place, it may be necessary to have a temporary cap on numbers of children attending the setting. Solutions might involve working with the local authority to support children attending a nearby setting on a consistent basis.
Higher education providers reacted rapidly to move provision online (in many cases within 24 hours), to enable higher education students to complete the 2019/20 academic year. Providers are currently planning to move to blended or dual provision for the next academic year. They have redesigned courses and timetables to be suitable for these new styles of delivery, as well as front-loading the year with more online friendly provision and moving areas which require practical, face-to-face teaching or assessment to the back of the academic year.
Providers have also demonstrated a high level of agility while addressing issues around infrastructure, changing course content and developing new methods of assessment. To help support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19, the government has worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding worth around £23 million per month for June and July, towards student hardship funds, including the purchase of IT equipment.
The OfS has published information and guidance for providers and students, including frequently asked questions on a broad range of issues. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has also published a series of guides to support providers to secure academic standards and to support student achievement during the outbreak. The OfS has made it clear that all higher education providers must continue to meet conditions related to the quality of their courses and the standard of qualifications that they award. This means ensuring that higher education courses are high quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected.
Ministers and officials in the Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care are meeting regularly to discuss the effect of the changes to education and how to provide support for mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Access to mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open, and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government announced that a further £4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities, including the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK.
All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.
The department has signposted resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing among the list of resources to help children to learn at home, which are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.
BBC Bitesize has also worked with the department to provide content with substantial focus on mental health, wellbeing and pastoral care.
The return to school will, in itself, be part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, as attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. We have now given secondary schools the flexibility to have a face-to-face ‘check-up’ with all pupils during the summer term, which will ensure more children and young people are able to achieve this benefit. Pupil wellbeing is an important consideration within our guidance on actions for educational and childcare settings as they begin to open in June 2020, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.
The planning guide for primaries provides more information on supporting the mental wellbeing of pupils as they return to school:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools#managing-pupil-and-staff-wellbeing-and-mental-health.
Our latest guidance on remote education during COVID-19 is available here:
www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
It is up to each school to determine how to deliver education to its pupils and whether and how to monitor participation. Many schools have shared resources – both online and printed resources – for children who are at home, and we are committed to ensuring that all children can continue to learn remotely in a number of ways during these very difficult circumstances.
Being in school is vital for children’s education and their wellbeing. We are working towards bringing all children and young people back to school in September. These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.
We want to avoid any child, whatever their background or location, falling behind as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Pupils in Reception, year 1 and year 6 have been returning to school in smaller class sizes, alongside the children of critical workers and vulnerable children of all ages, who continue to be able to attend. From 15 June, secondary schools and colleges have been providing some face-to-face support for years 10 and 12 and students aged in the first year of a two-year study programme, who are due to take key exams next year.
School leaders have explained that the level of challenge and nature of provision of remote education will vary across schools, and that schools need the flexibility to plan and provide remote education that is suitable for their circumstances. This includes considering the age of pupils. Remote education for younger children will typically need more involvement from parents, and parents are facing a range of pressures at this time. The Department has worked with teachers and school leaders to develop guidance on planning a curriculum and on remote education practice during COVID-19, which is at: www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The Government has committed over £100 million to boost remote education. This includes: providing devices and internet access for those who need it most, ensuring every school that wants it has access to free, expert technical support to get set up on Google for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education, and offering peer support from schools and colleges leading the way with the use of education technology.
To support the hard work of schools in delivering remote education, the new Oak National Academy, launched at the start of the summer term provides at least 180 video lessons for free each week, across a broad range of subjects, for every year group from Reception through to year 10. By 14 June, 3.4 million unique users had accessed the Oak National Academy website and 11.9 million lessons had been viewed.
For pupils who may not have access to technology, offline education resources are also available through the many hard copy resources offered by publishers across the country and from the BBC, which is broadcasting lessons on television. Its Bitesize Daily TV shows were watched by over 2 million households on iPlayer in the first two weeks of transmission.
We are working with a range of partners to explore how schools can best help their pupils to make up for time spent out of school.
The department is working closely with educational institutions, sector organisations, the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to understand the effects of the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus on the mental health and wellbeing and identify the children and young people that need help and will continue to do so as more pupils return to school.
The return to school will, in itself, be part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, as attendance enables social interaction with peers, carers and teachers. Pupil wellbeing is an important consideration within our guidance on actions for educational and childcare settings as they begin to open in June 2020, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.
It is also included as a specific theme in the planning framework the department has issued, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england.
We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to put in place further specific support for school staff to understand the issues that pupils will face with their mental wellbeing. This includes training for teachers, such as a new module developed with clinical experts on how to teach about mental health in health education, and more information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.
The government remains committed to promoting and supporting the mental health of children and young people. Access to mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open, and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund.
All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.
Children and young people can access free confidential support anytime from government-backed voluntary and community sector organisations either by texting SHOUT to 85258, or by calling Childline on 0800 1111 or The Mix on 0808 808 4994. Children and young people can also find online information on COVID-19 and mental health on the Young Minds website, which is available here:
https://youngminds.org.uk/about-us/reports/coronavirus-impact-on-young-people-with-mental-health-needs/.
The Environment Agency’s standard rules permit for composting does not allow operations within 250m of housing. Operations may be allowed closer to sensitive receptors, provided that a site-specific assessment has been made, that aerosol release is controlled, and that monitoring is in place to confirm the efficacy of such controls. Such an operation would require a bespoke permit. Decisions about location of new housing are made under the separate local authority-led planning system.
Whilst we have made no overall assessment of the potential effect of either operating or defunct landfill sites on health outcomes for residents who live within a one kilometre radius of those sites, the Environmental Permitting regime regulates the network of permitted and exempt waste sites that safely treat or dispose of waste.
The regulations protect against pollution which could cause damage to the environment or human health. The regulations include requirements for how sites operate and powers for the Environment Agency to intervene to address poor performance or tackle illegal activity. It is an offence to treat or dispose of waste outside of an appropriate permit or exemption. A defunct landfill may well not be subject to the permitting regime, which means it can be assessed by a Local Authority to establish whether it should be classified as contaminated land. Where serious contamination exists, the Local Authority can refer responsibility for the site to the Environment Agency.
The Government funds a wide range of schemes designed to tackle the pressures on the water environment. For example, we have nearly doubled the annual budget for Catchment Sensitive Farming to £30 million to provide free one to one advice to farmers to help them reduce pollution. We have also recently launched a new ‘Woodlands for Water’ project designed to facilitate the creation of riparian wildlife woodland corridors which can provide a variety of benefits for aquatic habitats.
Pollution from abandoned mines is the key problem on the River Wear which benefits from the government funded Water and Abandoned Metal Mines programme, with an expected £19 million capital budget over the next three years. Government investment has improved 100 km of rivers polluted by abandoned metal mines since 2011, and we have proposed a new statutory target to further drive this work under the Environment Act, which we are consulting on now.
The Environment Agency is working with partner organisations on various projects funded by Defra’s Water Environment Improvement Fund. This includes the Return to Eden project to educate local businesses about the effects of industrial drainage and transport of pollutants, and the Wear Estuary project aimed to improve 3 km of habitat conditions along the estuary edge, which will provide subsequent benefits to overall water quality.
In addition to government funding, between 2020 and 2025, water companies will invest £7.1 billion in environmental improvements in England.
The Government funds a wide range of schemes designed to tackle the pressures on the water environment. For example, we have nearly doubled the annual budget for Catchment Sensitive Farming to £30 million to provide free one to one advice to farmers to help them reduce pollution. We have also recently launched a new ‘Woodlands for Water’ project designed to facilitate the creation of riparian wildlife woodland corridors which can provide a variety of benefits for aquatic habitats.
Pollution from abandoned mines is the key problem on the River Wear which benefits from the government funded Water and Abandoned Metal Mines programme, with an expected £19 million capital budget over the next three years. Government investment has improved 100 km of rivers polluted by abandoned metal mines since 2011, and we have proposed a new statutory target to further drive this work under the Environment Act, which we are consulting on now.
The Environment Agency is working with partner organisations on various projects funded by Defra’s Water Environment Improvement Fund. This includes the Return to Eden project to educate local businesses about the effects of industrial drainage and transport of pollutants, and the Wear Estuary project aimed to improve 3 km of habitat conditions along the estuary edge, which will provide subsequent benefits to overall water quality.
In addition to government funding, between 2020 and 2025, water companies will invest £7.1 billion in environmental improvements in England.
The UK is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target, which seeks to halve global food waste at consumer and retail levels by 2030. There is a programme in place to achieve this domestically including support for the Courtauld Commitment 2030 voluntary agreement with industry and consumer campaigns. Robust estimates of national food waste volumes are made periodically and used to monitor and report progress against the SDG 12.3 target. The Government has no plans to make this target legally binding.
Since 2007, action to reduce food waste in the UK has contributed to a reduction in post-farm gate total food waste between 2007 and 2018 of around 15% (1.7Mt). Excluding inedible parts, the reduction was 21%.
The Prime Minister has decided to merge the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to form a new international department – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The Government will continue to engage closely with interested stakeholders, including UK and international NGOs, in the weeks and months to come as we work to create the new department, which will unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic service to make the UK a force for good in the world.
The Secretary of State is in regular contact with Mary Ng to discuss the bilateral trading relationship as well as the ratification progress in Canada of the UK-Canada Agreement on Trade Continuity. When in force, the Agreement will commit both sides to begin fresh Free Trade Agreement negotiations, which will include a comprehensive review of procedures for the resolution of investment disputes between investors and states. These discussions will enable the UK and Canada to consider dispute settlement mechanisms that are best suited to the bilateral relationship.
Pavement grit is a matter for Durham County Council.
The Department for Transport updated The Highway Code on 29 January 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
The local council has responsibility for making decisions about local roads, based on its local knowledge and taking into account local needs.
Durham City Council was also awarded £528,000 from the Safer Roads Fund in 2016/17 for improvements to the A67. Pedestrian related improvements funded included pedestrian crossing points at various locations along the A67 in Barnard castle and Startforth Park.
For the City of Durham constituency, the table below details the number of: ,
i. publicly available electric vehicle charging devices as at 1st July 2023 according to Zapmap;
ii. domestic electric vehicle charging devices funded by the Domestic Recharge Scheme (DRS) as at the scheme end in 2014;
iii. domestic electric vehicle charging devices funded through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) at 1st July 2023 and;
iv. workplace electric vehicle charging sockets funded through the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) at 1st July 2023.
| i.) Public charging devices | ii.) DRS charging devices | iii.) EVHS charging devices | iv.) WCS charging sockets |
City of Durham constituency | 93 | 393 | 640 | 113 |
Data on electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, is sourced from those installed or funded under Government approved grant schemes, operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. Charging devices not supplied via these schemes or recorded on Zapmap are not included and the actualnumber of charging devices may be higher than recorded in these figures.
The data across columns should not be summed to create a total as public charging devices, DRS and EVHS statistics count charging devices, whereas WCS counts charging sockets, making them incompatible to sum together.
A geographic breakdown of data from the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) scheme has not yet been published,and so has been excluded from this table. Data for charging devices installed through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
The Department has been clear that Bus Service improvement Plan funding is conditional on the submission and implementation of a transformational Enhanced Partnership or franchising arrangement.
We are currently working with Transport North East on developing their EP with a view to delivering funding once we are satisfied that this is in place.
This is not data that is directly collected or held by the Department.The most recent publicly available estimates suggests that the sector directly employs around 100,000 people around the UK.
The intention is for the Bill to introduce a requirement for in-scope service operators to provide declarations of compliance to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) with powers of inspection and investigation provided to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Additionally, the intention is for the Secretary of State to be able to direct SHAs to suspend access to non-compliant operators. The duties placed on ports will apply equally to all UK SHAs, regardless of whether the SHA is under Trust, municipal or private ownership.
There are 18 privately owned ports, 2 municipal ports, and 2 trust ports within Freeport zones. There is one port which is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) but privately leased and operated. These numbers depend on how a port is classified – for the purposes of this answer, the publication Focus on Ports (2006 edition) has been used as guidance supplemented with updated information where status is known to have changed or new ports have opened. There are also 4 airports. A list by Freeport zone is below:
East Midlands
East Midlands Airport
Freeport East
Port of Felixstowe - Private
Port of Ipswich – Private
Port of Mistley – Private
Harwich Haven (includes Harwich International Port within the Harbour Authority area which is privately operated) – Trust
Humber Freeport
Port of Hull - Private
Port of Immingham - Private
Port of Goole - Private
Port of Grimsby - Private
Liverpool City Region Freeport
Port of Liverpool – Private
Port of Birkenhead - Private
Port Garston - Private
Port Weston - Private
Manchester Ship Canal (including Port Salford) - Private
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Plymouth and South Devon Freeport
ABP Millbay Docks - Private
Sutton Harbour - Private
Port of Plymouth – Municipal
Cattewater Harbour – Trust
Solent Freeport
Port of Southampton (includes DP World Southampton terminal) – Private
Solent Gateway/Port of Marchwood – MoD owned but privately leased
Portsmouth International Port – Municipal
Southampton Airport
Teesside Freeport
Teesport and Hartlepool (includes Redcar Bulk Terminal, Port of Middlesbrough, and Port of Hartlepool) – Private
Teesside International Airport
Thames Freeport
London Gateway - Private
Port of Tilbury (including Tilbury2) - Private
Port ownership models are not subject to frequent change. The most recent comprehensively collected data on this topic, from 2005, estimates there to be 181 private ports, 170 municipal ports and 75 trust ports in the UK. It should be noted for that this data is not collected on a regular basis and it is possible this number has slightly altered since the data was last collected.
