Mike Gapes

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from government and the government cannot intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations, including distribution.

We understand that, where BBC channels are made available without the BBC’s permission outside of the UK, it will take appropriate action to close these services down.

All schools, including independent schools, are required to safeguard children from harm. This includes the harm of radicalisation and extremism. In addition to their statutory safeguarding obligations, under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, schools are subject to the Prevent duty which requires them to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

Under the Prevent duty, and as set out in the Teachers’ Standards and Independent School Standards, schools must actively promote our shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Ofsted’s inspection framework is already clear that all schools must promote these values and adhere to the Prevent duty. All inspectors are trained to inspect under the framework and Ofsted also has inspectors with specialist counter-extremism skills and experience. The department continues to work with Ofsted to learn from the findings of its inspections and ensure the department’s work continues to support the sector to effectively implement the Prevent duty.

All maintained schools and academies are inspected by Ofsted, as are just under half of all independent schools. Those independent schools not inspected by Ofsted are subject to inspections by the Independent Schools Inspectorate or the School Inspection Service.

The Teachers’ Standards can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665520/Teachers__Standards.pdf

The Independent School Standards can be found here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/schedule/made.

The last report received by the Secretary of State for Education relating to teaching standards and education at Ad-Deen Primary School was from Ofsted following their inspection of the school on 19-20 January 2011. This judged the school to be satisfactory for curriculum, teaching and assessment.

Defra is negotiating for a proportionate, flexible and simplified approach to the proposed new EU legislation for Plant Reproductive Material. Our principal objectives are to make things simpler and to achieve positive outcomes for businesses and gardeners alike.

Defra has made numerous representations to the European Commission on its proposed regulation for Plant Reproductive Material. The representations have been through correspondence, negotiation at Council Working Groups, informal discussion, and in a specially convened meeting between Defra, Commission officials and UK stakeholders in London in June 2013.

Defra takes the lead for the UK's membership to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity. These require contracting parties to conserve the genetic diversity of agricultural varieties, including heritage varieties. Defra sponsors three genetic resource collections which maintain heritage varieties: the National Fruit Collection, the John Innes Pea Collection, and the vegetable collection at Warwick University. Defra is planning to follow up previous research assessing, conserving and encouraging the further cultivation of locally adapted fruit and vegetable varieties (landraces).

Defra took a leading role in developing simpler EU registration requirements, introduced in 2009, for heritage varieties of agricultural and vegetable species. These allow marketing on the basis of a simplified, low cost description, with proportionate controls to assure seed quality. Defra is now seeking further simplification in the proposed new Plant Reproductive Material legislation currently under discussion at European level.

Both the EU and the UK have been clear that the Implementation Period will be agreed under Article 50 and be part of the Withdrawal Agreement. Both sides have also been clear that Gibraltar is covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and our Article 50 exit negotiations.

The Prime Minister said clearly in the House on Monday that as we negotiate these matters we will be negotiating to ensure that the relationships are there for Gibraltar as well. We are not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations for either the implementation period or the future agreement.

Both the EU and the UK have been clear that the Implementation Period will be agreed under Article 50 and be part of the Withdrawal Agreement. Both sides have also been clear that the Overseas Territories, including Anguilla, are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and our Article 50 exit negotiations.

In these negotiations, we are seeking a deal that works for the whole UK family, including Anguilla.

As the Prime Minister has made clear and was set out in the Department for International Trade’s White Paper ‘Preparing for our future UK trade policy’, after we leave the EU the UK will operate an independent trade policy. It will be exclusively for the UK and Gibraltar to determine our future bilateral commercial and trading relationship. In terms of the UK’s and Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU, these are subject to negotiations and we have been clear throughout that we are not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations for either the implementation period or the agreement for the future.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. The Department was not aware of the visit in advance of it taking place.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. The Department has not arranged any such meetings.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. The Department was not aware of the visit in advance of it taking place.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. The information is not held by the Department.

My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. The information is not held by the Department.

Since the Department was created its Trade Policy Group (TPG) has grown to Approximately 470 people at the end of October 2018, bringing together trade policy, country specialists and experts on trade policy issues. A number of DIT staff in offshore posts are also undertaking work on market access trade policy issues.

Typically, a trade negotiation will involve teams of differing sizes, with expertise relevant to the specific chapters or sectors being negotiated as part of that agreement which will differ for each but will be drawn primarily from DIT TPG. The exact make up will depend on the complexity and scope of any agreement and would be staffed by DIT policy officials with the involvement of expertise from other Departments. These officials are not designated negotiators specifically.