We will be publishing a government response to the formal public consultation which set out full details of the Bill’s proposals as soon as we have finalised full analysis of all the responses, which is currently underway.
The Department for Transport does not designate ports as nationally significant or otherwise, and in general expects them to compete freely with each other irrespective of size. However, 52 ports are designated (based on handling more than 1M tonnes of cargo in a year) as "major ports" for statistical purposes. A list may be found at Annex A to the publication Port Freight Statistics 2020: Notes and Definitions.
Nationally significant port infrastructure projects are defined at s.24 Planning Act 2008.
The use of Harbour Revision Orders was considered as part of the overall response to actions undertaken by P&O ferries. The use of Harbour Revision Orders, which as a process is primarily operated by the Marine Management Organisation, was judged not to be suitable as a response to this situation. As a harbour revision order applies only to a single harbour, and so for any unified response a Harbour Revision Order would need to be drafted for every port, this was deemed a less than ideal method for any potential government action.
Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators are already required to report an incident (such as a vehicle fire or collision) which involves a PSV to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The DVSA record instances of vehicle fires against individual operators. The DVSA monitor reports of vehicle fires and will report any trends or unexplained causes of vehicle fires to its Vehicle Safety Branch (VSB). The VSB may initiate a safety recall should this be deemed necessary for safety reasons.
Bus operators are subject to a range of requirements aimed at ensuring the safe operation of vehicles and the avoidance of incidents, including fires. These requirements, imposed under the operator licencing scheme, include regular vehicle maintenance checks, annual vehicle testing, and incident reporting requirements. In addition, enforcement checks may be carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The Department for Transport remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers in England through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows.
The Department will be consulting later in the year on updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities, including a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training.
The Department has launched a £500,000 THINK! campaign to raise awareness of the recent changes to The Highway Code, including a focus on the new hierarchy of road users. Communications have included media engagement with supporting stakeholder comment, social media advertising, radio advertising and an extranet to share both static and video assets with stakeholders to amplify our messages. The campaign is running in England, Wales and Scotland.
Further communications are planned for later in the year, to align with seasonal increases in active travel, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance.
As of 13 December 2021, the waiting time for a car practical driving test in (a) Durham is 4 weeks, and the average waiting time in (b) the North East is 14.3 weeks.
The aim is to increase testing capacity and reduce waiting times as quickly as possible, whilst maintaining a COVID-secure service for customers and examiners. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has put in place a number of measures to increase practical driving tests. These include offering overtime and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays). The DVSA has also started a recruitment campaign to increase the number of examiners.
The Department will very soon publish its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) which will look at how best to deliver major rail investments in the North and Midlands including HS2 Phase 2b, Northern Powerhouse Rail and other major Network Rail schemes, so that the benefits of these investments are delivered to passengers and communities more quickly.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many driving theory test appointments as possible. The transition of the theory test service in September 2021, will improve access for people in the North East by increasing the number of test centres from four to seven. There are currently six test centres now open, including Hexham which opened on 15 October 2021. A further test centre at Bishop Auckland will be opening on 9 November 2021. These seven test centres will offer over 90,000 theory tests a year. The DVSA is working with its supplier to meet service levels to ensure local demand is met.
By opening additional theory test centres in the North East, the DVSA expects to offer 110 theory test appointments at Hexham and 330 at Bishop Auckland in the next 12 months. This may vary in response to local demand.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many driving theory test appointments as possible. The transition of the theory test service in September 2021, will improve access for people in the North East by increasing the number of test centres from four to seven. There are currently six test centres now open, including Hexham which opened on 15 October 2021. A further test centre at Bishop Auckland will be opening on 9 November 2021. These seven test centres will offer over 90,000 theory tests a year. The DVSA is working with its supplier to meet service levels to ensure local demand is met.
By opening additional theory test centres in the North East, the DVSA expects to offer 110 theory test appointments at Hexham and 330 at Bishop Auckland in the next 12 months. This may vary in response to local demand.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many driving theory test appointments as possible. The transition of the theory test service in September 2021, will improve access for people in the North East by increasing the number of test centres from four to seven. There are currently six test centres now open, including Hexham which opened on 15 October 2021. A further test centre at Bishop Auckland will be opening on 9 November 2021. These seven test centres will offer over 90,000 theory tests a year. The DVSA is working with its supplier to meet service levels to ensure local demand is met.
By opening additional theory test centres in the North East, the DVSA expects to offer 110 theory test appointments at Hexham and 330 at Bishop Auckland in the next 12 months. This may vary in response to local demand.
Shipping costs have risen during 2021 to a high level on a global basis as a result of supply and demand factors in international freight markets.
Unprecedented levels of demand are being driven by changes to consumer behaviors worldwide during the pandemic. Historical trends in the shipping sector are of pricing peaks and troughs, and it is expected that pricing levels will similarly re-adjust when the current demand drivers change. However, industry estimates are that high levels of demand will continue throughout 2021.
Claimants in receipt of Universal Credit can access passported benefits, such as help to pay for NHS dental treatment and NHS prescriptions.
As part of the Autumn Statement, we announced the intention to close the claim of those who have been disengaged for 6-months or more, where they are in receipt of a nil Universal Credit award following a sanction decision. If entitlement to passported benefits is reliant solely on a Universal Credit claim to establish eligibility, that eligibility will cease if the Universal Credit claim is closed. Claimants may however still be entitled to access passported benefits through other means.
Where a claimant has failed to comply with a mandatory work-related requirement, they have the opportunity to provide good reason before a sanction decision is made. Claimants receive an automated UC journal message which: informs them of the failure, prompts them to provide a reason, and encourages them to re-engage. Additionally, there is a digital nudge at 6 weeks following the decision where the claimant remains disengaged. Where disengaged continues, the claimant will receive a further notification at month 5 informing them of the claim closure intention and prompting them to re-engage or to inform us of any new circumstances which may impact this.
We will not be closing the claims of anyone with a known vulnerability or the claim of those in receipt of other Universal Credit elements, such as the housing, child, or disability element.
The Helping savers understand their pension choices consultation closed on the 5 September 2023.
Government will analyse and consider the responses received after the closing date and will publish our response as soon as is practical after this.
The Government is committed to ensuring that people have the support and information they need to make informed choices about their financial future. The Government ensures everyone has access to free impartial pension guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).
The Stronger Nudge to pensions guidance regulations, which came into force on 1 June 2022, ensures no-one will be able to access their savings through pension freedoms without having received Pension Wise guidance or opted out of receiving it. As part of the application process, schemes offer to book a Pension Wise appointment for individuals, supporting them to access the right guidance at the right time. This is likely to be one of the reasons for 16% more Pension Wise appointments attended between July 2022 and March 2023 than in the same period in 2021/22.
The midlife MOT is supporting people in their 40s, 50s and 60s to plan their next career move and better prepare for later life by taking stock of their finances, skills and health. We are delivering this through three different channels, providing free online support; face to face to eligible Universal Credit claimants; and to employees via our private sector pilot.
The Department is currently reviewing responses to our recent ‘Helping savers understand their pension choices’ call for evidence around the support and information savers need when accessing their pensions. We will respond to this in due course.
No such discussions have taken place. Most care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and terms and conditions.
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We prioritise new claims, while ensuring claimants awaiting award reviews remain in payment until we can make a decision.
We always aim to make an award review decision as quickly as possible, considering the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.
In addition, and in order to improve the service across all PIP activities, we are also:
Claimants are asked to contact us if their condition changes so their review can be looked at more quickly.
The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age.
With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting people to move into, and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. The latest available data on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works. In 2021, compared to 2010, there were nearly 1 million fewer workless households and almost 590,000 fewer children in workless households in the UK. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than in 2009/10.
The Government publishes annual statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income families by local area, which can be found in the publication: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021 - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2021(opens in a new tab)“
This is on top of the support we have already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year, on average, through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances. To further support parents to move into and progress in work, the government provides a range of childcare offers. For more information on what childcare support may be available, we encourage parents to use the Childcare Choices website.
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
The £37bn of support also includes the current Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support to those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023 and is being delivered by Upper Tier and Unitary Councils. In the case of Durham, the local authority has been allocated £4,676,099.65 for this period. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.
The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age.
With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting people to move into, and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. The latest available data on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works. In 2021, compared to 2010, there were nearly 1 million fewer workless households and almost 590,000 fewer children in workless households in the UK. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than in 2009/10.
The Government publishes annual statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income families by local area, which can be found in the publication: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021 - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2021(opens in a new tab)“
This is on top of the support we have already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year, on average, through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances. To further support parents to move into and progress in work, the government provides a range of childcare offers. For more information on what childcare support may be available, we encourage parents to use the Childcare Choices website.
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
The £37bn of support also includes the current Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support to those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023 and is being delivered by Upper Tier and Unitary Councils. In the case of Durham, the local authority has been allocated £4,676,099.65 for this period. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.
The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to annually review benefits and State Pensions as outlined in the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
Following the publication of Average Weekly Earnings for May to July and the Consumer Prices Index for September by the Office for National Statistics, the Secretary of State will now commence her annual review of benefits. When undertaking her review the Secretary of State is required to have regard to the Equality Act 2010.
Her decisions will be announced to Parliament shortly and any new benefit / State Pensions rates will become payable from the beginning of the 2023/24 tax year.
Where a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants’ needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability have changed, they should report that change to the Department. Once a change in circumstances has been reported we will always review their existing award to see whether a change is required to their award to reflect their current needs.
No assessment has been made.
The Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty and supporting people on lower incomes. We will spend over £242bn through the welfare system in 2022/23 including £108bn on people of working age.
I refer the honourable member to the answer my right honourable friend, Chloe Smith, the then Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health gave on 20 April 2022 to question UIN 154461 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-04-14/154461
The media campaign continues to reach those who may be entitled to Pension Credit and has had a significant impact on the number of claims the Department has received. This has the Department’s full attention with options. To ensure we provide the right service to these customers additional resource is being deployed and increased digital automation will take place in the coming weeks which will speed up processing time further.
The Average Actual Clearance Time for Pension Credit New Claims for the period 1st April 2022 to 3rd July 2022 was 40 days. The data is not yet available for period between 4th July to 13th July.
Source: Customer Account Management System
The Department does not measure the average clearance times of changes specifically relating to existing Pension Credit claims.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is intended to provide a measure of financial security to allow women in the later stages of pregnancy, and shortly after birth, to take time away from work to protect their health and safety and that of their baby. It is not intended to assist with the costs associated with the birth of a new child or to replace a woman's earnings completely.
The rate of SMP is reviewed annually. Generally, it is increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index. Any decision to amend the rate of SMP would need to be made with consideration to the impact on employers and in the context of the wider public finances.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is intended to provide a measure of financial security to allow women in the later stages of pregnancy, and shortly after birth, to take time away from work to protect their health and safety and that of their baby. It is not intended to assist with the costs associated with the birth of a new child or to replace a woman's earnings completely.
The rate of SMP is reviewed annually. Generally, it is increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index. Any decision to amend the rate of SMP would need to be made with consideration to the impact on employers and in the context of the wider public finances.
We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. In exceptional cases of genuine emergency where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need, the Household Support Fund can also be used to support housing costs.
The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
The Household Support Fund in England has been allocated to Upper Tier Local Authorities. They have the flexibility to deliver their own schemes through a variety of routes, which may include offering vouchers to households, directly providing food or goods, or issuing grants to third parties to provide such services on their behalf.
No such assessments have been made of the effect of ending the £20 uplift on the numbers of people living in poverty in County Durham or Barnsley East.
It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the impact of removing the £20 uplift on poverty. This is due to the uncertainty around the speed and distribution of the economic recovery, and the resulting effect on the caseload.
The latest poverty figures (2019/20) demonstrate that absolute poverty rates (both before and after housing costs) have fallen since 2009/10. In 2019/20, 14% of people were in absolute poverty (before housing costs), compared to 16% in 2009/10.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.
This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.
We recognise that some people continue to require extra support, which is why we have introduced a £421 million Household Support Fund to help vulnerable people in England with essential household costs over the winter as the economy recovers. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving around £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
No such assessment has been made of the potential effect of the removal of the £20 uplift to universal credit on disabled people and their families or people who are not living with a disability.
The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people and we are also keen to see disabled people progress in work, with support from existing programmes such as Work and Health Programme and Intensive Employment Support Programme. Over the last 8 years the number of disabled people in employment has increased by 1.5m.
We have seen strong growth in the number and rate of disabled people in employment and Universal Credit claimants with health conditions or disabilities who, following the outcome of a work capability assessment, are determined to have limited capability for work and work related activity – meaning they are not required to look for work or to prepare for work – are awarded an additional amount of benefit, currently £343.63 per month.
We recognise that some people continue to require extra support, which is why we have introduced a £421 million Household Support Fund to help vulnerable people in England with essential household costs over the winter as the economy recovers. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving around £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
It is right that where there has been a change in circumstances, such as a couple forming, benefit entitlement is reassessed to reflect the altered financial status of the household. In Universal Credit, while both members of a couple may be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity, only one limited capability for work and work-related activity element can be awarded. In income-related ESA, whilst a couple’s rate of personal allowance can be paid, only the claimant is assessed and if found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity, awarded the equivalent Support Group component. There is no couple rate of the Support Group component.
The limited capability for work and work-related activity element is designed to reflect the extra costs of longer durations on benefit. Income from benefits such as Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance, which are provided to meet additional costs relating to disability for individuals rather than households, is not taken into account.
The available information on the number of households with a carer entitlement on Universal Credit, currently for August 2020, is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
The latest available statistics on the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit claimants in receipt of the carer premium, and the number of Pension Credit claimants in receipt of the carer addition are shown in the following table.
Number of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit claimants in receipt of the carer premium and the number of Pension Credit claimants in receipt of the carer addition, Great Britain, Feb 20, May 20 and Aug 20
Benefit | Latest Quarter available | Number of recipients |
Jobseeker's Allowance | Feb-20 | 1,600 |
Income Support | May-20 | 200,000 |
Pension Credit | May-20 | 134,800 |
Housing Benefit | Aug-20 | 152,080 |
Source: DWP Quarterly Statistical Enquiry 5% data and 100% Work, Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and DWP Single Housing Benefit Extract
Notes
The information requested is not readily available for Employment and Support Allowance claimants and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Government recognises and appreciates the vital role played by unpaid carers now more than ever. In November 2019 there were more than 1,300 carers in the City of Durham constituency that were receiving Carer’s Allowance (CA) and in 2018/19 we spent approximately £4.6 million on CA there.
We have focussed on ensuring carers do not inadvertently stop receiving CA because of changes to patterns of care during the current emergency. This includes allowing emotional support to count towards the 35 hours of care being provided by the carer as well as relaxing the rules around breaks in care. These changes aim to support carers whose role has, in many cases, become harder due to the need to self-isolate or shield the person they care for.
The rate of CA was also increased in early April as part of the annual uprating process. Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £67.25 a week, meaning nearly an additional £700 a year for carers. We continue to support those carers in most need through additional amounts (premiums) in means-tested benefits and have also announced increases to the standard allowance in Universal Credit. Meaning claimants will be up to £1040 a year better off, which some carers receiving Universal Credit will benefit from.
The Government is committed to ensuring deaf people and people who have hearing loss can fully participate and play a full role in society. We support initiatives aimed at improving understanding of the needs of deaf people and people who have hearing loss and how the barriers they face can be removed, as well as giving them more say in how they access services.
We worked with the BBC to introduce a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter on Monday 16 March to accompany the Prime Minister’s daily coronavirus press conference. The BSL interpreter is available on the BBC News Channel and BBC iPlayer. We continue to work with the BBC to ensure there is a BSL interpreter in our daily updates on coronavirus and are prioritising the exploration of additional methods to ensure that all disabled people have access to pertinent communication in accessible formats.
Patients do not routinely join National Health Service dental waiting lists and are only registered with a dental practice for a course of treatment. We are working on our Dentistry Recovery Plan which will address how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients; and how we make NHS work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.
No specific assessment has been made centrally by the Department, as local winter resilience plans and resourcing are an operational matter for the National Health Service.
NHS winter planning started earlier this year than in previous years. The urgent and emergency care recovery plan was published in January which included £1 billion of dedicated funding to support capacity. In July 2023, NHS England wrote to integrated care boards, trusts and primary care networks to set out a national approach to 2023/24 winter planning and the key steps to be taken across all parts of the system to meet the challenges expected from winter pressures.
The following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice in the City of Durham constituency from June 2017 to June 2023:
Date | Doctors in general practice, FTE |
June 2017 | 51.8 |
June 2018 | 59.6 |
June 2019 | 58.7 |
June 2020 | 59.1 |
June 2021 | 61.2 |
June 2022 | 65.6 |
June 2023 | 68.7 |
Notes:
Practice data was not published before September 2015. The data for County Durham is not available.
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on children aged four to five years old (Reception) and 10 to 11 years old (Year 6).
The following table shows data on obesity prevalence from the NCMP in the academic year 2022-23. Data is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at local authority, regional and England levels:
Percentage of children living with obesity | ||
Area | Reception (%) | Year 6 (%) |
County Durham | 11.8 | 25.6 |
North East | 11.3 | 25.8 |
England | 9.2 | 22.7 |
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support children and families to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. Local authorities can fund behavioural weight management services from their Public Health Grant.
In England, new regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force in October 2022. The location restrictions are the single most impactful obesity policy in reducing children’s calorie consumption, and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide savings to the National Health Service of over £4 billion over the next 25 years.
We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices. We have seen important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreasing by 46% between 2015 and 2020. There has also been success in some categories of the sugar reduction programme, including a 14.9% reduction of sugar in retailer- and manufacturer-branded breakfast cereals and a 13.5% reduction in yogurts and fromage frais.
Ministers do not assess any aspect of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s performance. The Ombudsman reports to Parliament directly and is held to account through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, who hold an annual scrutiny session to evaluate his performance.
The findings of the rapid review have been published today [ 28 June 2023].
There have been no recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on this matter.
The majority of services for people living with allergies are commissioned locally through integrated care boards. However, to support and improve treatment for patients with more complex allergic conditions, NHS England commissions some specialised services, including specialist allergy clinics. There is an established Clinical Reference Group responsible for providing national clinical leadership for specialised immunology and allergy services.
To help promote awareness of allergies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on a range of allergy conditions. NICE promotes its guidance via its website, newsletters and other media.
The Food Standards Agency also works to raise awareness of food hypersensitivity, and has carried out several campaigns aimed at supporting both people with food hypersensitivities and food businesses.
The Government has no plans to appoint a national allergy lead.
The UK Health Security Agency will continue to publish regular reports on COVID-19, including weekly surveillance reports, which provide data on infection rates and hospitalisation numbers. UKHSA also maintains the ability to track the latest variants through their genomics capabilities which assess the risks posed by different strains of the virus.
We will continue to communicate to people most vulnerable to COVID-19 about available clinical interventions, including vaccination and treatments, as well as testing and public health advice.
The approach to COVID-19 surveillance is being actively reviewed to ensure it is proportionate, cost effective and considered alongside how we monitor a range of other infectious diseases that present a similar threat.
The UK Health Security Agency will continue to publish regular reports on COVID-19 which will contribute to our situational awareness. These include our weekly surveillance reports, which provide data on infection rates and hospitalisation numbers. We also maintain the ability to track the latest variants through our genomics capabilities which assess the risks posed by different strains of the virus.
New clinical standards are due to be published in 2023/24 to support the appropriate planning and delivery of sensory checks for autistic children and young people and those with a learning disability in special residential schools.
Children and young people patient pathways and services are already detailed in the Commissioning Standard for Dental Specialties – Paediatric Dentistry which is available to commissioned National Health Service Oral Health Teams.
No officials from NHS England have visited National Health Service special schools as part of the evaluation as this has been conducted independently by the South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit. NHS England officials have visited special schools during the operation of the proof-of-concept programme to better understand the needs and environment in which the children were learning.
As of 15 December 2022, adult social care guidance has been amended to support a risk-based approach to mask wearing and align with hospitals and other health care settings. This has replaced previous guidance which stated face masks should be worn at all times in adult social care.
The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years, including in the City of Durham.
In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in the City of Durham.
On 25 November 2022, the Department introduced legislation to amend the National Health Service dental contract to incentivise dentists to deliver care to high needs patients through fairer remuneration. The legislation requires NHS dentists to update their NHS.UK profiles more frequently to ensure patients can access accurate information on the services available. The Department will enable NHS England’s commissioners to more flexibly commission additional care for patients where this can be delivered by NHS dental teams.
As of 1 November 2022, 13 or 86.7% of care homes in the City of Durham constituency are currently rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘good’ overall.
In September we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in Durham. Ensuring easier access to general practice will expand this route to access mental health services.
Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand NHS mental health and eating disorder services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Durham. We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.
We are working with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and mental health providers to ensure that all adults and children and young people being treated in such settings receive safe, high-quality and compassionate care and are treated with dignity and respect.
Whilst the Department has made no such specific assessment, NHS England has established the National Quality Improvement Taskforce to improve specialist children and young people’s inpatient mental health, autism and learning disability services in England. The Taskforce is expected to complete its work in spring 2023.
The CQC has introduced a new single assessment framework to target more frequent inspections at the worst-performing service providers. The new framework contains six evidence categories which states the type of evidence the CQC will collect which form a picture of the quality of care and improve the consistency of its judgements.
No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.
Vaccination teams in County Durham are prioritising the most vulnerable reflecting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Within County Durham, the majority of COVID-19 vaccines will be administered through general practitioner practices, which are using local booking systems to invite patients for COVID-19 and flu vaccine appointments.
The Department does not hold information on podiatry vacancies at a constituency level and therefore no specific assessment of the rate or its impact on services has been made.
‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives, including improving access to health and care services in all areas and preventing ill-health. Further information on measures to address health disparities will be available in due course.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities works with local system partners in City of Durham to support programmes to reduce health inequalities, including providing evidence and intelligence.
Our Plan for Patients’ includes initial improvements to ensure dentists are remunerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver NHS treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The Plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists; and holding the local ICS to account for dentistry provision. A statement was also made on 19th July on the reforms that the Government has made to the dental contract.
The Government is working hard with NHS England and contractors to restore dental services across England, including in Durham. NHS England asked dental practices to return to delivering 100% of their contracted activity from July 2022.
In circumstances where parents are unable to access an urgent dental appointment for their child directly through a NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111 for assistance.
The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.
National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.
On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in City of Durham.
NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary. While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.
In September we announced ‘Our Plan for Patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in the City of Durham. Ensuring easier access to general practice will expand this route to access mental health services.
Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand these services for adults, children and young people in England, including in City of Durham.
We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.
The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in City of Durham. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in City of Durham.
No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in County Durham.
The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.
In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in County Durham.
The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.
The NHS Low Income Scheme is aligned with the Department for Work and Pension’s Regulations. The Government is considering how payments made under the Energy Bills Support Scheme should be considered for the purposes of determining eligibility for help under the NHS Low Income Scheme.
Over 40% of ill-health and early death is due to preventable risk factors, with more than half of this total related to tobacco, alcohol and diet. Addressing these major risk factors, including where these issues converge, forms part of the ambition to increase healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 and to reduce the difference between local areas by 2030.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities was established in 2021 to provide expertise in public health, evidence and policy to ensure informed and integrated national policy making and local delivery.
Over 40% of ill-health and early death is due to preventable risk factors, with more than half of this total due to tobacco, alcohol and diet-related risk factors. These are more prevalent in the most deprived areas and communities and are a significant contributor to disparities in health outcomes.
No specific assessment has been made. Appointments for National Health Service treatment are managed directly by dental practices. Between April and June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver at least 95% of contracted units of dental activity to safely improve access for patients.
We have had no specific discussions. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have regular contact with regional commissioners to monitor and support the delivery of National Health Service dentistry. We allocated a further £50 million for NHS dentistry for the final quarter of 2021/22. Of this funding, £8.6 million was made available to the North East and Yorkshire region to support access to urgent dental care.
No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust assessed the demand on services and reviewed current bed capacity at University Hospital North Durham as part of its annual planning requirement. In response, an additional 24 beds will be made available during the second half of 2022/23.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
We are working with the Department for Education on health and care’s role in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system through the SEND Review. This includes how we can improve the provision of health and care services to disabled children.
In December 2021, 280 million lateral flow tests were delivered and we have since procured new stock and increased delivery capacity. We expect to deliver 90 million tests a week across the United Kingdom, including seven million a day through GOV.UK. Those who are unable to order tests through GOV.UK should contact 119 or visit their local pharmacy. We are distributing 12 million tests a week through pharmacies in England. We expect that everyone, including those in Barnsley and County Durham, will be able to receive the tests they need.
Access to treatment for post-COVID-19 services is not dependent upon lateral flow device or polymerase chain reaction test results. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s commissioning guidance asks integrated care systems to establish service plans from primary to specialist care for all of those experiencing on-going symptoms following confirmed or suspected infection, including those who were never tested.
As set out in the in National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should operate a person-centred approach to all aspects of NHS Continuing Healthcare. This can include delivering NHS Continuing Healthcare through a personal health budget, where appropriate.
A personal health budget supports a person’s health and wellbeing needs planned and agreed with them or their representative and the local National Health Service team. A budget can be used to pay an individual living in the same household, a close family member or a friend if the CCG is satisfied that this is necessary to meet the continuing health care needs of the person for whom the personal health budget has been agreed. CCGs should make these judgements on a case-by-case basis.
The NHS COVID Pass can now be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel and this record is visible through both the NHS App and on NHS.UK. Booster vaccinations are not required for domestic certification in England.
On 6 September, the Government announced plans to spend over £8 billion over the Spending Review period between 2022/23 to 2024/25 for a programme to assist the National Health Service to provide elective care delayed by the pandemic.
We have also announced an additional £5.4 billion to support the COVID-19 response over the next six months, bringing the total Government support for health services in response to COVID-19 to over £34 billion this year 2021/22. This includes £2 billion to tackle the elective backlog and reduce waiting times for patients, including disabled children.
We have no current plans to do so. However, we will monitor the situation as more information becomes available and our understanding of the potential causal links between the COVID-19 vaccines and its purported side effects becomes clearer.
There have been no specific discussions.
The Government recognises that better provision of defibrillators and increasing the number of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation could help save more lives of those who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting. We therefore encourage organisations across England, including in County Durham, to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment, particularly for places where there are high concentrations of people. Provision elsewhere in the United Kingdom is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Many community defibrillators have since been provided in public locations, including shopping centres, through national lottery funding, community fundraising schemes, workplace funding or by charities.
There have been no specific discussions.
The Government recognises that better provision of defibrillators and increasing the number of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation could help save more lives of those who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting. We therefore encourage organisations across England, including in County Durham, to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment, particularly for places where there are high concentrations of people. Provision elsewhere in the United Kingdom is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Many community defibrillators have since been provided in public locations, including shopping centres, through national lottery funding, community fundraising schemes, workplace funding or by charities.
Further details on the next Spending Review will be set out in due course. As part of COVID-19 recovery planning we are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to improve the provision of health services to disabled children.
No such discussions have taken place.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have confirmed that Spectrum Community Health CIC will endeavour to ensure that female general practitioners and other healthcare professionals are available, and that women in Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre are offered the option to choose to see a female healthcare professional wherever possible.