In addition other DIT staff will also be involved in supporting the negotiators and for instance, handling relations with Parliament and external stakeholders.

The anticipated final costs of the Crossrail project are yet to be confirmed. It is expected the project will be completed within the funding envelope of £17.6bn. The Department is working with Transport for London, for whom Crossrail Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Crossrail Limited, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transport for London, is currently working on a revised delivery plan. Crossrail Limited has committed to delivering the full Elizabeth line services as quickly as possible once the central tunnels have been completed, to provide a service that will carry up to 200 million passengers a year.

The Government is spending more than £600 million by 2020 to support the development, manufacture and uptake of electric ultra low emission vehicles in the UK. This programme includes grant incentives for motorists to purchases vehicles, and funding for the installation of chargepoints at home and at work. Our aim is that all new cars and vans should be zero emission by 2040. This will mean that almost all cars and vans on our roads are zero emission by 2050.

The tax system also supports the transition to cleaner vehicles, for example pure electric vehicles are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty. At Autumn Statement 2015 the Chancellor confirmed that the diesel supplement would be retained in company car tax until 2021. HM Treasury has recently consulted on how company car tax can best incentivise ultra low emission vehicles.

The attached table shows the capital funding allocated to each National Health Service trust in London, including Barking, Havering and Redbridge Universities NHS Trust, in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2017-18 inclusive.

Due to the way in which some funding was recorded in 2010-11 and 2011-12, it has not been possible to separate revenue and capital funding. Because of this, some funding has been excluded from this table for these years and is shown by an asterisk.

The Department provides some specific central support in the form of capital loans and public dividend capital. The details of all financial assistance provided by the Department to individual National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts, including capital loans and public dividend capital, under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006 are published annually alongside the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The largest centrally allocated capital programme over the period to 2022 is the sustainability and transformation partnerships (STP) capital programme. The following table shows the announced value of capital investment in STP schemes for London NHS trusts. The breakdown of funding in individual years will be determined - once they complete the standard full business case process.

Notes:

¹Further funding is beyond the period to 2022-23 and contributions will also be from other funding sources. Part of the Camden and Islington funding is in the form of a bridging loan in advance of land disposal receipts.

²All funding for this scheme expected to be provided in 2018-19.

In addition, future funding has been allocated for some large capital schemes to specific London providers and as follows:

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

- there remains around £52.6 million available which was allocated specifically for the introduction of proton beam therapy; and

- there remains around £96.9 million available for the ongoing development of the haematology and short stay surgery, and head and neck services.

Social care funding for future years will be settled in the Spending Review, where the overall approach to funding local government will be considered in the round.

The attached table shows the capital funding allocated to each National Health Service trust in London, including Barking, Havering and Redbridge Universities NHS Trust, in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2017-18 inclusive.

Due to the way in which some funding was recorded in 2010-11 and 2011-12, it has not been possible to separate revenue and capital funding. Because of this, some funding has been excluded from this table for these years and is shown by an asterisk.

On 24 April 2013, the independent Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions, chaired by Sir Bruce Keogh, was published. A copy has already been placed in the Library.

The Government Response to the Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions, was published on 13 February. A copy of the response has already been placed in the Library. We fully accept the principles of the Keogh review and the overwhelming majority of the recommendations.

The Government has undertaken to strengthen standards through better training and robust qualifications, and explore how far supervision from regulated professionals might support self-regulation of the sector.

The Royal College of Surgeons has set up an inter-specialty committee to ensure standards for cosmetic surgery and will work with the General Medical Council on a code of ethical conduct. Health Education England (HEE) is leading on a review of training and qualifications for providers of non-surgical cosmetic interventions, including lasers. On 11 September, HEE published a phase 1 report Review of qualifications required for delivery of non-surgical cosmetic interventions. A copy of the report is attached.

The Care Quality Commission has developed a new inspection methodology to cover independent health providers, reflecting the protocols used for National Health Service hospitals. The inspections will be conducted with relevant specialists within the inspection teams, including those with experience in cosmetic interventions.

The Department is also taking steps to meet relevant stakeholders to discuss cosmetic procedures and the necessity and form of any further regulation to protect the public. There are no current plans to introduce a statutory register of providers of cosmetic laser treatments.