‘Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review’ sets out an action for Local Maternity Systems and Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks (NODN) to work together to profile the provision in local providers by reviewing the extent to which providers are integrating families into care, which should also include information on and access to emotional wellbeing and psychological support and the provision of resources and accommodation. NODN implementation plans have been submitted to NHS England and NHS Improvement and reviewed. The Long Term Plan committed to enhance the experience of families during neonatal critical care. From 2021/22, care coordinators will work with families within each of the clinical neonatal networks across England to support families to become more involved in the care of their baby.
We offer our thanks to all healthcare professionals for their exceptional work on the front line administering vaccines to those who are most vulnerable.
Safety is absolutely paramount in any vaccination programme. Public Health England have produced comprehensive training and information materials for COVID-19 vaccinators. These include information about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as key messages for healthcare professionals to convey to those being vaccinated.
All vaccinating staff involved in the deployment programme must complete training that includes modules on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Communicating about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine is also a component of the process for gaining informed consent.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 88395 of 23 November.
Clear face masks are currently being piloted and we are seeking feedback to help understand demand. This exercise will conclude soon. We will use the findings to inform our future procurement, but we already know that clear face masks are making a difference to the treatment of many individuals with hearing loss and other conditions.
It is critical that the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) meets equalities duties. As part of our efforts to collate PPE requirement data from across Government, departments have been asked to provide information on how potential inequalities have been considered; the demographics of both their workforce and the public their workforce face which has proved significant in the use of PPE; and incompatibilities or difficulties observed between any of the PPE used by their workforce. This will ensure the demand model reflects the different combination and size of equipment required to meet different user needs.
Clear face masks are currently being piloted and we are seeking feedback to help understand demand. This exercise will conclude soon. We will use the findings to inform our future procurement, but we already know that clear face masks are making a difference to the treatment of many individuals with hearing loss and other conditions.
It is critical that the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) meets equalities duties. As part of our efforts to collate PPE requirement data from across Government, departments have been asked to provide information on how potential inequalities have been considered; the demographics of both their workforce and the public their workforce face which has proved significant in the use of PPE; and incompatibilities or difficulties observed between any of the PPE used by their workforce. This will ensure the demand model reflects the different combination and size of equipment required to meet different user needs.
The Department has considered the matter carefully and assessed that Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors do not meet the criteria for regular weekly asymptomatic testing, as they are not required to undertake ‘hands on’ close personal contact with people. They are therefore not required to have a COVID-19 test before entering a provider. If a CQC inspector is displaying symptoms of COVID-19, they will arrange a test via the Government portal. Should they receive a positive result they will no longer be able to go out on inspections and must self-isolate.
The Government has provided a range of support options for small and medium sized enterprises and self-employed to help with the financial challenges of COVID-19. Support included the Furlough Scheme; Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Coronavirus Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, Small Business Grant Scheme; and rent holidays.
The Department is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement and National Health Service trade unions to help trusts develop flexible work options. Although it is for individual trusts to manage recruitment locally, during the pandemic, some NHS trusts have offered self-employed healthcare practitioners alternative flexible working options, including annualised hours contracts and may register to work on the NHS Rapid Response Scheme.
The recommendations from the Social Care Sector COVID-19 Taskforce will shape our approach to COVID-19 in the adult social care sector and, in particular, the plans we put in place for winter which we will set out in the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. The Taskforce concluded at the end of August and will publish its recommendations in September on the advice on what measures need to be in place across all parts of the care sector in England to respond to COVID-19 and winter.
The Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: Prevention in the 2020s’ outlined commitments with varying timelines, regarding the services we receive, the choices we make and the conditions in which we live. The Green Paper consultation closed on 14 October 2019 and attracted over 1,600 responses. The Government response to the consultation, with more detail on progress against the Green Paper commitments, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government intends to publish the response in due course.
Smoking rates are at their lowest ever levels in England at 13.9%. However, we are not complacent, and the Government is committed to protecting the population from the harms of tobacco. We intend to publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver smokefree 2030 after this.
We recognise concerns people with eating disorders may have on measures to reduce obesity and are committed to striking a careful balance between enabling people to make healthier food and drink choices whilst not negatively impacting on those with or recovering from an eating disorder.
Obesity represents a huge cost to the health and wellbeing of the individual, the National Health Service and the wider economy. With over six in 10 adults and more than one in three children aged 10 to 11 years old overweight or obese, it is right we take action.
In response to feedback to our consultation on out-of-home calorie labelling, we will introduce legislation to require large out-of-home sector businesses, that is businesses with 250 or more employees, to calorie label the food they sell.
An equalities assessment and impact assessment were published alongside the consultation response and can be viewed at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/calorie-labelling-for-food-and-drink-served-outside-of-the-home
We recognise concerns people with eating disorders may have on measures to reduce obesity and are committed to striking a careful balance between enabling people to make healthier food and drink choices whilst not negatively impacting on those with or recovering from an eating disorder.
Obesity represents a huge cost to the health and wellbeing of the individual, the National Health Service and the wider economy. With over six in 10 adults and more than one in three children aged 10 to 11 years old overweight or obese, it is right we take action.
In response to feedback to our consultation on out-of-home calorie labelling, we will introduce legislation to require large out-of-home sector businesses, that is businesses with 250 or more employees, to calorie label the food they sell.
An equalities assessment and impact assessment were published alongside the consultation response and can be viewed at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/calorie-labelling-for-food-and-drink-served-outside-of-the-home
We are committed to supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing.
We have released tailored guidance for parents and carers about supporting their children’s mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic and we are promoting this through Every Mind Matters. A number of digital resources are also available through the National Health Service Apps Library.
We recently announced a further £4.2 million for mental health charities – including Young Minds and others supporting children and young people – in addition to the £5 milion Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund administered by Mind.
Where established in schools and colleges, mental health support teams are expected to be available all year round and are adapting to ensure they remain accessible for those most in need.
The Government published the ‘Carers Action Plan 2018 – 2020 supporting carers today’ published in June 2018, which sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support all unpaid carers, including improving the identification of carers, and gives visibility to the work already underway or planned within Government over two years until the end of June this year.
A final report on the action plan will be produced later this year and, alongside this report the Government will consider the best next steps to support carers.
In addition to the Carers Action Plan, most local authorities have their own individual care plans or strategies to support unpaid carers in their areas.
On the point about a scheme to identify unpaid carers, in addition to the Government’s Carers Action Plan, the National Health Service has set out a plan to help improve the identification and support of carers and unpaid carers within the NHS Long Term Plan. Understandably, the implementation of some aspects of this have been impacted by the COVID-19 response.
The Government published the ‘Carers Action Plan 2018 – 2020 supporting carers today’ published in June 2018, which sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support all unpaid carers, including improving the identification of carers, and gives visibility to the work already underway or planned within Government over two years until the end of June this year.
A final report on the action plan will be produced later this year and, alongside this report the Government will consider the best next steps to support carers.
In addition to the Carers Action Plan, most local authorities have their own individual care plans or strategies to support unpaid carers in their areas.
On the point about a scheme to identify unpaid carers, in addition to the Government’s Carers Action Plan, the National Health Service has set out a plan to help improve the identification and support of carers and unpaid carers within the NHS Long Term Plan. Understandably, the implementation of some aspects of this have been impacted by the COVID-19 response.
This information is not held centrally for City of Durham constituency and England.
The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period. The Department is currently working with Public Health England to review the advice to unpaid carers on use of personal protective equipment.
On 8 April the Government published guidance for unpaid carers which provides general advice, including advice on infection control, links to other information and support, and advice on caring where someone has symptoms. This can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-care
The Government will continue to work closely with carer organisations and others to support unpaid carers during this period and beyond. This includes working with Carers UK to provide carers with practical advice which can be found at the following link:
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19
The recommendations for the use of face masks by hospital staff and face coverings for hospital visitors have been made for to help prevent the spread of infection. Evidence has shown that those infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and potentially transmit the virus to others without being aware of it, so it is important we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission from staff who may be asymptomatic.
Staff working alone in a private workspace will not be expected to wear a mask but when they leave the private work area to move through the hospital building, e.g. on an errand, or for meal breaks, they should put on a surgical face mask as outlined in the guidance.
For some, wearing of a face covering may be difficult, and therefore all other measures must also be considered and introduced e.g. social/physical distancing, timed appointments; being seen immediately and not kept in waiting rooms. Individual risk assessments should be undertaken where required; for example, patients with mental health and learning disabilities. Such risk assessments must be documented.
The use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on patients who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as they can block the face of healthcare workers and prevent the ability to use visual cues such as facial expressions and lip reading.
The Government's personal protective equipment procurement team has sourced clear surgical face masks to support communication with patients who may be deaf or hearing impaired. They are working with regions to identify where those are best distributed.
Where clear masks are not possible, communication tactics should be considered to support patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.
The recommendations for the use of face masks by hospital staff and face coverings for hospital visitors have been made for to help prevent the spread of infection. Evidence has shown that those infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and potentially transmit the virus to others without being aware of it, so it is important we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission from staff who may be asymptomatic.
Staff working alone in a private workspace will not be expected to wear a mask but when they leave the private work area to move through the hospital building, e.g. on an errand, or for meal breaks, they should put on a surgical face mask as outlined in the guidance.
For some, wearing of a face covering may be difficult, and therefore all other measures must also be considered and introduced e.g. social/physical distancing, timed appointments; being seen immediately and not kept in waiting rooms. Individual risk assessments should be undertaken where required; for example, patients with mental health and learning disabilities. Such risk assessments must be documented.
The use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on patients who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as they can block the face of healthcare workers and prevent the ability to use visual cues such as facial expressions and lip reading.
The Government's personal protective equipment procurement team has sourced clear surgical face masks to support communication with patients who may be deaf or hearing impaired. They are working with regions to identify where those are best distributed.
Where clear masks are not possible, communication tactics should be considered to support patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies considered the very limited evidence available on the use of face coverings and advised that there was some positive benefit for reducing the transmission of COVID-19. The Government has not made an assessment of transparent face coverings.
The Government is now advising wearing a face covering in situations where it is difficult to manage social distancing and there may be close contact with people the wearer would not usually meet.
Further guidance on the use of face coverings is available to view at the following link:
Instructions on how to make and use a face covering are also available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies considered the very limited evidence available on the use of face coverings and advised that there was some positive benefit for reducing the transmission of COVID-19. The Government has not made an assessment of transparent face coverings.
The Government is now advising wearing a face covering in situations where it is difficult to manage social distancing and there may be close contact with people the wearer would not usually meet.
Further guidance on the use of face coverings is available to view at the following link:
Instructions on how to make and use a face covering are also available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
We recognise concerns about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks when it comes to people who lip read. Our priority remains saving lives, including those frontline staff who need to wear PPE as they go about their vital work.
Eligible at-risk Afghan Nationals, who were directly employed by the British Government and British Council, and those working for programmes funded by the British Government and British Council who supported the UK effort in Afghanistan, are both being considered for resettlement if they applied for the MOD-led Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. The eligibility criteria for ARAP is set out on gov.uk. Any offer of resettlement will be contingent on security screening and provision of biometric information. We continue to work, including with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan, on resettlement issues and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
Eligible at-risk Afghan Nationals, who were directly employed by the British Government and British Council, and those working for programmes funded by the British Government and British Council who supported the UK effort in Afghanistan, are both being considered for resettlement if they applied for the MOD-led Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. The eligibility criteria for ARAP is set out on gov.uk. Any offer of resettlement will be contingent on security screening and provision of biometric information. We continue to work, including with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan, on resettlement issues and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
So far in 2022 we have received over 49,000 ATAS applications, of which only 824 remain beyond their target processing time. In order to process these numbers, staffing has been increased and a significant IT upgrade is underway.
ATAS continues to be an essential tool to prevent sensitive UK technology from reaching military programmes of concern.
The British Government remains concerned for conflict-affected communities that continue to be affected by violence in Colombia. We look to the Colombian authorities to investigate fully reports of human rights violations, and take appropriate action against those found to be responsible for any violations, including members of the Armed forces.
Colombia is an Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Human Rights Priority Country and UK ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern, with the Colombian Government. Most recently, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed human rights and the security situation in Colombia in his meeting with President Duque on 12 April. I [Minister Ford] also discussed human rights concerns with Vice-President and Foreign Minister Ramírez on 10 February.
The £72 million comprises contributions to Ethiopia (£23.6 million), South Sudan (£3 million), Kenya (£6.15 million) and Somalia (£39.5 million). This funding includes assistance provided in financial years (FY) 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.
In April, the UK also played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva which mobilised roughly US $400 million in new funding.
The British Government remains concerned about the persistent level of violence towards human rights defenders and social leaders in Colombia. UK ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern, with the Colombian Government. Most recently, the UK's Minister for the Environment, Lord Goldsmith, raised our concerns around violence and threats toward environmental defenders during his visit to Colombia 5-8 October.
Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF) programme, which has provided £68 million in support of peace agreement implementation, security, and stability in Colombia since 2015, we will continue to prioritise funding interventions to protect human rights defenders, including environmental activists, and social leaders.
The Government continues to engage with UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations on all relevant issues. The Prime Minister has concluded that in the next decade, international issues will be even more important to the lives of our citizens and our own national interest; that the world will become even more complex and competitive, with growing, interconnected challenges and opportunities for the UK; and that therefore we need a new all-of-government approach if we are to secure our values and interests in a changing world.
By aligning our efforts, merging the departments will allow us to bring together our international effort and maximise our influence around the world. This will ensure that all of our national efforts, including our aid budget and expertise, are used to make the UK a force for good in the world. This will strengthen our ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.
The Government continues to engage with UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations on all relevant issues. The Prime Minister has concluded that in the next decade, international issues will be even more important to the lives of our citizens and our own national interest; that the world will become even more complex and competitive, with growing, interconnected challenges and opportunities for the UK; and that therefore we need a new all-of-government approach if we are to secure our values and interests in a changing world.
By aligning our efforts, merging the departments will allow us to bring together our international effort and maximise our influence around the world. This will ensure that all of our national efforts, including our aid budget and expertise, are used to make the UK a force for good in the world. This will strengthen our ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.
The Government continues to engage with UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations on all relevant issues. The Prime Minister has concluded that in the next decade, international issues will be even more important to the lives of our citizens and our own national interest; that the world will become even more complex and competitive, with growing, interconnected challenges and opportunities for the UK; and that therefore we need a new all-of-government approach if we are to secure our values and interests in a changing world.
By aligning our efforts, merging the departments will allow us to bring together our international effort and maximise our influence around the world. This will ensure that all of our national efforts, including our aid budget and expertise, are used to make the UK a force for good in the world. This will strengthen our ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.
The Prime Minister has decided to merge the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to form a new international department - the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The Government will continue to engage closely with interested stakeholders, including UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations, in the weeks and months to come as we work to create the new department, which will unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic service to make the UK a force for good in the world.
Public trust in financial regulators is important. The Government has no current plans to commission a survey into public trust in the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) but will keep such option under review in the future.
The policy review of New Fair Deal in relation to Further Education colleges will include engagement with unions. The Government will update the House in due course.
The policy review of New Fair Deal in relation to Further Education colleges will include engagement with unions. The Government will update the House in due course.
My officials are discussing the implications for New Fair Deal of the ONS reclassification of Further Education to the public sector with relevant stakeholders. The Government will update the House in due course.
My officials are discussing the implications for New Fair Deal of the ONS reclassification of Further Education to the public sector with relevant stakeholders. The Government will update the House in due course.
In January 2021, the government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from 29 July 2022. This has ensured that 1.6 million funeral plan customers are, for the first time, protected by compulsory and robust regulation as they seek to put their affairs in order.
Safe Hands Plans went into administration in March 2022. The government understands that this will be very concerning for customers of Safe Hands.
It would not be appropriate for the Government to set the precedent or expectation that it will use taxpayer money to compensate consumers for the misconduct of unregulated firms or products which were not sold as FCA regulated at the time. The Government’s role is instead to ensure that the appropriate regulation is in place to guard against such failures happening.
On January 9, the Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme to provide eligible business, charities and the public sector, including eligible hospices with a discount on high energy bills for a further 12 months from April 23 until March 24. This will help those locked into contracts signed before recent substantial falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.
The Government has been clear that the current levels of support through Energy Bills Relief Scheme, unprecedented in its nature and huge scale, were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow organisations to adapt. The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses for a further 12 months, from April 2023 to March 2024, and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets.
On 29 September Pay.UK and fifteen of the UK’s banks and building societies announced their decision that Paym, the mobile payments service, will close permanently on 7 March 2023.
Pay.UK have observed that payment volumes through Paym have diminished over the past three years as fewer people sign up to use the service. As an independent company limited by guarantee, Pay.UK has discretion over its decision-making, with oversight from the Bank of England and Payment Systems Regulator in relation to its recognised and designated payment systems.
Customers will continue to have access to a range of alternative payment methods. In addition, Pay.UK assures customers that the closure process will be carried out with the needs of Paym users front of mind and, to minimise any disruption, banks and building societies will engage with their customers ahead of their closure date to make them aware of the changes and what it means for them. Pay.UK advises that any Paym customers with concerns about the change should speak to their bank or building society.
For further information on the closure of Paym, please see the following webpage:
https://newseventsinsights.wearepay.uk/media-centre/press-releases/paym-mobile-payments-service-to-close-in-2023/#:~:text=London%2C%2029%20September%202022%3A%20Pay,customers%20on%207%20March%202023
Since being appointed on 14 October, the Chancellor has regularly discussed with Cabinet colleagues the cost of living challenge.
The UK Government continues to monitor prices closely using the Consumer Prices Index and to work with industry to promote transparency for consumers.
Staple gluten free items remain available on NHS prescription to people with coeliac disease.
The VAT reduced rate for the hospitality sector was a temporary measure designed to support the cash flow and viability of sectors that have been severely affected by COVID-19. It was appropriate that as restrictions were lifted and demand for goods and services in these sectors increased, the temporary tax reliefs were first reduced and then removed in order to rebuild and strengthen the public finances.
According to OBR forecasts, VAT will have raised approximately £135 billion in 2021/22, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS and policing. In addition, this request should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum.
While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT on food, beverages, pubs or the wider hospitality industry, the Government keeps all taxes under review.
All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills.
The reduction in costs will help people with the increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs over a few years, so they are more manageable for households.
HM Treasury Ministers and officials regularly meet with other government departments and a range of stakeholders, which includes discussions around support for children.
The government has to date provided the NHS with over £32 billion to support its response to and recovery from COVID-19, which includes the provision of healthcare services to disabled children. This is part of the overall £97 billion support for health services since the start of the pandemic.
The government has also given over £6 billion in un-ringfenced funding directly to councils to support them with the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including children’s services. At last year’s Spending Review, the government provided councils with access to over £1 billion of spending for social care through £300 million of new social care grant and the ability to introduce a 3% adult social care precept. This funding was additional to the £1 billion social care grant announced in 2019 which was maintained in line with the government's manifesto.
HM Treasury will continue to work with other government departments, including the Department for Health and Social Care, Department for Education and Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to ensure the Spending Review reflects the requirements of children’s health and care services in the longer term.
The Government has provided a comprehensive, coordinated and coherent package of measures to support all businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19, including one-off grants for small businesses that pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief or rural rate relief, to help meet their continuing business costs.
Charities operating in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will also benefit from the business rates holiday for these sectors, and grant funding for properties with a rateable value below £51,000.
On 8 April, the Chancellor announced a £750m support package for charities providing key services and supporting vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis. £360m will be allocated by central government to charities in England based on evidence of service need. This will include up to £200m support for hospices, with the rest going to organisations such as the St John Ambulance and the Citizens Advice Bureau, as well as charities supporting vulnerable children, victims of domestic abuse, or disabled people. £370m will support smaller, local charities working with vulnerable people.
Charities will also be able to benefit from the range of other measures to support all businesses, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. The Equality Act 2010 gives women and men a right to equal pay for equal work.
Setting firefighter pay is the responsibility of employers, working through the National Joint Council. The Home Office plays no role in the negotiation or funding of firefighter pay.
Concessionary passports are issued free of charge to British national customers born on or before 2 September 1929. The concession was introduced in 2004 as part of a series of measures to recognise the contribution of British nationals to the war effort, rather than being an age-related concession.
There are no current plans to review it at this stage.
HM Passport Office guidance on concessionary passports is published online: Concessionary passports (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As such earlier this year the service standard for family entry clearance applications was changed from 60-days to 120-days as a direct result.
The bulk of resource has now returned to the route, along with a recent additional investment of new staff.
Under the Ukraine schemes, Ukrainians can travel outside of the UK and return provided they have received a Biometric Residence Permit. UKVI cannot comment on entry requirements to other countries.
The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of notices of intent issued and can be found online at:
A breakdown of these figures into gender is not currently available however we are working to bring inadmissibility and nationality data in line with current reporting and hope to publish that information in the near future.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and the availability of data. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar(opens in a new tab)’.
The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release (opens in a new tab)’. This includes data on people:
Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not be counted as entering any subsequent place of detention. Last place of detention does not show where an individual spent their time in detention. In some cases, an individual may have spent a period of time detained elsewhere before being moved to their last place of detention.
To support the processing of an unprecedented demand of passport applications, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has increased its staffing numbers across the UK, including the Durham office.
500 new staff have joined HM Passport Office since April 2021, with plans for a further 700 to have joined by the summer.
To support the processing of an unprecedented demand of passport applications, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has increased its staffing numbers across the UK, including the Durham office. 500 new staff have joined HM Passport Office since April 2021, with plans for a further 700 to join this year.
Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.
These preparations have ensured that passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. Across March and April 2022, HM Passport Office completed the processing of nearly two million applications.
Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options that will help to ensure that people receive their passports in good time.
Appointments for urgent services are released three weeks in advance, with new appointments available on a daily basis.
These will be booked quickly in busy periods. While Her Majesty’s Passport Office has maximised the appointment capacity at its seven public counters, it continues to explore options to further increase appointment capacity to further support its customers with urgent travel needs.
Around 2 million passport applications were processed in March and April alone, with 98.6% of applications processed within the 10 week standalone time frame.
We are prioritising visa applications from Ukrainians and have surged capacity to other visa application centres (VACs) in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic and Moldova.
Ukrainians with passports no longer need to go to a VAC to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.
This will mean that our VACs across Europe can focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without passports, increasing the capacity at those centres to 13,000 appointments per week.
The Home Office publishes statistics on people entering and in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
The number of people entering detention in each quarter is presented by nationality in table Det_D01 of the ‘Detention detailed tables’. The number of people in detention at the end of each quarter published by nationality is in table Det_D02 of the ‘Detention detailed tables’.
There were two Ukrainian nationals in immigration detention at the end of December 2021, before the conflict in Ukraine began. People can be held in detention for contravening immigration law or for criminality reasons.
The latest data goes up to the end of December 2021. Data for January to March 2022 will be published on the 26 May 2022.
Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Schemes: application data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information requested not contained within this published data is not routinely captured. To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Schemes: application data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information requested not contained within this published data is not routinely captured. To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
The Home Office does not capture data specifically covering the number of enquiries to the urgent inbox, but all enquiries to this inbox are dealt with as a priority.
Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Schemes: application data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information requested not contained within this published data is not routinely captured. To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand.
Our aim is to process all applications for UK citizenship and indefinite leave to remain within our service level agreement (SLA) of six months. Each individual case is considered on its own facts, so may take longer dependent on the circumstances of the case, for example, if the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record.
If an application is deemed complex and expected to take longer than the published SLA, UKVI will write to the customer within the SLA and explain what will happen next.
Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data, at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand.
Our aim is to process all applications for UK citizenship and indefinite leave to remain within our service level agreement (SLA) of six months. Each individual case is considered on its own facts, so may take longer dependent on the circumstances of the case, for example, if the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record.
If an application is deemed complex and expected to take longer than the published SLA, UKVI will write to the customer within the SLA and explain what will happen next.
Information on our immigration routes with service standards and whether they have been processed against these standards is available as part of our transparency data, at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The safety, health and welfare of individuals in immigration detention are considered with the upmost importance. The new Hassockfield (to be known as Derwentside) immigration removal centre (IRC) will be operated in line with Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.
The workforce requirements for the new Hassockfield IRC will reflect the lessons learned from detaining women at Yarl’s Wood IRC and will include a ratio of female to male custodial staff that is appropriate for the specific needs of women in detention. It is our aim that around 60% of uniformed staff will be women.
Healthcare in IRCs in England is commissioned by NHS England, and the healthcare services at Hassockfield IRC will be provided by NHS England & NHS Improvement commissioned service providers and delivered in line with the national service specifications for healthcare services in IRCs. The healthcare provider will ensure that services within the IRC are delivered to meet the healthcare needs of women. As set out in Detention Services Order 06/2016 ‘Women in the detention estate’ women will be offered the option to choose to see a female healthcare professional wherever possible.
The safety, health and welfare of individuals in immigration detention are considered with the upmost importance. The new Hassockfield (to be known as Derwentside) immigration removal centre (IRC) will be operated in line with Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.
The workforce requirements for the new Hassockfield IRC will reflect the lessons learned from detaining women at Yarl’s Wood IRC and will include a ratio of female to male custodial staff that is appropriate for the specific needs of women in detention. It is our aim that around 60% of uniformed staff will be women.
Healthcare in IRCs in England is commissioned by NHS England, and the healthcare services at Hassockfield IRC will be provided by NHS England & NHS Improvement commissioned service providers and delivered in line with the national service specifications for healthcare services in IRCs. The healthcare provider will ensure that services within the IRC are delivered to meet the healthcare needs of women. As set out in Detention Services Order 06/2016 ‘Women in the detention estate’ women will be offered the option to choose to see a female healthcare professional wherever possible.
Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC) will be operated in accordance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, in addition to published Operating Standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders (DSO).
Rule 17 of the Detention Centre Rules permits those in detention to engage voluntarily in paid activities. These activities are provided to meet the recreational and intellectual needs of detained individuals. In accordance with Rule 17, pay rates are determined by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The currently approved rates of pay are £1 per hour and, for specified projects, £1.25 per hour, as set out in the published Detention Services Order 1/2013 ‘Paid Activities’.
External organisations are not permitted to use the paid activity scheme to contract people in immigration detention to carry out work.
Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC) will be operated in accordance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, in addition to published Operating Standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders (DSO).
Rule 17 of the Detention Centre Rules permits those in detention to engage voluntarily in paid activities. These activities are provided to meet the recreational and intellectual needs of detained individuals. In accordance with Rule 17, pay rates are determined by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The currently approved rates of pay are £1 per hour and, for specified projects, £1.25 per hour, as set out in the published Detention Services Order 1/2013 ‘Paid Activities’.
External organisations are not permitted to use the paid activity scheme to contract people in immigration detention to carry out work.
The costs of the contract to run Hassockfield immigration removal centre are currently commercial in confidence. The Home Office will publish a contract award notice in line with the statutory timelines within the Public Contract Regulations 2015, which will detail the full cost of running the centre.
The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient resilience, geographical footprint and capacity for the men and women it proves necessary to detain for the purposes of removal, while providing value for money.