We have regular contact with the Government of Pakistan at all levels. The most recent high level contact was on 23 September, when the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Imran Khan in the margins of the UN General Assembly. They discussed the strong bilateral relations between the UK and Pakistan, Kashmir, the upcoming visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and regional issues, including tensions with Iran and peace efforts in Afghanistan.​

I refer the honourable member to PQ 293428.

We are following the situation in Kashmir closely and are in regular contact with the Governments of India and Pakistan. The Foreign Secretary has raised his concerns about the situation with the Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr Jaishankar. In addition to this the Prime Minister has spoken to both Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Imran Khan about the situation, underlining the importance of maintaining dialogue. Most recently he discussed the issue with Prime Minister Khan in New York on 23 September. The Minister of State responsible for South Asia has also had regular engagement with the Indian and Pakistani High Commissioners and raised the situation in Kashmir with Minister Naqvi during their meeting in New Delhi on 3 October. Events in Kashmir can have regional and international implications and we continue to urge calm and caution from all.

We recognise that there are human rights concerns in both India-administered-Kashmir and Pakistan-administered-Kashmir. We encourage all states to ensure domestic laws are in line with international standards. Any allegation of human rights abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. The continued use of detentions and the continued restrictions on communications are worrying. It is important that individual rights are fully respected and that there is constructive dialogue with affected communities. We have raised our concerns with the Governments of India and Pakistan.

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We have regular contact with the Government of India at all levels. The Foreign Secretary met the Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr Jaishankar on 1 August at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Bangkok. The Foreign Ministers discussed a range of issues including UK-India bilateral relations, regional issues and opportunities for the future. They have spoken on the telephone subsequently.

The recently published White Paper on the future immigration system, sets out our intention to continue to attract those who bring a range of skills, including those who make valuable contributions to the enjoyment of faith and community across the UK.

In the future, there will be a single skills-based system. Under current arrangements, which we will look to build on, there are two routes available for non-EU nationals. The first, Tier 2 Ministers of Religion is for those play-ing a leading role as faith leaders in our religious institutions. The second route, Tier 5 Religious Workers is for those undertaking non-pastoral roles supporting the activities of these institutions. We are embarking on an ex-tensive programme of engagement and will be talking to representatives of a range of faith and community groups, including from the Catholic Church.

On 8 March we launched a 12 week public consultation on proposals for a landmark domestic abuse Bill and a supporting package of practical action to transform the response to domestic abuse. The consultation closed on 31 May. Over 3,200 responses to the consultation were received. The responses to the consultation are being considered and a draft Bill will be published later this session.

We do not routinely comment on individual cases.

All UKVI Decision Making Centres follow the same Customer Service Standards when handling visa entry clearance applications.

Customer Service Standards for Settlement for those applying from outside the UK can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about-our-services

Documents relating to applications are dispatched to Sheffield by approved couriers who utilise specific tracking systems throughout the process. Where documents are sent directly to Sheffield they are recorded by staff upon receipt.

Redbridge has been allocated £5,280,506 for 2018-19 as part of the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant. The Rough Sleeping Initiative have also allocated Redbridge £485,250 for 2018-19 with a further £500,000 provisionally allocated for 2019-20 to tackle rough sleeping specifically. In addition, both the Move On Fund and Cold Weather Fund are open to local authorities for proposals to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough and that is why, this summer, we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.

My Department has been working with the Ministry of Justice, who in turn have been working with the Information Commissioner, on changes to the rules about local authority members' notifying the Information Commissioner's Office that they are data controllers, to ensure that any new rules both remove bureaucratic burdens whilst ensuring that local authority members who are data controllers remain aware of their duties and obligations as data controllers.

The Home Office is the lead Department in relation to these issues. I understand that the Minister of State for Immigration wrote to faith leaders in mid-December, setting out both the detail and rationale for the changes and guidance is currently being prepared.

Under the current Immigration Rules there are two routes available for non-EU nationals. The first, Tier 2 Ministers of Religion, is for those playing a leading role as faith leaders in our religious institutions. The second route, Tier 5 Religious Workers, is for those undertaking non-pastoral roles supporting the activities of these institutions. Our intention is to continue to attract those who bring a range of skills, including those who make valuable contributions to the enjoyment of faith and community across the UK.

Late last year I met Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Glasgow and President of the Bishops’ Conference, and discussed a number of issues with him, including the UK’s forthcoming exit from the European Union. Since then the Government has published its White Paper on the future immigration system, and I fully expect the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland will wish to engage with the Home Office on its particular circumstances and requirements.