As part of its plans to manage the closure and return of the Morton Hall immigration removal centre to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the Home Office considered a number of sites for a new immigration removal centre (IRC). Specifically, sites such as the former Campsfield IRC were considered and the Home Office also engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Justice on the availability of surplus sites.
Given the timescales and value for money considerations, acquiring the vacant Hassockfield site to open as an IRC for women was considered the most cost-effective option for maintaining immigration detention capacity.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) will be completed for opening of Hassockfield IRC in line with Public Sector Equality Duties. To ensure that decisions about the development of the site have due regard to eliminating discrimination and inequality, the EIA for Hassockfield will remain ongoing as plans progress to completion. The Home Office will publish the completed EIA in due course.
The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient resilience, geographical footprint and capacity for the men and women it proves necessary to detain for the purposes of removal, while providing value for money.
As part of its plans to manage the closure and return of the Morton Hall immigration removal centre to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the Home Office considered a number of sites for a new immigration removal centre (IRC). Specifically, sites such as the former Campsfield IRC were considered and the Home Office also engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Justice on the availability of surplus sites.
Given the timescales and value for money considerations, acquiring the vacant Hassockfield site to open as an IRC for women was considered the most cost-effective option for maintaining immigration detention capacity.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) will be completed for opening of Hassockfield IRC in line with Public Sector Equality Duties. To ensure that decisions about the development of the site have due regard to eliminating discrimination and inequality, the EIA for Hassockfield will remain ongoing as plans progress to completion. The Home Office will publish the completed EIA in due course.
Most enforced immigration returns are undertaken using scheduled flights, alongside fare-paying passengers from airports around the UK based on a case by case assessment of the individuals needs and to best meet operational needs and maximise value for money.
This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.
Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute can make an application for support and accommodation whilst their application for asylum is being considered.
All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.
Paid activities are provided in immigration removal centres in accordance with Rule 17 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 to meet the recreational and intellectual needs of detained individuals. Paid activities are entirely voluntary and are offered in addition to a range of recreational activities, such as educational opportunities, access to a library and gymnasium and religious services.
Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC), due to open in autumn 2021 for around 80 women, will offer services and recreational opportunities focused on the specific needs of women and akin to those available at Yarl’s Wood IRC.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn. The proposed site will provide modern, decent and secure accommodation for around 80 women. We expect approximately 200 permanent jobs to be created when the centre is fully operational.
The Government welcomes international students and we are committed to increasing their number.
We recently opened the new Student route, which simplifies and improves upon the previous Tier 4 route, and in summer 2021 we will further improve our offer to international students by launching the Graduate route, which will enable students to work or look for work post-study.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government is extending the visas for a range of healthcare professionals, working for the NHS and independent health and care providers, where their current visa expires between 31 March and 1 October.
Eligible occupations, agreed with the Department for Health and Social Care, include podiatrists. Guidance on who is eligible for this automatic extension offer can already be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents#if-youre-working-for-the-nhs.
This offer also applies to their eligible family members. This 12-month extension offer is free and those benefitting will not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Online child sexual exploitation and abuse is an abhorrent crime, and the Home Office works closely with technology companies, law enforcement and NGOs to tackle and prevent this crime as a top priority.
In the year from April 2019 to March 2020, the NCA and UK policing identified 793 victims within indecent images of children, compared with 552 in the previous fiscal year. The NCA and policing continue to undertake work to identify children within indecent images as part of their daily activity.
Additionally, in the year from April 2019 to March 2020, the NCA and UK policing made approximately 7,200 arrests and safeguarded and protected around 8,300 children in relation to online child sexual abuse. Many of the children who were safeguarded or protected will have been victims of child sexual abuse.
The Online Harms White Paper set out plans to introduce a statutory duty of care on companies to address a range of harms on their platforms and services, including online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Ahead of legislation coming into force and an independent regulator being operational, Government will publish an interim code of practice on child sexual exploitation and abuse, setting out steps that companies can take now to prevent and tackle this crime. This interim code will be published in the Autumn, alongside the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation.
The Government is committed to tackling online child sexual exploitation and abuse and recognises many parents may feel concerned about the activities and content their children are accessing. Guidance has been published for parents and children outlining resources to help keep children safe from different risks online, including online grooming, and where to go to receive support and advice - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-keep-children-safe-online.
In May, the Government pledged more than £76?million?extra funding to support the most vulnerable in society during the pandemic. The funding has been made available for charities to support?survivors of abuse, including child sexual abuse.
Recognising the impact of the current situation upon harms such as child sexual abuse the Prime Minister hosted the government’s first Hidden Harms virtual summit in May. It was attended by over 70 representatives from across government, the NHS, law enforcement, charities and frontline services, as well as survivors of hidden harms. The summit was an opportunity to share emerging best practice at the local and national level and identify areas to go further over the coming months.
Home Office Ministers have met with the Internet Watch Foundation, children’s charities, the tech industry and other parties to understand the online threat to children during the pandemic. They also wrote to industry partners to ensure that countering online child sexual exploitation and abuse remains a priority during the pandemic.
The Government is continuing to engage with technology companies around the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, a framework of principles launched by the Five Country Ministerial partners in March. In collaboration with UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and United States governments, our partners in the technology industry have developed a new campaign to help keep children safe online during COVID-19. This launched on 17 April, with parents and carers directed to online safety resources on GOV.UK, and children directed to Childline.
The Home Secretary holds regular meetings with policing partners about a range of issues linked to the response to Covid-19 and the ability of the police to respond effectively.
In addition, we are working with other government departments and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) to develop the framework for the local management of further outbreaks.
As this work continues, we will maintain our close working relationship with the police to fully understand the impact on local forces.
The Domestic Abuse Bill, as introduced on 3 March, includes a new statutory duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse, and their children, within safe accommodation. Paragraph 207 of the Explanatory Notes which accompany the Bill provides examples of the support that may be provided, including children’s support such as play therapy and child advocacy.
To enable us to better understand the complex landscape for community-based support for all victims, including children, the Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner has agreed to undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape over 2020/21.
The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them.
We are acutely aware that the necessary guidelines about social distancing and self-isolation may leave the victims of hidden crime, such as child sexual abuse, feeling especially vulnerable. For some children, home is not the safe-haven it should be, and more time spent online means children may be at increased risk of online harms.
We have responded swiftly to the risks posed by COVID-19, working closely with Law Enforcement, the UK Intelligence Community, safeguarding partners and the third sector to assess the threat and ensure they have the resources they need to tackle offending and provide the greatest protection for vulnerable children.
We are further working across government and agencies to ensure that teachers, parents and carers have access to the support they need to help keep children safe online. As part of this the National Crime Agency have launched the #OnlineSafetyAtHome campaign, the Department for Education has published interim safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges encouraging them to disseminate advice on online safety and we have published guidance for parents and carers on gov.uk.
As part of this the Government made £1.6 million available immediately for the NSPCC to expand and promote its national helpline for adults. We also worked across government, with the NCA and industry to ensure that teachers, parents and carers have access to the support they need to help keep children safe online.
On 21st May, the Prime Minister hosted a virtual summit focused on ‘hidden harms’, including child sexual abuse. The virtual summit brought key decision makers together to share insight, best practice and agree an approach for tackling these crimes as we move towards easing lockdown measures.
Ahead of the summit, the Home Secretary announced that £9.86 million is being allocated to the National Crime Agency to improve its ability to tackle perpetrators seeking to offend against children via the Dark Web. An additional £3.36 million is being committed to further improve our understanding and tackle all aspects of the child sexual abuse threat. We will also launch a £2.8 million transformation fund to promote and embed best practice in Child Sexual Abuse victim support.
Following the Summit, we have sought to engage stakeholders within communities who could support in identifying vulnerable children, by delivering communications that highlight how to spot the signs of abuse and neglect, as well as where to report concerns. The aim is to improve our collective ability to detect and respond to a range harms, including at home.
The Home Office will distribute £7.8 million in emergency support for charities helping vulnerable children who have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. We are working closely with other government departments to identify an approach for disbursing the proportion of the £360 million charities funding allocated directly from government departments to vulnerable children’s charities, with the aim to implement the approach as soon as possible.
We are investing £25m to crack down on county lines gangs in 19/20 and 20/21. Through our county lines programme we are expanding the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre, increasing disruption on the rail networks by British Transport Police, delivering operational intensification in the three key exporting areas, investing in new technology including Automatic Number Plate Recognition and providing increased support for victims of county lines exploitation. Our investment is already delivering results; as a result of the first phase, be-tween November 2019 and March 2020, police forces have made over 650 arrests, closed nearly 140 deal lines, seized cash and drugs with a total value of over £3 million, and made over 100 weapons seizures. Officers have also safeguarded scores of individuals, including 140 children, from being ex-ploited by these gangs.
I am aware of the Secretary of State for Defence's response to the hon. Member’s oral question. Our office will be in contact shortly to arrange a suitable time to meet.
Members of the Armed Forces already have access to a range of generous allowances to ensure that the financial impact of undertaking assignments is minimised and is not unduly burdensome. Support includes Motor Mileage Allowance, for those who use their own private transport; Home to Duty Travel allowance, a non-taxable contribution towards commuting costs; and Duty Travel Allowance, which ensures that the costs of travel for work purposes are met. Defence has also rolled out a number of initiatives in response to the rise in cost-of-living, including a 7% increase to Home to Duty rates. Furthermore, Defence acknowledges Service life can cause disruption and disadvantage when compared to civilian life, which is why X-Factor is included as an addition to Service Personnel's Annual Salary.
Defence recognises the inherently mobile, often geographically remote, nature of life in the Armed Forces, which is why our Regular Service and Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment) personnel are provided with high quality subsidised accommodation. Those that need to move house because of their Service duties may claim for Disturbance Expenses, as well as Movement and Storage of Personal Effects which entitles them to move and/or store personal effects at public expense when assigned to a new qualifying duty station. Service personnel based overseas may also claim, where eligible, the Overseas Rent Allowance, which reimburses personnel with the necessary cost of rent and utilities for rented accommodation where there is no suitable Service accommodation. Those on a qualifying assignment or operation can claim Council Tax Relief, a contribution towards their Council Tax payments.
In September 2022, we published a bold, new strategy: Ending Rough Sleeping For Good. The strategy sets out cross government action and sets out how we are investing £2 billion over three years to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping. We are investing over £530 million across England over three years through the Rough Sleeping Initiative 22-25. The Rough Sleeping Initiative funding provides local areas the resources to offer accommodation, support, and a route off the streets for people sleeping rough all year-round, including winter 2023. Of this investment the City of Durham was allocated £653,750 and County Durham allocated £3,777,842. A breakdown of allocations by local authority can be found here.
Provisions in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allow Parish Councils to request, in writing, that the local planning authority notify them of any applications for planning permission in their parish which they specify.
Under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, information from the database can only be disclosed in an anonymised form if no individual or other person to whom the information relates can be identified from the information. Information about the nature of offences, length of ban or value of fines may lead to the identification of individuals entered onto the database.
The Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents is a record of banning orders that are currently in place and is not a register of all banning orders or banning order offences since 2018.
Further to my answer given in response to Question UIN 94794 on 01 December, guidance for Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts, and councils is available here.
Sponsoring households might have been deemed unsuitable for several reasons, and full sponsor suitability guidance is available here. The privacy notice for the Homes for Ukraine scheme is available here.
Further to my answer given in response to Question UIN 94794 on 01 December, guidance for Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts, and councils is available here.
Sponsoring households might have been deemed unsuitable for several reasons, and full sponsor suitability guidance is available here. The privacy notice for the Homes for Ukraine scheme is available here.
Further to my answer given in response to Question UIN 94794 on 01 December, guidance for Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts, and councils is available here.
Sponsoring households might have been deemed unsuitable for several reasons, and full sponsor suitability guidance is available here. The privacy notice for the Homes for Ukraine scheme is available here.
Further to my answer given in response to Question UIN 94794 on 01 December, guidance for Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts, and councils is available here.
Sponsoring households might have been deemed unsuitable for several reasons, and full sponsor suitability guidance is available here. The privacy notice for the Homes for Ukraine scheme is available here.
Further to my answer given in response to Question UIN 94794 on 01 December, guidance for Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts, and councils is available here.
Sponsoring households might have been deemed unsuitable for several reasons, and full sponsor suitability guidance is available here. The privacy notice for the Homes for Ukraine scheme is available here.
The Department does not currently assess the impact of the trends of university students on rental price and availability.
The Government has taken significant action over the past decade to protect all tenants, including students. We have improved standards by requiring landlords to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as conduct electrical safety checks.
The Government published a White Paper on 16 June 2022 setting out our plans to reform the private rented sector.
The Department continues to monitor private rent levels and understands that affordability may be an issue for some student households. DLUHC ministers and officials continue to take a cross-government approach to policy issues and work closely with colleagues in other departments.
Many higher education providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance. In addition, all households will save on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount. As part of the package of support for rising energy bills, the Government is also giving a council tax rebate payment of £150 to households that were living in a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022. This includes full-time students that do not live in student halls or in property that is not considered a House in Multiple Occupation for council tax purposes.
The Government does not collect data on the impact of Section 21 evictions on social housing waiting lists and rent prices at a local authority level.
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home. The Prime Minister has committed to the ban on Section 21 'no fault' evictions to protect tenants. Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for the government and we are carefully considering next steps to support the rental market.
The Government does not collect data on the impact of Section 21 evictions on social housing waiting lists and rent prices at a local authority level.
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home. The Prime Minister has committed to the ban on Section 21 'no fault' evictions to protect tenants. Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for the government and we are carefully considering next steps to support the rental market.
In the Levelling Up White Paper, we named County Durham as one of the places invited to negotiate a devolution deal. We remain committed to continuing those discussions.
The provision of affordable housing is an existing part of the Government's plan to build more homes, and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder.
The government has committed £11.5 billion of taxpayer-funded grant towards the supply of new affordable homes. This includes increasing the number of homes for social rent.
The Government makes its assessment on housing stock through the data collected from local authorities via the Local Authority Housing Statistics data collection, which provides how many properties were vacant at 31 March of each year.
Details of housing stock levels can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants.
My department regularly speaks to councils across the country about a wide variety of issues including their financial position. I can confirm that my officials met with officers from Durham County Council earlier this year, as part of this regular programme of engagement.
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this parliament.
The Home Office, supported by DLUHC officials, has been running a walk-in hub at Portcullis House to answer queries from MPs and caseworkers.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published its Triennial Review of their complaints and public accountability framework on 2 December. The Review made a number of recommendations to refine their legal framework. Recommendation 1.2 proposes that a pilot is developed to explore bringing a subset of the largest town and parish councils within the Ombudsman’s remit. The Government is considering the Review’s recommendations and will respond in due course.
Parish councils have an important role in improving the quality of life and wellbeing of their communities. The Levelling Up White Paper will outline the UK Government’s plans for strengthening communities and supporting local leadership. We will be working with organisations in the sector to develop and take forward these plans.
This Government is conscious that we need to do more to support social housing. That is why have created the new Affordable Homes Programme, which will deliver up to 180,000 affordable homes, if economic conditions allow. Across the North East, £213 million investment from this programme will help to create 4,000 new homes across the region.
This builds on are progress of delivering over 4,000 affordable homes across County Durham since 2010, almost 3,000 of which have been for social and affordable renters.
The Government is providing around £1.6 billion additional grant to local authorities in each year over the Spending Review period. In addition, local authorities can expect rising income from local taxation. This will allow councils to increase their spending on the vital public services they provide, such as children’s social care, and will ensure those services can respond effectively to rising demand and cost pressures.
More detail on how the funding announced at the Spending Review will be distributed will be given as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The department believes it is right for local authorities, who know their areas’ needs best, to make decisions about the allocation of funding within their local areas.
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. On January 7 the Government announced reforms to enfranchisement valuation, 990-year leases, removing the retirement exemption from zero ground rent measures and established a new Commonhold Council as a partnership of industry, leaseholders and Government that will prepare homeowners and the market for the widespread take-up of commonhold. This was the first part of the Government’s response to the Law Commission’s reports on enfranchisement, Right to Manage.
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill currently in Parliament will put an end to ground rents for new residential leasehold properties as part of the most significant changes to property law in a generation. The Bill's provisions will lead to fairer, more transparent homeownership for thousands of future leaseholders. This will be the first part of seminal two-part reforming legislation in this Parliament.
My Department is leading on the implementation of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, which includes the creation of an independent Code of Practice for private parking companies to improve standards. DLUHC is developing the Code of Practice through the British Standards Institution (BSI) in close consultation with key stakeholders, including landowners, consumer organisations, and the private parking industry, who are advising on its impact. If a parking company were to repeatedly break the new code, then their access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data would be blocked. This data includes information on the vehicle keeper, so a company blocked from accessing it would be unable to pursue parking charges.
In addition to the new code, DLUHC has developed the Parking Code of Practice Enforcement Framework, on which the department consulted and on 20 March 2021 published the consultation response, available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/parking-code-enforcement-framework. The response to the consultation announced a series of fairer parking measures that include strengthening the current system of self-regulation by producing a Certification Scheme, independently assessed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, and to which parking trade associations must adhere if their members wish to request access to DVLA data. Further measures include: establishment of a Scrutiny and Oversight Board to monitor the new system and creation of a single, independent appeals service for motorists to turn to if they receive a private parking charge.
Finally, DLUHC recently consulted on proposals to bring private parking charges into closer alignment with Local Authority Penalty Charge Notices, including its system of 50% discounts for early payment. We are also developing an Appeals Charter which will protect motorists from charges that are unfair or issued in error.
We intend to publish the consultation response together with the new code of practice later this Autumn so that the industry could adopt the new code and the motorists benefit as early as possible.
Whilst we have not made specific assessments relating to the effect of short-term lets on noise and disruption, we are clear about encouraging responsible short-term letting, where hosts behave in accordance with the law and with respect for both their guests' safety and their neighbours' peace. The Considerate Short-Term Lets Charter currently helps hosts to do so.
We encourage industry to continue to explore voluntary measures which would support local authorities to use their powers to stamp out bad practice.
We want to encourage responsible short-term letting, where hosts behave in accordance with the law and with respect for both their guests' safety and their neighbours' peace. The Considerate Short-Term Lets Charter currently helps hosts to do so. Furthermore, through Tourism Recovery Plan, published on 11 June 2021, we are looking to consult on the possible introduction of a Tourist Accommodation Registration Scheme in England.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) currently has one office in the West Midlands, in central Birmingham. Three MHCLG arm’s-length-bodies are located in the West Midlands. The Regulator of Social Housing in Birmingham, and Social Care Ombudsman, and Homes England in Coventry. The Department has one office in the East Midlands, in Nottingham.
In February, we confirmed that the Government will create a second headquarters in Wolverhampton with at least 500 MHCLG Group roles set to be based across the West Midlands by 2025 – with further increases planned by 2030.
The new HQ in Wolverhampton will include the presence of ministers – making it the first such ministerial office outside of London with a regular ministerial presence. Senior civil servants will also be based in Wolverhampton, ensuring this becomes a centre for policy development and decision making.
This is a significant increase on the 300 roles currently in the region and is part of plans to have at least 800 roles outside of London by 2030 – including 50% of the most senior positions. This will ensure that more local voices are reflected in the creation of government policy.
A number of factors were considered when deciding the location of the Department's additional headquarters. The choice of Wolverhampton, which builds on the Department's existing strong presence in the West Midlands region, supports the Government’s commitment to levelling up.
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We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities through an un-ringfenced grant so they can address pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of this, Durham County Council has received £33.15 million.
In total, the Government has committed over £27 billion to local areas to support councils and their communities. This also includes: £300 million to support the new test and trace service, £600 million to support providers through a new Infection Control Fund and £12.3 billion of support through the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants.
Alongside this funding, the Government has provided over £5 billion of cashflow support including the deferral of local authority payments of the Central Share of retained business rates, valued at £2.6 billion, as well as up-front payments of £1.8 billion of business rates reliefs and £850 million of social care grant.
Following the allocation of the £1.6 billion in March, we reviewed the funding formula, by using monthly data and our conversations with councils to refine our assessment. To allocate the additional £1.6 billion in April, we used our latest and best assessment of the distribution of additional COVID-19 pressures.
My Department has been working with the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) and the Department of Health and Social Care to develop a framework for the local management of further outbreaks. In addition, all upper tier local authorities have been asked to develop local outbreak control plans based on the existing statutory responsibilities of their Directors of Public Health. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, alongside other relevant departments, is considering whether further powers are required for local authorities to manage future outbreaks in line with these plans.
The Government will continue to work with local partners, including local authorities and local resilience forums, to assist preparedness to manage the potential effects of the Covid-19 outbreak. This includes supporting them in their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. All local partners have business continuity and local risk assessment processes in place for the purpose of ensuring that, if an emergency occurs, they are able to continue to perform their functions.
The Government will support councils to maintain their public services via the Covid-19 Response Fund, which has initially been set at £5 billion and provides funding so local public services are prepared and protected. Government is also considering emergency legislation which may ease some of the current requirements relating to registering a death.
The information collected on performance against the education contract does not include the number of classes cancelled. The table below shows the number and proportion of planned learner places lost in each of the first two quarters of 2023-24 at HMP Five Wells, HMP Garth, HMP Bristol, HMP Pentonville and HMP Ranby owing to a lack of teachers (Ed), or for operational reasons (Op). Operational reasons include, but are not limited to, staffing shortages.
Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. We have created a new Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail.
Prison | Places lost (Ed) Q1 | Places lost (Op) Q1 | Places lost (Ed) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Ed) Q2 | Places lost (Op) Q2 | Places lost (Ed) Q2 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q2 (%) |
Bristol | 8 | 258 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 552 | 1 | 36 |
Garth | 130 | 96 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 368 | 2 | 26 |
Five Wells | 84 | 374 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pentonville | 238 | 673 | 15 | 42 | 56 | 723 | 1 | 13 |
Ranby | 0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
The information collected on performance against the education contract does not include the number of classes cancelled. The table below shows the number and proportion of planned learner places lost in each of the first two quarters of 2023-24 at HMP Five Wells, HMP Garth, HMP Bristol, HMP Pentonville and HMP Ranby owing to a lack of teachers (Ed), or for operational reasons (Op). Operational reasons include, but are not limited to, staffing shortages.
Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. We have created a new Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail.
Prison | Places lost (Ed) Q1 | Places lost (Op) Q1 | Places lost (Ed) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Ed) Q2 | Places lost (Op) Q2 | Places lost (Ed) Q2 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q2 (%) |
Bristol | 8 | 258 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 552 | 1 | 36 |
Garth | 130 | 96 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 368 | 2 | 26 |
Five Wells | 84 | 374 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pentonville | 238 | 673 | 15 | 42 | 56 | 723 | 1 | 13 |
Ranby | 0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
The information collected on performance against the education contract does not include the number of classes cancelled. The table below shows the number and proportion of planned learner places lost in each of the first two quarters of 2023-24 at HMP Five Wells, HMP Garth, HMP Bristol, HMP Pentonville and HMP Ranby owing to a lack of teachers (Ed), or for operational reasons (Op). Operational reasons include, but are not limited to, staffing shortages.
Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. We have created a new Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail.
Prison | Places lost (Ed) Q1 | Places lost (Op) Q1 | Places lost (Ed) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Ed) Q2 | Places lost (Op) Q2 | Places lost (Ed) Q2 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q2 (%) |
Bristol | 8 | 258 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 552 | 1 | 36 |
Garth | 130 | 96 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 368 | 2 | 26 |
Five Wells | 84 | 374 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pentonville | 238 | 673 | 15 | 42 | 56 | 723 | 1 | 13 |
Ranby | 0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
The information collected on performance against the education contract does not include the number of classes cancelled. The table below shows the number and proportion of planned learner places lost in each of the first two quarters of 2023-24 at HMP Five Wells, HMP Garth, HMP Bristol, HMP Pentonville and HMP Ranby owing to a lack of teachers (Ed), or for operational reasons (Op). Operational reasons include, but are not limited to, staffing shortages.
Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. We have created a new Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail.
Prison | Places lost (Ed) Q1 | Places lost (Op) Q1 | Places lost (Ed) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Ed) Q2 | Places lost (Op) Q2 | Places lost (Ed) Q2 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q2 (%) |
Bristol | 8 | 258 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 552 | 1 | 36 |
Garth | 130 | 96 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 368 | 2 | 26 |
Five Wells | 84 | 374 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pentonville | 238 | 673 | 15 | 42 | 56 | 723 | 1 | 13 |
Ranby | 0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
The information collected on performance against the education contract does not include the number of classes cancelled. The table below shows the number and proportion of planned learner places lost in each of the first two quarters of 2023-24 at HMP Five Wells, HMP Garth, HMP Bristol, HMP Pentonville and HMP Ranby owing to a lack of teachers (Ed), or for operational reasons (Op). Operational reasons include, but are not limited to, staffing shortages.
Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. We have created a new Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail.
Prison | Places lost (Ed) Q1 | Places lost (Op) Q1 | Places lost (Ed) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q1 (%) | Places lost (Ed) Q2 | Places lost (Op) Q2 | Places lost (Ed) Q2 (%) | Places lost (Op) Q2 (%) |
Bristol | 8 | 258 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 552 | 1 | 36 |
Garth | 130 | 96 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 368 | 2 | 26 |
Five Wells | 84 | 374 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pentonville | 238 | 673 | 15 | 42 | 56 | 723 | 1 | 13 |
Ranby | 0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
The information requested is not collated centrally, and could not be compiled without incurring disproportionate cost.
From 1 April to 30 June 2023, 94 closed-grade prison officers left the prison service. The Department does not make a specific assessment of the cost to the public purse of closed-grade prison officers leaving the prison service.
The prison education budget is broken down as follows: (a) the core programme is £115.7 million, and (b) special development strategies is Dynamic Purchasing System (niche and short-term initiatives): £10.4 million, Information, Advice and Guidance: £7.6 Million, Library (non-Prison Education Framework): £5.8 million, Grants (Open University/ Prisoners Education Trust): £1.2 million, OFSTED: £1.4 million, Virtual Campus: £1.4 million.
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Although we recognise the opportunity that a Royal Commission could present to look at structural questions in the criminal justice system, we think it is right that, following the pandemic and the CBA’s disruptive action, we focus on delivering recovery priorities over the coming months.
We continue to keep issues in the wider criminal justice system under review.
Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the probate service during the Covid 19 pandemic, and the increased volume of applications that have been seen since, the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between five and seven weeks – with the average responses being almost 1 week faster in quarter 2 of 2022 than the yearly average for 2020 and 2021.
Average waiting times for probate grants, up to April to June 2022, are published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2022.
HMCTS has increased resources to meet the higher demand following an increased number of estates requiring probate and is further increasing resourcing to further bring down overall timeliness on digital and paper applications.
The improvement of the online probate system remains a priority for HMCTS, to ensure more applications can be issued first time and resources can be focused on reducing waiting times.
BT conducted a site survey at HMP Frankland on 14th October 2021 and we expect to receive an estimated cost from them in the coming weeks. This is the initial stage in the delivery of in-cell telephony, however, we will not be able to proceed until funding is made available. That position is expected to be known by the end of the financial year and if favourable the project team will engage in more detailed discussion with the prison on a detailed installation plan.
We have a responsibility to ensure those in prison receive appropriate care in the right setting, at the right time. Transfer from prison to hospital for those with severe mental health issues can take too long – we acknowledged this in the Government response to the independent review of the Mental Health Act. Since then, NHS England has published guidance to speed up transfers and we have committed to legislate and enshrine a 28-day limit on such transfers in statute. Where a request is received for a transfer to hospital, and the prisoner meets the statutory criteria, a warrant for their transfer should be issued within 7 days.
We are also looking to introduce an independent role to oversee such transfers as part of our reforms to the Mental Health Act.
We have acknowledged that prison should not be used as a ‘place of safety’, where the court can send a person to be temporarily held on the grounds of mental health for their own or others’ protection whilst awaiting an assessment or transfer, and have committed to ending this by amending the Mental Health Act, and putting the necessary operational reforms in place.
More widely, it is essential to ensure that individuals with vulnerabilities are identified early in the criminal justice system. Last year, NHS England secured full coverage of Liaison and Diversion Services in all courts, including women’s pathways to address women’s specific needs. Currently, NHS England is working to enhance these women’s pathways, and a specific women’s lead has been appointed in each service, to work on developing the pathway and appropriately address the needs of female offenders.
We have also invested £9.5m through our Female Offender Strategy to support women’s community services, which provide holistic support to women in contact with the justice system, and those at risk of offending.
The funding of Prison Education is based on the number of prisoners and the type of establishment. Governors are able to decide, within limit, how much of the education budget is allocated to the core (Prison Education Framework) contract and how much is spent on niche provision via an Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). There is further scope to move allocated monies around between establishments to cater for individual learner need at the discretion of the Director. The total education budget is just under £150 Million.
The Curriculum at HMP Low Newton is reviewed annually and learners are surveyed to ensure courses are relevant and of interest to them. Whilst it is important to provide learning that meets the wishes of learners, we also deliver the core skills of numeracy, literacy and IT. We also continue to deliver courses which will support the women into employment on release and provide personal development, specifically tailored to meet the needs of the women in Low Newton’s care.
The Annual Civil Service People Survey looks at civil servants’ attitudes to, and experience of working in government departments. In 2020, the survey ran across Government Departments, including Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), from 1 to 30 October. Ministry of Justice People Survey data for 2020 will be published on gov.uk in due course.
4,897 HMPPS staff (27% of respondents) believed that their pay was reasonable compared to people doing a similar job in other organisations in the latest survey.
We do not ask staff whether “when operational changes are made at work they were usually for the better”. However, in response to a broader question regarding all changes, 5,430 staff (30% of respondents) believed that when changes are made in their organisation they were usually for the better. Additionally, 5,552 members of staff (30% of respondents) said they had the opportunity to contribute their views before decisions are made that affect them.
HMPPS are committed to taking forward the issues raised in the People Survey to improve employee experience and wellbeing.
The Annual Civil Service People Survey looks at civil servants’ attitudes to, and experience of working in government departments. In 2020, the survey ran across Government Departments, including Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), from 1 to 30 October. Ministry of Justice People Survey data for 2020 will be published on gov.uk in due course.
4,897 HMPPS staff (27% of respondents) believed that their pay was reasonable compared to people doing a similar job in other organisations in the latest survey.
We do not ask staff whether “when operational changes are made at work they were usually for the better”. However, in response to a broader question regarding all changes, 5,430 staff (30% of respondents) believed that when changes are made in their organisation they were usually for the better. Additionally, 5,552 members of staff (30% of respondents) said they had the opportunity to contribute their views before decisions are made that affect them.
HMPPS are committed to taking forward the issues raised in the People Survey to improve employee experience and wellbeing.
The Annual Civil Service People Survey looks at civil servants’ attitudes to, and experience of working in government departments. In 2020, the survey ran across Government Departments, including Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), from 1 to 30 October. Ministry of Justice People Survey data for 2020 will be published on gov.uk in due course.
4,897 HMPPS staff (27% of respondents) believed that their pay was reasonable compared to people doing a similar job in other organisations in the latest survey.
We do not ask staff whether “when operational changes are made at work they were usually for the better”. However, in response to a broader question regarding all changes, 5,430 staff (30% of respondents) believed that when changes are made in their organisation they were usually for the better. Additionally, 5,552 members of staff (30% of respondents) said they had the opportunity to contribute their views before decisions are made that affect them.
HMPPS are committed to taking forward the issues raised in the People Survey to improve employee experience and wellbeing.
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes the welfare of staff extremely seriously, which is why it supports staff to access a range of helplines and resources. The Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU) was established in August 2020 and works to support staff through a confidential helpline, mediation service and programme of assessments to surface and address unacceptable behaviour. In addition, a special investigation service is being developed to deal with the most serious cases involving bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation.
Staff can also access support from HR professionals in relation to workplace conflict through the Civil Service Early Resolution Helpline (ERH). The Employee Assistance Programme PAM Assist helpline offers counselling, support and information including signposting to external sources of support. This support can relate to a wide range of work and personal issues including trauma, bereavement, bullying and harassment, Childcare/Elder care, debt, relationships, alcohol and drug misuse and many more.
There is no place for any form of unacceptable behaviour in HMPPS. Such behaviour is contrary to its core values and will not be tolerated. All allegations of unacceptable behaviour are taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken.
The volume of calls for each helpline per month received from HMPPS staff since the launch of the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit on 24 August 2020 is set out in the table below:
| Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit (from 24 August 2020) | Early Resolution Helpline (from 5 Oct 2020) | PAM Assist (Data provided from 1 August 2020) |
August 2020 | 26 | Not yet launched | 314 |
September 2020 | 55 | Not yet launched | 303 |
October 2020 | 34 | 5 | 315 |
November 2020 | 36 | 3 | 306 |
December 2020 | 29 | 0 | 268 |
January 2021 | 17 | 4 | 295 |
February 2021 | 19 | 2 | 242 |
Totals | 216 | 14 | 2043 |
The breakdown of calls to the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Helpline in relation to (a) bullying, (b) harassment, (c) victimisation and (d) discrimination is set out in the table below:
Issue raised in call | Volume (24 Aug 2020 – 28 Feb 2021) | Percentage of all calls |
Bullying | 89 | 41% |
Harassment | 29 | 11% |
Victimisation | 8 | 4% |
Discrimination | 31 | 14% |
(Note – not all callers will disclose precise issue of concern, and other types of issue than the four categories above may be recorded, such as unfair treatment or decision)
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes the welfare of staff extremely seriously, which is why it supports staff to access a range of helplines and resources. The Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU) was established in August 2020 and works to support staff through a confidential helpline, mediation service and programme of assessments to surface and address unacceptable behaviour. In addition, a special investigation service is being developed to deal with the most serious cases involving bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation.
Staff can also access support from HR professionals in relation to workplace conflict through the Civil Service Early Resolution Helpline (ERH). The Employee Assistance Programme PAM Assist helpline offers counselling, support and information including signposting to external sources of support. This support can relate to a wide range of work and personal issues including trauma, bereavement, bullying and harassment, Childcare/Elder care, debt, relationships, alcohol and drug misuse and many more.
There is no place for any form of unacceptable behaviour in HMPPS. Such behaviour is contrary to its core values and will not be tolerated. All allegations of unacceptable behaviour are taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken.
The volume of calls for each helpline per month received from HMPPS staff since the launch of the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit on 24 August 2020 is set out in the table below:
| Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit (from 24 August 2020) | Early Resolution Helpline (from 5 Oct 2020) | PAM Assist (Data provided from 1 August 2020) |
August 2020 | 26 | Not yet launched | 314 |
September 2020 | 55 | Not yet launched | 303 |
October 2020 | 34 | 5 | 315 |
November 2020 | 36 | 3 | 306 |
December 2020 | 29 | 0 | 268 |
January 2021 | 17 | 4 | 295 |
February 2021 | 19 | 2 | 242 |
Totals | 216 | 14 | 2043 |
The breakdown of calls to the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Helpline in relation to (a) bullying, (b) harassment, (c) victimisation and (d) discrimination is set out in the table below:
Issue raised in call | Volume (24 Aug 2020 – 28 Feb 2021) | Percentage of all calls |
Bullying | 89 | 41% |
Harassment | 29 | 11% |
Victimisation | 8 | 4% |
Discrimination | 31 | 14% |
(Note – not all callers will disclose precise issue of concern, and other types of issue than the four categories above may be recorded, such as unfair treatment or decision)
Please find data showing assaults committed during education activities in the 12 months to June 2020 in the attached table. Please note that assaults committed during education activities are a total of the assaults that, when reported, had their location flagged as "Education".
Despite the progress made, the level of violence in prisons remains too high. We are continuing work to address this by giving all staff the tools and training to help them reduce violence.
Violence in prison is a crime. Any prisoner who commits an act of violence can expect to have action taken against them.
We are spending £100 million to bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars. This is funding tough measures including x-ray body scanners and phone-blocking technology.
Detailed planning is underway between Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the NHS and public health bodies to prepare for the delivery of vaccinations in prisons. In Phase 1 of the vaccine rollout, staff and prisoners are eligible for vaccinations according to vulnerability in the same priority order as the public.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that vaccination of those at increased risk of exposure due to their occupation, including those involved in the justice system, could be a priority in the second phase. Prioritisation decisions will need to be made in line with wider prioritisation of access, and the availability of vaccines, across the community.
HM Prison and Probation Service values the support of its Trade Union colleagues and supports all parties in the sharing of appropriate health and safety messaging, and as such will continue working together to ensure that appropriate health and safety messages effectively reach all staff as necessary.
Staff delivering educational services under the Prison Education Framework (PEF) and Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) contracts are directly employed by 3rd parties who are contracted to deliver these services. As such, they are not considered to be either HMPPS, agency or sessional staff.
HM Prison and Probation Service continues to share with the Joint Unions Prisons Alliance (JUPA) its commitment to maintain safety in the workplace and will continue to progress this, including engagement with this Alliance on a quarterly basis to brief them on prison safety work.
We welcome the constructive contribution of JUPA, however we need to be inclusive of all our recognised trade unions and also of the third party employers it refers to. Currently JUPA is not representative of all HMPPS recognised unions. As such, whilst we do see merit in the continued engagement with JUPA, we do not see merit in the Charter as it is set currently. HMPPS already has a strong prison safety agenda which fully includes the recognised trade unions and which, in many ways also, reflect issues that JUPA has raised.
Pregnancy data is collected locally by individual prisons, to ensure the appropriate support can be provided to women in our care. Currently, there is no central collection of this data. HMP Low Newton are in the process of collating the information requested and, as soon as that is available, I will write to the Honourable Member.
On 31 July we published a summary report of our review of operational policy on pregnancy and women separated from children under 2. This includes an undertaking to extend the range of data we publish in relation to pregnant women in prison, and can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/905559/summary-report-of-review-of-policy-on-mbu.pdf
The principle in English and Welsh law that marriage has the effect of revoking wills is long established. The issue of whether marriage or civil partnership should invoke automatic revocation of the wills of those involved is being considered as part of a wider current review by the Law Commission on reforming the law of wills.
That review is also examining whether there should be new rules introduced which protect the person making the will from undue influence.
The Government will review the case for reforming the current law when it has received the recommendations in the Law Commission’s final report.
The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions and convictions in the Outcomes by Offence data tool up to December 2019. Available at:
Search ‘Offence’ for ‘36.1 Forced marriage’. The number of prosecutions and convictions can be viewed in the table.
The latest period for which data about appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) are available is January to March 2020 which predates the pandemic.
www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.
The most recent tribunal statistics publication covering the period April to June 2020 does not include SSCS data due to issues identified as the Tribunal was being migrated to a new operational system. The data will be made available as soon as this is resolved and the data quality assured.
Appeals to the SSCS Tribunal have continued to be heard in line with government guidance throughout the pandemic. Telephone hearings and the use of other hearing technology have been used to facilitate as many hearings as possible being held remotely.
In addition to holding remote hearings in all regions, appeals may also be decided by judges sitting alone in chambers, using the evidence before them in the case papers.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service has also introduced safety measures so that face to face hearings can be held for any cases which cannot be decided on the papers or heard remotely.
The decision as to how a hearing is conducted is a matter for the judge, who will determine how best to uphold the interests of justice. In considering the suitability of video/audio hearings to replace face to face hearings, judges will consider matters such as the nature of the dispute at stake and any issues the use of video/audio technology may present for participants in the hearing, having regard to individuals’ needs.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is working hard to keep our justice system functioning during this unprecedented public health emergency. We are focusing on priority cases, changing working practices and introducing new procedures to minimise risks to the judiciary, staff and all those who use our courts and tribunals.
This has included, in line with government guidance, replacing face to face hearings in the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) (SSCS) with telephone hearings and the use of other remote hearing technology to facilitate as many hearings as possible being held remotely. All parties to the hearings are being contacted directly to confirm new hearing arrangements.
In addition to holding remote hearings in all regions, appeals may also be decided by judges sitting alone in chambers, using the evidence before them in the case papers.
During the coronavirus outbreak HMCTS is publishing additional management information used for understanding the impact on workload volumes and activity across the court and tribunal system, which includes SSCS workload and hearings. The latest information, published on 11 June, is available using the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-april-2020.
The latest advice and guidance from the government and judiciary in relation to tribunal hearings during the coronavirus pandemic is updated regularly and can be viewed using the following links:
www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparation and
www.judiciary.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-guidance.
Any decision to negotiate the sale of Lough Neagh with its landowner and bring it into public ownership is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Northern Ireland parties need to restore the Executive so that locally elected decision-makers can address issues such as this.